2020 Trip Meeting/Booster Meeting/Camp Information
I hope this message finds you all well and enjoying the summer vacation! Due to lower interest than we needed to make the trip happen, we are changing destination of the trip for 2020 from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA. Thursday night at the Band Booster meeting (7pm in the Odem HS Band Hall) I would like to invite parents of students who have signed up for the 2020 trip already to attend, as well as any parents of students who would be interested now in the new destination. I will handout information and packets for everyone at this meeting.
For those who have already paid a deposit, if you do not wish your student to travel to California instead of DC we will issue refunds for the change. From speaking with most families that does not seem to be the case, but we will honor returning payments until September 1st for anyone who wishes to withdraw. Otherwise currently paid payments will be applied towards the California trip. The trip is for any students who are part of the Odem HS Band Program in Grades 9-12, or involved in the Front Ensemble for the 2019 Spirit of OHS.
Please plan to attend if you are able to! We will have another meeting at the beginning of September for those who are unable to attend tonight. We will be able to add students through early October, but need as many people who are interested to sign up as we can so that we know that the trip can happen. I will be around later this week if you would like to make other arrangements to meet with me as well.
Color Guard/Drum Major Camp:
Color Guard and Drum Major Camp is going to be this coming Sunday through Thursday June 20th at Texas A&M University Commerce. Students will need to be at the Band Hall by 6:30am that morning to depart soon after. On the 20th there is a demonstration that finishes the camp around noon and I hope to return to the Band Hall by 8pm that evening. Students will need to bring money for meals for Lunch/Dinner the first day, and Lunch/Dinner the day we return. Students meals while at camp are covered otherwise, but snack money/souvenir money there may be needed. Students need to take their own bedding, towels, etc. to this camp as it’s at a college campus. I believe beds will most likely be extra long twins from past experiences.
I caught most of the members to give them forms before classes ended, but if a student did not get a packet they must fill out these forms prior to coming that morning on the 16th. If you wish to deliver them to me early I should be at the Band Hall this week. They should have also received an e-mail with more information. Please triple check that the information is current with what we provided with them before they left as TAMUC has not updated their website to easily check up on that.
What to Bring (https://www.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/humanitiesSocialSciencesArts/departments/music/summerCamps/leadershipdrummajorandcolorguardcamp/studentInformation.aspx)
Release Forms (3 of them) (https://www.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/humanitiesSocialSciencesArts/departments/music/summerCamps/leadershipdrummajorandcolorguardcamp/medicalRelease.aspx)
Any students with medications will need to turn them initially into myself and we will turn them over to the camp that day of check-in.
Marching Band Physicals:
UIL has mandated that Marching Band Students now receive physicals prior to participation in outdoor activities. The new policy takes effect August 1st when all students must have one completed on the same biannual basis as Athletics. You can find the UIL’s Physical form here http://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/forms/PrePhysFormRvsd1-19.pdf
Students only need to complete one physical if they are in Athletics and Band, it is not necessary to complete a separate one. We would like these turned in as soon as possible to keep from having a massive crunch at the end.
Summer Leadership Training:
Students who are members of our leadership team (Drum Majors, Section Leaders/Lieutenants, Guard Captains) will have two days of training in preparation for the year. One of those days is going to be for First Aid/CPR certifications so that we have a student response team trained in case of an emergency that can help until an adult/first responders can get to a situation. Those two days are going to be July 15th and 16th. We will also work to prepare to begin band camp the next week. Students should plan on those days to be from 9am-12pm, and 1pm-5pm.
(We had an early calendar that mistakenly listed June for those dates and still have a few students uncertain on them – the calendar we have been sending out since April 25th is correct)
Summer Band Schedule:
You may find this year’s Summer Band Schedule here: http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-Summer-Band-Schedule-4-25-2019.pdf Please note that students must attend Summer Band to have a spot on the field. It is imperative that we have every student at every rehearsal for us to be successful and have a good chance at achieving our goal of returning the UIL State Marching Contest!
2019-2020 Odem Bands Calendar:
You may find the 2019-2020 Odem Bands Calendar here: http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-2020-Odem-Bands-Calendar-Version-1.pdf these dates are firm dates that we do not see changing. The fall schedule is set in stone at this time. Please Note: Odem HS students should choose dates other than October for ACT/SAT tests. There are tests this summer and others in December that they should plan to take those tests as we have major marching competitions on the dates of those tests through October.