Student illness and band
It's that time of year...
Between COVID, the changing weather, allergies, and a host of other reasons, this time of year seems to include the greatest number of student illnesses. We have seen band students with the flu, allergies, colds, sore throat...the works!
Being sick is no fun, but what is worse is being sick for an extended period of time. This special bulletin is to help inform you of what the best practices are for being absent from band, including who to notify, make-up policies, and how to disinfect an instrument safely.
My child is sick and will miss a day of school. For band, what do I do first?
After you have contacted the attendance office, the next thing to do would be to email the band director who teaches your child. Refer to the information below to figure out which director to contact and start an email.
In the email, include the name of your child, and a reason for the absence. You do not need to be specific - a simple "Little Johnny is sick and will stay home today" will suffice.
This helps all of us keep track of which students were absent because of illness and which students were absent for other reasons. This also allows us to send home any information your child may have missed in class that day, and allows us to adjust our plans if necessary.
If your student is scheduled to have a lesson on a day they are sick, please also email their private teacher.
I have emailed everyone I've needed to email. Now what?
Encourage your child to rest and get better. Depending on the severity of the illness, practicing an instrument may not help the situation. Rather, we encourage students to use this time to rest and get healthy so they can return to school quicker.
If you think the absence will be for an extended period of time, let us know! Missing more than a day of band can put a student behind in class. Letting us know when this occurs allows us to better plan for your child's return so we can get them caught up faster.
When in doubt, send us an email! We love hearing from you all and keeping tabs on your child. So, if you have a question, or think we need to know something about your child's situation, just send us an email!
What about the band policy for make-up work?
We accept make-up work due to illness up to a week after the student returns to campus. This applies to Canvas assignments and any other written assignments.
If they miss a sectional for Honor WInds or Symphonic, they have a week to make it up and can come with another sectional.
What about the instrument? How do I safely disinfect it?
This question is not commonly asked, but it is a vital step when your child is sick. A properly disinfected mouthpiece can prevent re-infection and help your child stay healthy.
Most students are trained on how to properly clean and care of their instrument. Here are some basic tips for each instrument:
All Instruments
- NEVER use any sort of chemical to clean an instrument!
- For illness-related cleaning, only worry about the mouthpiece and/or reeds of the instrument
Flute
- Use a polishing cloth to wipe the lip plate on the head joint of the instrument
- Be careful not to rub too vigorously as this will damage the finish
- Wash the swab in the washing machine
- At no point should the instrument ever get wet as it will damage the pads on the keys
Clarinet/Saxophone
- Throw away any reeds that were recently played on to get rid of any remaining germs
- Use a soft towel with warm water to wipe down the mouthpiece, except for the cork
- If the student has a mouthpiece brush, gently push and pull the brush through the mouthpiece a few times to clean the inside
- Once finished, dry the mouthpiece and swab through the inside being careful not to damage or chip the mouthpiece
- At no point should the instrument ever get wet as it will damage the pads on the keys
- Wash the swab in the washing machine, careful not to get knots in the string.
Oboe/Bassoon
- Throw away any reeds that were recently played on to get rid of any remaining germs
- At no point should the instrument ever get wet as it will damage the pads on the keys
- Wash the swab in the washing machine, careful not to get knots in the string.
Trumpet/Horn/Trombone/Euphonium/Tuba
- With warm water and soap, gently wipe down and rinse the mouthpiece thoroughly
- Be careful not to rub too vigorously or use water that is too hot for it may damage the finish
- If the student has a mouthpiece brush, gently push and pull the brush through the mouthpiece a few times to clean the inside
- Once finished, dry the mouthpiece thoroughly
Percussion
- Make sure your sticks are clean by wiping them down with a cotton cloth
- Do not use any chemicals or liquids on the sticks
- Also, do not touch or wipe the yarn on the end of the mallet sticks
Creek Valley Band
We are always here to help! If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's band director.