Week of October 28, 2019
Check out Our New Website!
We have spent a significant amount of time updating our website over the past few weeks. Please take a few minutes to check it out! Everything from the old website is here, but a few topics are organized differently. We will also begin hosting our newsletters on the website in an effort to consolidate our communication to one location for the ease of our students and families.
In the future, our new website will allow our students and families the ability to purchase apparel and supplies, pay fees, and submit trip and fundraiser payments. Check back for updates!
Fall Band Concert Digital Program — Once Upon a Time
In an effort to save paper, money, and the environment, we now offer digital programs.
There are two ways to access the program: this link and via the QR code that is displayed at each entrance of the auditorium. We will have hard copies available in limited quantities for those who do not have access to a digital device and for those who would like a keepsake. We only print about 50 of these, so please only take one if you need it!
Fall Band Concert — October 29, 2019
Our first concert of the year is almost upon us! The students have been working hard and are excited to showcase what they have learned in the first two months of school. Below is some pertinent information for the concert.
Call time is 6:30pm. Students should be at West and ready to go no later than 6:30pm for fundamentals and tuning.
Concert time is 7:30pm. All four of our bands will perform on this night, beginning with Wildcat Band, moving to Concert Band and Varsity Band and capping the night off with Wind Ensemble. The concert should be no longer than one and a half hours and features 250 musicians!
Concert dress is as follows:
Men should wear their school-provided tuxedo jacket, pants, bow tie, and cummerbund. They must also provide their own clean, white button-down shirt with a collar. The shirt can be either long or short sleeve, as they will be covered by the jacket. Men should also wear long black socks and all-black shoes.
Ladies should wear all black. This provides some options, but please be sure to choose something that is dressier and will go with the tuxedos. Options might include a black blouse, a black button-down shirt, a black skirt that extends below the knees, black pants, or a simple black dress. Shoes must be all-black, but socks are not required.
Students with financial difficulties should contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson for assistance.
Holiday Parades — Help Needed!
We are proud to have an extremely active Band Parent Organization. With a large band program, we always have volunteer and assistance needs!
For the fall holiday parades, we need help with the following:
Pizza Pick-Up: 3:45pm
This position will pick up 80 pizzas from Little Caesars on Koehler near Walgreens.
Pizza Serving: 3:45-4:45pm
These positions will help serve dinner to students.
Uniform Distribution: 4:30-5:30pm
These positions will assist students in finding uniforms and hats.
Pull Band Trailer: 5:00-8:30pm (truck needed)
This position will pull our band trailer downtown so that students can unload their equipment.
Follow Vehicle: 5:00-8:30pm
This position will follow the band down the parade route in the event that a student has a medical need. We will supply a first aid kit. No medical experience is necessary!
Uniform Collection: 8:00-8:45pm
These positions will verify that students have hung their uniforms up properly and put the hats back on the shelves.
Dessert Donation (cookies, brownies, etc.)
We would like to provide our students with an assortment of cookies and/or brownies with their pizza. These items can be store-bought or homemade.
If you are able to help us out, please visit this page and fill out the form. The page is also available via the orange Volunteer button on the top right of the screen.
Holiday Parades — November 14 and 26
Each year, all students in our four bands combine to perform in the Oshkosh and Appleton Holiday Parades. Permission slips are due on Monday, November 4, for full credit. Permission slips turned in after the due date can still be turned in for partial credit. Students who do not turn in the permission slips before the performance date will be ineligible to perform.
The uniform for the parades is as follows:
All students will wear their marching uniform jacket, pants, and hat provided by the school. Students are responsible for providing long black socks and all-black shoes. Shoes that are not all-black will be made all-black. Expensive and/or fancy shoes are unnecessary! Find a pair of cheap all-black shoes that will last all four years at Walmart, Target, Goodwill, or your favorite local store. Students with financial difficulties should contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson for assistance.
It will be cold! The band program provides clean black ear warmers to be worn underneath the marching hats. The uniforms were fit with a little room so students can wear thermals, sweatshirts, Underarmour, or the like. Please do not wear anything with a hood as that will make the jacket bunchy. It may be a good idea to bring hand and/or foot warmers as well.
Band Trip 2021 Informational Meeting — November 11
The votes are in! Join us for an informational meeting to discuss details of the Spring Break 2021 West Bands trip to New York City!
The meeting will be held on November 11, 2019, at 7pm in the F-Room at Oshkosh West. Please enter through door #24 and proceed up the stairs or ramp to the F-Room. This meeting is purely informational; no one will be obligated to travel by attending.
The trip is open to all students who will be enrolled in a band class at West next school year and their families. This is a totally optional trip; everyone is encouraged to travel with us, but no one is required.
At the meeting, we will share a tentative itinerary, tentative costs, and fundraising options. Following the meeting, we will begin a fundraiser that will run for the next several weeks.
Don’t let money be an issue! We have had many students pay for their entire trip with fundraising! If you are interested in traveling with us but may have financial barriers, please attend the meeting and learn how we can make it work for your family.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, we will be able to share meeting materials the following day.
WSMA Festival Performances
In April each band will travel to Carroll University in Waukesha to perform in a Wisconsin School Music Association Large Group contest. The Wildcat and Concert Bands will travel on April 22, and Varsity Band and Wind Ensemble will travel on April 23. We will take coach buses to Shattuck Auditorium to perform and conclude the day with a visit to a local attraction and/or have a group meal as voted on by the students. There will be a small cost to this day which will be determined once the students have voted on the attraction and dinner location in November. All students will attend and several fundraising opportunities will be available to help with the cost. Students with financial difficulties should contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson for assistance. More info will be available in November!
Grading and Make-up Procedures
Are you curious about how grades are determined? Click here for more information!
Do you have to miss a pep band performance? Students who have a school-related activity are excused from the pep band performance. Students missing for any other reason must make up the performance to gain the points. Students wishing to be excused for a school-related activity should fill out this form prior to the date of the performance.
Do you have to miss a concert or parade performance? All students missing a concert or parade performance for any reason must make up the performance to gain the points.
View make-up procedures here. Please contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson with questions.
Important Upcoming Dates
October 29 at 7:30pm — Fall Band Concert (All Students)
November 14 at 6:15pm — Oshkosh Holiday Parade
November 26 at 7:00pm — Appleton Holiday Parade
December 3 at 6:45pm — WHITE Pep Band
December 6 at 6:45pm — BLUE Pep Band