Seniors, don’t forget! Graduation is on June 1

Although we are very close, we aren’t saying goodbye just yet. Graduation practice is June 1 at 10:00AM in the Grisham Stadium and graduation is that evening. More information from our school district concerning graduation can be found here.

Have you turned in your marching band forms?

You can access your forms in our student handbook

2020 – 2021 Band Handbook

Stay in communication – We need to be able to contact you, please sign-up

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It is important to stay in communication because although we are planning commencing some activities in June, if the situation does not improve then we will make decisions to alter the schedule. Our students’ health and safety will always remain our top priority. Some may think that the excitement to start activities may be to remain competitive, but honestly, it is to fulfill the social needs of our students. Our students thrive when working together and we want to be able to provide that for them as soon as it is safe to reconvene.

Upcoming Camps – Items Students Need

All students need a mask for when they need to enter the band building and all students need access to personal water. We have limited the camps to 3 hours max and they will mainly be low intensity in activity. Visit the calendar for specific details on dates and times.

Safety Procedures for all camps – read first

• All camps in June are voluntary. Anyone who does not yet feel comfortable should not attend and will not face any penalty.
• Anyone who has knowingly been exposed to COVID-19 within the past 2 weeks should not participate.
• Staff and students will be screened upon arrival and throughout the camps for signs of illness, such as fever over 100.4 degrees Farenheit, cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell. It is important that if you have symptoms to stay home and monitor your symptoms and seek medical attention if they worsen or are severe.
• Students who may show symptoms after arrival will be quarantined on campus until a parent can pick them up. If the student drove to rehearsal, a parent will be contacted and the student will be told to return home.
• Unnecessary visitors are prohibited and parents should remain in their vehicles while dropping off or picking up students.
• Parents who need to visit the band room, should only visit the area closest to Ms. Dothard’s desk in the lobby.
• Staff and students who enter the building will wear a mask.
• We will limit groups to twenty (20) persons or less, including staff and children, in a space where all persons gathered cannot maintain at least six (6) feet of distance between themselves and any other person.
  • We plan on being outside for the camps and maintain a six (6) foot distance, except when we need to gather equipment or to use the restroom. The band room has been taped off in six (6) foot intervals to allow safe distancing while retrieving equipment, and one student will be permitted in the building at a time to use the restroom. We hope that with a 3 hour max, that many students may not need the restroom facilities, but they will be available to individuals if needed.
• We have designated days that we are rehearsing with different groups to allow the same staff and children to work with the same group for the duration of the camp.
• Students need to have personal access to water during the camp. Currently, the CDC recommends to not share food or to use communal drinking sources.
• The staff will clean and disinfect our classroom and high traffic areas before and after camp each day, and we will be outside during the actual camp.
• Our bathrooms will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day.
• Students need to be prepared to be outside – wear sunscreen, athletic clothing, athletic shoes. Please do not allow your child to wear jeans, boots, or flip flops. Hats and sunglasses are also advisable.
• All CHS owned/stored equipment will be disinfected and wiped down daily before and after use.

I need your help with these last two

• Make available a surplus of hand sanitizer throughout the buildings.
  • Our school has installed an extra hand sanitizer station in the lobby, which will be available to our students. If you are able to donate hand sanitizer, Lysol, Lysol or Clorox disinfectant wipes we would greatly appreciate your donation. We have some sanitizer currently in stock, because we have always made it available for our students throughout the day, but we will be extra cautious considering the circumstances and will need more sanitizer/disinfectant materials.
• We may have students who are in need of a mask? If you have extra masks or are willing to make extra masks, we would be willing to disinfect them and be able to provide them for students who may need one?

Specific Instructions for Voluntary Guard Camps

• The following are in addition to our general procedures above
• Ramon and I will prepare all equipment on Monday, June 1 ahead of the start of camp on the 2nd.
• Equipment will be disinfected and assigned to each member of the guard. Students will not share equipment.
• All students should report directly to the band practice field (the field closest to Buffalo Creek in front of the Elementary School). If you want to drop your child off in front of the field, please be facing the Junior High while on Ben Scott Blvd, so that your child doesn’t have to cross traffic. The visitor’s parking lot is a great place to park and drop off/pick up your child as well.
• Before and after rehearsal still practice a minimum of six (6) feet spacing between you and others.
• We will rehearse Tuesdays and Wednesdays in June (beginning this Tuesday and ending on July 1) from 12pm – 3pm. Be prepared to be outside – sunscreen, etc.
• Rehearsal ends at 3pm, please do not congregate on campus after rehearsal.

Specific Instructions for Voluntary Rookie (Wind) Camps

• The following are in addition to our general procedures above
• We will not yet use instruments. Many of our school owned instruments are still in the shop being disinfected and repaired. It will be safe to assume not to bring your instrument until an announce is made otherwise. I hope that you continue to practice at home, please.
• All students should report directly to the band practice field (the field closest to Buffalo Creek in front of the Elementary School). If you want to drop your child off in front of the field, please be facing the Junior High while on Ben Scott Blvd, so that your child doesn’t have to cross traffic. The visitor’s parking lot is a great place to park and drop off/pick up your child as well.
• We will be focused on marching fundamentals. Wear athletic clothing with athletic shoes that are comfortable to move in.
• Before and after rehearsal still practice a minimum of six (6) feet spacing between you and others.
• We rehearse on Thursdays in June beginning this Thursday from 6pm – 8pm. Be prepared to be outside – the sun will still be out.
• Rehearsal ends at 8pm, please do not congregate on campus after rehearsal.

Specific Instructions for Voluntary Percussion Camps

• The following are in addition to our general procedures above
• Students will need access to their own drum sticks. Mr. Nelson made this announcement last month.
• Students need a mask for when entering the building to get equipment. The band room has been taped off in six (6) foot intervals to guide students in maintaining safe distance from one another. Students will enter the front of the building, progressing from tape to tape until it is their turn to access their equipment individually. The student will exit the back door and make their way to the practice field for rehearsal.
• Front ensemble equipment will be stored in the garage area so that students can easily access equipment and move it to the band parking area for their rehearsal.
• The visitor’s parking lot is a great place to park and drop off/pick up your child as well.
• This first camp is on Monday, June 8 and we will rehearse from 12pm – 3pm. Check the calendar for the following weeks because times will vary based on instrument.
• Since this group will be using equipment that is too large to send home, we will disinfect and wipe down all equipment multiple times throughout rehearsal and specifically before and after use of the equipment each day.
  

RECAP

• Students need access to their OWN water bottle, as we will NOT have access to water fountains
• Students need a mask for if/when entering the building
• Students need access to their OWN equipment — (Guard is being assigned at first meeting, percussion need sticks/mallets, and winds will not use equipment yet).

Thank you for reading the post. We understand that individual comfort levels currently vary and reassure you that if you are not yet comfortable with allowing your child to participate that your child will not be penalized for not attending these camps in June. We are confident that with the procedures mentioned above that we will be able to minimize the risk and keep your child safe and in an encouraging and educational environment. We look forward to working with our students these coming up weeks as we begin building relationships that will prove to be important for years to come. We appreciate your assistance as we work together to provide this important educational, social, developmental, and creative outlet for our children.