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Welcome to the Jonathan Law High School Marching Band & Color Guard! Our group has enjoyed a long and successful history and we are happy to welcome you to our ‘family!’
As with any organization, we depend on the participation and enthusiasm of our parent volunteers. Whether it’s helping at a concession stand, doing publicity, loading and unloading equipment, helping to coordinate a fundraiser or any other way you can help, WE NEED YOU! We look forward to meeting you if you are new and are happy to see you again if you are a returning participant. Let’s get ready for a wonderful season. Welcome! The Band & Guard Parents Group
Band & Guard Who’s Who Band
Band Director: Mr. Paul Marino pmarino@milforded.org
Asst. Band Director: Mr. Brian Jurczyk brianjurczyk@yahoo.com
Percussion Director: Mr. Mark Allen
Guard
Guard Director: Mrs. Pam Rossman pshriver05@yahoo.com
Asst. Guard Director: Ms. Amanda Sanders
Band & Guard Parents Group
Co-President: Mrs. Kathy Walker jlhscopresident@gmail.com
(203) 887-5016 (cell)
Co-President: Mrs. Jennifer Miller jlhscopresident@gmail.com
(203) 640-9125 (cell)
Treasurer: Mr. Gary Tobin jlhstreasurer@gmail.com
Secretary: Mrs. Tina Saller sallerct@optonline.net
Fundraising Coord. Mr. Jeff Miller jeffmiller@optonline.net
The Many Seasons of Band & Guard The Jonathan Law Band and Guard units consist of several distinct
performing groups – each with its own season and audiences.
August – November: Band & Guard
Starting in mid-August, the Jonathan Law Marching Band and Color Guard
begin their work for the fall performance season. Fall performance
commitments include:
Football Games: During Football season, our Band & Guard members will
perform at all home football games – in uniform. They will also perform at
the Thanksgiving Game every year (no matter where it is played). We
encourage our band/guard members to attend away games, as well, as a
show of support.
MAC Competitions: In addition, our Band & Guard competes in the
Musical Arts Conference (MAC). The MAC Competitions are juried
competitions where band/guard groups from the tri-state region
participate in a 7-8 week performance schedule. At these competitions,
the Law Band/Guard presents a 7-10 minute show, while being judged and
scored by music professionals on such measures as precision, musicality,
and other performance measures. The Law Band/Guard participates in as
many of these competitions as possible, depending on the funds available.
While performing in football game half-time shows and parades is paid for
through the school, our participation in the MAC schedule is completely
self-funded through the Jonathan Law Band/Guard Parent Group. It is for
this reason that parental support is vital to our continued participation in
MAC.
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Fall 2012-2013 MAC Competition Schedule (all are Saturday show dates)
September
15th - Brookfield
22nd - Naugatuck
29th - Trumbull
October
6th - Newtown
13th - Bethel
20th - Shelton
27th - Jonathan Law
(Our “Home Show”)
November
3rd - Norwalk
10th - Championships,
Kennedy Stadium,
Bridgeport
TICKET FEES, 2012-13
Spectator Tickets: Adults: $10.00; Children: $7.00
Directions to each venue can be found at the MAC (Musical Arts
Conference) website: www.musicalartsconference.com.
Detailed information regarding the scoring procedure, MAC bylaws, and
much more can also be found there. Check the website for the latest
information.
December: Concert Band Season
In December, our band students continue honing their musical skills by
learning a new set of selections specifically for the Winter Concert.
Practices will be held during the school week in the evenings. The formal
schedule, as well as the performance date, will be relayed to the students
during the school year.
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January - March: Jazz Band Competitions
and Winterguard Competitions During this time frame, the Jazz Band and the Color Guard units perform
independent of each other (as opposed to the Marching Season where all
members perform together as a coordinated unit).
Jazz Band and Percussion
As with the Marching Season, our music students compete in a juried
performance schedule during the winter
months. The main component of this
work is performance in the genre of Jazz.
The Jazz Band group learns a new set of
material and performs in the MAC
continuum. The Percussion group also
participates in a juried review schedule
through MAC – without any other musical accompaniment.
Winterguard
Color Guard members perform in a special winter competitive season
called Winterguard. As with the marching season, our team competes
against other Winterguard
groups and is judged by a
group of professional
adjudicators. The group
performs to prepared
music and uses a wide
variety of props in its
show. Parent involvement
is vital for the Winterguard
season.
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Band & Guard Camp
August 20-24
In August, all returning
and new members of
the Marching Band
and Color Guard are
expected to
participate in Band
Camp. Lasting a full
week, Band Camp is
the time-period when
students learn the
music; the marching
routines; the show format; and most importantly, get to know each other!
