Members and Parents,

As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all aspects of our lives, and the marching arts are no exception. Other local band directors and I have spent the past several months reviewing how our's and other area school boards have reacted to the ever-developing guidance from the national and local health organizations. We have had many conversations about how field our marching band shows in a safe and meaningful way. Regrettably, we do not see a way to do that. Also, today, we received notification from the Florida Bandmasters Association, that they are canceling district marching festival for the entire state. I anticipate other local and regional marching festivals to do the same. Given the certainties we have to date, the other band area band directors and I have decided to cancel the "marching" aspect of the marching band this year. Instead, for this year, we will have a "Pep Band." 

While it is not ideal for those who love the marching band, having a pep band will allow us to continue to have a presence at football games while limiting rehearsal time outside of school. The aim of this is to lessen the chance of exposure to the COVID virus. 

So, what happens now? We will follow through with our planned rookie camp during the week of July 13th. - 16th., and we will also have our full camp on July 20th. - 23rd. After that, we will meet again when school starts. 

We are planning on having lots of fun music ready to play and want students to have the opportunity to make music with their friends. We are lucky that the Santa Rosa School District values music education and the vital role it plays in the development and health of our students, so we will continue to offer the best music program we can!

We still plan to have Colorguard meet as a class. For both band students and Colorguard students, we will explore avenues for alternative forms of performances for the community. 

As far as other fall marching band activities are concerned, we will continue our conversations, review information as it becomes available, and make further decisions closer to the start of the school year. 

Although this news is undoubtedly disappointing, we hope you will understand both our reasoning and the desire to keep your children--our students--safe. 

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It seems that COVID-19 will continue to impact the band world going into the fall. After several meetings with my local and district colleagues and taking guidance from our state board, I have adjusted our July rehearsal schedule to mitigate the possibility of our students being exposed to COVID-19 while allowing us to rehearse. 

Please take a moment to look over the attached file and the band calendar to make sure that you know where to be and when to be there. 

I look forward to seeing you all again!

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The student leadership teams play such a crucial part in the Navarre Raider Band team. We always have so many qualified applicants that the job of selecting team members is never easy. I know that the new team members are committed to improving the overall band experience for all members and are excited to work with the staff and myself to have a successful, rewarding, and fun year. 

Please welcome our 2020-2021 Student Leadership Team!!!

Hey, Everyone!

It's time to fire up the cookers for our Fall BBQ Plate sale! We appreciate the community for always supporting this fundraiser and our band program. 

Over the next few weeks, you may be approached by a member of the Navarre Raider Band or one of their parents selling BBQ tickets. I encourage you to purchase a couple. In doing so, you will help support one of Navarre High School's largest and hardest working groups. I've been told the BBQ isn't bad either!

If you would like to purchase plates online, simply click the ticket above, or follow the link here. 

Again, thank you for always supporting the members and parents of the Navarre Raider Band. We look forward to serving you on the 14th.!

Parents!

We are about to start school, and there's a little housekeeping we need to before then. 

First, as you may have heard, the school district has revamped many of our volunteer rules, safety procedures, and day to day operations. One of the most significant changes for the band will be parent volunteers. Going forward, ALL adults who will have any chance to come into contact with our students must have a volunteer form on file at Navarre High School. It will be necessary for you to have a volunteer form on file at each campus that you plan to spend time helping. Many of you have already turned in our old required volunteer form. There is now an updated form that you can download here, or you can drop by the band hall this afternoon following practice and complete the form. 

A new form must be completed even if you recently completed the form. I apologize for this inconvenience. As I said, it is a change that occurred this week. 

Secondly, I know that many of you work and may run into an issue getting your student to and from rehearsals during marching season. I want to remind you that we take rehearsals and performances very seriously. Students are expected to be at all rehearsals and performances, on time, the whole time. Work, appointments, and, "family issues," are not valid reasons to miss our events. Please read our attendance policy here. 

To help parents and students with pick-up each year, we try to pair students who need a ride with parents who can give a ride. So, if your student needs a ride or you can provide a ride for students, please sign-up on our carpool list here. 

Again, parents must have a valid volunteer form on file. 

Lastly, I need an accurate database for all parents. It won't be used to spam you, but I will make sure that you receive all pertinent info about the band. You will also be added to our you Remind text group, and I will invite you to our band app. I know that it may be a bit overwhelming, but there are times we need direct contact with parents/guardians. 

Please complete our parent contact form here. 

In closing, please make sure to visit the band app and check out our rehearsal and performance schedule. It is very important that you plan ahead to avoid scheduling conflicts. Keep in mind that our rehearsals and performances are extensions of the classroom, and your student receives a grade for being there. Please do not ask that your student be allowed to miss. 

I am excited about the coming marching season and school year! I am confident that it'll be an excellent time for students and parents alike. 

Best,

​dean-

Parents, 

Great news!  You no longer have to come to the band hall to sign those pesky travel forms. As of today, we have officially gone paperless. If you would like to be able to complete the forms on your phone, tablet, or computer, in the comfort of your own home or favorite coffee shop, send me an email with "I WANT TO GO DIGITAL" in the subject line and I'll send you the forms. 

Thanks!

dean-

After consulting with Risk Management today, we have been able to alleviate much of our band paperwork!

