The "Pride of the Tribe"

November 20, 2009

Re:  GISD Bands ChristmasConcert

To the parents of all GISD Band students:

I am writing this letter to inform you about the upcoming Christmas concerts.  As most of you already know,this is a required event for any students who are in a band class here at Ganado ISD.  There is a grade attached to their concert.  It counts as a major exam.  All students are expected to attend and take part in their concert.  I have been talking to the students about their concert since the beginning of November so this should not come as a surprise to any of them.  Hopefully, it won’t come as a surprise to you either. 

There will be two separate concerts.  On December 17th, the High School Band and the Jazz Band will perform.  All JHS and 6th grade students are welcome and encouraged to attend.  They will be given a “free” test grade of 100 for attending the concert and then writing a very short assignment about the concert.  On December 11th,the 6th grade, 7th grade and 8th grade bands will perform.   High School students willbe given the same opportunity for a “free” 100 at the JHS Band Concert. Both concerts will begin at 7:00 p.m.

We do have a dress code for the students during the concert that is a little stricter than the normal school dress code.  The dress code for boys will be as follows: Boys must wear slacks or dress pants. For example, “khaki” style pants, or suit pants are acceptable; however jeans of any sort are not acceptable. Boys must wear dress shoes or boots. Athletic style shoes, tennis shoes, and sneakers are not acceptable.  Boys must wear a button down shirt with a collar and a tie.  T-shirtsof any type are not permitted.  Neither shirts, nor pants should be made of denim! The dress code for girls will be as follows:  Girls may wear any typeof skirt and blouse, dress, pants suit, or slacks and blouse as long as it meets the following two requirements. First, it must fit the school dress code.  Second, the outfit can not be made of denim.  Dress shoes, sandals are allowed.  Athletic shoes, sneakers and flip flops are not permitted! 

If you are going to have to find or purchase clothes for this event, I would suggest black pants and a white top/shirt.

I can help find appropriate clothes if your child doesn’t have some of these items.  Please let me know if you need help finding these clothes for your child.  Any assistance needed in this matter will be held in the strictest privacy!  If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at the band hall as soon aspossible.  If I am not in the band hall when you call, leave a message on the answering machine that includes your number and the best time to reach you and I will call you back at that time!  The number at the band hall is 771-4360.

Thank you,

Patrick Flaniken

Band Director

Ganado ISD

5:45  Be seated in Band Hall.  Warm up, run through music with combined group.

6:30  Go outside, line up, march to the hill.

6:55  Parents Night begins

7:30  Game Starts

8th grade students will join us for this performance.  8th grade dress code will be tennis shoes, blue jeans and either a maroon and white shirt.  You will perform as if you were members of the high school band for everything except the marching portion of the half-time show.  You will sit with the band for the entire game.  You will be released for the third quarter break with the band and will be expected back in the stands at the same time as the high school students.  After the game is over, you will march back to the band hall with the high school band before being dismissed.

We will be traveling by charter bus to the State Marching Contest.  There will be rules specific to this trip.  Most of these are already covered in the band handbook that you received at the beginning of the year.

1.  You will be allowed to bring ONE bag with you on the bus for luggage.  Since we are only going for one night and you will be in uniform the next day, you don't need a lot of luggage packed.  All that you need to bring with you is your band t-shirt and shorts to wear beneath the uniform, your black socks, your sleepwear and your necessary hygiene products.   You may bring clothes to wear once we are done performing for the day.

2.  You may bring snacks/drinks on the bus.  Be reasonable in the amount that you bring.  Normal rules apply about drinks.

3.  NO VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS MAY BE BROUGHT! 

4.  Once we arrive at the hotel, you will get checked in and be put in your rooms.  There will not be time for use of swimming pools, etc.

5.  Once you are in the rooms, you may not leave for any reason until 5:30 a.m. 

6.  You will have a chaperone to whom you are assigned.  If you have any questions or need anything, you must speak to the assigned chaperone about it.  If they don't have an answer, they will contact me.  This includes the time in which you are in your rooms.  In case of emergency, call the chaperone first and then follow their instructions.

7.   Once we tell you that LIGHTS ARE OUT, all lights must be out and the TV off.  You need to be well rested so you will perform at your best.  The chaperones and I will walk the halls and perhaps open the door to your rooms if we think you have lights or the tv on after this curfew.

8.  Doors will be taped shut.  If the tape is broken during the night, that means that someone left the room after lights out.  The entire room will be punished accordingly.  Chaperones WILL be in the halls as well.

9.  No one is allowed in a room containing members of the opposite gender FOR ANY REASON! 

10.  When at the Alamodome, you must stay with the group unless you are going to the bathroom, concession stand, or souvenir stand.  If you leave to visit one of these areas, you must take a buddy along AND inform a chaperone.  You should be watching the other groups respectfully just as you would want them to watch your performance with respect.  

If I think of any other rules they will be added here.  Check back often!

