Mid-November Notes ... a new quarter begins ...

This is a busy time of year. We just finished the first quarter, the mid-term of the fall semester. In this newsletter are some review items and new events.

First, to review. Practice charts are the student's homework and due every Friday. There are boxes along the top of the form where the time practiced each day of that week is recorded. The remainder of the form is the charting and reflecting of ONE session that week. Writing about only one session helps me see how the student distributes and uses the time, plus helps each student plan attainable goals. Students are met at the door Fridays and the chart is collected at that point. If a student is absent, the chart is due the day s/he returns. The practice charts are worth 30% of the overall grade, a significant percentage. Students who have neglected to turn in practice charts are currently failing the class.

There is good news. As we continue through the semester each chart is a smaller part of the 30%. The additional good news is that students can choose to practice over Thanksgiving break and make-up a missed chart. Students may pick up a chart on Friday, Nov. 21st, label it chart #9A and return it Dec. 1st. For those students who are caught up on their charts, this chart 9A counts as extra credit. Either way, it's a win-win. The same procedure happens during Winter break.

Many of our AP Theory students are also in marching band, which is a time sponge in the fall. This quarter they may turn in late work with a 5% penalty.

Our Fall concert is slated for Thursday, Nov. 20th. The call time for performers is 6:30 pm with the concert beginning at 7 pm in our beautiful Performing Arts Theater. All four musical groups are set to perform: the string orchestra, the concert, symphonic bands and the marching band & color guard. Plus, our wonderful Booster board members for this year will be introduced. We anticipate the concert to last no more than 90 minutes.

Family and friends are encouraged to attend. Students receive extra credit for each person who signs in on their behalf at one of the lobby tables. You are welcome to sign for more than one student; the more, the merrier! Also available at the tables will be the Booster budget review for ratification and our Butter Braid fundraising forms. This concert is casual, performers should wear their black RHS music shirt, or if they don't have one yet, their Big Blue shirt, along with dark pants/skirts and comfortable shoes. Our formal concert attire will be issued in December.

We have six students participating in the Causeway Youth Band Festival. It occurs every other year with a composer as primary conductor; this year Timothy Mahr. The performance is at 7 pm, Sunday Nov. 23rd in the fantastic Mondavi Center. Also on the concert are the CSUS Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the UCD Concert Band. Performing in a world-class performance venue is a special treat!

Saturday, Nov. 15th is the marching band’s Tournament of Champions at Lincoln HS of Stockton. Food and equipment bills went out again this week for anyone still owing. Please get those bills paid as soon as possible! As we move out of marching season, we move into winter percussion and winter guard season. Guard clinics are scheduled Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 - 5 pm in the music room or Little Theater. Percussion clinics are Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:30 – 5:30. Audition schedule to be announced. We are hosting the Tournament of Champions this year March 28th, so keep that date open. Our show hosting last year was a huge success, due largely to the help of our parents, students, and community!

Like all other classes, our classes depend on attendance and participation for individual success. Unlike other classes, however, if students are absent in a music class the entire class suffers. To bring our classes into line with other music classes in the district, students who are absent, excused or not, will not receive that day’s participation / professionalism credit beginning after Thanksgiving break.

Lastly, about our Disney trip. We submitted our new audition material Nov. 1st and await the results. Our second payment of $57.00 was due Nov. 7th with the next payment due Dec. 5th . Thank you to those who have made one or more payments. It is vital that accounts stay paid up so that when bills from our vendors are due we can pay promptly. If you have made payments, your current account, along with fudraising earnings is attached to this newsletter.

As stated in the initial information letter, students in the orchestra and concert band must be able to play the music to the level Disney expects of our group as demonstrated in our audition. At this point, we have several students who we need to place on a waiting list for the trip. The reasons range from attendance concerns to playing experience. I will mail a letter home to these students explaining their specific situation. Additions to the waiting list can occur for those students who do not stay up with the payment schedule. Mrs. Wilmer must be informed of extenuating circumstances.

Thank you for your continuing support of the Rosemont HS Music Program. We look forward to seeing you Nov. 20th!

Mrs. Robin Wilmer

TOC - Stockton Trip information for November 15th

Make sure you have paid for your food and equipment!