This year, we will only require two forms for your student to travel with the band. Another change is that these forms are no longer required to be notarized. Simply sign them and return them. 

If you would like to get a head start on the forms, please feel free to download them:

Navarre Band Health Form
Navarre Band Travel Form

Lastly, if you plan to volunteer with the students or be around them at all, you will need to complete the School District's Volunteer application. It is free and required if you plan to chaperone or work directly with students in any way. 

Navarre Parent Volunteer Form

Thanks!

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Summer break is officially over as we are back at school tomorrow! That means that the marching season is in full swing! I have gotten a few emails with questions, and I want to answer them to the whole group now. So, here goes:

Are we rehearsing on Monday? 
Yes, we will have normally scheduled rehearsals starting tomorrow. The bands' rehearsal schedule is Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. 

Do I have to attend all rehearsals and performances?
Yes, all members are expected to be at all rehearsals and performances on time, for the whole time. These rehearsals and performances are considered quizzes and test for band classes. Please consult the band handbook and school handbook for the requirements of excused absences.

What do I need to bring to class every day?
Students should bring the following items to class every day. 

• Instrument
• Black three-ring binder with music in sheet protectors
• A pencil
• Green Book completed with all music current
• Drill DOT Book completed with the most recent drill
• Rehearsal clothing - White T-Shirt, Black Shorts, and Tennis Shoes
• Water Jug
• Snacks for after school

Are students allowed to leave to "run to the store" after school?
Students do not leave campus after school unless the director cancels rehearsal.

What will the students eat on game days?
This year, on home game Fridays, we will feed the students from our concession stand. There will be a small fee involved. For away games, we will purchase food from various restaurants. i.e., Chick-Fil-A

Look for more info on this in a later post. 

When are we going to sign the required paperwork?
There will be notaries and paperwork on hand in the band hall on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of this week from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

What are the students wearing for their first performance?
The band will wear our summer travel uniform for the first few performances.
The travel uniform consists of the following.

• Member Polo (purchased for $22)
• Khaki Shorts (no cargo shorts please) 
• Black Belt
• Black MTX Marching Shoes (available online under member necessities)

Where can a parent sign up to volunteer?
Parents wanting to volunteer should use our volunteer calendar on our website. You can find it here. 

What is Charms and how do I use it?
Please check out our Charms information page here. 

All of these information sources! There is Charms, the band calendar, Remind, the volunteer calendar, email, which is the best one to use???

I know it can be a bit overwhelming so let me try to give you insight on how I use each to get information to you. 

Charms - Charms is used to keep track of you and your students' contact information, contributions, and the volunteer calendar. It is also used to keep track of uniform, equipment, and music inventories. Lastly, we use it to send group emails. The Charms information page is here.

If you cannot access your Charms account, please email me and I will help you.

The "Official Band Calendar" - This is my google based, personal calendar. I keep all of our rehearsals, performances, and other important dates on this calendar. The calendar is shared publicly so that you can add it to your phone or smart device. I have tried to make the calendar your first resource for all things band. It is truly "one stop shopping" for event information. If you would like to add my calendar to your phone or smart device, please visit this page for more details. I also suggest that you download the new Google Calendar App available for Android and iOS. It offers a rich experience and keeps the original, organized formatting. 

Remind - We asked that all students and at least one parent enroll in our Remind group texting. Remind is used to put out general information, like when we update this site, as well as time-sensitive information, like when we students are released from games, etc. Parents should sign up for the @nhsband group because we try to use it sparingly. Students should sign up for the @raidrmarch group because we use it a lot during the day to relay info to students. 

The Volunteer Calendar - This calendar is used by parents and students to sign up for volunteer opportunities. Please make sure to visit it often. We need a ton of help during the fall for chaperones and concessions. You can find the volunteer calendar here. 

Email - We use email to send out general information that is either too long to post through one of the other sources, is private, or to make sure we reach parents who are not connected through other means. 

​So, that is how I use the various information services. Honestly, I suggest everyone use all of them! If I had to choose only one, though, I would use the band calendar. It is the easiest to navigate, has the most information, and works natively on your phone. No websites, groups, etc. Please make sure you are in the Remind group as well. 

If you have any more questions, feel free to email them, and I'll answer them to the group!

Hope this helps!

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If you know of a local business or even a company that is out of town that would like to sponsor your student and the Navarre Raider Band, please feel free to pass along our sponsorship letter. 

How does sponsorship work? As you know, we feel very strongly that each member is responsible for his/her fair share of the cost of running the band. We do our very best to provide ample fundraising opportunities for our members in hopes that it is never a burden on them or their family. Members can earn their entire fair share with our fundraisers. We had many students make more than they needed by participating in our carwash alone!

When you have a business or individual, agree to sponsor your student, your fair share, spring trip, or indoor fees come out of that amount first. Meaning, if you had a $1,500 corporate sponsorship, and your student was involved in marching band ($275) + and decided to go on the spring trip (approx. $550) = $825. $1,500 - $825= $675

The $825 would go directly to your students' fair share account. The remainder can be donated to another student, or applied to the general fund. It may not be rolled over to next year, used for non-band fair share/trip cost, or refunded. 

Lastly, you may work out any private sponsorship you would like; however, the band only abides by the sponsorship levels detailed in our agreement. 

You may download our official sponsorship letter here.