8.11.23
Hello Dragon Band Students, Parents and Families,
At the end of today we’ll have completed 3 weeks of summer band! In that time we’ve learned quite a bit of our marching show music, all of our stand music, lots of color guard choreography and techniques, some drill to start our marching shows and we have a healthy start on region music. It has been busy and hot but the kids have been handling all of it very well!
Monday, August 14th - Parent Preview - 7:00pm - Dragon Stadium
5:00pm Students report to Dragon Stadium wearing summer uniform, bring filled water jugs
Summer uniform, flip folders with all music, lyres and tuners
5:05pm Get in sections for attendance
5:10pm Section photos begin, wait in sections under back stands for your section’s turn
6:25pm Section photos wrap up
6:30pm JV and V warm up
7:00pm Full band in concert arcs to play all stand music, bring water
7:20pm JV show - 2 times
7:30pm V concert arcs - all of Part 1, 2 and 3. V show - 2 times
8:00pm Wrap up and head home
Tuesday, August 15th - First Day of School
Please read the emails sent out from the campus concerning the first day of school
Review your schedule when it is available through HAC
Think through where each of your classes are and how you might get from one to the next
Pay careful attention to first day procedures
As you go through your schedule on the first day - make a great first impression!
Next Week’s Rehearsals
Wednesday 8.16 4:30-5:30pm Color Guard Sectional, practice field
Thursday 8.17 4:45-7:45pm Varsity full ensemble, practice field
Seniors
Fill out THIS FORM by Friday, August 18th at 4:20pm
Senior Recognition will be at or first game on Friday, August 25th
Grades
Students must remain academically eligible to participate in football game and marching contest performances and all TMEA activities. Should a student become ineligible they will still practice with the group during band class and in some cases, outside of the school day.
Varsity students who become ineligible from the September 22nd grade check MAY LOSE THEIR SPOT IN VARSITY. Students in this position will report grades to Mr. Mobley on October 6th. Should grades not improve to passing between September 22nd and October 6th (that’s 2 weeks) we will need to fill the spot with an eligible student from Junior Varsity. In this situation, ideally the ineligible student will repair the grade and be passing all classes at the grade check on October 13th.
Varsity students who become ineligible from the October 13th report card will not perform with the varsity group the remainder of the season and we will not be allowed to take you on the trip to Indianapolis.
ALL STUDENTS - PASS YOUR CLASSES TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE
Everyone is eligible for the first 4 games plus BOA Austin
Sept 22 6 week grade check
Sept 29 Lose (based on grade check from Sept 22)
Oct 13 End of 9 weeks Report Card
Oct 20 Gain or lose (based on end of 9 weeks grades)
Nov 3 IPR (intermediate progress report)
Nov 10 Gain only (based on Nov 3 IPR grades)
Dec 1 IPR
Dec 8 Gain only (based on Dec 1 IPR grades)
Dec 14 End of 9 weeks Report Card
Jan 11 Gain or lose (based on end of 9 weeks grades)
Advice for School
In the time I haven’t been a student myself, I’ve been working with students and that’s a long time! Here’s what I’ve noticed from some of the most successful.
Students typically perform better academically during the marching season. It’s either they’ve learned to manage their time exceptionally well or they do not want to become ineligible and lose the chance to perform.
Sit in the front or very near the teacher in all of your classes. You’ll pick up more information and develop a better rapport with that teacher. That should help lead to better grades.
Plan. Manage your time on a day to day and week to week basis. Look ahead to see what’s coming. Use an agenda or planner notebook or app on your device. Plan your rehearsal times, study times, rest times, project times, social times, practice times.
Continue to drink water and eat plenty of food. Our band schedule obviously isn’t as intense but you’re still going to be busy burning calories doing all kinds of things. Your brain and organs function better when you’re well hydrated.
Sleep. Even include this in your plan if necessary.
Keep track of your assignments and when they’re due. Turn them in ON TIME. This should be part of your plan.
Get help. If you’re struggling, there is probably a person in your section you already know who has mastered that class at some point in the past. Ask for their help. Go to tutorials, even to ask one question. It will help your rapport with your teacher and lets them know you’re trying. Give them a reason to give you the benefit of a doubt.
Every student in our band takes hard classes, you aren’t alone. Once again, get help. Start with your leadership students and upper classmen friends.
Set goals. Make them pretty achievable to start with. As you become more proficient at setting and achieving goals you can branch out to bigger or longer term things.
Be social. Even if you’re generally an introvert, you need to make some friends. Everyone needs time to unwind and enjoy being with family and friends. If you have to plan this time as part of everything else you do, that’s totally fine!
At some point every day, even for just five minutes, do nothing but sit and breathe. Just sit, be calm, and imagine tension draining out of your fingers and toes. Think of a nature scene like a lake or mountains or a forest. Also do this if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
You’re going to make it. Keep breathing.
Friday, August 25th, Home vs. Weiss, 7:30pm
7:30am Varsity rehearsal in the stadium
8:00am JV joins rehearsal
8:10am Go through halftime routine with Dragonettes
8:30am to the Band Hall, clean up, go to class
9:00am School begins
4:20pm School ends, EAT
5:00pm Get in summer uniform
5:40pm Inspection (winds in 100 gym)
6:00pm March to stadium, stop to play Hooked on a Feeling and Fight Song
6:15pm Seniors move to the track, all else into the stands
6:30pm Senior Recognition
7:30pm Game begins
8:39pm (approx.) Halftime, Bang Bang for Dragonettes, Varsity performs
10:21pm (approx.) Game ends, move back to the band hall, store all items, clean up and go home!
Other Items
We are still working through some things from Everything Day, particularly in regards to payments for required items that were missed by some. No matter the case, no one has done anything wrong, no one is in trouble and no one will be kept from participation. We will contact families directly who may have missed a required item.
Our student leaders have done terrific work through summer band, really stellar. I’m pleased with all of them! They have all stepped up and taught their groups like pros, communicated effectively, helped out in numerous situations and made big efforts to build relationships with the people in the groups. They’re doing outstanding work!
Thank You Everyone,
David Mobley
