Handbook Policies



BAND HANDBOOK AND INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION This page contains general information about the Stratford Band SUMMER BAND ATTENDANCE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! If you are going to be out of town during any of summer band camp, please send a letter or E-mail to Mr. McArthur stating the date(s) you will miss to: Stratford Band 14555 Fern Drive Houston, TX 77079 david.mcarthur@springbranchisd.com BAND PLACEMENT Each semester, students will be assigned to one of three concert bands. The bands are assigned based on musical ability and instrumentation. Percussion and color guard members will be in a separate class for the fall semester. Students will audition again for Spring semester band placement. Students must meet the requirements of their assigned band or will be reassigned. All students are expected to be enrolled in the band class the entire year; Mr. McArthur must approve all exceptions. All students are expected to participate in Marching Band. Conflicts with SCHOOL activities can be worked out on an individual basis. If transportation is a problem, please call the Stratford Band Hall Voice Mail (713-251-3463) and let us know. We have many upperclassmen that are willing to help provide transportation for any students that need it. (note- Voice messages only stay on the system for approximately one week. If calling between June 3 and July 25, it is possible that the message will not be received, so please use e- mail or regular mail if possible) GRADING AND ATTENDANCE POLICIES Grades will be determined as follows: Assignments (50%) – This will include tests over music, SmartMusic assignments, region band music assignments, solo assignments, classroom participation, written work, choreography tests for color guard, etc. Rehearsal/Performance (30%) – Students will receive a grade for attendance at all rehearsals and performances. All students will begin each six weeks with a Rehearsal grade of 100. This will be lowered 10 points for each unexcused absence and 5 points for each unexcused tardy. All students will begin each six weeks with a Performance grade of 100. This grade will be lowered 50 points for each unexcused absence and 20 points for each unexcused tardy. The rehearsal and performance grades will be averaged together to determine the Rehearsal/Performance portion of the six weeks average. Reasons to be excused from a rehearsal or performance generally include the following: Illness, family emergency, or conflicting school activity (should be discussed with the director well in advance) ONLY EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD CAUSE A STUDENT TO MISS A PERFORMANCE! All non-emergency excuses should be presented in writing and approved by the student’s band director prior to the absence. E-mail from the PARENT’S e-mail address or messages from PARENTS on the director’s voicemail are sufficient. Any excuse notes received after the absence will not be accepted. In emergency situations, excuse notes should be presented to the student’s director immediately upon return to school. Please regularly check your student’s attendance on the Charms website. Scales/Dressing Out (20%)* – All wind and percussion students will be assigned various scale patterns each six weeks. Color Guard students are required to dress out and wear gloves for each class. Five points will be deducted per instance of forgetting gloves or not dressing in the appropriate clothing. Semester Exam – Audition Test and/or written test. The first semester playing exam will be over excerpts from the region band audition music. The second semester playing exam requirements will be announced in April/May. Color Guard semester exam requirements will be announced at least 6 weeks in advance. ITEMS NEEDED ALL STUDENTS need the following materials for summer band and fall marching band rehearsals: Flip Folder and Lyre - All students will be expected to have their music with them at all times during rehearsals. Lyres can be purchased at local music stores. Athletic Shoes - All students will need to wear shoes that are appropriate for marching (primarily athletic tennis shoes). High-tops, deck shoes, sandals, flip-flops, or shoes with high heels are NOT appropriate. Students may be sent home if they are not wearing marching appropriate footwear and will receive an unexcused absence. Hat - A hat is highly recommended to protect students from the heat and sun during rehearsals. SUNSCREEN IS A MUST!* Water Container – All students should have a water container at all rehearsals. All students are furnished one Stratford Band Water Bottle to use during marching practice and all performances. Students will be provided with appropriate, short water breaks during rehearsals. A personal cooler will save having to wait in line for water. Make sure that all personal items are labeled with the student's name to prevent loss. REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULES Schedules for the current school year are posted in this website. A calendar of fall rehearsals will be given to students at the beginning of the school year. Students are expected to attend ALL performances and rehearsals throughout the year. The band generally rehearses Monday thru Thursday during football season from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. (see fall schedule for exact times and dates). Schedules will be adjusted for weather, holidays, etc. Students should not miss practice unless absolutely necessary. Examples of excused absences are: illness, family emergencies, and tutorials. Notes should be given to the directors as soon as possible if a student needs to be excused from a rehearsal. Work is not considered an excused absence. Excessive absences