From Mr. Steele and Ms. Shanks

All students are expected to be on the field, rehearsing properly for the entirety of every rehearsal throughout the year.

Learning drill/work/choreography in a competitive marching band takes continued trial, error and adjustment.

No performer has ever been perfect but those who rehearse properly throughout the season are the ones who come the closest.

Drill and work is meant to be done in coordination with the entire ensemble. It is impossible for directors to properly assess or teach drill, work, and choreography with students missing.

Each performer needs to be there to learn and refine every part of the show. Students who miss rehearsals greatly reduce the effectiveness of the entire band, not just for the missed rehearsal, but for the entire season.

ABSENCES

The tentative season schedule is listed on HERE. The schedule is finalized as soon as all competitions have been confirmed. Please look this over very carefully and mark ALL the dates on your home calendar. Registration includes a Performance & Rehearsal Attendance Contract where you make a promise to have your student attend the entire season of rehearsals and performances. We take this very seriously. Before you schedule a doctor appointment or your student takes a part time job, ask yourself if it violates your promise to the band.

SITTING OUT

Students may sit out for up to 5 minutes during a rehearsal. Beyond that, a student must return to rehearsal or they will need to contact a parent to come and take them home. If students are well enough to be at school, they are well enough to rehearse. If a parent cannot come and take them home, the student must sit in the stands or go to the office. A student who misses rehearsal time during a week including sitting out, may be held from that week's performance(s) unless the directors' explicit approval is given. A student who misses more than 10% of rehearsal time in two weeks may have his/her spot closed for a portion of the show. An alternate performance situation will be devised (when possible) for students with closed spots.

PARTICIPATION IN PERFORMANCES

All students are required to attend each performance, except in the case of family emergency or illness. Injured or ill students are expected to be on the sideline at performances if they are unable to march, but not sick enough to have to stay home.

VACATIONS

We are not asking you to give up all summer vacations. We are asking you to be mindful of when your student is absent. The majority of marching band families (and all LOMB staff ) schedule their vacations so as not to conflict with rehearsal dates. It can be done. Your student's absence hurts the entire band and it's unfair to those families who remain faithful to the schedule.

LEAVING REHEARSAL/LATE ARRIVALS

All student early departures or late arrivals must be prearranged, having discussed the reason with the band directors. They may grant an excused absence or not. Work will never be an excused reason to miss rehearsal. Students who miss rehearsal for unexcused reasons may be held from that week's performance

DOT/DRILL BOOKS

All students are required to have a completed dot/ drill book at all rehearsals. The student may be asked to rehearse even without a completed dot/drill book, but they will only receive half credit for rehearsals until it is filled out. The book must be shown to a band director in order to reinstate full credit. Continued lack of a completed dot/drill book could result in the directors filling the student's spot with another student or the spot maybe closed.

CLOSED OR FILLED HOLES/SPOTS

If a student's hole/spot is closed or filled by another student, that student will still be a performer in the show, possibly in their original role but not for the entire show, or there will be an alternate performance role created.