We are usually spoiled while we are “in school” because we have amazing representatives from Arts Music and Gadsden Music who visit our school regularly to help with repairs. Being the backup repair guy, I know how frustrating it is for our students to try to play music or improve their playing abilities when their instrument isn’t working.
I received an e-mail today from Big Note Music, a mobile repair shop. I have had a relationship with this company in the past and they do good work. I have just received word that they are actually doing house calls for repairs. If you are in need of a repair you can contact them on their website www.bignotemusic.com to arrange a house call. They will fix your instrument in their mobile repair shop!
If you do need to speak to one of our representatives who visit us on a weekly basis you can call Andie Spencer from Arts Music at 678-896-0272 or Christopher Stanley from Music & Arts at 404-313-6421. Often times their turn around may take a little longer, but their repair shops are also very good and your instrument may be under warranty with them?
If you’re looking for more reeds, valve oil, or other accessories while we are out you can call one of our representatives and they can help you place an order that is shipped right to your house. Other options include B2K Music right here in Carrollton. Mr. Brock is a tremendous supporter of our band program and our community, please visit his business if you need something. If he doesn’t have it, he can order it or he will recommend you use one of our representatives.
Another option for music related items is online – Amazon, Musicarts.com, wwbw.com and many others.
I hope that this post is helpful to you. I miss seeing our students! I look forward to returning on April 27! It cannot get here soon enough!
Don’t forget Band Audition videos are due on Thursday.
As we continue through our second week of social distancing, I wanted to send out a few updates of upcoming events. The current plan is to finish this week and next week through digital learning and then we all get a much needed Spring Break before we return to school on April 13. I sure do miss all of our students, especially our seniors. Our regular time together is already limited and selfishly I wish that we were able to spend these weeks together too.
As a reminder, students have daily assignments in each of their classes and for our band classes we have created Google Classrooms to communicate assignments and collect work. Assignments vary from completing Google Doc reflections after watching performances on the internet, documenting practice goals and assessing progress through practice journals, preparing for upcoming band auditions, to submitting video performances of scales/etudes/rhythm assignments.
We know that this is a unique situation that is posing many challenges for our families. If Mr. Nelson or I can be of assistance to you during this time, please reach out to us. If you child needs help in another class, we are happy to help! We will get through this together.
Band Audition Update
The main focus for our wind students’ digital learning has been an attempt to prepare them for their band auditions schedule for April 2. The goal is to still conduct the auditions on April 2, but we will be using a video submission guideline. This was previously communicated to our students via Google Classroom:
“Hi all! We just received the message that school will not resume until 4/13, then Monday following Spring Break. This greatly impacts our auditions that are scheduled for 4/2.
We will modify how we do auditions this year so that we do not lose time once we do return. Auditions will be submitted via video. We will only submit a recording which includes: 2 mins for scales, your chromatic scale, and your etude. Unfortunately, It will be impossible for us to provide “sight-reading” in this format.
You may record your video as many times as you’d like, but it all must be submitted as one video and each segment of the video must be 1 take. (You can’t splice a bunch of videos to cram more scales into the 2 minute window, but you can record yourself playing your scales multiple times and choose your favorite). Once you have your favorite video of each portion of your audition then you can combine the videos into 1 file and then submit it. In the event that we have any ties we will watch the 2 videos in question multiple times to decide placement.
Please have your video ready to submit on April 2. More information on how to submit your audition will be released sometime either later today or next week.”
I will be creating an assignment in Google Classroom to allow students to submit their audition videos by the end of this week.
A Few Upcoming Event Updates
With the intention to return on April 13 we will hit the ground running! We have a general booster meeting scheduled for April 14. If it is still advised that we practice social distancing when not at school, we may host this meeting virtually through Zoom. This is an important meeting as we will be discussing vacant officer positions and our Band BBQ, which is scheduled for May 7, 2020.
