Coakley Middle School

Cougar Band Handbook

Cougar Band
P.R.I.D.E.
Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence
 Band Rules
DON’T TALK.
LISTEN.
BE READY.
Be RESPECTFUL.
ALWAYS do your BEST.

Goal for the Cougar Band

Our goal is to develop in all students a strong work ethic, self-discipline, intrinsic
motivation, and leadership skills through the power of teamwork and collaborative
group effort. We also want to instill in all students a sense of pride in themselves, their
band, their school, and their community by always striving for success.

General Guidelines

• Do not become difficult to teach and make it difficult for others around you to learn.
• Be respectful of others and their property. (DO NOT play on other people’s instrument.)
• Don’t get behind in your classes. It is your responsibility to maintain eligibility for
extracurricular activities.
• Ten Minute Rule - Always be ten minutes early for any band activity or practice.
• Only band students are allowed to enter the band hall. Ask your friends to wait outside.

Conduct and Etiquette

Any Organization is judged, in the eyes of others, by the actions of its individual members. Whenever
you dress in a band uniform or wear other band uniform identification, your actions reflect on the
entire band. ALWAYS conduct yourself in such a way that brings CREDIT to yourself and your band.
ALWAYS conduct yourself with pride.

• Respect your elders and address them with the appropriate courtesy title. (Mr., Ms., Mrs.)
• Always be courteous. (thank you, please, yes sir/ma’am, no sir/ ma’am)
• Horseplay is not allowed. We do not want you or those around you to be injured or cause
damage to any band equipment.
• Profanity is unacceptable.
• Show your appreciation of other bands’ performances.

2
 Cougar Band Thoughts & Ideas

How to be an outstanding Cougar Band Member

• Always be positive!
• If you think you can or if you think you can’t, you’re right.
• A place for everything and everything in its place.
• There is always room for improvement.
• Look for opportunities to compliment one another. Don’t tear each other down.
Instead, build each other up.
• Work well with each other and work for each other.
• You get what you give.
• We cannot plant seeds with closed fists. To sow we must open our hands.
--Adolfo Perez Esquivel
• Learn to work well with your classmates. The success of the band is dependent on
100% cooperation from 100% of its members.

Responsibility to Our School

Coakley Middle School provides adequate equipment and facilities for us to do our job. We
then have an obligation to provide the best possible performances for the school and
community that we can. This means that we agree to give up some of our free time for the
entertainment of others. This also means that in order to achieve high-quality public
performances we must have high quality rehearsals and individual practice.

3
 Coakley MS Ensembles

Honor Band
2nd Period directed by Lehi Sanchez
The Honor Band is a varsity band comprised of mostly 8th grade and some 7th grade students. The Honor Band
performs at three concerts (minimum) and performs at UIL & Pre-UIL Concert and Sight-reading Evaluations.
Additional performances may include one or more festivals, school pep-rallies, football games, and
recruitment concerts. Members in the Honor Band are expected to weekly afterschool sectionals audition for
the All-Region Band.

Symphonic Band
1st Period directed by Allyson Mendoza
The Symphonic Band is a non-varsity comprised of mostly 7th and some 8th grade students. The Symphonic
Band performs at 2 to 3 concerts and performs at UIL & Pre-UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluations.
Additional performances may include one or more festivals, school pep-rallies, and football games. Members
of the Symphonic Band are expected to attend weekly afterschool sectionals and prepare for All-Region Band
Auditions.

Beginner Band
The Beginner Band is made up of 1st year band students that are learning to play an instrument. Beginner
Band students meet in like-instrument classes and are put together as a band for a Fall Concert and Spring
Concert. Beginner Band Members will be required to attend one or two afterschool rehearsals before each
concert.

Beginner Band Directors:

Mr. Sanchez: High Brass & Low Brass
Mrs. Mendoza: Clarinet, Saxophone, and Percussion
Mr. Young: Flute, Trombone

4
 Grading Policy

The two types of grades given in band are Classwork/Homework Grades and Test/Quiz Grades.

