1 ATKINS HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING CAMELS BAND HANDBOOK 2016 2017 Atkins High Scool welcomes you to the Atkins Marching Caravan! We are looking forward to an exciting season and a great show with our Band Director, Justin Sumners. In this handbook, the responsibilities and expectations of Marching Band members and parents are described. Please read this thoroughly, as it will answer many of the questions you might have about participating in our Marching Band. IMPORTANT CONTACTS: Justin Sumners, Band Director: jmsumners@wsfcs.k12.nc.us Lars Holmberg, Asst. Band Director: lrholmberg@wsfcs.k12.nc.us James Lewis, Drum Tech: jlewis110@rams.wssu.edu Liz Ashworth, Color Guard Coach: Elizabeth.Ashworth@xposc.com
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. BAND PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS a. Health Physicals b. Payment of Band Dues c. Good Behavior d. Attendance at All Marching Band Practices & Events e. Preparedness f. Parent Volunteers II. LEADERSHIP a. Positions b. Punishments III. BAND DUES a. General b. Refunds IV. INSTRUMENTS V. UNIFORMS VI. VOLUNTEERING a. General Needs b. Chaperones c. Maintain a Level II Volunteer Status VII. MISCELLANEOUS a. Academic Credit for Marching Band b. Drinks and Snacks
3 I. BAND PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS A. HEALTH PHYSICALS: For the health and safety of your child, all Marching Band students are required to submit to the Band Director a completed High School Physical Form signed by a health practitioner by the first day of marching band camp. The form may be found online under the marching band requirements tab. These forms are good for one calendar year and can be used for Marching Band or sports participation, so if you have a form from last year that has not expired, please provide a copy or let the Band Director know which coach has the unexpired form. If the current form will expire during the Band season, you may update as needed at the time of expiration. It is always a good idea to take this form to be completed by your child s physician when he/she goes in for his annual well child visit! We regret that the Middle School Physical form is not acceptable. Without the Physical Form, your child will not be permitted to participate in Marching Band NO EXCEPTIONS! B. PAYMENT OF BAND DUES: Marching Band Due for the 2016 2017 Season is $225.00. This includes all instructional fees, uniforms (as mentioned in the UNIFORM section), transportation, etc. All Marching Band Dues must be paid in full by June 1st, or your child will not be permitted to march or allowed to join the Marching Band next year until his/her account is rectified. Failure to pay fees will result in an issuance of a Debt Slip against your child s name which will prevent him/her from participating in other school activities such as graduation! In the case of financial hardship, please contact the Band Director, and we will do our best to work with you so that your child can participate! C. GOOD BEHAVIOR: This should go without saying, but failure to behave in a respectful manner to the Band Director, Staff or Student Leadership, disrupting Band instruction, or failing to behave appropriately when representing Atkins High School may result in dismissal from the Marching Band program. Students on Academic Probation may also be suspended or dismissed from the Marching Band program. a. Demerits are given if the student fails to arrive on time, behave accordingly, or has an unexcused absence. These demerits may be handed out at the discretion of the band director. b. Some examples are shown here, but are not limited to: i. Tardy: 1 Demerit
4 ii. Unexcused Absence: 2 Demerits iii. Disrespect towards staff or student leadership: 3 Demerits iv. Missing music: 1 Demerit c. If a student receives 5 or more demerits, he/she will no longer receive honors credit, but instead will get standard credit. Receiving 10 demerits will result in the student s dismissal from the program. D. ATTENDANCE AT ALL MARCHING BAND PRACTICES & EVENTS: Attendance at the Marching Band s twice weekly practices and events currently calendared is MANDATORY. (However, if a football game is rescheduled, participation at the rescheduled game will be voluntary.) We count on every member of the Band to pull off a show successfully if a student is not present, the ensemble may not look or sound our best. While the Academic team and ROTC schedules can be complementary to Marching Band, Fall Sports (Men s Soccer, Football, Women s Tennis, Cross Country, and Women s Volleyball) are generally not. Please do not sign up for a Fall Sport and expect to participate in Marching Band! In the event of an activity conflict, out of town travel plans, or religious observance, a parent must give the Band Director at least 2 weeks notice. In the event of sudden illness, please contact the Band Director, Mr. Sumners. An unexcused absence can result in dismissal from the Marching Band program. E. PREPAREDNESS: All Marching Band members should be in the Band Room, seated, or at the practice field ready to work at the start of each practice. This means having their instruments, music, pencils, stands/flip charts, etc. and persons in order. For performances, Band members must have their instruments and complete uniforms. Band members who are chronically unprepared or disruptive during practice may be asked to leave the program. F. PARENT VOLUNTEERS: We cannot have a successful band without parental support! The Marching Band needs parent chaperones for each event, help with uniforms, fundraising assistance, officers to serve on the Band Booster Board, etc. Band Boosters will manage volunteer service and a Volunteer Logbook will be kept in the Band Room. Please note: Adult volunteers in contact with students are required by WSFCS to have Level II clearance. See VOLUNTEERING section
5 II. LEADERSHIP A) POSITIONS: Marching band leadership exists for the purpose of making sure that the band works as a team and an effective unit. These students are your peers, but need to be respected as your leader as well. The leadership positions are as follows: Drum Major Rehearsal Assistant Drum Captain Colorguard Captain Instrumental Section Leaders B) PUNISHMENTS: The Band Director, Staff, Drum Major, Captains and Section Leaders will hand out punishments (i.e. running laps, Sit ups, Arm Circles, Push ups, etc.) for violating the handbook such as misconduct, unexcused absences, tardies, etc. III. BAND DUES A) GENERAL: Your Band Dues pay for basic needs of the Marching Band Program. The rest is raised through the necessary evil of fundraising conducted by the Band Boosters. Marching Band Due for the 2016 2017 Season is $225.00. This includes all instructional fees, uniforms (as mentioned in the UNIFORM section), transportation, etc., but does not include instrument rental fees (see INSTRUMENTS section). Failure to pay fees will result in an issuance of a Debt Slip against your child s name which will prevent him/her from participating in other school activities such as graduation! In the case of financial hardship, please contact the Band Director, and we will do our best to work with you so that your child can participate! Payment of the entire $225.00 is appreciated by the beginning of Band Camp; however, we do understand that that may not be possible for everyone. If there is a need to extend payment of the fees, please contact Mr. Sumners as soon as possible. Please see the BAND FEES section for more details. Payments may be made through the school s online payment system, with cash, or by a check made out to Atkins High School. B) REFUNDS: $125.00 of the marching fee will be absolutely nonrefundable, as we must cover expenses taken on in anticipation of having that Band member. If a Band member drops out of or is removed from the Marching Band after August 31 st, the former Band member will be liable for the entire $225.00 Band Due, no reund. In cases of health issues, or moving, we will work with you as best we can.