If the situation does not allow us to return, we will adapt and share information here as quickly as possible. Seniors, I know that this time of uncertainty is especially troublesome to you. Please be assured that we are all working diligently because celebrating you is certainly a priority. You are loved and cherished by our school system. You started your life as we were living through 9-11 and have already been through some of the world’s toughest challenges. Continue to develop your awareness as we grow through these times as a society. History has demonstrated that some of our ablest leaders grew up during the toughest of adversities. Use these experiences to fortify a determination so strong that your thinking allows us to conquer the most unconquerable challenges through your leadership.
Band Booster Meeting – April 14 • 7:00PM
We still plan on hosting this meeting in the band room, unless the situation changes. If it is still advised that we practice social distancing when not at school, we may host this meeting virtually through Zoom. This is an important meeting as we will be discussing vacant officer positions and our Band BBQ, which is scheduled for May 7, 2020.
Band Banquet – April 27 • 6:00PM
We will host the Band Banquet on April 27 at 6:00PM in the cafeteria. It may be moved to the MAC, but I am awaiting confirmation. In an effort to lighten the economic burden to our families but still honor our students we have decided to have an awards ceremony only and not have dinner. If you have already purchased dinner a refund will be processed soon. Our treasurer, Eric Pittman, is working on the logistics of the refund. Please be patient, yet assured that a refund will happen.
We look forward to celebrating all of our students’ accomplishments throughout the year and providing another memorable evening for with Seniors. Our kids’ school year has been turned upside-down it is a priority to share this special time with their band friends and their families.
Band BBQ – May 7
One of our largest fundraisers, the Band BBQ, is quickly approaching. Usually, we would have passed out packets with tickets to pre-sale this week in preparation of the event. Because we are unable to pass out them out in person, we have created a pre-sale form that will allow us to still collect pre-sales while we are not in school. Please do not pre-sell door to door at this time, and please continue to practice proper social distancing, but if you are able to contact friends and family about the event, you can collect the money from them when it is appropriate to do so and turn in the form by April 23, 2020 along with money that you have collected to allow us to better prepare for the BBQ. Orders collected through this method will be added to a “Will Call” list, that will be available the day of the BBQ. Customers will be able to check in the day of the event and receive the BBQ without needing a ticket.
If you prefer our traditional method of selling BBQ tickets, we plan on passing out packets on Monday, April 13 after spring break when our students return to school. Any that are not picked up will be available at our booster meeting on April 14.
This event is a tradition in the Carrollton area and one that many in the community look forward to each year. Please help guarantee its success by selling your allotment of 30 tickets to your family, friends, and coworkers. In addition to the regular meal ticket, we have a two-sandwich meal ticket for the heartier appetite. You are will be provided a smaller booklet containing 5 of these tickets. Though we would love you to sell all 35 tickets, you are only being asked to sell a combination of each ticket totaling 30 tickets. If you need more, call the Band office and more will be made available to you, or you can just use the Pre Sale Form! Remember! If you are selling to a local business or group of 10 or more, the boosters will provide delivery! It’s a great selling point! Please obtain contact information to provide to the boosters and list it with any promised delivery groups at turn in.
Liberty Tour 2021 Trip
Since we are out of school we will be accepting trip deposits until April 17, the first Friday after we return to school. We understand that it is hard to imagine taking a trip with current situations, but by the time we take the trip, we will have overcome this new obstacle and will be in need of celebration! This is going to be a wonderful experience for all of our students, please sign up as soon as possible. We still have the ONLINE PAYMENT OPTION, although there is a service charge associated with online payment. Currently, this is the only method of accepting payments due to the “stay-at-home” order implemented by the Carroll County Board of Health and the City of Carrollton, but we will happily accept payments in person once we return to school.
So as a reminder – a $50 non-refundable/non-transferable deposit is due by April 17, 2020 to secure your spot on the trip.
More info about the trip including the Make Me A Whole Person Fundraiser can be found on our trip page.
Band Prom Update
I am sorry that I originally forgot to add this to the post. I hope that everyone gets the information. If you haven’t heard due to unpredictable circumstances and more time needed to prepare for the HS prom, it was rescheduled to May 9, which is the same date that we were planning on hosting the band prom. We do not want our students having to choose between prom and band prom, so we have decided to cancel the band prom this year.