Test/Quiz Grades
Tests or quizzes can be written or performance based. If it is a performance-based test, we will
look for the following:
• Posture: the way a student should sit and hold his/her instrument
• Band Face: the way the face or hand position should be for their particular instrument
• Foot Tap & Pulse: the student should keep a steady beat and their foot should reflect the beat.
• Breath: the way a student should breath in order to have the correct breath support
• Tone: student should produce a good sound on his/her instrument (start, sustain, release)
• Correct notes: playing the right notes at the right time
• Correct rhythms: playing the right rhythms at the right time

Classwork/Homework Grades
Classwork Grades can include practice cards, worksheets, in-class performances, bell ringers,
exit tickets, supply/material checks, etc. If it is an in-class performance we will look for the
same concepts as a test/quiz grade.

** Practice Cards**
• The practice card will be filled out every week and turned in every Friday for one grade of 100.
• Student must practice 20 minutes a day for 5 days each week totaling 100 minutes of practice each
week.
• Each time the student practices, it will be logged into the practice card and signed by their parent or
band director.

School Equipment and Facilities

Everyone must take the responsibility of preserving the facilities. Show pride in your band hall by
keeping it CLEAN and ORGANIZED: This is your band hall!!
• No, food, drinks, candy, or gum will be allowed in the band hall. Instrument lockers are for instruments and music
only.
• The school will be responsible for maintenance of school-owned instruments. However, parents and students will
be responsible for repair costs due to damage from negligence or misuse. See SCHOOL-OWNED
INSTRUMENT CONTRACT FORM
• Take care of music, folders, books, etc.
• Lockers are for band instrument and binder only. They must be kept locked by a combination lock. The band will
issue students a combination lock, however students are welcome to purchase their own combination lock
provided that the combination is made known to the directors.

5
 Uniforms

All 7th and 8th Grade Band Members will be required to purchase the Band Shirt. Orders will be
placed through the band department. This shirt will be used for contests, games, pep rallies and parades
and other public performances. It is not required for CMS Beginner Band Members to purchase a
shirt, but may do so. The cost of the shirt is $10.
The uniform for a public performance will be one of the following:
--Band Shirt & Jeans for games, parades, pep rallies and tours.
--Sunday Best for concert performances.
--The official CMS Band Uniform will be issued and used for Pre-UIL and UIL
Concert and Sightreading Evaluation.

Travel

All students must turn in a permission slip in order to travel with the band.
• Before departure, place your instrument and music in the proper location for loading. It is YOUR responsibility to
see that your instrument gets to and from the equipment truck.
• When arriving at a venue, the loading crew will exit the bus first to begin unloading. The loading crew will include
all percussion and a few select students.
• After the performance, all students will assist in the unloading of the truck.
• Students will ride the same bus to and from all performances.
• In the event that the student will be taken to or picked up from a performance a band director must be notified and
must be present when the student is picked up and parent must sign out student.
• Bus Behavior:
§ Students must follow all bus rules.
§ Students must show respect for all chaperones.

Incentives

Two incentives we offer for the entire band program 6th - 8th Grade are a Mid-Year Party (Tentative) in
December and a Spring Trip usually in May. For the Spring Trip, 6th and 7th Graders will attend Schlitterbahn-
SPI and 8th Graders will attend Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

Mid-Year Party Requirements:

• Fundraise
• Donate a toy for Toys-For-Tots
• Attend the Fall Concert
• Student must be in good standing with the band, no referrals

Spring Trip Requirements:

• Fundraise
• Attend the Spring Concert
• Student must be in good standing with the band, no referrals.

6
 Please visit our
Cougar Band Website
http://www.coakleycougarband.weebly.com

&

Sign Up for Remind Messages!

Text the message: @bandcougar

To the number: 81010

7
 Acknowledgement Form

___________________________ ____________
Name of Student ID#

Dear Parents:
Please view the Cougar Band Handbook on our Cougar Band website
http://coakleycougarband.weebly.com. By signing this form you acknowledge the rules,
expectations and guidelines of our band program. Should you have any questions you may call
the band hall at (956) 427-3000.

____________________________ ____________
Parent Signature Date

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Student Portion:

I have read and understand the Coakley Middle School Cougar Band Handbook and will
follow all rules and guidelines.

___________________________ ____________
Student Signature Date

(Please sign and return this acknowledgement form by the 2nd Friday of the school year.)