from rehearsals for any reason will be cause for removal from the marching show. During the spring semester, students generally practice after school one or two days a week from January through April. Rehearsals and performances, including football games, are graded activities! There are generally no excused absences from performances, other than illness, emergencies, etc. Conflicts with other school activities can be worked out between sponsors and band directors. Any other performance conflicts will need to be approved by your director at the beginning of each semester. After the fact non emergency excuses will not be accepted. PLEASE NOTE: Drivers Ed. classes should not be scheduled in August through the middle of November, or from February through April. If you would like for you child to ride home with an ADULT after an off campus performance, a written note signed by the parent must be given to Mr. McArthur or Mrs. Thompson prior to leaving. The adult should inform a director, not a chaperone, prior to leaving the area. Students will not be allowed to ride home with other students. All students are expected to ride to the performance location together, unless giving prior permission by a director. STUDENT BAND OFFICERS/LEADERSHIP Many band students will have opportunities to hold leadership positions in the Stratford Band. Some positions, such as drum major, require tryouts. Students in leadership positions are expected to be good role models not only in band, but in other classes as well. Students may be prevented from applying for, or may be removed from any leadership positions for the following reasons: failure to carry out responsibilities of the position, failure to maintain eligibility, excessive absences from performances, rehearsals or leadership meetings, assignment to campus or district AEP, or any other thing that would detract from being a positive role model. ACADEMICS Students are expected to maintain passing grades ALL year. "No Pass, No Play" policies and standards are used throughout the school year. If you need to attend tutorials during a Band rehearsal, notify Mr. McArthur or Mrs. Thompson PRIOR to the rehearsal. We also have band students that will be glad to assist you. MUSIC This year’s marching show will include music from "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsakov. Most music used in class will be furnished. All music needed for marching season has been posted in the Charms "Handouts" section and should be printed at home. Please see a Librarian if you are unable to print at home. Lost copies of the music will need to be replaced by students. FEES The following is a list of fees for Stratford Band members. Some of these fees apply to all students while others apply only to freshmen, or new students. Most fees and expenses can be paid with money from fundraisers. (see section on fund raising) Assistance can be provided for students in financial need. If you have problems with any of these fees for financial reasons, have one of your parents contact Mr. McArthur. We will not deny participation for students in financial need. Activity Fee ($160) - This fee is required of all band members at the beginning of each year. This fee is used for a wide variety of expenses that the Stratford Band incurs during each school year. It also covers marching uniform cleaning expenses, and cokes for students during football games, and your band T-shirt (see below). Please have your child pay this fee on the first day of summer band. Checks may be made out to: STRATFORD BAND. (You may make two or more payments if necessary). Note: The fee for Color Guard students is ($175) and includes a personal equipment bag. Shoes – ($36) - We will be fitting for shoes in August. All students must wear the identical style shoe. Payment must be made before shoes will be issued. Gloves - Gloves are $4.00. Each student will need one pair of gloves for performance and one for practice. The performance gloves must be clean and in good shape, or they will need to be replaced. Band T-shirt –The T-shirt will be worn in the stands during warm football games, and be worn at some band performances. The cost of this shirt is included in the Activity Fee. Failure to wear the current band t-shirt may result in being sent home from a performance or wearing your uniform jacket throughout the entire football game. Garment Bag - ($28) - This is purchased so students can take off their marching coat during warm football games. Color Guard Fees – These fees vary from student to student, as each student orders different items. Please see Mrs. Thompson for a current invoice and list of fees. Winter Guard – ($550-$700) – This activity fee is used to completely fund the winter guard competition season. This fee covers the cost of instruction, choreography, drill design, show design, uniforms/costumes, equipment, flags, floor covering, snacks, and many other things throughout the winter guard season. Students are encouraged to participate in fundraisers to help pay for this amount. Note: This amount is determined as the budget changes throughout the season. The final payment due may change. You will be given a payment schedule at the beginning of September. SPRING TRIP* Each spring, the band takes trip, generally to attend a music festival. The band alternates each year between out of state and in state trips. This year, the band will travel to Winterpark, Colorado, subject to district approval. At this time, we expect the cost to be around $1,000. More information will be posted as the trip details are finalized. Students are subject to district and band rules when going on trips. The expectation is that students are able to follow band and district rules concerning behavior. Students having problems in this