Shop at Amazon? You Can Help the Boosters
Do you shop on Amazon often? Did you know that you can help the Band Boosters when you shop on Amazon? Go to smile.amazon.com and then select Carrollton Band Booster Club, Inc. for the charitable organization you want to support.
Message from our Superintendent, Dr. Mark Albertus (3/14/20)
Dear Parents/Guardians & Community,
I want to take this opportunity to provide an update on our recent announcement to close schools amid the spread of the coronavirus in our state and beyond. The decision to close came after much deliberation and advice from state officials and health experts.
In the past month, many countries have experienced high numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases and fatalities. The knowledge gained from these countries has allowed us to be proactive now so that we minimize the impact on our schools, businesses, and the entire community moving forward.
Although our youth are not as vulnerable to this virus as the elderly population, large groups and gatherings pose a high risk of virus transmission. We must all do our part to protect our community of all ages.
By closing schools, we allow for social distancing in order to slow the spread of this virus. I encourage all of you to be diligent in protecting yourself and your families by limiting close contact with others and practicing good health & hygiene as recommended by health experts.
Our teachers and staff have worked diligently to provide At-Home Learning packets to our students for the next two weeks. They will be in close contact with students and parents to answer questions and ensure students are learning at home during this time. AT-HOME LEARNING PLAN
We also will be delivering breakfast and lunch meals Monday through Friday at the 13 summer feeding locations around town in order to meet student needs and are coordinating with others for weekend food options to ensure our students do not go hungry. SCHOOL CLOSURE FEEDING PLAN
We are committed to keeping you informed and will be providing daily updates via text and email through our school communication system and on our website and social media platforms. Please check these regularly for any new information.
I want to thank you for your patience and support of our schools and the decisions that we must make to keep our students and community safe. I know we will persevere during this time and end the year strong. COVID-19 INFO UPDATES Stay well and Go Trojans. Sincerely,
Dr. Mark Albertus Superintendent
SCHOOL CLOSURE FEEDING PLAN
Carrollton City Schools will provide meals for students free of charge during the duration of the school closure period. Students may pick up lunches at designated stops Monday through Friday from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. When students pick up a lunch, they also may take home a breakfast meal for the next day.
Las escuelas de la ciudad de Carrollton proporcionarán comidas a los estudiantes de forma gratuita durante el período de cierre de la escuela. Los estudiantes pueden recoger almuerzos en las paradas designadas de lunes a viernes de 11:00 a 11:45 a.m. Cuando los estudiantes recogen un almuerzo, también pueden llevar a casa una comida de desayuno para el día siguiente.
FEEDING SITES
Bristol Lakes
Elizabeth Village
Lakeview/Paradise Apts.
English Village (behind Chick-fil-A on Bankhead)
Magnolia Lakes
Griffin Homes
SOMA Apartments
Safari Park
WoodGlen Apartments
Westside Gym
Optimist Park (Robert Hendrix Dr.)
Fawn Circle
Carrollton Elementary School (front of school)
The school closing is a needed precautionary measure to aide our community in overcoming the pandemic more expeditiously. As you are all aware our annual LGPE concert’s were scheduled for next week. They have been cancelled as have the remainder of our Winter Guard performances. Our goal is to return to school on March 30, 2020 and continue with the remainder of the year for our students. We plan on finding a date to perform our Winter Guard show for our community, but do not intend on rescheduling the LGPE performance. I am extremely proud of the extraordinary efforts by our students in preparing our LGPE performance and the growth gained through the preparation is still worth celebrating even if we did not have the opportunity to give the final performance this time. I am proud of our students’ resilience in this time of uncertainty. We will get through this together and be stronger as a society for it!
At Home Learning Plan for Band
We have set up virtual classrooms for all of our students to allow us to administer our classes online while we are practicing social distancing these next couple of weeks:
wqewcxs – Concert Band (Intermediate Band) – 2nd Block
ybfbba4 – Symphonic Band (Advanced Band) – 2nd Block
zczilkg – Color Guard Class (Begin Band and Auxiliary) – 4th Block
Staff will communicate daily assignments to our band students via the appropriate Google Classroom site. Students have the ability to receive updates from us, submit questions, and submit work via Google Classroom. The main focus for our wind and percussion students will be setting and working towards personal practice goals while documenting progress via a practice journal. Band auditions are currently scheduled for Thursday, April 2, 2020, which is the week that we will officially return to school.
