Kick-off Parent Meeting

About mid-May there will be a meeting for all incoming parents.  Your student will receive a packet of paperwork at this meeting.  This is a very important meeting so make plans to attend if at all possible! If you are unable to attend the packet will be sent to your student’s intermediate school to come home.  In this meeting Mr. Hughes will discuss uniform basics, fees, general information and volunteer opportunities. This is also an opportunity to meet the band directors, color guard director, officers, and chairpersons from the Clear Brook Band Booster Club (CBBBC). We know from experience that getting involved in the organization’s Booster Club truly benefits your child.  This is a very active band and it takes many hands to make it possible. If you can help in just one area, it makes the load light for all.

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Charms

REQUIRED for all band families: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you log onto Charms (charmsoffice.com) and update the personal information section (both student and adult).  You must have your contact information current in Charms to continue receiving emails, and other communications from the band directors.

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Every Sunday, you will get a schedule, notes and important information from the band directors and booster club committees. It is through this email that information gets sent to all of the parents and students.

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The best source of planning your schedule is on the website calendar. There may be some occasional changes, but it is a good indication of what your schedule will be.

 

Remind System

Speaking of communication, as many teachers do, the Band uses the Remind text message system.

Remind is used as a communication tool to parents & students relaying important information. For example, students need to be at the truck at a specific time during a contest or the buses are on the way back to the school after an event.

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Show Shirt

Every year, the band directors design a logo with the current year’s marching show theme.  After that, there is spirit wear (t-shirts, moisture management shirts, hoodies) sold with the logo.  Many parents/siblings/grandparents wear these to competitions as a sign of support for the band program.  You will see many other schools with their “show shirt” on as well.  During Registration you can place an order for these items. Also, by joining the booster club at the $100 level, you get one complimentary show shirt.

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Money: What am I paying for??

There is a fee for high school band. Exact costs vary from year to year. Below is a summary of fees and equipment.

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Fair Share fee:

• This fee covers such things like licensing for music, marching show design, marching and concert clinicians, buses to games/competitions, contest entry fees (marching and concert), etc.  This can be done with cash or money order only and made payable to Clear Brook High School.

  • At registration you will be asked to pay at least the $100 commitment amount, which will go towards your balance

  • Other payments will be on a schedule. This schedule is included in your registration packet.

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Equipment fees:

• These costs include the required equipment needed for marching season.  Such things like tote and garment bags, marching shoes, water jug, shirt specifically designed with the show logo, etc.   This payment is made to Clear Brook Booster Club and can be combined (one check) with your membership. Students will be able to try on shoes, shirts and gloves at registration.

  • The first year this amount can be higher than future years since you are getting all of the equipment.  As long as the shoes and bags, etc are kept in good condition, those will not have to be re-purchased each year.  You will need to get, at the very least, a new show shirt in future years

  • It is very important to make sure your student tries on the marching shoes.  They fit a little different than a normal athletic shoe.  Also, the shoes sizes can be confusing.  We have to order all the same type so we have chosen to order in Men’s sizes.  Girl’s sizes are equivalent to 2 sizes bigger than the men’s size.  For example, a men’s size 6 is a girl’s size 8.​

  • Equipment show shirts are different from the spirit wear shirts sold through the Promotions committee.  Student equipment shirts will be the show shirt WITHOUT the student names on the back. This shirt is only for students.  Parents, students (who want an extra shirt with band students names), grandparents, siblings and others can order Brook Band Spirit Wear and items through our Promotions committee.

  • An order form for these items will be in your forms packet.

Instrument fee:

• This fee is for some instruments (French Horn, Tuba, Percussion, etc) that students take home for the year.  This fee is paid to CCISD.

 

Membership:

• Booster club membership is not required, but encouraged.  Also, signing up to volunteer helps support the band in many areas: whether it be chaperones, band aides, uniform check in/out, game drinks, lunch sales, etc...  It takes many hands to make this well-oiled machine work. Get involved, meet great people and support your student! This is payable to Clear Brook Booster Club and can be combined (one check) with your equipment.

 

Spirit Wear:

• Each year, there is a logo designed for the show.  There are opportunities to buy spirit wear (shirts, hoodies) with the logo.  We also have a Brook Band logo, we call the Double B, that we also sell spirit wear for.  A lot of parents wear the show shirt at competitions to show support for the band/show.  Spirit wear is completely optional.  A table will be set up at registration to place an order for spirit wear.  This is payable to the Booster Club.

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Registration: Where it all begins!

You need to bring all of the completed forms from the packet you received at the parent meeting to registration. Don’t forget to have your student sign where indicated.

The times are staggered for the registration process to help move things along faster. If you have a conflict on the day or time listed, you may come at another time or on another day.

The registration process is broken down into several “stations”.

• Welcome Table

  • This is where you will turn the majority of your paperwork in

• Equipment fittings (separate tables for band and color guard members)

  • Fittings for shoes, gloves, shirts, etc

    • Very important the student is available to do these fittings

• Booster Club Membership

  • There will be a form in your packet

• Booster Payments

  • This is where you can pay for equipment and Booster Club membership

  • This can be done with cash/credit card/check/money order made payable to CBBBC

  • These can be combined

• Fair Share Payments

  • This is where you pay your commitment fee (or more) towards the Fair Share fee

  • This can be done with cash or money order only and made payable to Clear Brook High School

• Volunteers

  • This is where you can ask any questions about different volunteer opportunities and even sign up!

• Promotions

  • This is where you can buy Brook Band Promotional items

 

Equipment ordered at registration should be delivered to your student on the first full day of summer band.  Freshman (and new students) have a couple of camps prior to the full band returning.  Since they will not have their water jug for those practices, please make sure they have another container for water.

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Freshman Camp

There are two days that the freshman get together with just them and leadership.  Freshman camp is attended by all incoming freshmen and the band student leadership. Over these two days they will learn basics such as how to step off, how to hold their horn while marching and how to march backwards.  They can practice some of those basics over the summer.

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Mr. Hughes will send emails regarding this, but make sure you send your student with a water bottle and they have on some good athletic shoes.

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After First Day of Freshman Camp

Did your son, daughter, or grandchild come home exhausted today? That is VERY normal!!!  Usually our students come home, raid the refrigerator and then spent the next several hours laying on the floor watching TV or napping in the nice, cool air conditioning! The physical activity will get easier. The kids do get used to the heat and once they start learning the marching show, practice is more enjoyable.

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Hopefully your child knew one or two other students and met a few new ones...by the end of the summer they will know half the band or more.

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Here’s a tip that has been passed down for years: put a scented dryer sheet in each tennis shoe when the kids get home. It helps to reduce the moisture and keeps them from smelling so bad.

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Be sure to keep your child conditioned over the next month and a half until summer band starts. Whether it is swimming, jogging, biking, mowing the lawn or just being outside with friends, it will help when they return to summer practice at the end of July. These kids truly get a workout and you realize why the marching band counts for a PE semester credit!!