area should not plan to go on trips with the band. Note: Students must be academically eligible at the time of the trip. Trips are normally paid for in three or four deposits. The first deposit is normally not refundable. Group travel requires many prepaid expenses. Once payments are made to vendors, refunds further deposits cannot be refunded for any reason. If you decide not to go on the trip after paying deposits, please notify Mr. McArthur in writing ASAP. PASS YOUR CLASSES and avoid losing any or all of your money! FUND-RAISERS The Stratford Band provides students with three opportunities during the year to fund raise. The money that is raised from these student fundraisers goes into "STUDENT ACCOUNTS." Each student has his/her own account and all money earned by the student goes into this account. The money in these accounts may be used to pay for most of the expenses that occur during the student's affiliation with the Stratford Band. (All fees, trips, band banquet tickets, etc.) Each student's account is carried over from year to year until graduation, at which time any funds remaining are placed into the Stratford Band Activity Account. If a graduating senior has a younger brother or sister, the funds may be transferred into the sibling's account. We encourage everyone to actively fund raise! The Stratford Winter Guard will participate in other fundraisers to raise money for the winter guard competition season. Because winter color guard does not receive district funding, the students raise the necessary funds for the organization to continue each year. Some fundraisers will include a Spin-a-Thon, Golf Tournament, Smoothie King sales during lunch, two car washes, and others. Please contact Mrs. Thompson if you have any questions about fundraisers for Winter Guard. DRUM CORPS SHOW On Thursday, August 11th, the “DCI 2010: Big, Loud, and Live 8” will be airing at local movie theaters. This live telecast will feature the drum corps performances at the DCI Quarterfinals. Please visit the DCI website for more information and to purchase tickets online. The Stratford Band will be attending the show at the Memocial City Mall movie theater. Hurry, these tickets sell-out fast! HYPERLINK "http://www.dci.org" http://www.dci.org STRATFORD BAND BOOSTER MEMBERSHIP Membership in the Stratford Band Boosters is open to all parents with children in the Stratford Band Program. This organization is an integral part of the Stratford Band, and without parental support the band would not be successful. For more information, see the Booster Page on this website. All parents are encouraged to be active members. PARENTAL SUPPORT AT GAMES AND CONTESTS We encourage all parents to attend all football games and contests in which Stratford Band is involved. Your support and cheers only makes us perform better. When attending contests always be courteous and support EACH BAND. If you would like to volunteer to be a chaperone at one of our football games or other events, please call Mr. McArthur and leave your name and phone number. CONCERT ETIQUETTE One of the most important parts of an education in fine arts is to learn proper behavior at performances. Part of each student's performance grade in band will be based on behavior exhibited at performances. Failure to practice good concert etiquette makes performances much less enjoyable. General guidelines for concert etiquette can be found the website of the National Association for Music Education: HYPERLINK "http://www.menc.org/guides/etiquette/etiquette_home.html" http://www.menc.org/guides/etiquette/etiquette_home.html CELL PHONES The Spring Branch Independent School district guidelines on cell phones will extend to all Stratford Band after school rehearsals and concerts. Students may NOT have cell phones on during rehearsals or performances. Refer to your Stratford Student Handbook for specific guidelines. STRATFORD BAND NEWSLETTER The newsletter is printed periodically through the year via E-mail. If you have any information or news to print, contact Mr. McArthur. If your E-mail changes, or if you are new to Stratford, please E-mail the correct address to Mr. McArthur (see page one). STUDENT ACTIVITIES Questions come up from time to time about what is a school sponsored band activity and what is not. Other than practices and performances, any trip or other activity sponsored by the Stratford Band will be announce by the Band Directors and generally required a parent permission form. They will also be posted on the band website. While many band students have informal parties and gatherings after football games, etc. these should not be considered school sponsored events. If you have any questions about activities, please contact Mr. McArthur. E-MAIL ADDRESS, WEB SITE, AND VOICE MAIL If you are new to Stratford and have an E-mail account, please send an E-mail to Mr. McArthur at the following address: david.mcarthur@springbranchisd.com Mrs. Thompson can be reached at: suzanne.thompson@springbranchisd.com Information from boosters and band directors is sent out periodically, as E-mail is the fastest and easiest way of communicating. Each week during football season and before upcoming events, reminders will be sent out concerning arrival times for games, or any other information about upcoming events. Information is also placed on the voice mail recorders and web site. The voice mail can be accessed by dialing the following: 713-251-3463. (please do not leave messages during summer months prior to June 25) REMINDER – If you are going to be out of town during any of the scheduled summer band practices, please send a letter or E-mail stating the dates you will miss to: Stratford High School Band 14555 Fern Drive Houston, TX. 77079 Sincerely, David McArthur Suzanne Thompson

