Excused Absences for Rehearsals

There are many puzzle pieces that must fit together correctly in order to have a successful band program that students and parents can enjoy and be proud to be a part of.  One of those puzzle pieces is student attendance at all rehearsals and performances.  This is an extremely important puzzle piece because band is a team activity and when any one person is missing it negatively affects all of the other members.  The reason for this is because at band rehearsals students are learning how their parts and marching fit with everyone else.  This is not something that students can learn at home, no matter how much they practice.  The individual may be able to succeed on his own, but until they and the people around them learn how to make things fit together, the puzzle cannot be completed.

More and more often we have noticed that more students are absent from Saturday morning rehearsals than rehearsals that take place during the week.  Because of this we are now requiring a doctor’s note for absences from all rehearsals.  If a student is sent home by the school nurse, that will be excused.  We apologize if this causes any inconvenience, but there are some who take advantage of the system we have in place.  When students sign up for band, they have made a commitment to adhere to the rehearsal schedule set forth.  When we all work together, great things can happen!