Your student's call time will be 6:30 or 7:00 am. Students should be dropped off in the Senior/North Lot, and then will meet in the band room for roll. They will then proceed to the circle and load onto the busses. Students will NOT be allowed to board a bus unless they are wearing their Blue Band Shirt.
Busses will depart from Samohi and travel to the parade and or competition site where equipment is unloaded and "Viking Village" is set up for the 18-20 hour day (Mt. Carmel, Stockdale and Disneyland are the only one-stop competitions. Sierra Vista and Arcadia/Moorpark involve tow and three moves and setups during the day.) If there is time after unloading the truck the student may eat, but if our parade step-off time is early, the Band and Colorguard will immediately suit up into partial uniform and begin warming up. After warm-ups, they will finish dressing into full uniform and will line up for parade competition.
The Viking Band completes the parade, walks back to "Viking Village" and changes out of their uniforms. Are we tired yet? NO! Students eat their lunches (if they didn't already eat them on the bus as they left Samo) then spend the next few hours rehearsing for the fieldshow. Depending on our field show step-off time, students will eat dinner before the field show (if our performance time is later in the evening) or after the field show (if our performance time is early in the evening). To ready for the field show, students change into their uniforms once again, warmup pre-show, perform the show, change out of uniforms, load the truck then return to the stadium to watch remaining bands perform.
After all bands have finished performing, the Awards Ceremony begins. Are we tired yet? KIND OF! After the Awards Ceremony, everyone loads onto the busses and our caravan departs for Samohi (we will leave a message on the Band Hotline - 310/395-3204 x979 as to our approximate arrival time back at school). Upon arrival we ALL unload the truck and clean out the busses. Are we tired yet? YOU BET!! But we've had a great day and we are very proud of the Band's accomplishments.
One or two days before the competition, Mr. Sakow will hand out, in class, an itinerary with the competition day's schedule. ASK TO SEE IT. On the back will be a reminder list of important things NOT to forget. ASK TO SEE IT. It will help you help your child gather what they need for event day.
Students must bring their own lunch and LOTS of munchies and water. We will provide some water, but having their own bottle to drink at any time is recommended). We will provide a pizza and salad or Subway sandwich dinner. If your student does not purchase the meal plan then they will also need to bring their dinner food. Most of the competition sites offer concession stands that sell hamburgers, hot dogs, candy, drinks, etc., but the lines are long and our students rarely have time to wait in them. Just in case, though, they should take $15 - $20 cash.
YES. No one boards a bus unless they're wearing their blue band shirt (everyone has received one). If someone says, "I forgot mine," then they'll have to call home and beg you to instantly deliver their shirt to them at school. That would be your second trip to Samo at the crack of dawn. Hopefully you can make it before the busses depart. If you don't, then the options narrow. Driving your son or daughter to the competition is the only other option. If that does not happen and your child does not arrive at the competition, it may result in a failing grade or suspension from the Marching Band. (Performances such as these absolutely depend on every single individual to be filling his or her spot, which everyone has spent so many hours rehearsing around.)
Wearing their Blue Band Shirts is not a new policy.... it is an enforced policy. The safety of our students is our highest priority and our blue band shirts provide an immediate visual I.D.
Please drop your child off in the Senior/North Lot. The circle will be very busy with busses, students, volunteers, equipment vehicles and a 48' truck plus the tractor that pulls it.
Please pick your child up in the Senior/North Lot. The circle will be very busy with exhausted students, volunteers, busses, equipment vehicles and a 48' truck plus the tractor that pulls it.
Coming early for pickup and driving into the circle to wait is a bad idea. The gates will be locked when we do arrive (to prevent any unneccsary moving vehicles from becoming a swerious safety threat to students) and you will be stuck until the busses and truck have been unloaded, cleaned out and driven away. Your time could be better spent doing laundry or re-paving your patio.
Tuesday 09/21 LA County Fair (Pomona)
Friday 09/24 LA County Fair (Tentative)
Saturday 10/30 Mt. Carmel (San Diego)
Saturday 11/06 Baldwin Park Parade/Sierra Vista Field Tournament
Saturday 11/13 AM - Photo Day @ Samohi
PM - Stockdale Tournament (Bakersfield)
Saturday 11/20 Arcadia Parade/Moorpark Field Tournament
Monday 11/22 Lincoln and JAMS Middle School Performances
Saturday December or January Disneyland (Tentative)
If you have any questions don't hesitate to call -
Susie or Bob Gunter
Competition Coordinators
(310) 391-0441
susieg2001@aol.com
MARCHING BAND WEBSITE - http://www.samohiband.org
HOTLINE # - (310) 395-3204 x979