Itinerary for UIL State Marching Contest

1:00 p.m.  Meet at band hall

1:15 p.m.  Load the buses to leave

1:45 p.m.  Arrive at Memorial Stadium in Victoria

2:00 p.m.  Rehearse to get used to the feel of artificial turf

2:45 p.m.  Rehearsal ends

3:15 p.m.  Leave Memorial Stadium

6:00 p.m.  Eat at Hard Rock Café

7:30 p.m.  Leave Hard Rock Café

8:00 p.m.  Arrive at Hotel

                                Check in,unload bus

9:00 p.m. Locked in rooms

10:00 p.m.  LIGHTS OUT!

Monday, November 2

5:30 a.m.  First Wake-up Call

5:45 a.m.  Second Wake-up Call

6:00 a.m.  Breakfast in Lobby

7:00 a.m.  Be on the bus in uniform pants, black socks, marching shoes, band t-shirt.  Have Coat, sash and hat with you. 

7:05 a.m.  Bus leaves with or without you!!!!

7:30 a.m.  Arrive at Alamodome.

                                QUICKLY unload bus and get ready for Warm-up time.

8:02 a.m.  Enter Warm-up Area

8:44 a.m.  Leave Warm-up Area

9:09 a.m.  Perform for STATE MARCHINGCONTEST

9:23 a.m.  Start lining up for Pictures

After Pictures, we will go back to the trailer and load the instruments.  Then we will go back into the Alamodome as a group.  You MUST be in uniform to re-enter the Alamodome.  We will, however, leave our hats (and if allowed) our coats on the buses.  We will finish watching the 1A prelims.  After the 1A prelims, there will be a “drummajor retreat” where the drum majors of each band will meet on the field to receive plaques for participation.  Atthis time, finalists will be announced. After this ceremony, we will go back to the bus where we will eat lunch.  Alamodome rules do not allow usto eat in the parking lot unless we are on the bus and if the bus leaves the parking area, we must pay for re-entry. We will have food delivered to us at this time.  If we advance to Finals, our evening schedule will be determined by our draw order.  If we do not advance to Finals we will return home after we eat lunch.

Things have been rather hectic for the last two days.  The intinerary will be posted tomorrow as it is finalized.  Right now here is what I have:

Leave Ganado sometime after church

Arrive in San Antonio have a short rehearsal if I can finalize arrangements on a field

6:00  Go to Hard Rock Cafe to eat

8:00 ish  Leave Hard Rock, go to hotel, check in, settle in, and have lights out early

Monday

Get up early, have breakfast, load bus, go to Alamodome

warm up time to be announced.

perform at 9:09 a.m.

1A prelims end around noon, shortly after have presentation of awards

stay for 2A finals

2A finals end around 5:15

If we don't make the 1A finals leave after 2A is complete.  If we do, we will stay and leave once we are done for the evening.  Schedule will be posted as soon as I know.

Hotel Information:

Comfort Inn Suites

6350 I-35 N

San Antonio

210-646-6600

I do not know if more rooms are available at this time.

When I have more info, I will update.

The Area E Marching Contest will be held at East Central High School in San Antonio on Oct. 24, 2009.  The format of this competition requires that there be a prelims and a finals IF there are enough bands to justify prelims.  In the case of 1A this year, there are not enough bands to have a prelims, so there will only be a "Finals" competition.    There WILL be a 2A prelims, which will start at 10:00 a.m.  After the 2A prelims are concluded, there will be a break for the judges and then the 1A Finals will begin.  when the 1A bands are finished, there will be a 2A Finals competition featuring the best ten 2A bands of the day.  At the conclusion of that competition, there will be a "retreat" where all of the Drum Majors from all of the 1A and 2A Finals bands will be recognized and awarded with a plaque.  Everyone will receive either a "participant" or a "finalist" plaque.  The bands that will advance to State will be announced at that time.  After our itenerary, I have posted the schedule for the entire day's events in case anyone is interested in reading it.

We will feed the band on the way to the stadium.  During the 2A finals, there will be a concession stand available for students, or students may bring a "sack lunch" to eat on the bus before we return to the stadium for the Finals.

OUR ITINERARY

11:15 a.m.  Meet at Band Hall

11:30 a.m. Run through at hill  (if the youth football games are still going on, we will run through on our parking lot.)

11:45 a.m.  Finish Run Through/Load equipment and uniforms/GO TO THE RESTROOM!!!!

12:30  p.m.  Buses Leave for San Antonio

3:00 p.m.  Arrive at The Steak Company in La Vernia for Late Lunch/Early supper

4:00-4:15 p.m.  Leave for Stadium

4:30-4:45 p.m.  Arrive at East Central High School, unload, get into uniform

5:15 p.m. Enter Warmup Area

5:45 p.m.  Leave Warmup

6:00 p.m.  Perform

6:15  p.m.  End of Performance return to trailer, load equipment, after equipment is loaded we will return to stadium.

7:30-10:15 p.m.  Watch 2A Finals

10:45 p.m.  Drum Major Retreat

11:15 p.m.  Load buses to return to Ganado

1:45-2:00 a.m.  Arrive back in Ganado!

