MHS Band Weekly Update

Monday, October 12 - 6:30p - 9:00p - Monday Night Rehearsal

Friday, October 16 - 5:00p - Home Football Game vs. Coldwater - SENIOR SHOW

Friday, October 30/Saturday, October 31 - First Playoff Football Weekend - Game Date/Time TBA

Wednesday, November 4 - 2:45 - 6:00p - Concert Uniform fittings @ MHS

Thursday, November 5 - 2:45 - 6:00p - Concert Uniform fittings @ MHS

Thursday, November 5 - 6:00 - 7:00p - Meyer Music Step-Up Instrument Meeting - MHS Band Room

Wednesday, November 18 - 6:30p - 2027 Thanksgiving Disney World Trip Informational Meeting

Our last Monday Night Rehearsal will be tomorrow night from 6:30 - 9:00p. This final rehearsal is very important - please make sure that your child arrives on time and is wearing clothes that are appropriate for the weather!

UPDATE - there are still quite a few spots left for donations - please sign up if you are able - thank you!!!

The meal for the final regular season home football game (10/16) is going to be Pulled Pork and fixins. I am very appreciative of the many parents who have signed up to help so far this year, but I am also noticing that many families have not signed up to help yet.

Please think about when and how you can help. If you cannot help financially, maybe you can help by coming in and helping serve the meal. There's lots of ways to be involved, and it really does take all of us to provide a great experience for the kids.

To sign up for any of the items listed above, please click the link and add your first and last name.

Click HERE to sign up for donations for the 10/16 Football Game Meal

If you haven't already, please block of Friday, October 16, so that we can introduce you along with your Senior band member at halftime.

Senior parents should come to the track in front of where the band sits with about 2 minutes left in the 2nd quarter.

Once the halftime show ends all Senior band members and their parents will be introduced. Once that is done, we will have picture opportunities, so make sure to bring a camera!

Students who received their full concert uniforms at band camp (dress shirt, dress pants, jacket) do not need to attend these instrument fittings.

We need lots of parents to help us - if you can help out, please sign up at this link:

https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/91691737

Our initial parent informational meeting for next year's Disney World performance trip will take place on Wednesday, November 18. This trip happens once every four years and is a highlight of a student's HS music experience. Next year, the MHS Band, Choir, and Orchestra will be traveling.

At this meeting, we will talk about

• Dates
• Cost
• Fundraising/Scholarship information
• How to sign up
• Chaperone information
• How your family can join us for a special Thanksgiving meal even if you don't want to chaperone

We hope to see you at this meeting!

I'm sure that all of you have been enjoying the success of our football team this Fall. It has been a few years since we've done this, so I thought I'd make sure that everyone understands HS Playoff Football and how it impacts the band. Please take a look...

• VERY IMPORTANT - the band will be performing at all playoff football games - home and away
• Playoff Eligibility - The MHSAA uses a points system to determine which teams get into the playoffs. The top 32 teams in each Division make the playoffs. As of this past Friday's game, Marshall is ranked 9th in Division 4. At this point, barring something very unforeseen, we will be a playoff team
• Playoff Game Scheduling - Playoff games will begin the weekend of October 30 and run through Thanksgiving weekend. Each weekend's playoff games will be played on either Friday evening or Saturday afternoon. We typically find out our opponents and location of the game on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon and will learn about the day/time of the next game on Monday of that week.
• Monday Night Rehearsals - our final Monday Night Rehearsal will be on Friday, October 12. We will not be rehearsing on Monday nights even if we are performing in the playoffs.
• Transportation - In the event of an away playoff football game, the MHS Band will be riding school transportation to/from the game. All students will be expected to ride the bus to the event, and parents will be able to sign out their child to drive them home if needed after the game.
• Conflicts - playoff football games will be treated as performances - and, like any other performance, students are expected to attend. In order to be fair to everyone, I have to have the same expectations of attendance for all students.
• Band students should be communicating to employers NOW to let them know of the likelihood of playoff games.
• Unavoidable conflicts/planned family events should be communicated to Mr. Root as soon as possible so that we can plan in advance. Please look ahead at the Fridays/Saturdays in late October/early November and let me know if you have something previously scheduled that cannot be moved or adjusted
• Food - We will be asking for donations for food for meals for any playoff games.
• Friday night playoff games - we will be doing dinners like normal
• Saturday afternoon playoff games - TBA
• Away playoff games - we will ask for donations and do a boxed lunch-type meal (think Subway or something similar) that we will need to organize

Please make sure that everyone is following these basic uniform care procedures so that we keep our uniforms looking new!

• When AT HOME, uniforms should be removed from the garment bag, hung up individually, and allowed to air dry. This helps keeps the uniforms from getting "mildewy" and smelling bad.
• When being TRANSPORTED, uniforms should ALWAYS be in a school-issued garment bag that has the student's name clearly identified.
• Marching shoes (which will be handed out this week in class) should be transported in the back bottom pocket of the garment bag - not inside the garment bag with the uniform
• Marching Hats (or shakos) should always be transported in their hat boxes and should never be placed in the garment bag - this will cause the bags to rip
• Uniforms are NEVER to be stored overnight at school - they arrive on the day of a performance and go home that night after the game with the student.
• Uniforms are NEVER to be laundered at home - they must always be dry cleaned at Heritage Cleaners in Marshall.

If you still have not paid for your Senior's banner, please send $35 as soon as possible. Thank you!!!

Now that we are in the regular school routine, all families need to be mindful about their after-school commitments that are part of their band grade. We are proud of the number of band students who participate in sports and other activities, and we are proud of the positive relationships that we have with each of the coaches. The policy for those conflicts is simple:

• Sports contests (games, matches, meets, etc) take priority over music rehearsals
• Music performances (concerts, parades, etc) take priority over practices
• While we try our best to avoid conflicts, sometimes a sports contest runs up against a music performance or a practice is at the same time as a rehearsal. In those cases, the teacher and coach will get together and work things out.
• At not point does a student "pick" what they want to do, and at no point will an adult "punish" a student - either through a reduction of grade or loss of playing time - for following the procedures above
• Students who have a conflict should make every effort to attend rehearsals after athletic conflicts have concluded. That includes Freshman/JV coming to rehearsals after their events have concluded and not staying to watch Varsity events. While I understand wanting to support teammates, all of the coaches understand and are supportive of you leaving after your events are done so that you can be at rehearsal. Sometimes this means parents coordinating rides so that the kids can be where they need to be.
• In ALL cases, coaches and teachers appreciate timely notification if your child has to miss practices or rehearsals. Please communicate if your child is going to be missing rehearsal for any reason.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nFqvcYIxLR16M50p0bdvjLIbHDEsIoux/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116849489701165420953&rtpof=true&sd=true

All students are expected to be at all performances. Missing a performance without advance communication from an adult (with the exception of emergency situations) will result in a significant reduction in grade.

5:00p - Rehearsal on the parking lot by the tennis courts

5:40p - Dinner (provided)

6:30p - March to stadium

6:50p (approx) - Pregame performance

7:00p - Kickoff

8:00p (approx) - Halftime performance

After game - Band will march as a group back to the school and will be dismissed.

Email: jroot@marshallpublicschools.org
Website: www.marshallbands.org
Phone: 269.781.1252
Facebook: facebook.com/marshallhsbands
Twitter: @marshallhsbands