Although students may access and complete their assignments at anytime, we hope that they will utilize “normal class time,” as it will help them maintain a semblance of routine and assure that they have plenty of time to complete assignments without it snowballing due to procrastination.
More information concerning band auditions can be found by following the link above.
Colorguard assignments will be used to prepare students for their final performance project, which counts as their final exam in our class. Other assignments will be used to continue to develop better understanding of design elements, choreography vocabulary, and to practice techniques to strengthen personal performance abilities.
Help A Fellow Trojan Band Family
One of our Band Families suffered a house fire on February 16, 2020. Metro West Realty has sent up a fund that you can donate to help this family if you are able. More information can be found here to make a gift. Thank you for making our community an amazing place to raise children through your generosity.
Trojan Band Student to Undergo Chemotherapy
We learned last week that one of our students is currently battling cancer. He underwent surgery to remove the cancer and has been visiting for scans to ensure that everything was removed. Tests determined that he is currently battling Stage 2 cancer and will commence chemotherapy treatments this week. Please pray for junior clarinet player, Bryan Perez-Ramos. If you haven’t met Bryan it is because he is a quiet leader who consistently sets the example by giving his best efforts on and off the field, assisting team mates prepare for concerts/auditions, encouraging friends to do the right thing, and very respectful student. He asked me to share this info with everyone in hopes that families will continue to keep him in their thoughts and prayers during this challenging time. His parents are working diligently to get him the care that he needs. We are very fortunate to have a loving and supportive community who invests in one another daily. Thank you for loving one another and caring so deeply about all of our Trojan families.
Liberty Tour 2021 Trip Details
Visit our Liberty Tour Page for more information regarding next year’s band trip to Philadelphia and Washington DC.
The $50 non-refundable/non-transferable deposit is due by April 1, 2020 to secure your spot on the trip. You can pay online here.
If you prefer to make your payments by check or cash, Booster Board representatives will be in the Band Room on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday March 30 – April 1 from (7:30AM – 9AM) to collect those payments when school is back in session.
You can now sign up for the Band Banquet. We ask that you sign up so we know how many people to plan for. You can sign up by clicking here. Also you can pay for your ticket(s) using RevTrak. You will need to pay for your student’s meall. You can click here to pay online (you will also need to pay the service fee). If you pay for your meals prior to April 3 it is $14 per person. After April 3, it will be $15 per person. If you prefer to pay by cash or check, Booster Board representatives will be in the Band Room on Monday and Friday mornings (7:30AM – 9AM) to collect those payments when school is back in session. We need to have everyone signed up and paid by April 20 as we will need to place our order with Longhorn. If you would like to attend the awards ceremony and not have dinner, the awards ceremony will begin around 7PM that night.
SAVE THE DATE – Band BBQ – May 7
The Band BBQ is one of two major fundraisers that help the Boosters to continue to do all of the great things to support our students and our band program. Due to the adjustment of the school schedule, we may forego the kickoff meeting and send the tickets and information home with your student. We will send out a Remind and an email when they are sent home.
Also, please don’t forget to vote for your favorite Band BBQ video here:
Shop at Amazon? You Can Help the Boosters
Do you shop on Amazon often? Did you know that you can help the Band Boosters when you shop on Amazon? Go to smile.amazon.com and then select Carrollton Band Booster Club, Inc. for the charitable organization you want to support.
Winter Guard is currently in full swing and Large Group Performance Evaluations are next week. We have a packed calendar leading up until Spring Break. Let’s stay diligent and continue working hard to achieve our goals!
Successful All-State Weekend
Joshua Hansen did a fantastic job representing us during the All-State Band weekend in Athens, GA. All-State is a very competitive audition process which began with around 11,000 students and ended with just shy of 500 students participating in 4 high school All-State Bands. Congratulations, Josh on being accepted into this prestigious ensemble and thank you for representing our school and community so well! We are very proud of you!
