Welcome to the home of the Standard Middle School Bands

Welcome page last updated 5/09/08

Spring Concert Thursday May 8th, was a HUGE SUCCESS!

HUGE CROWD! GREAT PERFORMANCES! GREAT COOKIES!

Thanks and CONGRATS to ALL!

You can also call our state legislators, Jean Fuller 395-2995 and Nicole Parra 334-3745 and ask them to remember that budget cuts hurt kids!

PLEASE HELP!

The Standard School District has announced a list of proposed budget cuts for 2008-09.( You can see the list here ) TWO ITEMS on this list could have a tremendous negative impact on the Standard Warrior Band.

First is SUSPEND ZERO PERIOD. Although it has been expanded in recent years (over my protests), zero period PE was originally created to protect Band after extra elective periods were cut. Band students are some of the best students in the school. Other teachers recruit them to be in classes such as yearbook, leadership and AVID. Without ZERO PERIOD band students could no longer choose to take one of these other classes and still remain in band. The negative impact on Warrior Band enrollment could be large! But Warrior Band is not the only music program that would suffer. Did you know that SMS has a unique music peer-tutoring program? In fact, I know of no other school in the county that has anything like it. Currently there are 15 Warrior Band members taking zero period PE just so they can serve as "Band-aides" and assist me in teaching the 6th grade beginners. Without ZERO PERIOD, this program would disappear! Band-aides are a vital part of our beginning band program and their absence would be a very great loss.

PROPOSAL: I have already told the SMS principal that I would be willing to give up our music equipment and supplies budget for 1 year in order to help pay for one zero period pe class for band members only. I also offered to give up my $1500 stipend. The band boosters have also offered to do extra fund-raising to help pay for a band-only zero period PE class.

The SECOND district proposal is SUSPEND BAND TRIPS. Many students are attracted to band in ther first place because of the opportunity to perform and/or compete in public in many different locations. If "band trips" include all performances off campus, that could mean NO honor band, NO CMEA Festival, NO community service appearances at nursing homes or in the Christmas or Veteran's Day parades. And of course, no more award winning Standard warrior marching band. Without zero period PE, and knowing that the band would be unable to go anywhere or do anything, how many students would make the choice to continue to be in band??? 

IMPORTANT NOTE: this would also mean the end of our color guard program. The CG program has existed for years with very little financial support from the district. In fact, in the last few years, the new ID Shileds were purchased for almost $5000 at NO COST TO THE DISTRICT.  In 2007, $7000 CG uniforms were purchased at NO COST TO THE DISTRICT. In 2006 and 2007, almost $3000 was spent on CG summer camp AT NO COST TO THE DISTRICT. All this money came from a combination of parent-student fund-raising and donations from the band director.

In fact, the band program as a whole has a record of helping out the district with costs whenever possible. Just this year $1200 from the band account was transferred to the district to help pay instrument repair costs. The current band uniforms were paid for with a 50% contribution from band fundrasing (approx $17,000), and the district pays NOTHING for upkeep on the uniforms! Over the last twenty years, ALL entry fees for EVERY trip to a competition have been paid from our band fundraising. this probably totals somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000!!! When discussing "band trips", It is also very important to stress that the band/CG has always paid its own way to KNOTTS without ANY district money.  The extra trip this year to the new Fresno State band Festival will be paid for by student fund-raising efforts and a donation from the band director.

Either one of these proposals alone would hurt the band. Both of them together could kill it. I am willing to undertake even more fundraising and do whatever else it takes to keep the Standard Warrior Band and Color Guard at the high level of excellence that I have fought all these years to attain. But I can not do it alone! There is another school board meeting Tuesday May 16th, 7pm. Please plan to attend. If  you can not  attend, then make phone calls! Call our new superintendent, call our school board members, call our principal!  CALL other parents and get them to call!! OR, go to www.standard.k12.ca.us and click on the superintendents blog and leave comments.  OR Email Dr Siberberg, the superintendent at  ksilberb@standard.k12.ca.us   Call our booster president Mrs White and let her know you want to help! 387-0488.

NOTE from Mr Walls 4/30/08.... Thanks to all those who have expressed their support in so many different ways. I believe that you have made an impact! We are now in the "home stretch". The school board will have to vote on a budget soon. The next school board meeting is Tuesday May 13, the same day as our WMB&CG trip to Knotts. Many of us will be unavailable to get to the meeting so we need those of you who are not going down to LA with us to attend the meeting and stand up for the BAND!!

Click Here to email Mr W   Please use this link if you are not on Mr W's email list and ask to be added !

School News:

• 8th graders visit NHS for reg/orientation May 5&6 (Band /CG 8th grade goes May 5)

WMB&CG News: (see NewsBriefs for message from our booster club president)(see Advance Planner for list of upcoming events)

Events for this upcoming week of 5/5/28

• Morning practices MWF for all WMB&CG for KNOTTS trip
• Afternoon practice for all CG on Tues after school until 4:30pm and Carib carnival routine people on Mon. after school.
• Open Band Room Tuesday May 6 5:30-7:30pm (see below)
  
• WB/CB performs for 5th Grade Orientation Tuesday May 7th
• Spring Concert Thursday may 8th

MORNING Practices for WMB and CG for KNOTTS trip resumed Monday April 14th and run MWF, just 1more week plus one Monday until Knotts trip on Tuesday May 13.

Open Bandroom is Tuesday May 6, 5:30-7:30pm. 5th and 6th graders not currently in band are invited to come and look at and try the band instruments to hopefully find one they would like to play next year. 6-7-8th graders currently in band will be needed as hosts and hostesses. ALSO, current band members (and parents) who might be considering purchasing their own instrument or "stepping up" to a better quality instrument will have a chance to try some new instruments and speak to a rep from Nick Rail Music.

Note to parents: Warrior Band will be practicing for the Fresno State Festival on Wed 5/14 12:30pm to 2pm (school dismissed 12:20 that day).

For a complete look at the WB and CG calendar and schedule for the entire year, please see our  Advance Planner.