Westside Middle School Band

COVID-19 Precautions in the WMS Bandroom

 

The health, safety, and welfare of all band members and stakeholders is the top priority for the band director, Mr. Pearce, and the administration at Westside Middle School. With the current health crisis and pandemic situation going on, certain changes to class procedures and organization will be taking place. These changes are being implemented to reduce the risk of transmission/spread of virus/illness. The changes are:
 

Performance/Set-Up Changes

•    Students will be seated at an expanded distance apart in the band room and at all public performances.
•    All students will have their own stand and chair to use in class and for any public performance.
•    Students will not share any materials, instruments, books, etc., with any other student, so it is critical that every student brings all items needed for class every day to class and to any and all public performances. Unless funds are available from the county, if a student uses a school-owned instrument during the year, in addition to the yearly user fee ($50.00), the student/caregiver will be responsible for either returning the instrument with documentation from a music dealer that it has been cleaned or paying the cost of that expense to the band when the instrument is returned. A cleaning fee price list will be provided as soon as possible.
•    Students have the option of masks when not playing when in the band room and at any public performances.
•    All percussionists will be required to have their own sticks and mallets this year (no sharing of personal sticks and mallets). I recommend you use this link to purchase your stick bag for class use. If percussionists use any mallets or sticks owned by the band for large instruments such as the bass drum or gong, they will be wiped off before and after use with a disinfecting wipe.

Procedural Changes

•    Students will enter the band room single file, socially distanced, wearing their masks (if they have them), and go directly to their assigned seats.
•    Items needed for class will be placed on the stand in front of the student's seat; all items not needed for class (including cell phones and/or earbuds) will be placed under the student's seat.
•    Students will be dismissed in a socially distanced manner in small groups to get their instruments, cases, and any items needed for class from their cubbies. When the first group has returned to their seats, the next group will be dismissed until all students have been given the opportunity to get items needed for class from their cubbies. During this time, if a student needs to sanitize his/her hands, that student will be given the opportunity to do so.
•    To help minimize dispersion, talking is to be directed only to the teacher when not playing.
•    Students will be given the opportunity to sanitize their hands as necessary through class.
•    The class will follow school guidelines on restroom breaks.
•    At the end of class, students will pack up items that need to be returned to their band cubbies while remaining seated. As indicated previously, students will then be dismissed to their cubbies in a socially distanced manner to return items to their cubbies, and then return to their seats. This will continue until all students have returned items to their cubbies.
•    Students will be dismissed from class in small, socially distanced, groups.

These are the procedures we will start out the year with. These guidelines are based on the latest advice and guidance from CDC guidelines and Barrow County School System procedures and expectations. We will follow the recommendations to the best of our abilities within our specific situation in our school and school system. Procedural/performance changes may be added or removed depending on changes in the health situation.