I hope everyone enjoyed a day off after band camp, and enjoyed their first day back. Here is some information pertaining to the next couple of weeks.

Uniform Fittings (August 4th, 6th, and 7th / Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday)
Marching Band would not be complete without Uniform Fittings! Students will be allowed to sign up for a time slot on 7/29. Students who do not sign up will be assigned a time by Mr. Bivens. 
If your student is gone this week, and you have limited availability, please reach out to me at cbivens@carrollhs.org.

Mrs. Bivens made a handy "Uniform Fitting Guide" that should help students get fitted efficiently. That document is in the resources section below.

Uniform Volunteers for August 4th, 6th, and 7th
We are still looking for a couple of volunteers for Uniform Fittings. The days are August 4th, 6th, and 7th from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Many hands make light work — please email Mrs. Mongelli at carrolleersvp@carrollhs.org if you would like to assist.

Uniform Chairperson Needed!
We are also looking for someone to be our "full-time" Uniform Chairperson! This role is vital for the efficiency of the program. The role is defined as the following:

"The marching uniforms are organized in a closet and require oversight. The chairperson is responsible for organizing the uniforms, as well as the volunteers.

Volunteers are needed for: 
Organizing/cleaning uniforms after each event (game/competition)
Providing a positive uniform fitting experience
Hemming/simple stitch of uniforms as needed

If you are available to assist us in this huge way, please reach out to Mrs. Mongelli at carrolleersvp@carrollhs.org.

Pictures on August 10th
Band Pictures will occur on August 10th at 5:30pm! Since this occurs during the afternoon rehearsal block, students should arrive at 4:00pm.

Booster Picnic on August 13th! (Also the First Day of School)
Students will stick around after rehearsal for our annual Booster Picnic on August 13th, at 6:30pm right after practice! This also doubles as our booster meeting for August, and is a great way to stay in the loop with the band program at Carroll. Families can also order band spirit wear for the season. Please stick around and enjoy some tasty food!

Band Barn Clean Out - Monday, August 17th, at 6:00pm
We are asking for any volunteers, students and parents alike, to assist band staff in cleaning out the band barn after rehearsal on Monday, August 17th. We have many old props, parts, and things to get rid of to make room for the future of the program. If you are available, please consider helping.

Let's continue to have a great week back!

Mr. and Mrs. Bivens

Band Camp is GREAT! It's so fun to see a show take shape from the beginning, see new friendships develop, & watch old friendships grow.

Families of seniors are welcome to come to the Schindler Banquet Hall (same place where you dropped off on Monday) at 9:30pm Thursday for the most beloved of all band traditions: Senior Speeches. Since students will just be coming back from a rehearsal block, they'll be enjoying a snack at that time as well. Speeches tend to be about 5 minutes per person.

A pickup truck with a driver is needed on Thursday & Friday to assist with getting equipment to the field at AIA (Thursday) & back to Carroll (Friday). Please reach out to Meghan Dezur if you're able to help at carrolleers@carrollhs.org

An End of Camp Performance will take place on Friday afternoon at 2:00pm. Use the following address to help locate it:
                             1255 Wesley Ave
                             Xenia, OH 45385
There is also a pin of the exact location attached to the calendar event on this page.

There is a sign above the field's entrance that says Muñoz Field. This is also where you will park to take your student & all of their belongings home.

Please reach out if you have questions or concerns!

Week 4 Update:

It is officially the week before band camp! We are very excited to take that next big step with your kids next week. With that in mind, we have some important information to share with you. Let's get to it!

Uniform Fittings Moved to August 4th
We are moving uniform fittings to the week of August 3rd, and not this week. Students will sign up for a scheduled fitting time after camp. Fittings will be on August 4th, 6th, and 7th.

Medical Forms and Registration
We have emailed individual families regarding Medical Forms and Registration. We are close to having everyone done! This needs to be completed before Band Camp starts, for student safety. If you have not received an email, then you should be good!

