Luke Hall
Band Director,
Treasure Coast High School
A well prepared and laid out calendar can have a significant impact on the success of a band program during the school year. This brief overview is intended to offer directors things to think about for your program and unique situation as you lay out your year. This article is addresses general information that applies to both middle school and high school directors, specific calendar considerations for middle school directors, and specific calendar considerations for the high school.
One of the first things to consider when laying out a calendar is how will students and parents access it. While it is still common to hand out a hard copy, a virtual calendar makes it much easier for students and parents to keep up with dates. If your band program uses Charms, the calendar app is worth using. Google Calendar is free and has many of the same features as the Charms calendar. Localendar is another good web based calendar program that is free with ads or can be used without ads for a nominal fee. All three calendar programs allow smartphone syncing. Ultimately, it is a matter of choosing which one is within your budget and best suits the needs of your program.
A rule of thumb when planning a calendar is the earlier you can submit dates to your school, the easier it is to make sure facilities are available and band activities can be equally prioritized with other school events. School districts typically publish the calendar for the following year between January and March. It worth planning summer dates then if your program has any summer camps or activities so students and their parents can be aware of them prior to making their plans for the summer.
I try to put in all of the major school dates and grading period ending dates on the band calendar as it helps me remember those dates too. It’s important to have those events in mind as you plan rehearsals and band functions as when a rehearsal or performance falls in relation to a grading period, exam or school function date can have an impact of the success of the event or student performance.
After putting in days off and important school dates, put in your known performance dates (MPA dates, Fall, Winter, Spring Concert dates, Football games, etc). Reserve any performance spaces you may need at this time. If you work in a performing arts department it would be worthwhile to communicate and plan these dates with the other teachers in your department to minimize facility and student conflicts.
Rehearsals should be published far enough in advance that students and their parents can build their schedules around the rehearsal schedule and conflicts can be resolved in a timely manner. Additional rehearsals may need to be called, but it is important to have a policy in place so that students can make the necessary arrangements to be at these rehearsals. It is important to also have a policy for cancelling rehearsals. The better informed students and their parents are of rehearsals and events the better attendance will be at that rehearsal or event.
The next two sections will be laid out by month with things to think about for each month as you lay out your calendar. This is not a definitive list, and things may happen at different time based on the needs of your students and your school community. It is a good idea to share your calendar with a more experienced colleague you trust prior to the start of the school year so they can help you make modifications to the calendar on things you may have missed.
Middle School
August –
- Parent Meeting
- Instrument Fittings
- Instrument Rental Night
- Mini Camp Date for beginners to learn how to care for their instrument/make embouchure
- Band Handbook Form/Syllabi Return Due Date
- Due date for letting the director know intent to audition for All-State
September –
- Parent Meeting
- All State Auditions
- Any after school rehearsals
October –
- Parent Meeting
- S&E Display (this may be held at your local high school or done jointly with other schools)
- Instrument Step-up night (this may be held at your local high school or done jointly with other schools)
- Fall Concert (If Applicable)
- Any after school rehearsals
- Middle School Band Night with your high school (If Applicable)
- Begin thinking about what your midterm for each class will be so you can publish that information at least a month in advance
- Marching MPA (if you wish to promote your students attend)
November –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
December –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
- Winter Concert
- Local High School Winter Concert Date (If Applicable)
- Deadline for informing director of intent to perform at S&E
January –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
- FMEA dates
- Any honor band dates
- Find out when your guidance counselors go out to your feeder schools to enroll students
February –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
- S&E Dates
- Jazz MPA Dates (If Applicable)
- Any honor band dates
March –
- Parent Meeting
- High School MPA (If you wish to promote your students attend)
- PreMPA if you are performing one
- Middle School MPA Date
- Start thinking about final exams so you can publish that information at least a month in advance
April –
May –
- Parent Meeting
- Spring Concert
- Recruitment Drives, Petting Zoos
- State Concert MPA (if you wish to take your students to watch)
- Inventory Check-in
- Local High School Spring Concert
- Submit rosters to guidance
- Spring Awards
June –
- Plan next year’s calendar
July –
High School
July –
- Leadership Training
- Freshman Camp
- Band Camp
August –
- Parent Meeting
- Band Handbook Form/Syllabi Return Due Date
- Due date for letting the director know intent to audition for All-State
- Football Games
September –
- Parent Meeting
- All State Auditions
- Any after school rehearsals
- Football Games
- Any mini-camp or Saturday rain-out rehearsal you may wish to build in
October –
- Parent Meeting
- Homecoming
- Any special trips for seniors your school may do (Howl-O-Scream, for example)
- S&E Display (this may be held at your school or done jointly with other schools)
- Instrument Step-up night (this may be held at your school or done jointly with other schools)
- Pre Marching MPA (you may decide to use a marching competition for this)
- Fall Concert (If Applicable)
- Any after school rehearsals
- Middle School Band Night
- Begin thinking about what your midterm for each class will be so you can publish that information at least a month in advance
- Marching MPA (if you wish to promote your students attend)
November –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
December –
- Parent Meeting
- Any Honor Band Dates
- Any after school rehearsals
- Local Holiday Parade (If Applicable)
- Winter Concert / Middle School Winter Concert Date (If Applicable)
- Deadline for informing director of intent to perform at S&E
January –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
- FMEA dates
- Any honor band dates
- Find out when your guidance counselors go out to your feeder schools to enroll students
- Pre Jazz MPA
February –
- Parent Meeting
- Any after school rehearsals
- S&E Dates
- Jazz MPA Dates
- Any honor band dates
- PreMPA
- Publishing Leadership application materials
- Publish Band Camp/Summer Dates
March –
- Parent Meeting
- High School MPA
- Middle School MPA Date
- Start thinking about final exams so you can publish that information at least a month in advance
- State S&E
April –
- Parent Meeting
- State Concert MPA
- Drum Major Auditions
- Leadership Interviews
- Prom
May –
- Parent Meeting
- Spring Concert
- Recruitment Drives, Petting Zoos
- State Concert MPA
- Inventory Check-in
- Local Middle School Spring Concert
- Last Day for Seniors
- Graduation
- Spring Awards
- Submit rosters to guidance
June –
July –
- FBA Summer Conference
- Band Camp
