Handbook+

Band parents occupy a number of leadership positions that get voted on in the spring (for the following year). New band parents are encouraged to volunteer for specific tasks and events, and to join committees. We appreciate your help in delivering a quality band program.

Schedule

The following schedule is meant to represent a typical week of rehearsals and performances. Not all weeks will require

time commitment on Fridays and Saturdays; consult the band calendar for specific dates.

These rules below are from the 2023 Band Handbook.

• Students need to arrive prior to the start of rehearsal to ensure that they are in the proper location with the proper equipment by the time we begin.

• Once rehearsal ends students are encouraged to quickly take care of responsibilities for cleanup and depart within 15 minutes. Parents and guardians, please be punctual! Do not wait for a call or text from your student letting you know that they are ready.

General Rehearsal Rules:

• All members and staff must wear the appropriate footwear to rehearsals, as defined in the Attire Policy.

• No use of vulgar or suggestive language during rehearsal.

• If you see trash, pick it up and throw it away.

• Smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices are not to be used during blocks.

• When the Box is addressing your section, briefly raise your hand and look up to the box to confirm you are listening. This will allow the box to provide information specific to your section efficiently.

• If you leave the rehearsal field to refill a water bottle or to use the restroom, be quick.

• If you absolutely must step off to the sideline (injury, sickness, etc.), the expectation is that you remain engaged (play the music with the band, mark time/step outs when appropriate, etc.).

• Any student out of the block for more than 15 minutes will be sent home, as they will not be productive during the rehearsal time.
  
  

Attire Policy

• Winds and perc: White shirt/tank top, black shorts/leggings/pants. Color Guard: Blue shirt/tank, black shorts/leggings/pants

• Spirit Days will count as an excuse from the dress code. Students not participating in the Spirit Day must still adhere to rehearsal attire code.

• Closed-toe athletic shoes are required for ALL staff and students. No flip-flops, sandals, Crocs, boots, or flat-soled shoes (Converse or Vans) of any kind.

• Hats are required – at least a baseball cap. Brim hats are preferred. Sunglasses are encouraged.

Here is a quick list of all the fundraising activities we do throughout the year:

• FLA-Live - Opportunities throughout the year to operate a food kiosk at the FLA-Live arena in Sunrise during events such as hockey games and music concerts.  

• Football Program - The band sells ads that go into the football program.

• Coupon Books - The SaveAround coupon books sell for $25 and of that, your fair share will get $11.25. You can pre-sell books and collect money. When the books come in at the end of August, you can pick up the books you have sold. Book sales typically run through early October. 

• Flea Market - On one Saturday of each month starting in September, vendors come to the PVHS parking lot to sell items at a flea market we host. Students can volunteer at the flea market to earn service hours toward graduation.

• Dine to Donate - The band coordinates with local restaurants to receive part of money from receipts of patrons who mention the PVHS Band when they dine on specific nights (some restaurants require bringing a flyer as well).

Overview
"Fla-Live" is short for a program the FLA-Live Arena has created where outside groups can provide the staff for a food kiosk during an event. Basically, we provide the labor and earn a percentage of the money raised by selling food and drinks. Once the band is notified of upcoming opportunities to run a food kiosk at a FLA-Live Arena event, a sign-up list will be placed in Cut-Time where sign-up is first-come first-served. If you do not have access to Cut-Time, you can email the FLA-live coordinator to sign up to work as cashier, food prep, runner, or do inventory. There are a limited number of people who can work in a kiosk (though sometimes we have the opportunity to run more than one kiosk at an event). There will be a published time to be at the event. On the day of the event, band parents will often meet in Lake Worth and carpool down and back from the stadium, though people are welcome to drive themselves as well. The arena supplies a venue shirt to wear over your clothing (which you return at the end of the night), a staff member that oversees the kiosk operations, and cooks in certain kiosks to help with preparing certain dishes. We prepare and serve food, and, once the event is over, we clean up and leave.

Please also join the Fla-Live Slack channel for the latest news about these opportunities.

Training Requirements

As of September 2023, participants must once again complete online training before working at the FLA-Live arena. These Training Instructions provide info about how to login and complete training. The training that PVHS parents need to complete is the Alcohol Handlers Certification course (the food handling course is not required). Once you complete the course, send your certificate to the the FLA-live coordinator at flalive@parkvistaband.com so it can be archived. 

Funds Raised

The amount of money raised is based on the amount of food/drinks sold, so can be affected by event attendance, kiosk location, and other factors. Providing a dependable and on-time staff for a kiosk is important to maintaining a good relationship with the arena, and having a good relationship with the arena coordinator can help ensure we are offered kiosks at popular events, for instance. Parents also have to work carefully, as excessive wastage of food or materials (plastic bowls, cooked but unsold food, etc.) can impact the final funds earned. A few weeks after the event, money is applied to parents' accounts and can be viewed online in Cut-Time; money is split evenly among those who worked the event. The only exception to this is cash tips, which are retained by the individual who was tipped. If a cash tip is given to an individual and they feel the money was intended for the band as a whole (rather than to the individual parent), they are welcome to pass this money to the band leadership to be put in our general fund.

Important notes:

• The volunteer system in Cut-Time has sign-ups for FLA-Live events, and you can also email flalive@parkvistaband.com to sign up to work as cashier, food prep, runner or do inventory. You will need to provide your name, email, and phone number. 

• To qualify for Hockey Season playoff games, you must work other events throughout the year so start now and sign-up as you can.

• Event sign-ups are first come, first serve.

• Uniform is black pants, black non-slip shoes, and white t-shirt (you can also wear the official red hat/visor if you have one).

• You MUST have completed VIPS and Raptor volunteer requirement at the school’s front office PRIOR to volunteering for ANYTHING school related, including FLA-Live events.

• Although changes usually do not occur, events are not guaranteed and report times are subject to change.

The program is a print booklet that will contain ads from individuals and businesses. Ads can be solicited by any band member and the funds will apply to your fair share or other payments.

Use this link: https://app.gocuttime.com/guardian/resend-magic-link . Enter your cell phone number or email address and you will be sent a "Magic Link" that takes you into your account. Contact Ms. Murthy if you have any login problems.

To share pictures or video please go to our media archive page and click on the gallery you wish to upload to. You can also attach your picture in an email to media@parkvistaband.com. 

To volunteer, you can monitor band communications for notices of needs for volunteer, check for volunteer opportunities in Charms, or contact a coordinator in your area of interest. Group like the props team meet regularly in the evening during the week and on weekends, while other groups meet as needed or at specific events. We appreciate all of your efforts to make the band successful.

To volunteer as a chaperone at a competition, you should have already been a chaperone at a football game or other event. You can read more about chaperoning at competitions here: "Chaperone Guidelines - Competitions"

The band pays a license to play the music we play publicly. You are typically not allowed to post videos of us playing at a school concert, however, as this is a different license that does not allow for public performances. Posting videos of us playing at competitions is fine, but the main thing you do NOT want to do is to post video of the band practicing their music or choreography before they perform it publicly. Other bands or judges may see the show before it is ready, or may learn about something innovative we are doing that we hope to reveal at a competition.  

If your child is sick and cannot attend a scheduled activity, please send an email to the Band Directors (Ms. Murthy & Mr. Rodriguez).

As a courtesy, the student may also wish to contact their squad and/or section leader. For other reasons for absence, families should familiarize themselves with the excused and unexcused absence policies in the band handbook.