Dear HHS Band Parents and Students,
One of the highlights of participating in band here at Hockinson High School is the opportunity to choose to travel with the band every two years to an exciting destination. Over the years, the band has traveled so such destinations as Disneyland/Southern California (twice), Washington D.C., and even Beijing, China! The Music Boosters and I believe these Performance Tours provide our band students both an enjoyable travel experience with their extended “band family”, and also a great music learning opportunity through the performance and clinic opportunities. Plus – they’re always fun!
As many of you know, I have been hard at work the last couple of months soliciting feedback from students and families regarding our biennial spring performance tour. Through conversations with parents at booster meetings, online surveys for parents and students, and consultation with our travel agency, Educational Discovery Tours, I have compiled pages and pages of feedback in an attempt to create an itinerary for a trip that would be the most appropriate and efficient combination of education and entertainment/recreation for the money.
All of this is why it gives me great pleasure to announce that in May of 2016, members of the award-winning Hockinson High School Band will have the opportunity to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii for a six-day, five-night performance tour! Students and chaperones will depart Portland for Honolulu on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 and return on on Memorial Day Monday, May 30, 2016. This trip will be sponsored by the Hockinson High School Music Booster Club.
In preparation for this trip, we would like to invite all students currently in grades 8-11 and their parents to an informational meeting next Thursday, March 26th at 7:30pm in the Hockinson High School Auditorium. We will review and discuss the trip itinerary and other pertinent paperwork, as well as discuss the possiblities of fundraising opportunities that may be available for students and chaperones to help pay for part or even all of the cost of the trip. We will start accepting registrations and deposits in the days following the meeting. We need to have a minimum of 36 students and 4 chaperones signed up for the trip by April 17th to lock in the trip. I would encourage all families to attend and learn more about the trip and some of the fundraising opportunities. One of the biggest reasons we are kicking off the preparations for this trip more than a year in advance is to give students and families ample time and opportunities to be able to raise money towards this trip.
For your information, here are the HHS Music Booster’s Performance Tour policies:
- The HHS Music Boosters goal is to offer Performance Tours every two years to allow all Band Students the opportunity to participate once or twice during their high school years.
- Performance Tours are organized by the HHS Music Boosters, but must receive approval from the Hockinson School District. The School District is not responsible for overseeing these tours, and assumes no liability for these tours.
- Performance Tours must provide an educational opportunity for our band students.
- Participation in Performance Tours is OPTIONAL. Students’ grades are not affected in any way by going or not going on the trip.
- The cost to participate in Performance Tours is the responsibility of the band student’s Parents/Guardians. The Parents/Guardians must agree to abide by the payment and refund policy established by the Tour Company (Note: all payments will be made by Parents/Guardians directly to the Tour Company – they accept checks or credit card).
- The HHS Music Boosters will assist students and their parents with coordination and planning of individual student fundraising opportunities to allow students the option of earning money to help pay for their tour costs. The Music Boosters will not be solely responsible for the organization and planning of these events. Fundraising will entirely be the responsibility of the students, with Music Booster oversight. These funds will be held in the HHS Music Boosters bank account in the student’s name as “student points”. All funds raised by students through HHS Music Booster sponsored fundraising will be paid directly to the Tour Company as a credit to the student’s account. If a student decides not to participate in the tour, their student fundraising money can NOT be reimbursed directly to the student, but will be held by the Boosters as “student points” that can be used to pay for other Booster-collected fees (i.e. – tuxes, dresses, marching hats, shoes, future tours).
- Tour Chaperones – our goal is provide 1 parent/guardian chaperone for every 10 students traveling. Chaperones must be pre-approved by the Hockinson School District as a Volunteer (background check required). Chaperones are responsible for the full cost of the Performance Tour.
- Student Code of Conduct – all students must sign a “Tour Participant Expectation” agreement in order to participate (example will be provided at the informational meeting).
We hope you will join us on this trip, as well as at our informational meeting next Thursday at 7:30pm in the Hockinson High School Auditorium.
Mahalo nui loa!
Corey McEnry
Director of Bands
Hockinson High School
16819 NE 159th Street
Brush Prairie, WA 98606
(360) 448-6450 x5594
corey.mcenry@hocksd.org
http://www.hockinsonmusic.com