News and Notes October 18-23, 2021

We are heading into our first "show week" of the year, as we are in competition in the Kennedy Field Tournament on Saturday the 23rd. We are on at 8:15pm at Glover Stadium. Here's the plan for the week:

We will be spending our week working on the closer to our show. I'm not sure yet if we'll be performing that on Saturday (it depends on how fast we are learning). Either way we aren't adding rehearsals as an ensemble after school this week, although many sections will certainly have sectionals. Instead, we will call early enough on Saturday to get rehearsal in before we leave for the show in the evening. We will call 4pm and rehearse until 5:30pm, at which point we will load our trailer and head to the busses. We will leave Loara at 6pm to head to Glover Stadium. After a light warm up, we will perform in the 5A class at 8:15pm and stay until awards which are at 9:15pm. I would expect a dismissal from Loara around 10:15pm. All parents and families are encouraged to attend the show to cheer our students on as we hit the field for a real show for the first time in 2 years. Tickets are typically $10 for shows with discounts for children, seniors, and military. Chaperones typically get in for free. 

After this week, the entire focus of our program will be hosting our own tournament on the 30th of October. Thanks to all of our parent volunteers who have agreed to take on chairperson positions. I will connect with you all this week to go over the job and what to expect. All students and parents can sign up for their shifts on Charms now. I made enough openings for each student and 1 parent per student so we shouldn't have any labor problems. As a reminder working the tournament is necessary for each student and 1 parent per student or else we can't function. If you can't work, you must "buy out" so we can pay families who will have to cover extra shifts. This is a communal effort that is really fun and easy with everyone doing their fair share. To sign up for your shift, click on the hand in the calendar section of Charms. We will have a MANDATORY parent meeting on Monday the 25th at 7pm so that all of chairpersons can get together with their crew and exchange contact information. We will also go over where to park, hand out volunteer shirts, and answer any questions you may have. 

I want to communicate that we are striving to take our morning rehearsals seriously. 0 period is a class, which means being at school on time is necessary. There have been days where we have a fair chunk of students missing when the bell rings. Since it is a PE class, students who arrive past the 7:30am downbeat will have to run before joining the group. The length of your run depends on how late you are and how often you are late. Being on time is something that doesn't require talent and something that a first day freshman and a last day senior can equally achieve. 

That's it for now, from here on out we have a show every week until Thanksgiving so it's time to strap in as our season really gets underway. Lets commit to one another to be our best for the next few weeks. That way we can have the most amount of fun possible and enjoy our return to Marching Band.