BAND HANDBOOK AND INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION
This page contains general information about the Stratford Band

SUMMER BAND

ATTENDANCE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! If you are going to be out of town during any of summer band camp, please send a letter or E-mail to Mr. McArthur stating the date(s) you will miss to:
Stratford Band
14555 Fern Drive
Houston, TX 77079
david.mcarthur@springbranchisd.com

BAND PLACEMENT

Each semester, students will be assigned to one of three concert bands. The bands are assigned based on musical ability and instrumentation. Percussion and color guard members will be in a separate class for the fall semester. Students will audition again for Spring semester band placement. Students must meet the requirements of their assigned band or will be reassigned. All students are expected to be enrolled in the band class the entire year; Mr. McArthur must approve all exceptions. All students are expected to participate in Marching Band. Conflicts with SCHOOL activities can be worked out on an individual basis.

If transportation is a problem, please call the Stratford Band Hall Voice Mail (713-251-3463) and let us know. We have many upperclassmen that are willing to help provide transportation for any students that need it. (note- Voice messages only stay on the system for approximately one week. If calling between June 3 and July 25, it is possible that the message will not be received, so please use e- mail or regular mail if possible)

GRADING AND ATTENDANCE POLICIES

Grades will be determined as follows:

Assignments (50%) – This will include tests over music, SmartMusic assignments, region band music assignments, solo assignments, classroom participation, written work, choreography tests for color guard, etc.

Rehearsal/Performance (30%) – Students will receive a grade for attendance at all rehearsals and performances.

All students will begin each six weeks with a Rehearsal grade of 100. This will be lowered 10 points for each unexcused absence and 5 points for each unexcused tardy.

All students will begin each six weeks with a Performance grade of 100. This grade will be lowered 50 points for each unexcused absence and 20 points for each unexcused tardy.

The rehearsal and performance grades will be averaged together to determine the Rehearsal/Performance portion of the six weeks average.