Band Camp is held at Jonathan
Law High School.
Attending Band Camp is a
major commitment on behalf
of the Band/Guard members
and the staff. While the hours
spent may seem grueling at
times, this preparation period
pays off „10-fold‟ in the pride
they feel when they perform
flawlessly in competition later in the year.
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Band & Guard Camp Schedule, 2012-13
Band Guard
Monday, Aug. 20th 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 21st 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 22nd 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 23rd 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24th 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
A Special Note for Newcomers: An important component of Band Camp
is the fact that your child will get to know a large number of other kids -- at
all grade levels – in a relaxed, fun environment. Our members are an
extremely loyal group and they sincerely welcome all newcomers. This
helps many students as they adjust to their new life at Jonathan Law.
Band & Guard Camp Essentials
Instrument
Make sure your student
eats BREAKFAST every day
of Camp
Snacks
Lunch or Dinner in a small
cooler marked with their
name (NO carbonated
drinks)
LOTS OF WATER OR
GATORADE
Sunscreen
Bug Repellent
Good Sneakers…the kids
are on their feet all day!
Hats and Sunglasses
Shorts and lightweight
clothing are acceptable
(tank tops, although not
acceptable for school
attire, are acceptable
during band camp)
School dress code is not
followed during band
camp, but common sense
should be!
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Band & Guard Camp: Meal/Break Periods
Depending on the day‟s schedule, your child will have a lunch or dinner
break, as well as several short breaks throughout the camp session.
Students should bring their lunch (or dinner, in the case of evening Guard
practices) with them upon their arrival to Camp (“brown bag”) but please
note we do not have access to a refrigerator. It‟s a good idea to put it in a
small cooler (along with an ice pack) and make sure his/her name is on the
outside.
Snacks/Hydration
Band Camp is hard work – and it‟s important that we make sure our
students take frequent breaks to get a short rest, to re-hydrate, and to have
a small snack when needed. Fruit, nuts, or other healthy snacks are
recommended. Carbonated beverages, such as soda, are NOT allowed.
Band & Guard Member Packet
During Band Camp week, each member of the Band & Guard is given a
Member Packet. In it, you will find:
- Bus Permission Slip
- Student Information Sheet
- Band Apparel Purchase sheet (purchase of bandwear is optional)
- Ad Packet
- School Permission Slip
It is VERY important that you review ALL of the materials included in this
packet and complete/return ALL of the required forms. Your child will not
be able to participate in the competitions until all of this paperwork is
complete.
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Practice Sessions Once the School Year Begins Once the school year begins, Band & Guard members will continue to have
practices; some are during the school week and some are on Saturday
Competition days. Participants will work on their drills, their marching and
their music. The practices are shorter -- but the weather can still be intense.
Make sure that your child has water on the hot nights and wears warm
clothes on the cold nights.
2012-13 Weekly Practice Schedule
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:15 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Band & Guard members are expected to be lined up and ready – complete
with instruments and equipment – outside the Band Room Doors NO
LATER THAN 6:15 p.m.
It is important that your child adopts a homework routine early in the
season so as not to miss important academic assignments and study time.
Saturday Competition Practice Days Practice sessions held on Competition Day are sometimes daunting and
make for a long day. Band & Guard members practice in the morning, take
a long lunch break, and then after one more short practice begin to get
ready to load the equipment and get dressed in their uniforms before
heading out.
Breaks: Students cannot leave the premises without a parent or guardian
during the lunch break. Students can eat their lunch at the school during
the break period. -7-
Homework: Students have an opportunity to do homework during this
time period. Since many of our older band students have been through the
same classes, they are more than willing to help younger band members.
Adult Supervision: In addition, there are many adults available to help
during this „down time,‟ including Mr. Marino (who is a teacher at Jonathan
Law), Mrs. Rossman (the Guard Director), and several members of the Band
Parent Association. We can always use adult volunteers for this; please
indicate your willingness to help by contacting any of the Band & Guard
officers listed at the beginning of this booklet.
Uniforms for Band Members The Band Uniform is comprised of several separate pieces. The following
pieces are all provided to your student free of charge but must be returned
at the end of the school year.
- Uniform Top/Shirt (dry clean only)
- Pants (dry clean only)
- Hat
- Gloves
- Gauntlets
There are a few pieces the student needs to purchase on his/her own to
complete the outfit. These are:
Black Socks: Band members must wear black socks in order to perform. We
recommend you purchase several pairs at once and have your student put
them in the bottom of his/her uniform garment bag.