2A PRELIMS

10:00  East Bernard HS  

10:15 Poth HS

10:30 Tidehaven HS

10:45 Harper HS

11:00 Blanco HS

11:15 Industrial HS

11:30 Odem HS

BREAK

12:15 Santa Rosa HS

12:30 Skidmore-Tynan HS

12:45 Navarro HS

1:00 Jourdanton HS

1:15 Van Vleck HS

1:30 Cotula HS

BREAK

2:00 George West HS

2:15 Brazos HS

2:30 Taft HS

2:45 San Diego HS

3:00 Randolph HS

3:15 Hebbronville HS

3:30 Refugio HS

3:45 Verification Period

4:15 Announce Results

1A FINALS

5:15  Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco

5:30  Charlotte

5:45 Falls City

6:00 GANADO

6:15 Nueces Canyon

6:30 Runge HS

6:45 Benavides

7:00 Verification Period

2A FINALS

7:30 Finalist 1

7:45 Finalist 2

8:00 Finalist 3

8:15 Finalist 4

8:30 Finalist 5

8:45 BREAK

9:00 Finalist 6

9:15 Finalist 7

9:30 Finalist 8

9:45 Finalist 9

10:00 Finalist 10

10:15 Verification Period

10:45 Announce Results (Drum Major Retreat)

7:45 a.m.  Arrive at school

8:00 a.m. RUN THROUGH

8:30 a.m. Load Trailer

9:00 a.m. Load bus, leave for El Campo

9:45 a.m.  Arrive in El Campo 

10:15 a.m.  Warmup

11:00 a.m. Perform

We will stay through the 2A bands so bring money for the concession stands if you wish.  I will post the departure time on Monday when I am back at school and have the schedule in front of me.

3:30  Everyone go to band hall, put horns on loading dock

3:40  Loading Crew start loading trailer

4:00  Loading Crew done loading trailer

4:45  Report to band hall, get uniforms, load on bus

5:15  Bus leaves for Shiner

6:30  Arrive in Shiner, unload bus and trailer

7:00 Be in stands for warmup/pregame

7:30 Game starts

10:00 Game ends

11:30-midnight  Arrive back in Ganado

12:15 a.m.  GO HOME AND GO TO BED!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the itinerary for the Edna Marching Contest.  It is a little different than past years, so make sure you know what's happening.

9:00 a.m.  Meet at Band Hall, load trailer and put on uniforms

9:30 a.m.  Leave for Edna

9:45 a.m. Arrive at parade route, unload, prepare for parade

10:15 a.m.  Parade starts

11:00  a.m. Parade ends, reload trailer, go to Edna High School, relax for a few minutes. 

Noon  Eat Pizza, do a runthrough on their practice field.

1:15 go to Warmup

1:45  Perform

2:00 Clinic

3:30 load buses to come home

The Boling Game is on Sept. 11.

5:15  Meet at band hall

5:30  Load busses and leave for Boling

6:30  Arrive at stadium.  Unload equipment, go to restroom, get ready to enter stands

7:00  Enter stands for pregame

7:30 Game starts

9:30 ish  Game ends, load equipment and busses to return to Ganado

11:00 ish  Arrive back at school. 

All Home football games will follow this itinerary:

3:30  Loading Crew report to band hall. 

6:00  Report to Band Hall.

6:15  Be seated in uniform, ready to warm up and tune.

6:50  Line up to march to stadium

7:00  March to stadium for pregame.

7:30  Game begins

9:30 ish  Game ends.  March back to band hall, put away uniforms and equipment.  Have parents pick you up in front of gym until further notice.

5:00 - 5:15  Report to Band Hall.  Make sure to have all needed equipment/uniform parts with you at this time.  For this game you MUST be wearing band shoes, black socks, blue jeans and the band polo.  That is the uniform we will be wearing.

5:30  Busses leave for Port Lavaca

6:30  Arrive in Port Lavaca at stadium.  Unload equipment, use the restroom, get ready to enter the stands.

7:00  Enter the stands.  Warm up. Pre-game ceremony

7:30  Game starts

9:30 ish Game ends.  Load equipment.  Check Roll.  Leave for Ganado

10:30 ish  Arrive in Ganado.  Unload equipment.  Go Home!

Please have parents waiting to pick you up when we arrive.  They can either be called via cell phone while you are on the bus or just told to be at the school at approximately 10:30.  Students must be picked up in front of the gym.  The gate leading to the band hall is closed for construction purposes!

Hello and welcome to the Ganado ISD "Pride of the Tribe" Indian Marching Band's official website.

Feel free to look around the site and see what we have.  If you think something is missing, contact Mr. Flaniken and let him know!  If you have some good pictures of the band, or band members in action, send them to him so he can post them here.  Don't be offended if not everything that is sent is posted as we do have some size limits as well as some constraints on whose pictures we are allowed to show online.

If there are changes to our normal routine or the listed schedules, this is where they will be posted.

Thank you!