August 21, 2016

Post date: Aug 21, 2016 7:36:09 PM

Rehearsal Schedule for the week:

  • Monday - Guard Sectional (3-5); Low Brass Sectionals (3:15-4:30); Percussion Sectional (5-8)

  • Tuesday - Full Band (3-5); all other Hornline Sectionals (5-6)

  • Thursday - Full Band (3-5)

  • Friday - Football @ Bolivar - 7:00 pm - We will meet in the band room at 4:15 for immediate departure!

Announcements:

  • A BIG THANK YOU to anyone who helped in any way with our annual Preview Night or Dodge Drive this past Thursday! It was a great evening all the way around! The weather was great, you (the fans) were great, we met our goal of 150 drivers for the Dodge Booster Drive, and the kids put on a fantastic show!

  • Congratulations to the football team on their big WIN this past Friday night against Zion Christian Academy - 37-6! Thanks to all of you who came out to support the team and the band! It makes for a great halftime performance when you have the cheering section there for us that we had this past Friday!

  • Thanks to everyone who did his/her part in the selling of Braided Bread! You guys sold over 280 loaves and got over $200 in donations. The final day to turn in orders is TOMORROW!

  • MEMORIZATION TEST over Part #3 (measures O-end) will be MONDAY during band class time. Part #2 grades should be available for you to view on PowerSchool and grades were posted by # on my office window for students to see as well.

  • Don't forget to pay for your child's marching shoes ($36/pair band; $33/pair guard)! They should be arriving soon!

  • This Friday is our FIRST away game vs. Bolivar @ 7:00! Students will have to be in their seats dressed (polos - TUCKED IN!, khaki shorts, and tennis shoes) @ 4:15! Students will have a chance to eat at the concession stand once we arrive at Bolivar so be sure your student has money to eat or they need to bring something to eat with them on the bus!

  • PLEASE READ: Since Friday is our first time to travel, here is the process by which we travel. ALL STUDENTS MUST RIDE THE BUS TO EVERY FOOTBALL GAME/CONTEST! After a game/contest you have the option to check your child out and take them with you but you MUST fill out a ride home form (attached to this email, there will be some on the band room table starting TOMORROW, or download a copy off of the band website under forms). After a contest/game is over we will march/walk back to the buses to pack and load equipment. ONLY AFTER EVERYTHING has been loaded you can begin to check out your child with his/her chaperone at his/her bus door. Just because you are ready to leave your child will NOT be allowed to sign-out until EVERYTHING is loaded and I give the go ahead for chaperones to start allowing students to check-out. At that point you will get your student along with you (the parent) and go to your child's bus and sign (physically sign) your child out with his/her chaperone. REMEMBER YOU CAN ONLY SIGN OUT YOUR CHILD IF YOU HAVE TURNED IN A RIDE HOME FORM! If you take your child and you do not have a ride home form you forfeit your ability to check them out for the rest of year! RIDE HOME FORMS ARE DUE (in my office on the 3rd filing cabinet in the grey plastic bin) NO LATER THAN THURSDAY @ 5:00 for FB games and FRIDAY @ 3:00 PM for contests! NO EXCEPTIONS! Your student may NOT be checked out by another child's parent unless you notate on your ride home that they are to be released to them AND that parent can show proof that they have the school board approved insurance to transport other people's children. You can check your child out and then YOU can put them in a car with another parent but we can not release a student to another parent without the 2 above stated pieces of information. Students who ride the bus back will be given a message by their bus chaperone(s) when we are 30 minutes away from the school so that they can call and let you know so that you can be at the school when we return. Please pick your child up in a timely manner so the directors are not stuck at the school waiting on you to pick up your child. The directors try our best to respect your time so please return the favor by being there in a timely fashion to pick up your child. Once back at the school, students are allowed to ride with whomever you see fit. They are not required to be checked out at this point.

  • Students will sign up for buses this week during band class. Once a student is signed up for a bus he/she will stay on this bus for the ENTIRE marching season!

  • We travel to games/contests in a caravan (directors up front followed by buses/truck). We are all in radio contact with each other so please do not get in between the caravan if at possible when we travel. You are more than welcome to follow behind the last bus.

  • The next band fee payment of $30 is due NEXT THURSDAY (1st)! Please make all payments in a timely fashion so we can insure that all of the band's bills are paid on time!

  • One of best ways that West TN has to recognize the BEST OF THE BEST as far as individual musicians are concerned is the All-West TN Honor Band Clinic that is held in Memphis in mid-February. The All-West audition music will become available THIS WEEK. Students have between now and January 14th to work this music up before they audition at Arlington HS. If a student auditions (make it or not), he/she will receive lettering credit. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE each student to consider auditioning. The link to the music and recordings (not yet active yet) can be found on our website under "forms and practice tools": https://sites.google.com/site/gchsmarchingpioneers/Home/fun-things. The link should be active THIS WEEK for student's to download and start practicing the music!

  • I hope each of you are planning to come and help out at our marching contest that will be held on Saturday, October 1st @ GC! The contest right now is scheduled to begin some time around 10:00 am and finals awards are slated for some time around 10 pm! It will be a full day and we need your help! Contact Kim Todd at dokitodd@live.com to get plugged in for this event!

  • Would you or someone that you know want to purchase a Gibson County Pioneers Umbrella (see picture attached)? If so, the band will be selling these soon for $25/umbrella. Stay tuned for details of how to get yours!

Upcoming Dates:

  • Regular rehearsal schedule NEXT WEEK!

  • Monday, August 29th - NO SCHOOL! Professional Development Day for teachers - Guard, flutes/clarinets, and Percussion WILL HAVE sectionals at normal times.

  • Tuesday, August 30th - Memorization Test over "Amazing Grace" for wind players during sectional time.

  • Thursday, September 1st - Band Fees are DUE!

  • Friday, September 2nd - FB @ McKenzie - 7:30 - Meet and departure time is still TBD

  • Monday, September 5th - Labor Day! NO SCHOOL! NO REHEARSALS!

  • Friday, September 9th - FB vs. Fulton City - 7:00 - This is HOMECOMING! This will be our first time to be in full uniform. Students will have to be dressed in uniform and in their seats no later than 5:30.

  • Saturday, September 10th - 1st contest @ Crockett County - Performance time: TBA. We will meet early/mid-afternoon for rehearsal and then departure.

  • Monday, September 12th - LAST Band Booster Meeting before our contest @ GC!!! 7:00 pm - Band Room - Mark your calendars NOW to attend! We need everyone at this meeting!