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Reply to "APS Middle School Band - what's the deal?"

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[quote=Anonymous]Assuming it’s DHMS, and, yes, my 8th grader isn’t entirely happy with the situation. BUT, it’s not the permanent teacher who will be back from maternity leave in no time.   I suspect it’s part of the reason for a bit of a slow start but, I mean, come on and cut the sub a little slack.   You couldn’t pay me a bazillion dollars to sit with some stinky MSers blowing loudly and terribly on instruments for an hour a day.

As to challenge, there are loads of options for more advanced playing in Arlington.  You’ve been sent some basic information from the regular band teacher about honors etc. bands.  If she’s a real band genius, there are places for her to play her instrument in challenging environments.

You cannot “insist” that she be moved to intermediate band.  First off, it’s at a different time, meaning she’d have to switch other classes.  Next, it’s really not determined by how well you play but how many kids playing that same instrument already are in the “higher” band.  For example, if there are five excellent clarinets in 8th grade, no 7th graders go to Advanced (8th grade) Band.  By contrast, there are years there aren’t percussionists and so some pretty good sixth graders end up playing with, say, the 8th grades so she can have a full band.  It’s complicated and not solely based on what you want for your child.

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