Week at a Glance
Monday
Guard 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday
Guard 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Thursday
Guard 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday
Guard @ WGI – Charlotte
Parents who would like to travel and need a room, please call Wingate by Wednesday or they will release our extra rooms – Wingate by Wyndham – 803-324-9075
Saturday
Guard @ WGI – Charlotte
Sunday
Guard @ WGI – Charlotte – If we make finals
LGPE Information
CJHS 7th Grade 3/17/2020 • 3:00 PM Carroll County PAC
CJHS 8th Grade 3/17/2020 • 6:45 PM Carroll County PAC
CHS Symphonic Band 3/19/2020 • 4:10 PM Carroll County PAC
CHS Wind Ensemble 3/19/2020 • 8:40 PM Carroll County PAC
CHS Concert Band 3/20/2020 • 9:30 AM Carroll County PAC
Itineraries:
***All Students should wear their formal performance attire for LGPE. Moms and dads, please double check your son’s socks. We had quite a few students at Pre-LGPE wearing white socks. Thank you for helping your children look as good as they sound at LGPE!***
Symphonic Band – Thursday, March 19
1:45PM Report to Band Room
Load Instruments
Change Into Concert Attire
2:15PM Load buses and depart for CCSPAC
2:30PM Arrive at LGPE
3:30PM Warm-Up
4:10PM Performance
5:10PM Depart for CHS
5:30PM Arrive back at CHS for Pizza
Wind Ensemble – Thursday, March 19
5:30PM Report for Pizza in the Band Room
6:30PM In Concert Attire and Load Instruments
6:50PM Depart for CCSPAC
7:00PM Arrive at CCSPAC
8:00PM Warm-Up
8:40PM Performance
9:40PM Depart for CHS
10:00PM arrive back at CHS
Concert Band – Friday, March 20
7:30AM Report to CHS in Concert Attire
8:00AM Depart for CCSPAC
8:15AM Arrive at CCSPAC
9:00AM Warm-Up
9:30AM Performance
10:30AM Return to CHS
10:45AM Listen to judges tapes and have donuts and juice
Help A Fellow Trojan Band Family
One of our Band Families suffered a house fire on February 16, 2020. Metro West Realty has sent up a fund that you can donate to help this family if you are able. More information can be found here to make a gift. Thank you for making our community an amazing place to raise children through your generosity.
Liberty Tour 2021 Trip Details
A page has been created for information on the trip and will be updated very soon. Reminder – a $50 non-refundable/non-transferable deposit is due by April 1, 2020 to secure your spot on the trip. You will be able to make payments for your trip through RevTrak by clicking here. Please note that you will need to pay the service fee when paying online. If you prefer to make your payments by check or cash, Booster Board representatives will be in the Band Room on Monday and Friday mornings (7:30AM – 9AM) to collect those payments.
Band Banquet – April 27 – Sign Up Now
You can now sign up for the Band Banquet. We ask that you sign up so we know how many people to plan for. You can sign up by clicking here. Also you can pay for your ticket(s) using RevTrak. You can click here to pay online (you will also need to pay the service fee). If you prefer to pay by cash or check, Booster Board representatives will be in the Band Room on Monday and Friday mornings (7:30AM – 9AM) to collect those payments. We need to have everyone signed up and paid by April 20 as we will need to place our order with Longhorn.
SAVE THE DATE – Band BBQ – May 7
The Band BBQ is one of two major fundraisers that help the Boosters to continue to do all of the great things to support our students and our band program. We will have a kick-off meeting to provide all of the necessary information, so please keep an eye on the website and we will provide you with a date of that meeting.
Shop at Amazon? You Can Help the Boosters
Do you shop on Amazon often? Did you know that you can help the Band Boosters when you shop on Amazon? Go to smile.amazon.com and then select Carrollton Band Booster Club, Inc. for the charitable organization you want to support.
