August 2, 2014

Post date: Aug 3, 2014 12:38:44 AM

Announcements

• ​​School starts back this week! Hopefully all students in grades 10-12 were able to get a copy of their schedule and are ready for a great year!

• Freshman Orientation for all incoming freshmen will be at GC Tuesday night from 5-6:30 and will begin in the theatre. All incoming freshmen and parents are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend.

• Due to Freshman Orientation going until 6:30 Tuesday, we will start rehearsal @ 6:30 in the band room. Freshmen will have a chance to QUICKLY change clothes and meet us on the field as soon as possible. Rehearsal will be 6:30-9:00.

• These "post-camp" rehearsals are MANDATORY! Students who have missed a post-camp rehearsal for an unexcused reason will have to make up his/her time BEFORE they will be allowed to perform @ Preview night, a football game or competition. All time to be made up has to be scheduled with the directors and their schedules.

• ALL MERCHANDISE ORDERS AND MONEY are due on or before MONDAY, AUGUST 11. Few extras will be ordered and NO orders will be processed without advance payment. Be sure to get your orders in by next Monday!

• All Percussion fees ($85) or 4 shirt sponsors ($100) are due THIS TUESDAY NIGHT.

• Trailer Sponsors are due NOW!

• Schools begins Thursday for a 1/2 day. Dismissal will be at 11:30 and no breakfast or lunch will be served. Remember ALL BAND MEMBERS will need to be back and dressed in full uniform @ 1 p.m. for pictures for the newspaper. Students can leave @ 11:30 to get lunch or they may pack a lunch and eat it in the gym (like at band camp) but please plan for a QUICK lunch. We will NOT delay pictures because students are late. We should be done by 2 p.m. so please make arrangements for transportation home at that time.

• If you are a parent of an 8th grader who marches in the high school band and you want them included in these pictures, you will need to make sure they are at the high school no later than 1 p.m. on Thursday.

• The band will wear uniforms for the pictures but band shoes are not needed since your feet will not show.

• Regular rehearsal schedule will begin NEXT WEEK:

  • • Monday-Guard Sectionals (3-5); Percussion Sectionals (5-8)

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

    • Thursday-Full Band (3-5)

• Rehearsal attendance is worth 33% of a student's grade for the nine weeks. Any unexcused absences will reduce a student's grade by 10 points. Remember, according to the handbook, if any student misses 2 unexcused rehearsals he/she will lose their spot in the comptetive marching band. If a student is absent for an excused reason, he/she MUST attend at least 2 of the 3 "run throughs" for the week in order to march that weekend at the football game or contest. WE MUST HAVE EVERY STUDENT AT EVERY REHEARSAL TO REACH OUR PEAK! It is very difficult to work on the show with students missing. Remember to make ALL NON-EMERGENCY Doctor's Appointments on non-rehearsal days!

• The first MEMORIZATION TEST over "Intro/Opener" will be NEXT MONDAY during band class! The memorization grade make sup 34% of a student's grade for the 9 weeks and they will NOT march Preview Night until this has been played and passed.

• We will begin our next fundraiser of selling BRAIDED BREAD next Monday, August 11. Students will have 2 weeks to sell. All students are asked to sell at least 5 loaves or get $30 in donations. This fundraiser is one we have done for years so be sure to ask alumni (and their parents) if they are interested in purchasing any of this bread!

• The next Band Booster's meeting will be NEXT MONDAY NIGHT @ 7 pm in the band room. We already have 24 bands registered (25 is our limit) for our contest and this meeting as well as the September meeting are the only meetings before the contest so please MAKE EVERY EFFORT to attend as we plan this event. It takes EVERYONE to make this event happen!

• Continue to send payment for polos ($15) and marching shoes ($36). Students will need polos in 2 weeks for Preview Night and the first football game. No student will receive his/her polo and/or shoes until full payment is made.

• PREVIEW NIGHT is August 21 @ 6:30 in our NEW STADIUM! Tickets are $5 (if you plan to eat) and go on sale very soon! More information will follow soon!

• Our Dodge Booster Drive is August 21 from 5-8 in front of the school! Invite everyone you know to come out and test drive a Dodge! The band receives $20 for every person who shows up and drives a Dodge!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: PLEASE READ! From Mr. Tate

• I have been informed that the contest we had planned to attend on September 6th (McCracken Co. - KY) will likely not happen due to a director change and some other conflicts on campus that day. I will either find another contest to attend in Kentucky that day (there are no TN contests on that day) or we will travel to a contest after the Davy Crockett Parade on October 11th like we have in the past. More information will be coming soon. As soon as I have it I will pass it on to you!

  • The Football Team pays for a portion of the band's busses and provides the drivers for the band to travel to away football games. I have been informed by our athletic director (David Brewer) that the band will be attending ONLY the following away football games this year due to limited seating at other stadiums so please mark your calendars accordingly:

    • September 19th @ Halls

    • September 26th @ Fulton County

    • October 17th @ South Fulton

Upcoming Dates:

• Monday, August 18th - 2nd Memorization Test over the ballad during band class time. Regular rehearsal schedule for the week.

• Thursday, August 21st - Preview Night - 6:30 - Stadium - Students will have regular rehearsal until 5 and then they will have from 5-6 to rest before reporting back for preview night. They will wear their polos for the first time on this night so be sure they are paid for by then!

• Friday, August 22nd - 1st Home Football Game - 7:30 - GCHS - Students will have to be dressed (polos, khaki shorts, and tennis shoes) and in their seats at 6:30 in the band room.