Reasons to be excused from a rehearsal or performance generally include the following:
Illness, family emergency, or conflicting school activity (should be discussed with the director well in advance)

ONLY EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD CAUSE A STUDENT TO MISS A PERFORMANCE!

All non-emergency excuses should be presented in writing and approved by the student’s band director prior to the absence. E-mail from the PARENT’S e-mail address or messages from PARENTS on the director’s voicemail are sufficient. Any excuse notes received after the absence will not be accepted. *In emergency situations, excuse notes should be presented to the student’s director immediately upon return to school.

**Please regularly check your student’s attendance on the Charms website.

Scales/Dressing Out (20%) – All wind and percussion students will be assigned various scale patterns each six weeks. Color Guard students are required to dress out and wear gloves for each class. Five points will be deducted per instance of forgetting gloves or not dressing in the appropriate clothing.

Semester Exam – Audition Test and/or written test. The first semester playing exam will be over excerpts from the region band audition music. The second semester playing exam requirements will be announced in April/May. Color Guard semester exam requirements will be announced at least 6 weeks in advance.

ITEMS NEEDED

ALL STUDENTS need the following materials for summer band and fall marching band rehearsals:

Flip Folder and Lyre - All students will be expected to have their music with them at all times during rehearsals. Lyres can be purchased at local music stores.
Athletic Shoes - All students will need to wear shoes that are appropriate for marching (primarily athletic tennis shoes). High-tops, deck shoes, sandals, flip-flops, or shoes with high heels are NOT appropriate. *Students may be sent home if they are not wearing marching appropriate footwear and will receive an unexcused absence.
Hat - A hat is highly recommended to protect students from the heat and sun during rehearsals. SUNSCREEN IS A MUST!
Water Container – All students should have a water container at all rehearsals. All students are furnished one Stratford Band Water Bottle to use during marching practice and all performances. Students will be provided with appropriate, short water breaks during rehearsals. A personal cooler will save having to wait in line for water. Make sure that all personal items are labeled with the student's name to prevent loss.

REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULES

Schedules for the current school year are posted in this website. A calendar of fall rehearsals will be given to students at the beginning of the school year. Students are expected to attend ALL performances and rehearsals throughout the year. The band generally rehearses Monday thru Thursday during football season from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. (see fall schedule for exact times and dates). Schedules will be adjusted for weather, holidays, etc. Students should not miss practice unless absolutely necessary. Examples of excused absences are: illness, family emergencies, and tutorials. Notes should be given to the directors as soon as possible if a student needs to be excused from a rehearsal. Work is not considered an excused absence. Excessive absences from rehearsals for any reason will be cause for removal from the marching show. During the spring semester, students generally practice after school one or two days a week from January through April. Rehearsals and performances, including football games, are graded activities! There are generally no excused absences from performances, other than illness, emergencies, etc. Conflicts with other school activities can be worked out between sponsors and band directors. Any other performance conflicts will need to be approved by your director at the beginning of each semester. After the fact non emergency excuses will not be accepted. PLEASE NOTE: Drivers Ed. classes should not be scheduled in August through the middle of November, or from February through April.
If you would like for you child to ride home with an ADULT after an off campus performance, a written note signed by the parent must be given to Mr. McArthur or Mrs. Thompson prior to leaving. The adult should inform a director, not a chaperone, prior to leaving the area. Students will not be allowed to ride home with other students. All students are expected to ride to the performance location together, unless giving prior permission by a director.

STUDENT BAND OFFICERS/LEADERSHIP

Many band students will have opportunities to hold leadership positions in the Stratford Band. Some positions, such as drum major, require tryouts. Students in leadership positions are expected to be good role models not only in band, but in other classes as well. Students may be prevented from applying for, or may be removed from any leadership positions for the following reasons: failure to carry out responsibilities of the position, failure to maintain eligibility, excessive absences from performances, rehearsals or leadership meetings, assignment to campus or district AEP, or any other thing that would detract from being a positive role model.