Our Winter Guard performed beautifully on Saturday at McEachern HS in the WGI Atlanta Regional competition. They earned their highest score of the year so far. They compete again in a WGI regional competition in Rock Hill, SC at Winthrop University at the “WGI Charlotte Regional” in 2 weeks. If you have not had an opportunity to see this year’s show, you are in for a treat when you have the opportunity. The students and staff are working very hard and it shows! I look forward to watching their progress throughout the rest of the season. They are in the final month before championships.
Week at a Glance
Monday
Leadership Clinic – 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Guard 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday
Leadership Clinic – 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Drum Major Clinic – 4:30 PM – 6:00PM
Guard 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Moe’s Spirit Night 5 PM – 8 PM
Thursday
All-State Band
Guard 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Friday
All-State Band
Guard 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday
All-State Band
All-State Band
Congratulations to Joshua Hansen for earning a spot in the 2020 Georgia All-State Band, which will take place this weekend in Athens, Georgia at the Classic Center. He will have the opportunity to work with other All-State students and a nationally acclaimed conductor as they put together about an hour’s worth of music for performance. Much like the district honor band, the students will be sight-reading the music on Thursday night, rehearsing all day on Friday, and then conclude with a performance on Saturday. If you have the opportunity, please congratulate him on this distinguished honor!
LGPE Dates and Times
CJHS 7th Grade 3/17/2020 • 3:00 PM Carroll County PAC
CJHS 8th Grade 3/17/2020 • 6:45 PM Carroll County PAC
CHS Symphonic Band 3/19/2020 • 4:10 PMCarroll County PAC
CHS Wind Ensemble 3/19/2020 • 8:40 PM Carroll County PAC
CHS Concert Band 3/20/2020 • 9:30 AMCarroll County PAC
Help A Fellow Trojan Band Family
One of our Band Families suffered a house fire on February 16, 2020. Metro West Realty has sent up a fund that you can donate to help this family if you are able. More information can be found here to make a gift. Thank you for making our community an amazing place to raise children through your generosity.
Liberty Tour 2021 Trip Details
This past Thursday night, we revealed some of the tentative details of the trip to Philly and DC during the spring of 2021. A page (https://chstrojanband.com/2021-philly-dc/) has been created for information on the trip and will be updated very soon. Reminder – a $50 non-refundable/non-transferrable deposit is due by April 1, 2020 to secure your spot on the trip. More information will be posted by the end of the week.
Moe’s Spirit Night – This Tuesday Night
This Tuesday night is our next Spirit Night at Moe’s from 5 PM – 8 PM. Moe’s will donate 10% of all orders made between 5PM and 8PM this Tuesday night to the Booster Club. We hope you will help us spread the word, post it on social media, tell it in person.
SAVE THE DATE – Band Banquet – April 27
It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is quickly approaching and that means that our annual band banquet is quickly approaching. This year’s banquet will be Monday, April 27, 2020, at 6 PM in the CHS Cafeteria. Like last year, we will have Longhorn Steakhouse catering the meal and it will cost $14 per person. You can pay for it online here: https://chstrojanband.revtrak.net/trojan-band-dinner/ and we will be accepting cash on designated days in the band room (dates to be announced) and we will also be using RevTrack to accept payments for your meals. Once we have finalized all of these details we will send out an updated email and the website will also be updated with this information.
SAVE THE DATE – Band BBQ – May 7
The annual Band BBQ is quickly approaching. The Band BBQ is one of two major fundraisers that help the Boosters to continue to do all of the great things to support our students and our band program. We will have a kick-off meeting to provide all of the necessary information, so please keep an eye on the website and we will provide you with a date of that meeting.
Also, please don’t forget to vote for your favorite Band BBQ video here:
Watch the Videos below and use the poll to vote. We are going to have voting go on from now until February 29. Share this post with all of your family and friends and thank for your support!!!!!
1 BBQ Competition
2 Dance Video
3 Grill Master
Vote Here
We will be chosing a winner very soon and start our online campaign! We will also post some of the Honorable Mentions for everyone’s viewing pleasure!
Shop at Amazon? You Can Help the Boosters
Do you shop on Amazon often? Did you know that you can help the Band Boosters when you shop on Amazon? Go to smile.amazon.com and then select Carrollton Band Booster Club, Inc. for the charitable organization you want to support.
