Last week ISSMA made the very difficult decision to cancel all fall marching band events. This information sent marching bands across the state back to the drawing board, and the Whitko Marching Pride was no exception. Last night we held a discussion meeting to formulate our adjusted plan going forward. A lot of great information was discussed and we have a great plan going forward. Please view the video below. You can also find a simple slideshow that is outlined in the video. Also, please look at our health and safety guidelines specific to marching band. These are in conjunction to the policies set forth by our district in our family reopening manual that was emailed to you this week. If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages....we're back!!

Mr. Everett has approved an updated summer rehearsal calendar, as well as our previously scheduled band camp days, and we've been given the green light to get back to work! 

Before getting into any details please keep in mind the continuing fluidity of the world we live in. While these dates, as well as the policies and procedures we need to operate under, have been approved things can change on a dime. But we do know this: 1) Music education is a core subject that enriches the lives of all students, and 2) We can make music education safe enough for all students to participate in. Keeping these two principles in mind is what will guide us through this upcoming school year.

Summer Marching Band Schedule
Our previous schedule has obviously been altered, but we have been given approval to add these rehearsal dates to our schedule prior to band camp (which has not changed)

Week of July 13th
Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00-3:00 PM. This will be for all new members and leadership team only. During this week we will still be under a total membership constraint so we are focusing on teaching basics to new members only.

Week of July 20th
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 1:00-3:00 PM. These rehearsals will be for all members. We will continue working on basics as well as parade music and marching.

Band Camp: July 27th - August 7th
This has always been the schedule for band camp and that has not changed. Rehearsals will be from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. We will be marching in the Pierceton parade on Saturday August 1st (schedule to be released later) but we will not be doing the community preview show on Saturday August 8th. We will find some way of doing a live stream to showcase for the community because we will not be able to bring visitors on campus.

Covid-19 Mitigation Strategies
I have been working closely with our administration to develop some policies and procedures to ensure the health and safety of our marching band students. To that end I have created a document that we will be going over in person at length, and all students will be expected to follow these procedures. This is the initial draft of the document so please keep in mind that things can change quickly. While we will be going over this at rehearsals, please review it before coming in. 

Because of the nature of the activity the marching band participates in, this document is specific to just the marching band. I have also added policies and procedures to the Band Handbook for our in-class ensembles. We will be going through those on the first few days of school, and they will be found on each ensemble's Google Classroom page.

Preparation
Since we have had such a long time off, and because I know where each and every one of you want to be at the end of the season, there are a few things that I want you to do to get prepared to enter this marching season. The more of us that do these things the better we will be, so it's up to you to commit!!

1. If you have internet access and a reliable device (even a mobile phone), log into MusicFirst and start going over both the parade song and the show music.
2. Start making it a habit to drink water throughout the day. 
3. Do some light stretching and some exercises. Visit MarchingHealth.com for some suggestions.
4. On your cell phone, download the BAND App, sign in, and join the Marching Band group for this year. This is where all of your communication will be this year.

I'm so excited about this year and, like you, I can't wait to get back together and start making music again. You all did such an amazing job weathering this storm, but the clouds are parting and the sun is shining through again, so it's time to unfurl the sails and resume course. Let's Go!!!

​I've had a couple of parents contact me in regards to the meeting tomorrow and the forecast. Ordinarily with this forecast I would preemptively reschedule the meeting, but because we are going to be joined by a representative from Music Travel Consultants I'm going to hold off on that for now. As of right now the plan is to have our meeting tomorrow unless school ends up getting canceled. I will keep an eye on the forecast and if we need to reschedule I will make that decision before the end of school tomorrow. If you end up not being able to attend the rescheduled meeting don't worry, all of the information presented and handed out will be posted to both the junior high and high school Google Classroom pages. Thank you for being flexible!!

This is an important packet of information regarding solo/ensemble on Saturday February 1st at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne. We will be going over this packet in class on Monday January 20th and students will receive a hard copy then. If you prefer a digital copy feel free to use this. It is also posted on Google Classroom for student's convenience. Thanks!!

Important Note:

​For those of you who have not been to semi-state before, it is held at Franklin Community High School south of Indianapolis in Franklin, not at Franklin Central. We have had parents go to the wrong "Franklin" before and miss out on their child's performance!

The address is is 2600 Cumberland Drive, Franklin, Indiana 46131.

​Hope you've all had a relaxing and well-deserved fall break! Just a reminder about the East Noble Itinerary. Call time for rehearsal is 9:00 AM, please don't be late!