Week of March 15
Back to In-Person!
It’s been so wonderful having our students back in the building full-time — we went 349 days without a full class! The bands have been progressing more quickly now that the students have all of their counterparts in class and are rehearsing daily.
To keep our students safe, we have moved the band classes to the auditorium where we can spread out more easily. We have also kept using the bell covers and flute shields, sanitizing between classes, and sanitizing commonly-touched items.
Band Grades
In an effort to make band classes feel as “normal” as possible, we have reduced the number of Canvas assignments from the plan we followed during first semester. Because there are fewer assignments, each one makes a larger impact on the total grade.
So far, all classes have had a pencil check, a supply check, and a quick survey for their grades. In the future, we will also have a few performance grades with choices on what to do for those. For the April performance grade, students will have a few choices in what they can do, and one of those options will be the pep band nights outlined below.
Pep Band Nights
The district has approved our plan to bring together interested students to play and record pep band music!
On Wednesday, March 24, and Monday, April 5, we will be hosting pep band nights. On these nights, we will be safely-spaced in the auditorium. Following the session, we will have pizza in the cafeterias, following the lunch safety protocols. Below is the schedule:
3:33 to 4:00 - students check-in and move to the auditorium
4:00 to 5:30 - play and record pep and tunes
5:30 to 6:00 - optional pizza snack
These will be options for the performance grade in April. If a student chooses this option, they would only need to choose one of the dates but would receive extra credit for attending both.
Spring Concerts
To end the year on a high note, we will be having a spring concert of some sort and we are working on specific plans for what that will look like.
Families, please take a few moments to take this short survey so we can get a gauge on your thoughts as we prepare final plans. Thank you for your thoughts!
Memorial Day Procession
While the middle and high school bands have been invited to perform in the annual Memorial Day Procession, the district has decided that we will not be able to participate in person on Memorial Day.
The West Bands will still move forward with our spring marching unit and prepare a patriotic tune, working on memorization skills for the full band and marching instruments. Our plan is to put together a video that will be featured on the broadcast of the Memorial Day Procession aired on Oshkosh Community Media and their platforms. Stay tuned for more information!
UPDATE ON MARCH 15: The district has reversed its initial decision, but we’ve been told that we can bus students to the performance. We are weighing our options and will communicate our decision with band families once a decision is made. Thanks for your patience!
Supply Checks
Each West band student has required materials in order for them to be successful. Most students have had these supplies required since 6th grade, though you may have run out of some items or they may have been lost. A complete list of required items for each instrument is available here.
We had a graded supply check on February 22/23 and several students still need to complete it. These grades are pass or fail — a student will only receive the points if he/she has all required supplies. If a student did not have all required supplies on the graded supply check date, the student will have until April 9 to gather the supplies and show a director for full points. No points will be awarded after April 9.
If you have financial barriers to getting all of your required supplies, please talk to the band directors, we may be able to help get you what you need.