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Black Marching Shoes: Special marching shoes are ordered through Mr.
Marino, the Band Director. The shoes usually cost approximately $25 per
pair. Details will be available as we get closer to the start of school.
Uniforms: Care & Cleaning
Toward the completion of Band Camp, your child will be fitted for his/her
Marching Uniform. Each piece of the uniform has an assigned number and
your child is expected to keep track of each of the pieces of his/her uniform
all season. Your child will need to return his/her uniform at the end of the
school year, in the garment bag it is issued. It is important to return all the
pieces that were originally assigned.
Cleaning the Uniform: Clean your child‟s uniform when he/she first
receives it at the beginning of the season (the uniforms have been hanging
in a hot closet without ventilation all summer and are usually very musty).
Tops: Must be dry cleaned. We suggest you take it to C&R Cleaners in
Devon; they are familiar with our band wear. Approximate cost is $9.
Pants: Must also be dry cleaned. See above.
Gloves: Are machine washable
Uniform Care During the Year: When your student returns from a Band
performance, they must place all of their uniform pieces in their uniform
garment bag. Top and pants must go on a hanger; gauntlets, gloves go in
the bottom of the garment bag. Students can also store their shoes and
extra black socks at the bottom of the bag, if they wish. Hats are to be put
back into the hatbox.
Throughout the season, have your child bring home his/her uniform for
periodic cleaning. Weather conditions often have a lot to do with how dirty
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our band uniforms may become. It‟s much better to do „maintenance‟
cleanings here and there than to wait for a whole year and find you‟ve got
quite a mess on your hands.
Taking proper care of your uniform will help it last for a long time AND will
make it easier for our parent volunteers to handle them when distributing
before an event, and when getting them back into the closet at the end of
the night.
Uniforms for Color Guard Members Uniforms for our Color Guard members are handled a little differently than
those the Band members wear. Because every performance season is
unique and is composed/choreographed based on that year‟s musical
theme, the Color Guard costumes change from year to year. In addition,
these costumes are custom-made specifically for your student.
That said, the Color Guard members pay for their costumes – but they
are also able to keep them at the end of the season. The cost of the
costume varies from year to year; you will receive more information about
this as the season nears.
Guard Shoes: Color Guard members also need to purchase special guard
shoes. These shoes are ordered through Pam Rossman, our Guard Director,
and cost approximately $25. If you can borrow a pair from a sibling or
former guard member that match this year‟s color scheme – you are more
than welcome to use them!
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MAC Competitions: How Does That Work? All band and color guard members usually will begin preparing (at Law)
late in the afternoon of the competition. Students put on their uniforms,
load the buses, pack the equipment, and get on their way.
Upon arrival to the performance venue, the students are ushered to a
„holding‟ area assigned for our school. Competition organizers will monitor
the movements of each band‟s location as they move through the holding
areas prior to their scheduled performance. Parents can check the
performance „line-up‟ on the MAC website to get an idea as to when Law
will step off.
Because of the tight schedule, students are not usually able to have dinner
until AFTER their performance. It‟s a good idea for your child to bring a
snack for the bus ride. All competition sites have concession booths during
the competitions; food is normally moderately priced and $8-$12 should
be a good rule of thumb for your child to bring to the competition.
Returning to Law: The Band & Guard members usually return to school
very late in the evening (oftentimes 11:00 p.m. or later). It‟s a good idea to
have your child call you for a ride when they are „getting close‟ to the
school. This will give you ample time to get to the school just as the buses
are arriving.
PLEASE NOTE: Band & Guard members may not leave Jonathan Law’s
parking lot until:
- Buses are cleaned out and checked
- Uniforms must be hung on the racks
- Instruments must be put away in the instrument closet
- The Band & Guard equipment truck has been unloaded and all contents
have been put away
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CHECKLIST FOR COMPETITION DAYS:
Band - Uniform (Top, Pants, Shoes, Hat, Gloves, Gauntlets)
Guard - Costume (Costume, Shoes, Accessories)
Black Socks (Band)
Black Band T-shirt (for under the uniform)
Homework/Books
Instrument for Band Members (normally kept in the band room)
Flags/other equipment for Color Guard members
Hand warmers during the cold season
Appropriate clothing for the weather
Blankets or other appropriate apparel (layers!)
A change of clothes for after the performance (we suggest band
and guard members purchase and wear items from the Band &
Guard Apparel Order Form; items are offered at cost as a
convenience to our band & guard members – not a fundraiser).
When the students wear Jonathan Law apparel, it makes it a little
easier for the chaperones to keep an eye on them.
