Anonymous wrote:What are the main reasons for choosing band as one of the seven letter-graded courses? It seems that many students take summer courses like PE, world languages, math/chemistry, or a fourth social studies class to free up space for academic courses, but few do so just to take band. Aside from the after-school time commitment, does taking band help lighten the overall course load, or does it make the schedule more demanding?

The class is “band” not marching band. At TJ doing marching band is optional. You can take band class without marching. Yes it does give a kid some breathing room in their schedule since it is a break from all the harder core classes. That’s not the main reason kids take it though; they are musicians and want to perform with the group.

Kids do marching band because they enjoy it and it is a great way to make friends fast before school even starts (same as a fall sport would be).

Third, most kids in band DO do the summer courses. Often PE and then the extra social studies one.

Make sure you let your kid pick some things to make the TJ experience fun too not just slog through it.

What are the main reasons for choosing band as one of the seven letter-graded courses? It seems that many students take summer courses like PE, world languages, math/chemistry, or a fourth social studies class to free up space for academic courses, but few do so just to take band. Aside from the after-school time commitment, does taking band help lighten the overall course load, or does it make the schedule more demanding?