PLEASE READ CAREFULLY SO YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF SCHOOL!!! WE HAVE OUR LAST MANDATORY PARENT/STUDENT MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY 4/14 @ 6:30PM ON ZOOM. WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING ON-CAMPUS REHEARSALS, A BAND & COLOR GUARD SHOWCASE, AND OTHER POSSIBLE END-OF-YEAR EVENTS.

I hope you had a wonderful Spring Break and are ENERGIZED for the last two months of school! The staff and I are excited to welcome our students back to campus and transition to in-person rehearsals. I am also happy to announce that all of our instructors are FULLY VACCINATED! We’ve got a BIG WEEK with hybrid starting, wind sectionals, our Parent/Student Meeting on Wednesday, and the Virtual Honor Band Concert this Thursday.

As was announced before Spring Break, all band and color guard students who chose HYBRID have been placed into “Cohort A.” This allows our instructors come to Gahr to teach all the students in that class on Mondays and Tuesdays. It also prevents some students who were in a smaller cohort from getting moved into a “learning hub” by themselves during our classes. ABCUSD is prioritizing keeping siblings in the same cohort, so if your child has brothers or sisters in elementary or middle school that are not in Cohort A, please contact their school to have them moved. Please let me know if you have any questions or issues with this.

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If you chose hybrid, “Phase I” students start coming in-person tomorrow, Monday, April 12th. “Phase II” hybrid students (or students quarantining from vacationing out-of-state) start in-person on April 19th. ALWAYS BRING YOUR LAPTOP TO SCHOOL FULLY CHARGED. Your student may still need to log into Zoom this week for class as well as sectionals. For more information, please check out the “Reopening School Safely” Website: https://sites.google.com/abcusd.us/gahr-high-school-reopening-web/home

We are asking ALL STUDENTS to please join us for 7th period in-person rehearsals on Mondays and Thursdays starting on Monday, April 19th. To allow more travel and set up time during lunch, we will have a 1PM downbeat (10 extra minutes). We will have more information soon about a possible end-of-year, in-person, Band & Color Guard Showcase. This could include pep tunes, concert music, a color guard routine, and battery and front ensemble warm ups. We would also like to recognize our seniors at this event (similar to senior night at the last football game). To prepare for this, we will be extending our Monday and Thursday 7th period rehearsals to go from 1-3PM.

IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE AT THE IN-PERSON SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE, STUDENTS WOULD NEED TO ATTEND IN-PERSON 7TH PERIOD REHEARSALS. This would be the same as someone on the football team wanting to play in a game that didn’t come to practices. We will still do our best to run a computer to teach simultaneously; however, there is no way to fully replicate the knowledge gained by rehearsing in-person - such as listening, balance, blend, ensemble timing, staging, etc. After we finish our last virtual performance, students who come to in-person rehearsals will be exempt from video assignments (since they would be able to get live feedback from an instructor).

I completely understand that this may be difficult depending on how far away you live and your work/family schedules. We’ve all been blindsided by the constant changes this past year (including teachers), and I appreciate you doing what you can to make this work. As I discussed with our instructors and our student leaders, if there is a possibility for us to perform these last few months, even if it is not the easiest to pull off, we owe it to our students to make this happen. It may not as obvious as it has been in the past, but please know that your child has worked INCREDIBLY HARD this year and I AM SO PROUD of everything they’ve accomplished so far. If there’s anyway for them to attend the 7th period rehearsals - whether that’s walking, carpooling, getting a ride from a relative, or even taking an Uber - I know it would mean the world to them!!

We have a MANDATORY Parent/Student Meeting THIS WEDNESDAY, April 14th at 6:30PM on Zoom. This will be to go through important information — including on-campus rehearsals, events over the next two months, and to make sure we’re prepared for starting in-person 7th period rehearsals. As a bonus, I’ll give you a sneak peek of the high school Honor Band virtual performance! 🤫 Following Mr. Loney’s portion of the meeting, we will transition to our normal monthly booster meeting to discuss the details for our photo day, band & guard showcase, senior celebration, end-of-year awards banquet, and booster nominations for next year’s board. Parents are encouraged to stay logged in to help us brainstorm and plan these events.

