I and the staff thought you represented Pampa well with class and a great deal of respect toward the clinicians, as well as a focused rehearsal. Please maintain this focus as we approach the final weeks of our marching season! Our season is two more weeks guaranteed, three if we advance to Area, four if we advance to State - let's see how long we can make our marching season last!
Because we are now in contest mode, we need to continue to make every effort to eliminate any conflicts with scheduled rehearsals. We succeed or fail as a group - let's be united as one band!
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Schedule:
Monday
* No School
* Band Hall opens at 5:00
* Full Band Rehearsal, 6:00 to 9:00pm - Mike Sheffield is our clinician for the evening. If we have inclement weather (which unfortunately seems likely) we'll have an indoor music rehearsal.
Tuesday
* Start on the practice field at 7:45 am
* Full Band Rehearsal, 6:00 to 8:00 - If we have inclement weather Monday and Tuesday is clear, we may extend this rehearsal to get more time on the field.
Wednesday
* Start on the practice field at 7:45 am
Thursday
* Start on the practice field at 7:45 am
* Front Ensemble Sectional, 5:00 to 6:30
* Guard Sectional, 5:00 to 7:00
Friday
* Start on the stadium field at 7:45 am
Saturday
* High Plains Marching Festival. Meet at 9:00 at the band hall. Please eat breakfast before you arrive, as we will eat a late lunch after our prelim performance. Wear your band shirt! More info in the forthcoming itinerary.
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IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
Oct 8 - Clinic with Mr. Mike Sheffield
Oct 9 - PM Rehearsal
Oct 13 - High Plains Marching Contest Prelims @ 2:15
Oct 15 - Clinic with Dr. Russ Teweleit
Oct 16 - PM Rehearsal
Oct 20 - UIL Marching Contest @ 7:30
Oct 22 - PM Rehearsal
Oct 23 - PM Rehearsal
Oct 27 - Area Marching Contest (Time TBA)
Nov 2 - Dumas @ Dumas
Nov 9 - Canyon @ Home
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REGARDING ELIGIBILITY
Ineligible students do not need to be present at evening rehearsals, and may not participate in performances (Games, Contests, etc) per UIL rules. 1st period band is a study hall for any student not eligible from now until the progress report comes out. Ineligible students are still responsible for music pass offs. Please contact me if you have any questions.
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PASS OFFS
All pass off deadlines are posted throughout the band hall.
Past Due (1st 6 weeks):
* Intro (memorized)
* First half of part 1 (memorized)
* Star Spangled Banner (no memory)
* Second half of part 1 (memorized)
* Fight Song (no memory)
* School Song (no memory)
* Part 2 mm 85 to 104 (memorized)
* Part 2, mm 105 to 119 (memorized)
2nd 6 weeks:
* Closer, mm. 121 to 147 (memorized)
* Closer, mm. 148 to 172 (memorized)
* Closer, mm. 172 to the end (memorized)
Note: All Closer Pass Offs will fall under the 2nd Six Weeks in the gradebook. All other pass offs need to be completed this week as we finish the first six weeks in preparation for report card release.
If no attempt has been made by the due date, it will be entered as 0 in the gradebook and late work penalties will then apply. If an unsuccessful attempt was made, a 50 will be entered in the gradebook and students may complete the pass off at a later time for full credit (a 100).
If you suspect a 0 or 50 was entered into the gradebook in error, please speak to the director to whom you passed off. Please note that while we do our best to avoid errors in this regard, it does happen from time to time as we're listening to around 1,200 pass offs over the course of the season.
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TRIP PAYMENT
The first trip payment is now past due. If you have fallen behind in that regard, please speak to me (Mr. Benton) ASAP so we can find a solution. I'm at the band hall typically every day after school until 5:30 or 6:00.
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MONDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT REHEARSALS
Each evening rehearsal is equivalent to almost a WEEK of morning rehearsals. Your attendance is VITAL to the groups success! Remember, we learn new material Monday and clean in class during the week.
Also remember, failure to attend evening rehearsals could mean the loss of one's marching spot or loss of performance and/or travel privileges for games and contests. Further, starting this week all evening rehearsals will count as a grade in the gradebook. Attendance is easier than the alternate assignment, I assure you!
I cannot stress enough how important attendance is to our success. In fact, I strongly believe it's the single greatest indicator of our success as a band.
Make it simple - be present and on time!
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As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.
- Mr. Benton
john.benton@pampaisd.net
806.669.4800x1137