Pride of McAlester Band Newsletter
Check back often! Updated 10/24/23
Students of the Week
October 25th - OSSAA State 5A/6A Marching Contest @ Muskogee
Wear Show Shirt, Solid Black Athletic Shorts, and Long Black Socks. Any hair past ear length is required to be up in a high bun. Minimal makeup and jewelry.
6:30am - Load Everything!
7:00am - Roll Call on Buses
8:20am - Arrive at Muskogee: UNLOAD
10:00am - Dressed
10:20am - Transit to Warm Up
10:35am - Warmup
11:35am - Transit to Stadium
11:30am - Prelim Performance
12:00pm - Load equipment
12:30pm - Load Buses
12:45pm - Lunch in Muskogee (BRING MONEY)
3:00pm - Arrive @ Stadium: UNLOAD QUICK
Weather
Temperature ranges from 68-77 with a 30 percent chance of rain. You can wear your Pride of McAlester Hoodie, Sweatpants, and Jacket but you have to have your show shirt and shorts on underneath. Put your initials on the label of your sweats.
Checkout Policy
All academically eligible students will ride the bus to the contest. Any student wanting to leave after the contest will need to be checked out by their parents at the buses with the bus chaperones after everything is loaded and will need to have someone unload their equipment when we get home.
Expectations for Behavior and Conduct
Represent yourself, family, school, band, and community with dignity and respect. Be where you need to be early and travel in groups of 3 or more. All rules for student behavior will be followed in accordance with the student handbook. Blankets are not to be shared! PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION & SEXUAL ACTS ARE PROHIBITED. While already a policy in the MPS Student Handbook, more descriptions are given here: Students are not to touch each other while you are on a school trip with The Pride of McAlester. There will be absolutely no physical contact, and students sitting next to each other will leave space between them. Examples of PDA include but are not limited to: hugging, kissing, holding hands, touching faces, sitting on another student’s lap, and laying across another student’s lap. Any violation that can be considered PDA or sexual misconduct will not be tolerated and will be punished through the HS office on the next school day. Most importantly...HAVE FUN!!!!
October 26th - Rehearsal @ Stadium at 7:30am
October 26th - Car Bash Pep Rally @ Fenton Nissan
Wear Uniform T-Shirt, Solid Black Athletic Shorts, and Long Black Socks. Any hair past ear length is required to be up in a high bun. Minimal makeup and jewelry.
5:30pm - Arrive and warm-up
5:50pm - Tunnel/Pep Assembly Music
6:00pm - Watch them hit the car
6:15pm - Load and leave
Parents this doesn’t last long please be prepared to pick you student up between 6:15-6:20pm
October 27th - Rehearsal @ Stadium at 7:30am
October 27th - Home FB (Senior Night)
Wear Uniform T-Shirt, Solid Black Athletic Shorts, and Long Black Socks. Any hair past ear length is required to be up in a high bun. Minimal makeup and jewelry.
5:15pm - Dinner provided by First Baptist Church @ Band Building
5:45pm - Move equipment into stadium, get dressed into uniform
6:15pm - Warmup behind band stands
6:45pm - Pregame
7:00pm - Game Time
8:15pm - Halftime
3rd Quarter - You may go to the concession stand but be back with one minute left on the clock. Also they will not allow you to bring food onto the field or track
4th Quarter - HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can dress up but it must meet school dress code requirements and not affect your ability to play your instrument.
9:45pm - Game over
Weather
Temperature range is 72-59 with a 60-70 percent chance of rain. Bring Pride of McAlester Hoodie, Sweatpants, and Jacket with you to the game. Put your initials on the label of your sweats.
Expectations during the game
You are expected to be in the stands, in your section with your instrument ready to play. If you have to use the restroom please check out with a director first. Students will NOT be allowed to go to the concession stand after halftime. We will be providing snacks during halftime at this game.
Expectations for Behavior and Conduct
Represent yourself, family, school, band, and community with dignity and respect. Be where you need to be early and travel in groups of 3 or more. All rules for student behavior will be followed in accordance with the student handbook. Blankets are not to be shared! PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION & SEXUAL ACTS ARE PROHIBITED. While already a policy in the MPS Student Handbook, more descriptions are given here: Students are not to touch each other while representing The Pride of McAlester. There will be absolutely no physical contact, and students sitting next to each other should leave space between them. Examples of PDA include but are not limited to: hugging, kissing, holding hands, touching faces, sitting on another student’s lap, and laying across another student’s lap. Any violation that can be considered PDA or sexual misconduct will not be tolerated and will be punished through the HS office on the next school day. Most importantly...HAVE FUN!!!!
