Summer Band Camp typically starts in the middle of July and is required for all participants in marching band. Color Guard and Percussion begin one week earlier, during the middle of June. During this camp, students meet daily according to a set schedule and learn to integrate the music into the new school year’s marching program. Students also form friendships and a sense of unity and cooperation during this time, creating a foundation for the polished, finished performance.

Please plan carefully around summer band camp and avoid any family travel, dentist and doctor appointments during this time. Also, remember that the marching field is a classroom! You are welcome as a spectator at any time, but please do not come to the field expecting to talk to your child (unless it is an extreme emergency).

MANDATORY ITEMS

Sneakers Tips: No Vans, canvas loafers, flip flops, or Ked's. Get a well-made shoe with good support, but don’t waste money on the latest styles– kids wears holes in band camp shoes every year. Don’t send them to camp in their new school shoes. The Nikes with a few scuffs from last year will do.

White T-shirts Tips: Invest in several of these, as well as the shorts below, as they are not going to want to wear the same shirt multiple times because it will be soaked with sweat and you will not want to do laundry every day. They can be bought in packs of 3-6. These will become “Dot shirts” marking their place on the field, so they will soon draw on them with fabric markers, a possible additional purchase. Note: Color guard will wear different colors.

Black athletic shorts Tips: If there is a chance of chaffing, go ahead and buy a few pair of the compression shorts or something to help avoid it. 
 
Black 2" Three Ring Binder

Sheet Protectors 8 1/2 x 11, clear, at least 100. Found at office supply stores and Wal~Mart.

WireBound Ruled Index Cards White 3" x 5" for dot books. Also found at Wal~Mart. You will also need a long shoe string to make a lanyard for the dot book.

Sidewalk Chalk Tips: The chalk is used to create marks (in the theatrical sense of the word) on the concrete. Chunky sizes last longer on blacktop.

Water Jug Tips:
  • Everyone has red, so do something to distinguish yours or you’ll be playing musical water jugs all season. Put colored tape, a ribbon on something else distinctive on your jug, or get a different-colored one… blue, yellow whatever.
  • Get a big jug, not the small ones they use for the football games, as kids can consume an amazing amount of water during 4 hours of 99-degree workouts on pavement. One with handles is appropriate.
  • Make bigger ice cubes using small plastic containers (butter tubs, etc.); put just one or two in the jug each morning session, and the water will stay cold longer. We also have ice machines at school as well. 

Yoga mat  Tips: Invest in a good one. They sell thicker versions at Academy. If you go to Walmart or Target, splurge on the high-end one. There are a lot of rocks on our parking lot and they poke through the thinner mats, making workouts uncomfortable for the kids.

WHAT TO HAVE EACH DAY:
  • Instrument (3 Spare reeds, valve oil, etc. in case)
  • Green Book
  • Black 2" Three Ring Binder
  • Sneakers with socks
  • Athletic shorts
  • White shirt (Long Sleeve is good!)
  • Water jug with water
  • Pencil, dot books and chalk: You don’t need these for the first day, but will need them once places for the show have been assigned.  You’ll receive more information at that time about where to get the dot book and how to use it.  The pen/pencil are used to write in the dot book.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED ITEMS
  • Large Sun Hat, Cap or visor
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip protection (Chapstick with an SPF!!)​