Hi, hey, hello!
Forgive me for starting this email with a personal note to all families and students. There are a few things that need to be communicated, but I also feel the need to share with you all some of my thoughts. Transparency has always been important to me and I work to maintain that transparency when appropriate and possible. Everything that has happened since March continues to impact our world, our community, and our expectations of what we know to be "normal." No decision during this time has been easily made and there is always a presence of this question: are we doing enough to keep our students and faculty safe? We truly do not have an answer for this right now - we can only keep trying and evaluating, adjusting what needs to be adjusted. This has been a trying time for everyone and I want to share with you all a little bit of my personal experience and journey as well. I've always maintained a packed schedule, beginning when I was in my high school band program at Triad High School: band, honors classes, work, and spinning at an independent winter guard kept me busy. I continued that busy schedule throughout college and maintained it even when I began teaching full time. Last fall, on top of teaching in Bethalto with a full program, I was teaching the color guard at Highland High School, as well as beginning master's classes at SIUE. Staying busy fulfilled me as a person, made me feel necessary and needed. However, there were days where I would be tired, in need of a break that would never come because there was always a performance to prepare for, a rehearsal that needed attending, or anything else that comprises a life of a busy person. I would be strung out, exhausted, but still sign up for more. Because being active and busy, every second of every day, allowed me to feel important. When the lockdown first happened in March, I was accepting of it. There was nothing we could do to change the current circumstance and acceptance was all that could have happened at that time. I maintained positivity under the impression that we might be heading back to school in April, we still had our spring concert to prepare for, after all! And I cherished the thought of a break at that point in time. Then, the news came that we wouldn't be returning to school in the spring. We wouldn't have our spring concert and all of the end of the school year celebrations wouldn't be able to occur, either. Again, I accepted it. Moved on to the marching season. Why fight what you cannot control? I was over the break now, ready to move back to normal, but we weren't quite there yet. Throughout the summer, our marching band season evolved based on state guidelines. News just kept coming down - this is cancelled, this can't happen in the way that we are used to, etc. Information never stopped - information overload was normal. And through this all, I kept thinking of you, the band students. And I thought of all the experiences that you would be missing out on and how to make those happen in some way, even if not the "normal" way. Having the opportunity to see you all in person throughout band camp was exactly what I needed to start the school year. I was ecstatic that we were starting the school year in person as well - even if it was split the way it was on the hybrid schedule. Two days with you in person was worth the three days of remote. I was fully over the idea of a break at this point in time. I was ready to return to our normal. While nervous, I was excited about the block schedule change. I could see all of you in one day?! Just imagine the sense of normalcy that we were headed toward! And the pure amount of rehearsal time that you can fit into 70 minutes? AMAZING! And then Monday, with the announcement of CM going full remote until December 4. It hit me hard - I wasn't expecting it and I reacted with less grace than I could have. But, as a musician, I'm emotional and my emotions were warring with my sensibility at the time. They still are, in a sense. But the way the students worked with me in our remote classes helped ease my heart with the situation. There are so many things to complain about right now. So much that isn't going the way we expect it to. But one thing that will continue to get us through this time is trying to look at the good things that are happening around us and fully appreciate what we didn't appreciate before. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and looking ahead to Thanksgiving, which is a time spent with family, lovely food, and warm thoughts, I wanted to share with you, my band family, one of the things that I am thankful for right now. I am thankful for you all. It sounds cheesy and overdone, and I won't fault you for your eyes rolling after reading that statement, but I will always maintain this: being a band director of a program requires a person to wear a lot of hats. I've included a picture below that makes fun of all the roles and duties a band director may have to take on. But throughout all of these hats, roles, and duties, one thing has always stayed true. My favorite part of the job, of the hats, are all of you. The Actual Update As you all know, we have moved to fully remote schooling until December 4. We will not know a decision about the rest of the 2nd quarter until closer to December 4. This has impacted our band program in a few ways: 1. Pep band dates that are scheduled during this remote learning will NOT be taking place. 2. All rehearsals scheduled during this time until December 4 are cancelled. 3. Our Christmas Concert recording that is scheduled for December 14 will be postponed to January. Some things to continue to be aware of: 1. 2nd Quarter Playing test is due December 4 by 11:59pm. This has been posted to GoogleClassroom. 2. Rehearsals for December 7 and on are still scheduled. Please plan to attend as normal. If this changes, I will inform you. 3. Tri-M will meet virtually on the scheduled meeting dates during remote learning. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Musically yours -- Michaela Davis
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Weekly UpdatesUpdates will go out weekly to all band parents and students. If you're not receiving these updates, double check Miss Davis has the most up-to-date email address for you! Archives
April 2024
Categories |