A competitive spirit and the desire to perform their best!
Competition: Safety and Security Band and Guard members are NEVER allowed to go off on their own while
at a competition. A large group of chaperones are always on-hand to
monitor where our students are and make sure they stay safe and in the
vicinity of the group. Throughout the competition program, band/guard
members are expected to stay with their school group in the same section
of the bleachers. If there is a need to go off somewhere, students must get
permission from the Band or Guard Director FIRST. Our rule is “Leave in 3s.”
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The band will return to the bus after their performance to put away
instruments and change clothes. They are not allowed to go back to the
bus at any time unless authorized by the band director or a chaperone.
Medical Assistance: A band parent will usually have a first aid kit! Please
notify the band director and/or a band parent chaperone of any medical
issues at the beginning of the season. It‟s also important to fill out and
return the Student Information Sheet that is included in the Band Packet
you receive during Band Camp.
Competition Etiquette Every member of the JLHS Band/Guard is representing the band,
the school and the city.
Treat other bands with the same respect and dignity that you
would expect.
It is NOT acceptable to boo or put down other bands or band
members.
It is your job to be supportive of your fellow band/guard members
and for teams/students from other schools.
Public displays of affection (PDA) will not be tolerated. Please
advise your child that they are representing the band and the
school and should behave accordingly.
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Parades
The JLHS Marching Band and Color Guard generally participates in the
following Milford Parades:
- Veteran‟s Day
- St. Patrick‟s Day Parade
- Memorial Day Parade
Naturally, these are subject to change, per the Band Director and the
school principal.
How Do Parades Work?
For all parades, the band meets at the school, takes a bus to the parade
step off area and returns to the school on the bus. No child will be allowed
to leave the parade with his/her parent or guardian. All students will
return to school on the bus at the conclusion of the parade.
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During the Parade: As with the MAC Competitions, our Band & Guard
members must remember they are representing our school at all Milford
parades. Students MUST be respectful (no swearing or inappropriate
gestures, for example). Oftentimes the parades have a solemn overtone
(i.e. Memorial Day) and our students must be mindful of the reason they
are there.
For the warmer weather parades, band parents make sure bottled water is
available for our marchers. [Over the course of a year, the Band & Guard
parents normally need
approximately 100 cases of
water – please help us by
donating a case or more at any
time during the school year.]
It is also important to make
sure your child has eaten a
light meal and is hydrated
before leaving the house.
Appropriate Clothing for the
Weather
It is very important that your
child wear appropriate clothing for the weather of the season. If the
weather is warm – your child must be careful to wear lighter clothing
underneath his/her uniform. If it‟s cold – have your child dress in layers in
order to stay as warm as possible. The best rule of thumb here is to use
your common sense.
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The Band & Guard Parent Group
“It’s All About the Kids”
If you are new to the Jonathan Law Marching Band and Color Guard group,
perhaps our motto will help you see what we‟re all about: It’s For the Kids.
The purpose of the Parent Group is to support the Band and the Guard
in any way we can – whether it‟s fundraising, building, painting, sewing, or
volunteering in dozens of other ways.
As mentioned earlier, the school district only funds projects that are
considered requirements of our Band students (primarily, the
Winter/Spring Concerts and our participation in Milford‟s parades).
Everything else is NOT covered by the school system – and that’s where
we come in. The cost to attend a single marching competition is
approximately $1000-$1400 with additional costs if the show is out of
state.
In order to operate a program of this magnitude, volunteer support is
essential. And the good news is – you’re already a member of the Parent
Group! There are no dues and the only requirement is to have a child in
the Band or Guard (Band & Guard “alumni” parents are also welcome!).
The JLHS Band & Guard Parents Group normally meets on the first Tuesday
of the month throughout the school year. Meetings are about an hour and
a half long and are very informative. We use this time to recap all prior
activity with the Band & Guard, review our finances, and discuss future
plans. We heartily urge you to attend our monthly meetings as they are a
good way to stay up-to-date and to help with future planning.
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Band & Guard Parents Meeting Schedule
2012-13*
All meetings are held at Jonathan Law High School in the Band Room.
September 4 February 5
October 2 March 5
November 13 April 2
December 4 May 7
January 8 June 4
*subject to change; check the district website calendar just prior to make sure a
meeting is still scheduled.
