Please review the following information.  With an organization as large as ours, it is important that we each do our part to ensure a safe and successful season.  Please share this information with anyone and everyone.  Leadership:  Make sure each person in your section reads this.  As time passes, will we update this information as needed, but this is a good starting point.

  • Participants and ALL teaching/support staff must know the symptoms of COVID-19. Before rehearsals, instructors, parents and students will be asked to contact the band director if experiencing symptoms, or anyone who has had direct contact with those experiencing symptoms (i.e. family members).
    • Fever or chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    • Fatigue
    • Muscle or body aches
    • Headache
    • New loss of taste or smell
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
  • It is important that social distancing is adhered to before, during, and after rehearsals. This means you shouldn’t be ride sharing, etc.  We have a responsibility to each other to ensure that this activity can continue to safely take place.
  • There will be no access to the band rooms for the time being (unless you have/need a school owned instrument). All students (except school owned instruments) must bring your equipment to and from rehearsal.
  • You must bring YOUR OWN water bottle and supply of water. Water fountains inside of the building are turned off. 
  • Percussion and Guard students should enter the building through the Aux Band Room garage door. Do not enter through the main lobby.
  • All other students will meet at the parking lot practice field. Do not enter the building.

 

Outdoor/Indoor Band Rehearsal Considerations:

  • When scheduling, directors will consider building occupancy or gathering standards, entry points and available interior space.  As recommended by the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health, physical distancing guidelines will be preserved in the case a group enters the building due to inclement weather or emergency. Entering the building during inclement weather will be a last resort-  if inclement weather is in the forecast, rehearsals will be cancelled.
  • Participants will wear masks at all times when not music making. Excessive heat will be taken into consideration.
  • Directors and participants must self screen before coming on campus for symptoms of illness or contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19. If a student, or anyone in the student’s household, is positive for COVID-19 or showing symptoms, that student will be excused from rehearsals for a 14 day period.  Any individual experiencing symptoms must immediately be sent home.
  • Students must take their temperature before coming to campus. We will either have a Google form for you to fill out, or will log that you took your temperature during rehearsal.
  • Consider staggered arrivals or parking in every other space for student drivers
  • No group restroom breaks. Students will be permitted to use the restrooms one at a time if needed.
  • Proper protocols will be used when sharing equipment such as percussion mallets. If there is sharing of mallets/sticks, sanitization will occur.  There should be no sharing of brass or wind instruments.  Do not ask someone to carry your instrument or case for you.
  • Rehearsal groups will remain consistent through summer rehearsals for the purpose of contact tracing in the event a COVID-19 case is identified among students/staff. Instructors will remain with the same rehearsal groups throughout the season.
  • Directors will keep an accurate log of attendance at all rehearsals through whatever system is determined by the school district for possible contact tracing in the event a COVID-19 case is identified.
  • Directors will wear a face mask or face covering until the point that proximity to students is moot – for example, director is positioned on an observation tower and students on a marching field
  • Drill is being written to keep social distancing- our drill this year will be at a minimum of 3 step spacing, which is approximately 6 feet apart.
  • Students will not share water bottles. Each student must bring their own container for water during rehearsals.  There is to be no sharing of food or beverages.
  • All rehearsals, including music, will be held outside when possible. If indoor spaces must be used, students must adhere to CDC/Ohio Department of Health distance and room usage guidelines.\
  • Students should wipe down/sanitize their school owned instruments at the conclusion of each rehearsal.
  • No parents/alumni/etc will be permitted near rehearsal spaces, except pre approved volunteers who have been properly screened for COVID 19.
  • We are asking that our tradition of parents viewing our evening 2 a days rehearsals be suspended this year. While I know this is an enjoyable experience, please understand that any congregating or lack of social distancing is going to get us shut down.
  • Students/families will be asked to bring their own hand sanitizer to each rehearsal.
  • Students must maintain six feet of separation when not rehearsing. (No hanging out in groups during breaks, etc)
  • NFHS Guidelines will be followed by phases as directed by the Ohio and Stark County Department of Health

 

 

These best practices have been developed in accordance with recommendations from the CDC, Ohio Department of Health, and the NFHS.