Dearest Marching Band student and parent,
The purpose of this letter is to provide information concerning our FIRST COMPETITION this Saturday.
PINECREST HIGH SCHOOL
MARCHING BAND COMPETITION
Saturday, September 28, 2024
11:00am Report to Athens
11:15am Rehearsal in stadium
1:15pm Lunch/Load/Dress
2:45pm Inspection (senior parking lot)
3:00pm Depart for PHS (via activity bus)
4:30pm Arrive PHS
5:30pm Warmup
6:30pm PERFORMANCE
7:00pm Change into comfortable clothes; load instruments and equipment; and equipment ; eat dinner (provided by boosters)
8:00pm Awards Ceremony
9:00pm Depart PHS
10:30pm Arrive at Athens Drive
Important Competition Day Logistics
1) Students need to bring the following when they report to Athens at 11:00am: lunch, backpack containing anything they may want to do on the way to and from the competition, black socks and their SHOW SHIRT for uniform, any clothes they want to wear back to Athens following the competition (including a hoodie or light jacket).
2) Students MUST REMAIN ON CAMPUS following the late morning rehearsal as there are many responsibilities involved in the transition time between 1:15-2:45pm. Bring a lunch to eat during this time.
3) Students will “1/2 dress” for the bus ride to PHS: They will wear their SHOW SHIRT, black bibs, black socks, and black shoes. We will put the jacket, hat, and gloves on shortly before our formal warm-up period at PHS. The reason why we ½ dress is that it saves a good deal of time once we get on site (you can never trust changing area capacity).
4) Students may change into comfortable clothes following their 6:30pm performance. These can be the same clothes that they wore in the morning rehearsal. Consider bringing a hoodie or light jacket as the evenings will begin to get cooler.
5) Our arrival time home (10:30pm) is our best guess. We are usually accurate (within the ½ hour); however, due to the multitude of variables that surround events such as this and the number of students involved, adjustments may have to be made. The safety/well-being of the students is our primary concern. We will contact you via the REMIND system as to the progress of our journey home. If we run ahead or behind schedule more than ½ hour, we will encourage students to call. Please let them know how they can best reach you. We also ask that the students be picked up within ½ hour of our arrival. We do not want our parents/staff to wait at school for a prolonged period after such a long day. Thank you for your consideration!
6) If you would like to drive your child home after their performance, please submit a written request. In general, I like to keep the students together throughout the entire event; however, I will trust your judgment if you feel it necessary for your child to be home earlier.
7) Please know that we use competition as a tool to achieve further excellence. It is vital to remember that “deep-down,” we compete against ourselves, not against others. This is one of the most challenging aspects of our program; however, it can be one of the most rewarding if we maintain a healthy perspective. The students will always be winners if they work hard, do their best, and behave with “honor, pride, and dignity.”
8) Although this competition is approximately 75 minutes away by car, we enthusiastically invite all parents, family, and friends to travel to PHS to enjoy our performances and route on our band! This is a very nice stadium in which to perform as the home bleachers are high, so you’ll get a good view of our formations. ALSO, PLEASE REALIZE THAT YOUR PRESENCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE! It really psyches up our kids to hear you cheer for them!.
9) There are 12 bands competing in this event, divided into 4 classes: Class A performs from 2:30-3:45pm; Class AA performs from 3:50-5:10pm; Class AAA (that’s us) performs from 6:10-7:05pm; and Class 4A performs from 7:10-7:30pm. There are 3 bands performing in our class in this order: Scotland H.S., Athens Drive H.S., Leesville H.S.
IT’S TIME TO TAKE THIS WONDERFUL MARCHING BAND ON THE ROAD TO SHARE OUR FINE CHARACTER, ENTHUSIASM AND TALENT WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA!
YA GOTTA LUV IT!!