October 31st - Rehearsals Start @ MHS at 7:55am
November 3rd - Performance at Parker!
November 3rd - Pep Band Two FB @ Glenpool
November 4th - SEOBDA All-District & OKMEA First Round Auditions @ Durant MS
Saturday, November 4th
Durant Middle School
802 W. Walnut St.
Durant, OK 74501
HS Grab your instrument at MHS and Walk over to the Box Truck and Buses at RHMS
MEET @ Randy Hughes Middle School at 6:45 am.
Wear normal school appropriate clothes
Bring Money for concessions/food
Bring a fold up music stand and a PENCIL to mark cuts in music
6:45 am - Load instrument onto Band Truck
7:00 am - Roll Call on Buses and leave
8:15 am - Arrive at Durant MS, unload, find warm-up room
7th Grade Practice Gym
8th & 9th Grade East Commons (next to cafeteria)
10th-12th Grade - Stands & Seating in Big Gym on East Side (no one on gym floor)
Find your major scale (7th-9th) and mark your cuts listed on the wall.
8:30am - Meet at your audition room!!!!
Each student will be handed an audition card at their audition room. You will audition in order by audition number. Please be aware there will be students that do not show up so the audition order may have gaps. Please DO NOT LOSE YOUR AUDITION CARD! If you have any issues with your card, find a director.
9:00 am - Auditions Start
The auditions will last for several hours. The outside monitors are instructed to go in order of audition number so make sure you check-in regularly with the monitor and don’t miss your audition. Some rooms have multiple instruments that will be auditioning in the same room.
You may use your own music for the audition. If you use the stand copy make sure it's the correct music for your instrument. The order is scales, etudes, then sight reading. SCALES AND ETUDES ARE NOT TO BE PLAYED BY MEMORY!
10th-12th Grade there is NO SCALE REQUIREMENT. Scales are 2nd Round only in December. If you are auditioning for district only you will play the district required etude and sightreading. If you are auditioning for District & State, you will play both required etudes and sightreading.
Warm-up in the correct area (NO PLAYING IN THE HALLS OR OUTSIDE) and be ready for your audition. Don’t be a “warm-up room warrior.” After you are finished you may load your instrument back on the truck.
VERY IMPORTANT!!!! If you are wanting to be picked up in Durant by your parents, they must sign you out with Mr. Price (for all grades). He will be in the main office at Durant MS. If you are leaving with your parents, make sure you take your instrument with you.
Do not leave campus for any other reason!
There is a concession stand so bring money or pack a sack lunch. No food allowed outside the cafeteria!
2:00 pm - Approximate Time to leave Durant
3:30 pm - Approximate time to arrive at Randy Hughes Middle School
If you have any questions please email one of the directors. Also we need Chaperones!
mprice@mcalester.k12.ok.us - HS
tlopez@mcalester.k12.ok.us - 7th Grade
jadams@mcalester.k12.ok.us - 8th Grade
December 10th - Winter Concert @ S. Arch 2pm
December 14th - McAlester Christmas Parade (DATE CHANGE)
Rehearsal & Performance Attendance Exemption Form
Parents we have had several undocumented absences from our Monday Night and Saturday Rehearsals and performance. The purpose of the Exemption form is communication between the student and staff. This is essential to accurate grading of these rehearsals and performances.
The purpose of the exemption form is COMMUNICATION. It isn’t possible for the band director to know what every student is involved in at any given time. Lack of communication creates unnecessary stress and makes attendance grading difficult. Please be respectful - this form facilitates communication of a conflict with a required band performance or extra rehearsal (outside the school day). All exemption forms should be completed and turned in (with parent/guardian signature) at least one week in advance (except in emergency situations). Students do NOT need an exemption form for a school day absence (unless there is a performance scheduled).
School day absences: Students please send a remind text or email to Mr. Price. Parents call in the absence or send a doctors note if you child is sick to the main office. Absences during the school day that are undocumented or verified will result in a loss of 10 points off their weekly rehearsal and participation grade.
Copy link below and add the HS Band Schedule automatically to your calendar app
Marching Band Schedule 2023
MHS Band Master Calendar
Forms & Fees
The McAlester Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or veteran status. The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies and discrimination complaints: Title IXCoordinator TitleIXCoordinator@mcalester.k12.ok.us and 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator 504Coordinator@mcalester.k12.ok.us 200 E. Adams, McAlester, OK, 74501, (918)423-4771
Mark Price, Director of Bands
Email: mprice@mcalester.k12.ok.us
Website: mcalesterbands.com
Location: 1 Buffalo Drive, McAlester, OK, United States
Phone: (580) 230 - 1964
Facebook: facebook.com/mcalesterhighschoolband
Twitter: @mcalesterband