FRESHMAN CORNER
Football games
What To Bring
On football game days, the band has a short practice immediately after school. They do not have time to go home and will need to bring everything they need in the morning so their Tote bag should be packed with the following:
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Black gym shorts
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Gold Performance Shirt
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Black crew or longer socks
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Marching shoes
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Rain poncho (most kids keep this in his bag all the time so they don’t have to remember it)
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Empty garment bag (their marching uniform will go in the bag)
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Flip folder with music and lyre (if they are using one)
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Water jug (fill it about 3/4 full of ice and then add water and they will still have cold water and some ice after school)
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Instrument
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Anything else they might need (“dot” sheets, deodorant, contact case, extra pair of glasses, etc.).
Inspection & Uniforms
After school, students will grab their uniforms and shakos (if we are wearing them that day) and bring them to the stadium for rehearsal. After rehearsal, we will load trucks and get changed into uniform. They will have time to eat their dinner and change into their uniform before they load the buses. After eating and getting dressed they will gather in their sections for inspection.
Before each game/competition there is a process they go through called Inspection. They gather in their sections and the section leaders make sure everyone has the needed items to travel with. If they do not pass inspection, they will call a parent to come get them and will not be able to travel with the band. This is why it is so important to make sure they have the proper things when they leave in the morning and that they know the uniform room has extras to borrow or buy.
Please remind the kids that their uniform should never be put on the ground or laid in the grass unless it is in the garment bag. They can enlist a friend to hold something if necessary. If they lose anything (shoes, mouthpiece, cell phone, etc...), they need to let their section leader, a drum major, or a chaperone know right away. Many a shoe or mouthpiece have been dropped on a dark parking lot or on the bus and it is hard to see them. Things have also been known to fall through the stands. If the kids tell their section leader, a drum major or an adult before the band leaves the stadium, we will have a chance to find the item. No need to be embarrassed as this happens all the time, even to the upperclassmen!
Likewise, if the hem on the bibbers comes undone, or if they feel their uniform is just not fitting right, they need to come and find one of the uniform volunteers. The kids will know who they are after getting fitted in the summer. They can also go to a chaperone.
For the “OH NOOO, I FORGOT…!!!” No worries! It happens. In the uniform room we have a few loaner garment bags and shoes. We do not have enough bags for everyone nor do we have all shoe sizes but we can cover most needs. Also, we sell new gloves, crew socks, extra shirts and rain ponchos in the uniform room before every event all through marching season. These things are generally a few bucks each.
Dinner
Your band fee covers most meals at marching competitions, NOT dinner before football games. The majority of students sign up for the dining plan, which allows the students to order a meal each week for their dinner. Other students have dinner dropped off for them. Most bring fast food like Subway, McDonalds, etc... Some parents will pack their students a lunch and dinner in the morning for them to bring to school. Since the kids are not allowed to eat in the band hall, parents wait in the school commons and the kids come and find us after practice to get their dinner. Students are not allowed to leave campus during breaks as it is a safety hazard.
Also, something that works for many families is a “Food Pool”. It is like a carpool, where you take turns bringing fast food for a group of kids. Ask your carpool members or other band parents you know if they might be interested in forming a group. It does take some coordination, but would mean that you don’t have to bring food for each game night.
After An Event
After an event, when the kids are leaving they change out of their uniform, either on the bus or in the parking lot, hang all the pieces on the hanger ( bibbers & uniform top) and then put the uniform in their garment bag.
Most events the band unloads the truck & trailer of all props and instruments. This is a team effort and it goes much faster when the entire band is helping carry things back into the school. After the truck is unloaded, they can check in their uniforms.
So, while you may see the buses return to the school, it usually takes another 30 minutes to unload, put away and check in before you see your student come out to the car.
Early Check Out
You do have the option of checking your student out of the game after halftime. Here is the procedure:
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You must email a director letting them know that you plan to pick them up early so that we have documentation.
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Your student should tell the lead chaperone for their bus that they are leaving early when they load onto the bus at the school.
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You must personally check out your student with the lead chaperone, meaning, you must find the chaperone so they know that you are taking the student.
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If someone other than the parent is checking out the student, the chaperone might ask for ID.
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They take everything home with them including their uniform and shako box. Take the marching jacket out of the garment bag when you get home and let it and the bibbers air dry overnight. Your student needs to put the entire uniform (marching jacket, bibbers and gauntlets) on the hanger, place it in the garment bag and return it plus the shako box to the uniform room the next school morning.
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***This procedure must be followed as the buses will not depart the stadium for home until all students are accounted for.***
HOMECOMING
WEEK
Theme Days: All Week
Each day of the week is a different theme and the kids are encouraged to dress up (school appropriate attire and no masks). A schedule of the theme days will be posted in the band hall for the kids and the school usually sends an email to parents.
Parade: Wednesday
The most important thing you need to know is that the band is one of the groups ending the Homecoming Parade. So, if you want to see them, be sure to look at the end of the groups. The parade takes place on campus, starts at 6:00 pm and ends in the stadium. A short pep rally is held in the stadium at the end. The students walk down to the parade staging area together around 5:00.
High school kids on the floats throw candy to all the little kids lining the road. It really is a fun thing to watch.
Since the parade ends at the school, that is where you will pick up your student around 7:30 pm.
Mums: Friday
Even if they don’t have a date, most girls still make a mum for themselves and wear them to school on Friday. They can wear the mums at the football game after halftime. 99% of mums these days have a strap to be worn around the neck, but they can also be pinned to the strap on their bibbers.
The mums can get expensive! This is a great time of year to use those 40% off coupons from Michaels!! Instead of starting from scratch, some freshman buy a pre-made mum (Michaels and Kroger usually sell them) that includes the flower, backing and gold and white ribbons. Then you can hot glue extra ribbon and embellishments to the mum to customize it, if you want. Little tigers can also be found at Michaels and Hobby Lobby. We’ve seen some really cute band “uniforms” over the years made for the tigers to wear, including a shako made out of cardstock or even a tiny band uniform. Michaels has more of the add-ons like the plastic band instruments, footballs, jingle bells and cow bells. Hobby Lobby has pre-cut, individual strips of ribbon. Curling ribbon is great for attaching the plastic pieces and bells. Be sure to buy a few jingle bells or cow bells. They love to jingle as they walk down the hall. Not sure how the teachers feel about that but let’s face it, very little in the way of school work gets done on that day!
Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors wear a single or double flower mum with ribbon in the school colors (gold/white/black). Senior mums are works of art that have multiple flowers and are usually all white, with an accent color of their choice.
If you are making a mum and need help there are tons of band moms that can help with tips on the best ways to build them and where to get supplies. Guys wear mums too!! The guys wear a smaller version of the Homecoming mum. They are worn with a garter around the upper arm.
Football Game: Friday Night
The Homecoming Football Game is Friday night. Introduction of the Homecoming court can be either before the game or at halftime, depending on the schedule that is done by the athletic staff. If the homecoming presentation is at halftime then the band will perform after the game. If you want to see the band’s halftime performance, stick around following the game. Details will come the week of homecoming.
Dance: Saturday Night
For some years, depending on when homecoming lands, it could be on a band competition day. The band directors will decide if they will stay for the finals of the competition or come home for the kids to go to homecoming. The Conroe Band is a very competitive band and all of our October Saturday’s are spent at various contests. If the decision is made to stay at the competition and not have the kids attend homecoming, while some of band students are disappointed that they can’t go to the dance, the majority are much more excited about competing.
Girls wear party dresses for the dance. Some are more "fancy" than others but generally they are knee length. Boys usually wear nice pants, shirt and sometimes a tie.