ACADEMICS

Students are expected to maintain passing grades ALL year. "No Pass, No Play" policies and standards are used throughout the school year. If you need to attend tutorials during a Band rehearsal, notify Mr. McArthur or Mrs. Thompson PRIOR to the rehearsal. We also have band students that will be glad to assist you.

MUSIC

This year’s marching show will include music from "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsakov. Most music used in class will be furnished. All music needed for marching season has been posted in the Charms "Handouts" section and should be printed at home. Please see a Librarian if you are unable to print at home. Lost copies of the music will need to be replaced by students.

FEES

The following is a list of fees for Stratford Band members. Some of these fees apply to all students while others apply only to freshmen, or new students. Most fees and expenses can be paid with money from fundraisers. (see section on fund raising)

Assistance can be provided for students in financial need. If you have problems with any of these fees for financial reasons, have one of your parents contact Mr. McArthur. We will not deny participation for students in financial need.
Activity Fee ($160) - This fee is required of all band members at the beginning of each year. This fee is used for a wide variety of expenses that the Stratford Band incurs during each school year. It also covers marching uniform cleaning expenses, and cokes for students during football games, and your band T-shirt (see below). Please have your child pay this fee on the first day of summer band. Checks may be made out to: STRATFORD BAND. (You may make two or more payments if necessary). *Note: The fee for Color Guard students is ($175) and includes a personal equipment bag.
Shoes – ($36) - We will be fitting for shoes in August. All students must wear the identical style shoe. Payment must be made before shoes will be issued.
Gloves - Gloves are $4.00. Each student will need one pair of gloves for performance and one for practice. The performance gloves must be clean and in good shape, or they will need to be replaced.
Band T-shirt –The T-shirt will be worn in the stands during warm football games, and be worn at some band performances. The cost of this shirt is included in the Activity Fee. Failure to wear the current band t-shirt may result in being sent home from a performance or wearing your uniform jacket throughout the entire football game.
Garment Bag - ($28) - This is purchased so students can take off their marching coat during warm football games.
Color Guard Fees – These fees vary from student to student, as each student orders different items. Please see Mrs. Thompson for a current invoice and list of fees.
Winter Guard – ($550-$700) – This activity fee is used to completely fund the winter guard competition season. This fee covers the cost of instruction, choreography, drill design, show design, uniforms/costumes, equipment, flags, floor covering, snacks, and many other things throughout the winter guard season. Students are encouraged to participate in fundraisers to help pay for this amount. Note: This amount is determined as the budget changes throughout the season. The final payment due may change. You will be given a payment schedule at the beginning of September.

SPRING TRIP

Each spring, the band takes trip, generally to attend a music festival. The band alternates each year between out of state and in state trips. This year, the band will travel to Winterpark, Colorado, subject to district approval. At this time, we expect the cost to be around $1,000. More information will be posted as the trip details are finalized. Students are subject to district and band rules when going on trips. The expectation is that students are able to follow band and district rules concerning behavior. Students having problems in this area should not plan to go on trips with the band.
Note: Students must be academically eligible at the time of the trip. Trips are normally paid for in three or four deposits. The first deposit is normally not refundable. Group travel requires many prepaid expenses. Once payments are made to vendors, refunds further deposits cannot be refunded for any reason. If you decide not to go on the trip after paying deposits, please notify Mr. McArthur in writing ASAP. PASS YOUR CLASSES and avoid losing any or all of your money!

