PARENTS FAQ

How do parents receive important information from BHS band leadership and booster officers?

Charms e-mail.  Charms is an all-encompassing management system to help music teachers, athletic coaches, dance and drill team directors, and booster clubs organize student contact information, manage inventory, assign uniforms, track attendance, and work with trips, fees, fundraisers, form collection, and lots more.  In order to receive Charms email, student and parent contact information must be entered into Charms and kept up to date at all times.  Click here to print a Charms Student Info Form. This form should be completed and turned in during band camp. Each student will then be given an ID number to log in. Click here for details about how to access your student's Charms account.

What forms will my child need to participate in the Buckhorn Band?

Your student will need five forms.  You may have already filled out these forms for other organizations.  However, the Madison County Board of Education requires that the Buckhorn Band obtain these forms as well.  According to MCBOE policy, your student will not be able to participate until all of the required forms have been submitted.  For your convenience, we have made all forms available on our website. Under the Parents tab, hover over Forms and follow the links to print each form.

What is Rookie Camp?

Each year, the Buckhorn Band holds a rookie camp for the incoming freshmen and transfer students.  During this camp, the students are taught the fundamentals of marching and playing in order to prepare them for band camp.  It is a time for students to get their first taste of marching band and it prepares them for full camp the following week, as well as allowing them to earn their spot in the custom written show.  The marching portion of Rookie Camp is held in the morning, usually 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. followed by an afternoon break and music rehearsal, color guard and percussion camps in the afternoon.

What is Band Camp?

During band camp, the rookie and veteran members join for marching and music rehearsals from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.  Students bring their lunch and eat on campus and usually the band or a local organization provides dinner.  This is so students do not have to leave the school and drive in the busy rush hour traffic on Winchester Road, and so that parents do not have to worry about dinner meals for their students.

Band camp days are split into three sessions: morning, afternoon, and evening.  During the morning session, the band usually focuses on marching fundamentals.  The afternoon session, during the hottest part of the day, is spent inside for music rehearsal, and the evening session is spent back outside, usually setting drill and applying music for the show.

What will my student need for Rookie/Band Camp?

Click here for camp requirements.

Can parents come to rehearsals?

Absolutely!  In fact, we encourage parents to bring a lawn chair and watch us rehearse at our outdoor rehearsals.  We have found that students enjoy having an audience, and enjoy showing off their hard work.  We only ask that those who do attend our rehearsals remember that although we are outdoors, this is our classroom, and a lot of talking and noise makes it difficult for us to hear each other and hear instruction.  So, bring your chairs and a picnic for dinner and a show!

Why isn’t the competition schedule announced at the same time as the football performance schedule?

The competition schedule isn’t announced at the same time as the football schedule for several reasons. The football schedule is determined by the AHSAA and is announced well before the season starts. Competition dates are determined by the host school/organization, and most times are announced just weeks in advance. In addition to selecting the competitions which the staff feel most benefit our students, the date of the competition is checked carefully against other school events so as to create the least conflict possible. The Buckhorn Band staff carefully selects which competitions in which the band will participate, and makes every effort to announce the chosen competitions as far in advance as possible.