August 4th-August 9th 2025

 Fantastic job during Band Camp!!!

Monday - Half Day-dismissal at 11:30

Tuesday - Rehearsal 3:15 - 6:00

Wednesday - Opener Memorization Test During Class, Junior and Senior Uniform fitting. Bus riders will go first.

Thursday - Rehearsal 3:15 - 6:00

Friday - Warm - up memorization test during class

This week we will begin our after-school rehearsals. These are mandatory and will be counted as grades in the grade book. Make sure that if you have a non emergency appointment that it takes place outside of rehearsal or class time. It is very important that we have everyone at rehearsals for the full time to maximize our time together. At this point we are down to hours until the end of the season. 

Each after-school rehearsal you will need specific things. Below is a list of the items you need at EVERY REHEARSAL:

·                     Instrument

·                     Dot book

·                     Dot sheet

·                     Music

·                     Pencil

·                     Red Rehearsal shirt Tuesday/Blue Rehearsal shirt Thursday

·                     Red drinking cooler

·                     Tennis shoes (hey dudes, crocks, boots, hiking books, converse, etc do not count as tennis shoes.)

·                     Great attitude ready to give 110% every rehearsal!!!

We will have our first of many playing/memorization tests this week. Playing/memorization tests are counted as just that, a test. Each student is required to come into one of the offices and perform their music for myself, Mr. Leslie, or Mr. Tate. After all tests are taken, I will post grades for the students to see if they passed or not. If the student did not pass, they have exactly 1 week from the time the grade is posted to retake the test for a higher grade. If the student does not make the test up within that week, the grade will stay and not be changed. Each student is REQUIRED to pass the memorization tests to be able to march. If they do not pass then they will stand on the sideline during performances. 

Each student is required to be at all performances. If they miss a performance then their chances of passing the semester is slim to none. Please consult the handbook for consequences. 

Students are expected to maintain a C average in all of their classes to continue in performances. Make sure that you are staying on top of your grades. 

This Wednesday August 6th,  we will start fitting Juniors and Seniors for their uniform for the fall. We will start with bus riders and then go into car riders. If you are picking up a student that day please be patient and let them get fitted so that we can be in uniform for pictures the following week. Next Monday August 11th we will start fitting Freshmen and sophomores during class. Middle schoolers will need to be brought up right after school to get fitted. Please make arrangements now for this. 

This Saturday we have a mandatory camp from 8am - 12pm to finish putting the show on the field. The students voted on this during band camp. We only have about 8 sets left to finish so there is a chance that we will get done early. 

We have pictures for the football insert on August 13th at 2:00. I need everyone there at 1:30 to get ready and be in uniform. Middle schoolers would need to be checked out for this. If you can not check them out then they will not be in the picture. 

We have a great need this semester as we have a student who lives in Rutherford who will need a ride home from rehearsals and to and from ball games and some contests. If you are willing to give this student a ride please email me at ageej@gcssd.org. 

Our next fundraiser is going to be selling theme shirts and spirit shirts. Please make sure that when these are passed out that we are selling selling selling!!!

Forms will be emailed by Mrs. Sharon today. Printed copies will come home tomorrow. 

PARENTS WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!! If we do not have volunteers, then it is hard for the band to function. If you have an issue and would like to speak with me privately about it please do!

The next and final band fee is due no later than August 14th. If you are behind on payments expect an email sometime this week to let you know your balance. 

We are missing some students in the Disney sign up. Please get signed up asap. We must have a minimum of performers to be able to march. 

Important Dates:

Aug. 9 - Saturday Camp 8am - 12pm

Aug. 13 - Football insert pictures 2pm

Aug. 19 - Preview night (first performance) 6:30pm

Aug. 22 - Football vs. West Carroll (home) 5:15

Aug. 29 - Football vs. Obion (home) 5:15

Sep. 5 - Football vs. Peabody (Away we go) 6:00

Sep. 6 - Pete Evans Showcase TBD

Disney information: Registration ends February 6, but we ask that you register early to allow us to plan accordingly. Once you register, the website will give you a timeline of when certain amounts should be paid as well as a deadline for when full payment must be completed.  If you have family members who want to go with us, please forward this email and information to them. 

1.                  Once clicking the link below, select “Register now” to proceed.  You will have to create an account with your email and create a password for the portal.  (In some cases, school domain emails may be restricted, please use a Gmail or other email.)  You will then receive an email to verify your account before you can continue (Sometimes it may be in your spam folder).   

2.                  Everyone participating on the trip must register with the portal.  For anyone under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must complete the registration on their behalf.  Multiple people from the same family on the same trip can register together so they have a single log-in.  (i.e. a dad chaperoning on a trip with their child or both parents with a child on the same trip).  You still register each person and have to select the packages each one is doing and complete all the information required for each participant. Everyone registers under the student cost-all cost the same.

3.                  Complete all the required information necessary.  (personal data, emergency data, etc.)

4.                  Choose the applicable package for the trip of the person you are registering.

5.                  Choose an insurance option: Enhanced, Standard or Decline.  You must choose one of the 3 to complete your registration.  The insurance options will be shown as Enhanced Coverage, Standard Coverage, or Decline.  It is encouraged to select and purchase insurance to protect your trip.  If purchasing the Enhanced Coverage, you must purchase within 20 days of registration and deposit.  Following insurance options, you will continue to the page for setting up your credit card or ACH Transaction options for payment.  If you are not selecting insurance, there will be an option to decline and proceed to the payment arrangements.

6.                  While registering, members will get to the point of completing their info and selecting insurance and a screen is indicating you are almost complete, you just need to “pay the deposit.”  The portals have been set up to combine the trip deposit and the insurance together as the ‘deposit.’  The portal has been set-up with the required deposit amount due at registration and the payment dates for additional payments.

7.                  The portal will show a screen where the total trip cost is displayed with the insurance amount with a ‘proceed to payment’ option.  This is not the payment selection.  When you proceed to make the payment, the next screen is where you enter your payment method (credit card or ACH) and then the last screen will show ‘Select payment’ options of paying balance, paying deposit or specific amount.  The deposit due amount should reflect the amount for the trip deposit and insurance.  You can select any of the three options based on your payment amount you desire to pay.  You are required to agree to and sign all required documents.

https://usafest.grcoll.co/v2/go/gchsbandorlando26

Once you have completed the steps listed, your registration is complete!  You will receive updates or additional information required for the trip to the email used in the registration process.  Please Note: You may select Autopay to avoid having to login and make additional payments.  You will receive reminders of the upcoming payment, and that the autopay will process the payment on the scheduled date.  (please note: ** All refund requests/cancellations will incur a minimum 4% reduction in possible refunds - Covers payment processing fees **)

For now, if you are registering a participating band member, you can either register them separately or just add them as a participant in your registration.  Mr. Agee said that can be adjusted later.  Remember, you will put them in a quad room and they cannot stay with parents since this is a field trip.