Darren Loney is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Mandatory Parent/Student Meeting
Time: Apr 14, 2021 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88628305576?pwd=QUZDTWM5K3AzRmJRM055V0lYL0hvdz09

Meeting ID: 886 2830 5576
Passcode: m9nb7K

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IMPORTANT DATES 🗓

4/12 Back to School and Hybrid “Phase I” begins
4/14 Mandatory Parent/Student Meeting @ 6:30PM on Zoom
4/15 ABCUSD Virtual Honor Band Concert @ 6:30PM on YouTube
4/18 Student Videos Due for “Rise of Skywalker”
4/19 In-Person 7th Period Rehearsals Start (every M/Th from 1-3PM)
4/20 In-Person 8th Period Color Guard Rehearsals Start (every Tuesday 1-2PM)
4/24 Band & Color Guard Photo Day @ Gahr HS (times TBA)
5/4 Star Wars Virtual Concert @ 6:30PM
5/5 Parent Booster Meeting @ 6:30PM
5/6 Dinner Fundraiser Night - TBA
5/27 ABCUSD Band-O-Rama @ 6:30PM on Zoom
6/2 New Student/Parent Meeting @ 6:30PM
TBA Band & Color Guard End-of-Year Showcase (details TBA)
TBA Senior Celebration & Awards
6/6 End-of-Year Awards Banquet (details TBA)
6/15-6/17 Band & Color Guard Workshops 5-8PM

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REMINDERS 🧼

Wear mask at all times
Practice 6’ social distancing
No eating or drinking in the band room (as always)
Practice rooms and guard room off limits
No use of the portable without an instructor present
Use hand sanitizer and/or wash hands before and after class
Disinfect and wipe down surface areas before and after class
Bring a hat, sunscreen, and water.

STUDENTS: You’ll notice “dot grids” taped or painted in the band room and our rehearsal zones. These are 7’ 6” apart (beyond the 6’ minimum). When possible, we’ll also “window” these spots (giving us approximately 10’ apart).

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MUSICIAN MASKS & BELL COVERS 😷

If you are a wind player, you’ll need to purchase a double-layer face mask with instrument mouthpiece opening (flutes have a special one) and an instrument bell cover. While the district is helping provide one per student, it could take a long time for them to actually arrive. Protec has a great selection, including musician face masks and new bell covers with the MERV 13 filter. Many local music stores also have these in stock, including Morey’s Music - 4834 Woodruff Ave, Lakewood, CA 90713. You can even find good musician face masks on Amazon.

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LAST WIND SECTIONAL THIS WEEK 😭

WINDS: Great work this semester so far with the online sectionals!! It has been incredible seeing the individual improvement. Our LAST ONLINE wind sectional will be this week —

FLUTES: Tuesday on Zoom with Christine from 2:15-3:10PM
ALL CLARINETS: Friday on Zoom with Oscar from 2:05-2:55PM
ALL SAXOPHONES: Tuesday on Zoom with Paul from 2:30-3:20PM
TRUMPETS: Tuesday on Zoom with David from 2:05-2:55PM
HORNS: Tuesday on Zoom with Nathan from 2:05-2:55PM
TROMBONES/BARITONES: Tuesday on Zoom OR in-person with Mr. Loney 2:05-2:55PM
TUBAS: Tuesday on Zoom OR in-person with Matt from 2:05-2:55PM

Use the 7th period Zoom link for your sectional. If you are HYBRID and in the flute, saxophone, trumpet, or horn section, you’ll need to make sure you have your laptop and headphones. Please thank your instructor for working with you and for sharing their knowledge with us!

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INFORMED CONSENT AGREEMENT

The following form needs to be completed by a parent/guardian for anyone allowing their student to come on campus. This is for both HYBRID and ONLINE students, and replaces the original paper form we had asked the percussion and guard to fill out. The link should be updated now so you do not need to sign in with a student email. Thank you for filling this out, and I apologize for the change!!

ATHLETICS INFORMED CONSENT AGREEMENT

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BAND & COLOR GUARD GROUP PHOTO! 📸

SAVE THE DATE: Our Photo Day for the Band and Color Guard is Saturday, April 24th. Artistryfoto is COVID-safe photographer that uses a green screen to make a “group” photo. Please wear ALL BLACK concert attire - a long-sleeved, solid black button-up shirt, black dress pants, long black socks, and black dress shoes (or polished marching band shoes). Color guard will be wearing “concert blacks” (like for the solo festival). The photographer will be sending you all the information and digital order forms. If you’d like to see some examples, visit the website: www.artistryfoto.com.

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GAHR MARCHING GLADIATORS WEB STORE UPDATE!

Did you know there are a ton of new items on our website — including 2021 senior graduation flags and band stickers?? The turn around is FAST and you’ll be supporting the band program. Check it out at www.gahrband.org/store www.gahrband.org/store

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GAHR INVITATIONAL FIELD TOURNAMENT 11/6

SAVE THE DATE: We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the “Gahr Invitational Field Tournament” on Saturday, November 6, 2021! This is the last show of the regular competitive season, and we anticipate A LOT of bands. We will need all hands on deck, including current senior students and families!! 💙💛🎉

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2ND SEMESTER DONATION PAST DUE

The 2nd semester donation of $150 was due Friday, February 5th. We need your help with this in order to afford instruction, student awards, and field show registrations for next year. This donation is also critical for us to be able to have in-person rehearsals and summer practices. If you need to work out additional fundraisers or a payment plan, please email Mr. Darren Loney, Director of Bands, at darren.loney@abcusd.us. Thank you.