Schedule for week of Nov. 10-14

Refer to general information page given out with the Napa competition forms.

Saturday – Competition Day!!

Students will have one hour on the bus when they can sleep. It’s important to use the restroom at home before coming to RHS.

Parents who are going to support the group – you will need to park in middle school parking lot on Harrisburg or Alexandria. Only the bus and trailer may park in the school parking lot.

5:37am --- NOTE EARLIER TIME!!! Call time. Come dressed in your bibbers, black socks and shoes. Your gauntlets & gloves are in your shako box, and jacket is in your garment bag, which goes on the trailer. Put your name on your garment bag.
Guard – come in your uniform with hair and make-up done.
5:45am --- load bus. You can bring a pillow if you want. No one enters the bus until the trailer is completely loaded.
6:02am --- Leave RHS parking lot. We CANNOT wait for anyone because we are on a tight schedule.
7:00am (approx.) --- arrive at the bus parking lot. Inside trailer crew exits bus first. Unload trailer. Mrs. Wilmer will go to registration so follow the direction of the crews and instructors.
Get snack right away.
Percussion set up for warm-up. Students follow warm-up procedures.
Guard – get flags from crew& follow Mr. Moreno for warm-up.
Warm-ups.
8:25am – in block, plumes distributed.
8:30am – Formation area. We can do further warm-up here.
9:05am – Proceed to first warm-up zone, then quiet zone where we will do final block up for formal, graded inspection. In class 1A we are second of four schools.
9:10 am – final warm-up and silent zone.
9:25 am – WE ARE ON!! Street competition! Let’s do it!
9:30 am -- Percussion competition zone. Competition ends. Proceed to pictures.
10:00am -- Put away instruments, change and return your garment bag, shoe and shako boxes to the crews. Changing rooms are in the gym locker rooms.
Back to watch the larger bands perform in class 4A, 5A and 6A.

12:30pm – Lunch! After lunch, second guard cleanup crew helps parents. Load trailer.
2:30pm -- Proceed to the stadium for the awards ceremony. The group sits together. Shawn, Chase and Gillian go to the stadium in your uniforms. You must be there by about 2:25. Parent chaperons stay with students.
3:00pm – Awards ceremony.
3:40pm (approximately) – End of awards ceremony. Proceed to bus for return trip. Make sure to use the restroom on your way back. We will leave as soon after the ceremony as possible.
4:45pm (approximately) – Return to RHS. Unload trailer. Take home instruments, and shoe box. Shakos and percussion equipment go into the room.
Leave your garment bag unzipped on the rack.
Parents – allow about 20 minutes for trailer unloading.

Thanks for a great day. We will have a 7th period practice Monday, Nov. 17th from 3 – about 4:30. We will go over scores, get some basketball game information, and work pep music.

Napa Trip information for November 8th and rehearsals up to TOC

General Information

Please make sure you have paid for your food and equipment!

Marching band & color guard rehearsals in late October & November up to 11/14 – TOC week

Monday, October 27th - block & guard 3 – 4:30 pm. Drum line 4:30 – 6:30pm.
Permission slips are due on Wednesday!
Twenty percent (20%) of student’s performance grade for this competition is deducted each day after Wednesday the form is late (20% Thursday, another 20% Friday).
Tuesday, October 28th – percussion 3:30 – 6pm
Wednesday, October 29th - block & guard 3 – 5:30 pm.
Friday, October 31st – block 12:30 – 3 pm. Bring lunch or snacks for break. No percussion practice.
Monday, November 3rd – block & guard 3 – 4:30 pm. Drum line 4:30 – 6:30pm. Receive TOC paperwork.
Permission slips are due on Wednesday!
Twenty percent (20%) of student’s performance grade for this competition is deducted each day after Wednesday the form is late (20% Thursday, another 20% Friday).
Tuesday, November 4th – percussion 3:30 – 6pm.
Wednesday, November 6th – block & guard 3 – 5:30 pm.
Friday, November 7th – block, guard, percussion 3 – 6. Go down to track & do march for the football game. Drum line leads in team. All return to room to load trailer.
Saturday, November 8th – Napa competition. Check itinerary for times.
Monday, November 10th – block & guard 3 – 4:30. Drum line 4:30 – 6:30.
Tuesday, November 11th – Veteran’s Day – No school or percussion rehearsal.
Wednesday, November 13th - block & guard 3 – 5:30 pm. Percussion 5:30 – 7:30.
Friday, November 14th – block, guard, drum line 3 – 5:30pm. Load trailer 5:30 – 6:10pm
Saturday, November 15th – TOC at Lincoln of Stockton. Check itinerary for times.
Monday, November 17th – begin winter percussion clinics 3 – 5:30 pm; guard & block 3 – 4:00 pm