FUND-RAISERS

The Stratford Band provides students with three opportunities during the year to fund raise. The money that is raised from these student fundraisers goes into "STUDENT ACCOUNTS." Each student has his/her own account and all money earned by the student goes into this account. The money in these accounts may be used to pay for most of the expenses that occur during the student's affiliation with the Stratford Band. (All fees, trips, band banquet tickets, etc.) Each student's account is carried over from year to year until graduation, at which time any funds remaining are placed into the Stratford Band Activity Account. If a graduating senior has a younger brother or sister, the funds may be transferred into the sibling's account. We encourage everyone to actively fund raise!
The Stratford Winter Guard will participate in other fundraisers to raise money for the winter guard competition season. Because winter color guard does not receive district funding, the students raise the necessary funds for the organization to continue each year. Some fundraisers will include a Spin-a-Thon, Golf Tournament, Smoothie King sales during lunch, two car washes, and others. Please contact Mrs. Thompson if you have any questions about fundraisers for Winter Guard.

DRUM CORPS SHOW

On Thursday, August 11th, the “DCI 2010: Big, Loud, and Live 8” will be airing at local movie theaters. This live telecast will feature the drum corps performances at the DCI Quarterfinals. Please visit the DCI website for more information and to purchase tickets online. The Stratford Band will be attending the show at the Memocial City Mall movie theater. Hurry, these tickets sell-out fast!
HYPERLINK "http://www.dci.org" http://www.dci.org

STRATFORD BAND BOOSTER MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Stratford Band Boosters is open to all parents with children in the Stratford Band Program. This organization is an integral part of the Stratford Band, and without parental support the band would not be successful. For more information, see the Booster Page on this website. All parents are encouraged to be active members.

PARENTAL SUPPORT AT GAMES AND CONTESTS

We encourage all parents to attend all football games and contests in which Stratford Band is involved. Your support and cheers only makes us perform better. When attending contests always be courteous and support EACH BAND. If you would like to volunteer to be a chaperone at one of our football games or other events, please call Mr. McArthur and leave your name and phone number.

CONCERT ETIQUETTE

One of the most important parts of an education in fine arts is to learn proper behavior at performances. Part of each student's performance grade in band will be based on behavior exhibited at performances. Failure to practice good concert etiquette makes performances much less enjoyable. General guidelines for concert etiquette can be found the website of the National Association for Music Education:
HYPERLINK "http://www.menc.org/guides/etiquette/etiquette_home.html" http://www.menc.org/guides/etiquette/etiquette_home.html

CELL PHONES

The Spring Branch Independent School district guidelines on cell phones will extend to all Stratford Band after school rehearsals and concerts. Students may NOT have cell phones on during rehearsals or performances. Refer to your Stratford Student Handbook for specific guidelines.

STRATFORD BAND NEWSLETTER

The newsletter is printed periodically through the year via E-mail. If you have any information or news to print, contact Mr. McArthur. If your E-mail changes, or if you are new to Stratford, please E-mail the correct address to Mr. McArthur (see page one).

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Questions come up from time to time about what is a school sponsored band activity and what is not. Other than practices and performances, any trip or other activity sponsored by the Stratford Band will be announce by the Band Directors and generally required a parent permission form. They will also be posted on the band website. While many band students have informal parties and gatherings after football games, etc. these should not be considered school sponsored events. If you have any questions about activities, please contact Mr. McArthur.

E-MAIL ADDRESS, WEB SITE, AND VOICE MAIL

If you are new to Stratford and have an E-mail account, please send an E-mail to Mr. McArthur at the following address: david.mcarthur@springbranchisd.com
Mrs. Thompson can be reached at: suzanne.thompson@springbranchisd.com

Information from boosters and band directors is sent out periodically, as E-mail is the fastest and easiest way of communicating. Each week during football season and before upcoming events, reminders will be sent out concerning arrival times for games, or any other information about upcoming events. Information is also placed on the voice mail recorders and web site. The voice mail can be accessed by dialing the following: 713-251-3463. (please do not leave messages during summer months prior to June 25)
REMINDER – If you are going to be out of town during any of the scheduled summer band practices, please send a letter or E-mail stating the dates you will miss to:

Stratford High School Band
14555 Fern Drive
Houston, TX. 77079

Sincerely,

David McArthur
Suzanne Thompson

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