Get on the E-Mail Distribution List
We have developed a mass-email system to let parents know when an
event is coming up, if there are any changes in anything, or to send out
reminders of events or deadlines. Please make sure you complete the
Student/Parent Information Form enclosed in the Packet that was
distributed during Band Camp! We also have a link on the Jonathan Law
website (Band & Guard). We suggest you visit it often.
www.milforded.org
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Volunteering Opportunities
There are many different ways to volunteer, based upon your own personal
time available and your skill set. We need volunteers for the following:
Prop Committee ~ getting groups of people together to brainstorm,
create, build, paint, and maintain the props needed for a show
Uniform Committee~ getting people together to organize uniforms
for alterations; to pin uniforms to alter and to sew the alterations
Pit Crew (full season commitment) The Pit Crew is a group of
band parents who volunteer to help with equipment; move props
on and off the field during our performances and assist the band
where needed. This is a season long commitment. It is a lot of
work, and requires commitment but is most rewarding in the end.
Your willingness to help as a part of the Pit Crew includes ALL of
the following:
- Load the truck (at Law, ~ 1 hour prior to departure)
- Upon arrival at venue, unload the truck
- Move all show equipment to the staging area and help
assemble for the performance
- Disassemble all the components quickly and help move them
off the field at the completion of the performance
- Load equipment back on truck and secure the vehicle
- Unload equipment upon arrival at Law
As a member of the Pit Crew, you can travel to the competition
either on a bus with the band or in their own vehicles.
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Due to the nature of the work involved with this aspect of our
performance season, we have a limited number of Pit Passes
that are assigned to the members of the Pit Crew. A Pit Pass
grants you FREE admission to the MAC competition. Once the
Pit Crew‟s work has been completed at a MAC performance (our
students have completed their performance and the equipment
has been loaded and secured in the truck) you are welcome to take
a seat in the stands and watch the rest of the show.
If this interests you, please see any one of our Parent Group
Officers as soon as possible. This group is set up very early in the
season in order to be ready for the first competition.
Phone Person ~ call parents who haven’t responded to emails (list
provided by the secretary) for different events or notifications
Fundraising Committee ~ (addressed later in this handbook)
Donation Coordinator/Donation Team: This group works to
request and organize the various items we need to have donated
throughout the year – cases of water, cases of soda, foodstuffs for bus
rides back and forth to competitions and other items.
Bottle and Can Drive Coordinator: we need one or more people to
help coordinate the Bottle & Can Drive that we conduct every month.
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Fundraising: Without it We Can’t Exist
Our Fundraising efforts are the
lifeblood of our Band and Guard
programs! We are a self-sufficient
organization. While performing in
football game half-time shows and
parades is paid for through the
school, our participation in the MAC schedule is completely self-funded
through the Jonathan Law Marching Band and Color Guard Parent
Group. It is for this reason that parental support is vital to our continued
participation in MAC.
The cost to attend a competition ranges from $1000 - $1400 per show. In
addition, our fundraising pays for all the props, equipment, and other
supplies needed to participate at this competition level. That said, you will
see that we conduct many fundraisers throughout the year. While we
understand that families cannot participate in all of these, we ask that you
support as many of them as you can.
Based on the budget in place for this year, our financial needs equate
to approximately $500 per student.
Some families have mentioned that rather than participating in our many
fundraisers, they‟d prefer to „write a check.‟ That is perfectly acceptable.
Checks can be made to JLHS Band & Guard. Make sure you note your
student‟s name on the check so it is accounted for it properly.
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The JLHS Home Show (Fall: Sat., Oct. 27) Every year, our school hosts two MAC Competitions at Jonathan Law: one
in the fall and one in the winter. These are called our Home Shows and are
considered our most important revenue generators. Our involvement in
the Home Show includes running the Food Concession, creating the
Program Booklet, Air Grams, Bake Sales, and other novelty items that we
sell during the show. For families who find fundraising difficult, your
volunteer support for this event is highly desirable. Volunteer hours are
appreciated just as much as selling items through fundraisers because this
event would not be possible without volunteers. Students who need to
accumulate volunteer hours for outside reasons (i.e. Confirmation;
Graduation with Distinction) are also welcome to help out in a variety of
roles.
Some of our current fundraising activities include:
A monthly can and bottle
drive (3rd Saturday of every
month at JLHS Parking Lot)
Oyster Festival Booths
Home Shows (marching band,
winter guard, percussion and
jazz competition)
Home Show Program
Boosters and Ads
Breakfast With The Easter
Bunny
Cookie Dough Sales
Mother‟s Day Plant Sale
Giant Tag Sale
Graduation Flower Sale
Pasta Dinner
Vendor Fair
Poinsettia Sales
Yankee Candle Sale
Peanut Sales
AND MORE….
You will receive more information about each of these as the year goes
forward.
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