6 IV. INSTRUMENTS All Band members must bring their instruments to every practice and performance. Should the Band member require an instrument that will remain at the school, one will be loaned to them. However, if the instrument will be taken home, then the Band member will have to pay a rental fee for the instrument. Different classes of instruments have different rental fees; please discuss this with the Band Director. Please see Mr. Sumners about obtaining loaner or rental instruments as soon as possible so that you will have those instruments for regular Band Class and/or Marching Band in a timely manner! We will offer school rentals on a first come first serve basis. Should a Band member damage any instrument belonging to the school or an individual, that member shall be liable for the replacement or repair of said instrument. Deliberate damage of instruments will result in dismissal from the Band Program. All Band members are required to regularly clean and maintain their instruments in proper working order and to supply themselves with reeds, mouthpieces, etc. V. UNIFORMS Bands are judged by their appearance. To that end, all uniform requirements must be followed by Band members. Failure to come prepared with all pieces of the proper uniform will result in the member not being allowed to perform. Informal Uniform (to be worn at all August games and as otherwise requested by the Band Director): Issued Band Shirt (to be provided by the Band; other items must be provided by the member), SMOD long Khaki pants, sneakers and white socks. Formal Uniform (to be worn at all parades and contests and as otherwise requested by the Band Director): Hat with Plume, Jacket, Bib, Black Band Shoes (only those approved by the Band Director), and gloves will be provided by the Band. Solid black socks must be provided by the member (no anklets!) Band members will be sized for all uniform parts during Band Camp. It is the Band member s responsibility to: 1) keep track of all parts of his uniform; 2) hang up their uniform after every event; 3) keep the uniform clean and in good condition during the season; and 4) Be sure that all parts of the uniform are in good condition at the end of the season. Band members will be issued clean uniforms, a hat box, and a uniform bag at the start of the season. Formal uniforms must be kept in the Band Closet in this bag and should be hung neatly inside and hats boxed after each performance. If the Band member wishes to have the formal uniform cleaned later in the season, or if they are required to do so because of failure to
7 maintain the uniform s appearance, said uniform must be dry cleaned and it shall be at the Band member s expense. (Uniform jackets have a removable, washable collar insert all Band members are required to wear them but may wash these as often as they desire.) Please be sure to inform the Band Director or uniform parent if you intend to take a formal uniform home, and return it as soon as possible to the Band Closet. In the event that the formal uniform is rained on, the uniforms must not be bagged or boxed but hung out to dry in the Band Closet. Informal uniforms should be cleaned at home by the Band member after each use. VI. VOLUNTEERING A) GENERAL NEEDS: The Marching Band is always looking for your help! Our pressing needs right now are: 1) someone to serve on the Executive Board as our Treasurer, responsible for budgeting, tracking income and expenses, and collecting monies; 2) someone to help Mrs. Trish Sumners with uniforms sizing, alterations, etc.; and 3) anyone willing to take the Commercial Driver s License Course to become a volunteer bus driver (Atkins will pay for this!) this would cut down on our transportation costs immensely! Please let Mr. Sumners know if you have any interest in this. B) CHAPERONES: We rely on parents to help chaperone our children at the various Band events, and we need at least 2 parents per event. Please make every effort to volunteer to chaperone at 2 events this year. (Please note: for all Home and some away games, the parent chaperone may have to pay the game gate fee to enter.) C) MAINTAIN A LEVEL II VOLUNTEER STATUS: If parents or other adult family members intend to chaperone at Band events, help out at fundraisers where students are present, or otherwise have close contact with Band students, those adults must have WSFCS Level II Volunteer Status. You can apply on line at: https://www.wsfcsvolunteers.com/. For questions about getting volunteer status or switching it from another school, please contact the school s front office. VII. MISCELLANEOUS A) ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR MARCHING BAND: Marching Band may be taken for a.5 honors course academic credit. However, if your child has a 5.0 or above average, they may not want to have Marching Band listed as a course on their official school transcript. (Though they should certainly list it as an activity on their C.V.) Those students, if
8 they have requested a credit, will be notified that they may opt out of the credit. If you have any questions about this, please see a Guidance Counselor in Student Services. B) DRINKS & FOOD: The Band welcomes donations of snack foods and drinks. However, because of the agreement between WSFCS and Pepsi, only Pepsi drink products (including bottled water!) can be served to students by Atkins or its Booster Club. Please be sure to check that your drink donations are Pepsi products! Meals will also be provided for the WSFCS Jamboree. For all other events, Band members should either pack their meal or bring money to purchase food.