Band Camp
Band camp is an overnight camp that will occur July 20-24.  We will send home the info packet with your student - we are also going over this packet, line by line, so that all information is exceptionally clear and understood by all. With that said, a lot of this is very straight forward, and we are excited to jump into camp next week!  Please note changes to the timeline from previous published documents.

Band Camp Packing
We strongly recommend families read through the Band Camp packet while packing. This ensures that they will have everything they need to be successful while at camp. We can fix wrong notes, rhythms, and tone all day. We cannot fix bringing the wrong shoes to camp. Little things are truly big things, and we encourage any questions you might have be asked via email as we get close to July 20th!

Booster Meeting - August 13 at 6:30pm
Thank you to all families who attended our parent meeting at Ascension! Please see the minutes for any information regarding that.

Our next meeting will be a Welcome Picnic, on August 13 at 6:30pm! This occurs right after our rehearsal. Stick around, enjoy some food, and learn more about what our music boosters do! It should be an awesome time for all.

Attendance
Please send any attendance concerns to band directors directly via email to myself (bbivens@carrollhs.org) and Mr. Bivens (cbivens@carrollhs.org). Unknown absences results in us sending an email home to check everything is OK, so please just keep us in the loop.

In Conclusion...
If you have any questions, please reach out to either Mr. or Mrs. Bivens.

Go Pats!

Most sincerely,

Mrs. Brooke Bivens & Mr. Carter Bivens

Report time is the exact time students must be in the band room, in uniform/proper gear, and ready to play. It is NOT the arrival time—please plan to arrive 10–15 minutes prior to report time! 
 

Because marching band is a team activity where every spot on the field matters, all rehearsals and performances are mandatory. If an emergency or illness arises, please contact the directors directly as early as possible.
 

During football games, the band performs our halftime show, and then students get the third quarter off to grab a snack, use the restroom, and visit with family. Booster parents provide cookies and lemonade during this time and often invite the visiting band to join us.  Students must be back in the stands ready to play by the start of the fourth quarter. 
 

No. Uniforms are managed by the booster uniform committee and stay at school. There are two separate uniforms, one for football games and one for competitions.  Students will be measured for uniforms in July.  They will also be sized for matching shoes and given a pair to use for as long as they fit and look good.  The charge for this initial pair of shoes will be reflected on the first-year students' band bill. Students/parents are only responsible for washing the grays and keeping marching shoes clean.
 

"Grays."  Plain gray tee shirts and shorts/leggings with no graphics or logos are worn under uniforms so that no strange patterns or lines can be seen under the uniform. Try to match the gray color of the pants and shirt. For example, avoid wearing a light gray T-shirt and dark gray shorts/leggings. When the weather gets cooler, you may also want to purchase a long sleeve gray shirt and gray leggings/thin sweatpants. You must also wear tall, black socks.  These must be all black and at least mid-calf length. The guard supplies a bodysuit for undergarment wear. 
 

No. The school provides bus transportation to and from all away events. All students are required to ride the bus with the band.
 

We travel and finish as a team. If there is an exceptional circumstance, it should be communicated to the directors at least 24 hours in advance, and you must contact the director or bus chaperone in person when picking up your child.
 

Checks should be made payable to the Carroll Music Department (write the band student's name on the back of the check), and placed in the lock box in the directors’ office, or mailed to Carroll High School with the envelope marked “Attention: Music Department.” 
 

Yes! The Boosters organize several fundraisers throughout the year (such as working bingo and UD concessions) where parents can earn credits toward their individual band fees.
 

We want every student to be able to participate regardless of financial circumstances. Please reach out directly to the Booster Treasurer or the Director. All inquiries and financial arrangements are kept strictly confidential.
 

Band fees help cover the costs of expert staff and instructors, instruments, sound equipment, uniforms, props, music arrangements, drill design, competition entry fees, buses/transportation, food and snacks on show days, and more!