Schedule for Friday, 11/7

Friday – Practice from 3 – 6:00 pm. Dress warmly. We march down to the stadium, do our competition for the crowd between games, the drum line leads in the team, then return to the room to load the trailer. We should be done by 7:30pm.
It is YOUR responsibility to make sure your instrument is in line, including drum line and guard equipment. Everyone helps get stuff out to the trailer.

Saturday, 11/8 – Competition Day!!
Students will have 1 ½ - 2 hours on the bus where they can sleep.

If your parent is driving to watch and needs a driving packet, or a parent is driving you home early from the competition, please inform me immediately! Parents who are driving to support the group – you will need to park in the public parking garage next to the competition zone. Only the bus and trailer may park in the bus parking lot on Second Street or on the street.

5:55am --- Call time. Come dressed in your bibbers, black socks and shoes. ONLY your jacket is in your garment bag. Put your name on your garment bag.
Guard – come in your uniform with hair done.
Load the jackets onto the rack & into the trailer.
6:15am --- load bus. You can bring a pillow if you want. No one enters the bus until the trailer is completely loaded.
6:30am --- Leave RHS parking lot. We CANNOT wait for anyone because we are on a tight schedule.
8:15am (approx.) --- arrive at the bus parking lot. Inside trailer crew exits bus first. Unload trailer. Mrs. Wilmer will go to registration so follow the direction of the crews and instructors.
Procedure will be similar to Del Oro with percussion warming up first. Percussion set up for warm-up.
Students must follow directions of crews once you receive your garment bag, instrument and shako box.
Get out instrument, put case where crew says and go to warm-up area. You will get your plumes just prior to formation.
Guard – get flags from crew. Find a warm-up spot and go through routine.
9: 45am – Proceed in SINGLE file from staging area to formation area.
9:50am – Formation / Inspection in the inspection zone. There we will be counted to insure we are in correct class. We are in class 1A for bands up to 35 block members.
10:00am – Proceed to final warm-up zone, then quiet zone where we will do final block up for competition. We are the 5th of 6 bands in our class to compete.
10:403am – WE ARE ON!! Street competition! Let’s do it!
10:435am -- Percussion competition zone. Competition ends. Proceed to pictures. Put away instruments, then you may choose to change and go back to watch larger groups or return your garment bag and shoe and shako boxes to the crews. We will load the trailer during this time.
12:10pm – Back at the bus to proceed to the stadium for lunch! Make sure to pick up your trash, cleanup crew work with parents and EVERYONE thank the parent volunteers who made and served lunch.
2:05pm -- Proceed to the stadium for the awards ceremony. Concert percussion competition is in the stadium from 1:30 – 2:00. If you watch the percussion, come back to the bus so we can go over as a group. The group sits together. Shawn, Ashley and Chase P. go to the south end of the stadium in your uniforms. You must be there by 2:15. I go to the north east corner. Parent chaperons stay with students.
2:30pm – Awards ceremony. Politeness is the key – remember we had fun!
3:15pm (approximately) – End of awards ceremony. Make sure to use the restroom on your way back. Proceed to bus for return trip. We will leave as soon after the ceremony as possible. Let's be polite to our band family members and stay quiet on the bus after a loooong day.
5:15pm (approximately) – Return to RHS. Unload trailer. Take home garment bag and shoe box. Shakos and percussion equipment go into the room.

Thanks for a great day! See you at practice next week to prepare for Tournament of Champions at Stockton. It is our last competition, so be ready to work hard.