First, let's start by saying it is never too late to get involved. The Band Aides and Chaperones in particular are always looking for parents to help. To be a Chaperone you must attend a training, but they have several throughout the summer.
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 duffle bag should be packed with the following:
-
Black athletic shorts
-
Shirt designated by Mr. Beavers for that week’s game (Double B or Show Shirt)
-
Black crew (or taller socks)
-
Marching shoes
-
Black gloves if being used that year (except percussion)
-
Rain poncho (most kids keep this in his bag all the time so they don’t have to remember it)
-
Empty garment bag (their marching uniform will go in the bag)
-
Flip folder with music and lyre (if they are using one)
-
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)
-
Instrument
-
Anything else they might need (fanny pack, deodorant, etc).
Inspection & Uniforms
After practice, they load the equipment truck, and check out their marching uniforms. Uniforms are kept at the school. They will check them in and out for each game/competition. 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. Should they happen to forget or lose an item, the uniform room has new items available for purchase and a few loaner items.
Please remind the students 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 in 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.
Likewise if the hem on their bibbers comes undone, or if they feel their uniform is just not fitting right, they need to notify one of the uniform parents. The kids will know who they are after getting fitted in the summer. Any chaperone can also help them.
For the “OH NOOO, I FORGOT…!” Don’t worry! It happens. We have a few loaner garment bags and shoes in the uniform room.. 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 black socks, extra shirts, water jugs and rain ponchos in the uniform room before every event all through marching season. Prices are listed on the uniform room door.
Dinner
Your band fee covers most meals at marching competitions, NOT dinner before football games. The majority of parents bring their students dinner (usually around 4:00 pm - 4:15 pm). Most bring fast food like Subway, McDonalds, etc... Some students bring lunch and dinner to school in the morning. Since the kids are not allowed to eat in the band hall, if parents bring dinner to their students, they wait in the school foyer and the kids come and find them after practice to get their dinner.
Also, something that works for many families is a “Food Pool”. It is like a carpool, where you take turns bringing 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.
Stadium Practices
From time to time we will practice at Challenger Columbia Stadium. To help with transportation issues, a bus will be provided from Brook to the stadium, if bus availability allows. If there is a bus available, the schedule is dependent on when the buses finish their intermediate school routes. Sometime between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm buses will arrive at Brook to pick up band students. There will NOT be a bus to bring students back to Brook at the end of practice. You are responsible for arranging transportation home for your student. There is no cost to ride the bus. There is usually a run-through of the full show at approximately 8:45 pm. This is a great time to see the show uninhibited.
Pink Out Game
The district has one game per year/per school in the month of October dedicated to showing support for Breast Cancer Awareness. For this game, the students typically get a pink accessory provided by the booster club to wear. They may also wear pink socks, pink temporary tattoos, basically anything pink! Any accessories (necklaces, bandanas, sunglasses, tiaras, bracelets, etc) must be taken off for the halftime performance.
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. When they get on the bus, the chaperones collect the garment bags and stack them in the front of the bus. When the bus arrives back at the school, each student takes one garment bag as they get off and lays it on the sidewalk. They then look for the bag with their name on it. EVERY student is responsible for checking in ONLY their uniform. They do not have to carry in the uniform of any other student unless asked by a band director, chaperone, drum major or section leader.
The band unloads the truck & trailer of all props and instruments after most events. This is a team effort and it goes MUCH faster when the entire band helps carry things back into the school. AFTER the truck is unloaded, uniform check-in begins.
So, while you may see the buses return to the school, it usually takes another 20-30 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:
-
You MUST fill out the Alternate Transportation form and turn it in to Mr. Beavers at least 24 hours prior to the event. It is available under the “Get Involved” tab of the website.
-
Your student should tell the lead chaperone for their bus that they are leaving early when they get on the bus at school before heading to the game or competition.
-
You (or the designated person listed on the Alternate Transportation form) 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.
-
Only the persons listed on the Alternate Transportation form will be allowed to check out your student.
-
If someone other than the parent is checking out the student, the chaperone might ask for ID.
-
They take everything home with them including their uniform and shako box. Take the uniform out of the garment bag when you get home and let it air dry overnight. Your student needs to put the entire uniform on the hanger, place it in the garment bag and return it plus the shako box to the uniform room the next school morning.
-
***This procedure must be followed as the buses will not depart the stadium for home until all students are accounted for.***
HOMECOMING WEEK
Homecoming week is a big event at Clear Brook and the students are involved in several things.
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). The school usually sends a schedule of the theme days via email to parents.
Parade: Wednesday
The most important thing you need to know is that the band is one of the groups leading off the Homecoming Parade. So, if you want to see them, be sure to look at the beginning of the groups. If you live in the neighborhoods south of Brook, you probably know all about this event. The parade takes place on Hope Village Road, starts at 6:00 pm at the south end of the street, and moves north towards the school. A short pep rally is held in the parking lot at Brook at the end. The students walk down to the parade staging area together around 5:15.
High school kids on the floats throw candy at all the little kids lining the road. It really is a fun thing to watch. You can park at the school and walk to the neighborhood or park on one of the neighborhood streets. The police will completely block Hope Village Road to traffic starting right before 6 pm so if you park your car in the neighborhood, you will not be able to leave until the parade is over (about 30 minutes). Bring your lawn chairs (and your patience for all the traffic mess).
Since the parade ends at the school, that is where you will pick up your student around 6:45 pm - 7:00 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.
Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors wear a single or double flower mum with ribbon in the school colors (red/white/black). Senior mums are works of art that have multiple flowers and are usually all white, with an accent color of their choice.
Guys wear mums too! The guys wear a smaller version of the Homecoming mum. They are worn with a garter around the upper arm.
Carnival: Friday
On Friday, the Homecoming Carnival is usually from 11:50 am - 1:20 pm with a Pep Rally to follow from 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm. During the carnival, the campus will be filled with game booths and have just about every kind of fast food and treats you can imagine so be sure to send your students with money to buy tickets (tickets are $1 each).
Brook Band Council usually sells pizza-by-the-slice at the Carnival. This is a big fundraiser for the Band Council and they could always use volunteers. This is a great opportunity for you to be at Brook, see all the kids and experience a very unique event. Seniors wear crowns and bang on pots as part of celebrating their last year and you have a chance to see all the different types of Homecoming mums.
Football Game
The Homecoming Football Game is Friday night. The introduction of the Homecoming court can be done either before the game or at halftime, depending on the schedule is done by the athletic staff. If the homecoming presentation is at halftime then the band will perform before the game. If you want to see the band, be in the stands around 6:15 pm. If this is the case, the schedule will also be different after school as the band will need to be on the buses earlier than usual which means they will need dinner earlier. Details will be communicated 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 the homecoming dance. The Clear Brook Band is a very competitive band and all of our October Saturdays 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 the band students are disappointed that they can’t go to the dance, the majority are much more excited about competing.
