What time will my child leave for St Louis on Oct 14th? Should they go to school?
Yes, your child should go to school this day. Freshmen will be dismissed before their final class, they will board a bus at Freshman at 1:30pm and be brought to Main Campus. Main Campus will dismiss after 6th bell. Parents have the option to meet your child at Main Campus band room at 2pm to drop off trip luggage and red bag and take home chromebooks or other unneeded items; (Do not be late, we will not wait) OR students can bring all items to school in the morning to be left in the band room during classes and they can then leave chromebooks and other unnecessary items locked in the Main campus band room till Sunday night when we return. Buses will leave before 2:45pm.
What time will my child leave for Indianapolis on Thursday Nov 10th? Should they go to school?
No, your child should not attend school this day. Students should report to main campus band room by 8:30am. Buses will leave Main Campus by 9:30am.
My student is missing school, what days are they excused and how do they get caught up?
Your student is excused early on Friday Oct 14th. They are excused for all of Thursday Nov 10th and Friday Nov 11th, school administration will notify their teachers. This does not usually happen very early. You should encourage your students to let their teachers know now that they will be out and ask if they can get work in advance.
Should my student bring their homework and Chromebook on the trip?
Your student is going to be quite busy on the trip and may not have much time to work on their schoolwork, but it is at their discretion whether to bring the Chromebooks with them. They are responsible for whatever they bring with them. It is advised that they NOT bring Chromebooks and instead use the ‘No School’ day of 10/17 to get caught up on schoolwork from the St. Louis trip.
What time will my child return from St Louis on Oct 16th?
We expect to be back around 11pm on Sunday Oct 16th. There is no school on Monday Oct 17th. A Remind message will come out to notify parents of a more precise time when we are enroute.
What time will my child return from Indianapolis on Nov 13th?
We expect to be back around 1pm on Sunday Nov 13th. A Remind message will come out to notify parents of a more precise time when we are enroute.
When does West perform at Super Regionals in St. Louis?
Preliminaries: Saturday Morning 8:30am (CDT)
Preliminary Awards: 3:30pm (CDT) (This awards ceremony will tell us if we move on to Finals)
Finals: Saturday 7pm-10:30pm (CDT)
Final Awards: Saturday 10:45pm (CDT)
When does West perform at Grand Nats?
Preliminaries: Tentatively 6:45pm on THURSDAY
Preliminary Awards: End of Day Friday (This awards ceremony will tell us if we move on to Semi-Finals)
Semi-Finals: Saturday Morning (We will know after preliminary awards on Friday IF/WHEN we perform.)
Semi-Finals Awards: Saturday evening
Finals: Saturday Night (IF we perform in semi-finals, we will know after the semi-final awards IF/WHEN we perform in finals.)
How will we be informed about Semifinals and Finals performance times if West advances?
Remind and Social Media pages
How/When/Where do I get tickets to attend?
Tickets for Super Regionals may be purchased HERE.
Tickets for Grand Nats may be purchased HERE.
Grand Nats – We know that Lakota West will definitely be performing during Thursday prelims. They will NOT be performing on Friday and we won’t know about future performances until after prelim awards. From others who have participated previously, there is not a problem finding tickets for semi-finals. Finals does typically sell out.
Will we be able to watch online if we can’t attend in person?
Yes – Find details HERE.
Grand Nats pricing:
Thursday prelims: $18
Semi-finals: $25
Finals: $30
All Grand Nats: $65
If I am a Chaperone or on Pit Crew, do I need to purchase tickets?
No. Chaperones & Pit Crew volunteers will be provided passes.
Who will be administering medication to my student?
Students are NOT PERMITTED to carry medications on their person including over the counter medications. ONLY Self-Carry Asthma inhalers & Self–Carry Severe Allergy Epi-Pens, are permitted with the correct medication forms completed. Your student’s chaperone will carry your student’s medication with them at all times. An alternate chaperone, if needed, will administer your student’s medication. All chaperones are undergoing training
provided by the school nurse on safety and proper record keeping. If you did not hand in your student’s medication at the drop off for St. Louis, please contact the school nurse to make alternate arrangements ASAP. Robin Robinson email: robin.robinson@lakotaonline.com.
A separate drop off will be held for the Indianapolis trip, this will happen the week of Oct 24th.
Who is my student’s chaperone?
The St. Louis chaperones are listed on the documents you were provided at the parent meeting. The chaperone will be with your student unless there are unforeseen circumstances and then another chaperone will assume responsibility for them. We will send out a list for the Indianapolis trip a couple of weeks in advance.
How will you keep track of my student during the trip?
We use GroupMe groups that each chaperone will set up with their students. Chaperone’s will use this to convey messages to the students (when and where to meet, what time we are leaving, asking them to check in, letting them know when they are allowed to exit their rooms in the morning, etc.)
How do you avoid “night escapades”?
The students will be taped into their rooms at night at the designated time and are not permitted to exit until the chaperone’s remove the tape in the mornings. Students will have the phone number of their chaperone, the Lead Chaperone and two members of the Upbeat Executive team that they can call if an urgent situation arises at night.
What hotel is my student staying in?
In October, we are staying at the Drury Plaza St Louis at the Arch.
In November, we are staying at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing.
What is the itinerary for the trip?
The itinerary can be found HERE. It is always subject to change as we adjust to whatever comes our way. We adjust as needed to give the students the best experience we can.
Will my student need spending money?
Your student will need to have enough money for 2 dinners on the St Louis trip. (Fri & Sun). They should also pack snacks if desired. All meals are included on the Indianapolis trip. They should pack snacks if desired. You should send some spending money if your student would like to purchase souvenirs. The students typically like to buy a shirt or patches at the BOA Events.
What should my student pack?
A packing list is found HERE. Weather in St Louis in mid-Oct has highs around 70 and lows around 45. Weather in Indianapolis in mid-November has highs in the mid-50s and lows around 35. Check the expected temperatures the week prior and pack accordingly. Bring layers.
Do NOT bring gaming systems! No time to play and when they have been brought, they end up broken, stolen or fought over. When students are in rooms, we expect them to sleep in preparation for the next day.
Students will be permitted one small suitcase + band red bag + uniform bag + instrument and a backpack for on the bus.
What snacks should my student bring?
NO energy drinks!!
We know they will want all the sugary treats & candies, but please also send a mix of healthy snacks to help them carry on.
Water will be provided by the band.
What do I do if my student has dietary restrictions?
You were asked to provide this information when you registered, if you are not sure if you did, please check in with the lead chaperone – Monique Penney to verify that the travel agency has recorded the information. Email: bus@lakotawestbands.org
Can my student or I leave a vehicle parked at the school while on the trip?
Yes, the directors will let the local police know that we will have cars in the parking lot for an extended period of time and they we will do additional patrols. Park in your student’s spot or near the big parking lot lights on the band side of the building.
Does my student need picture ID?
Not required but good to have.
What happens if my student breaks the rules?
Any rule-breaking will be taken to the directors to be dealt with. Depending on the infraction, parents may be contacted and if the infraction is significant could result in your student having to leave the trip and return home at their own expense. Your student is representing the band, the school, the community, and the state. They should always be on their best behavior, treating everyone around them with respect.
What if there is an emergency at home and I need to get a hold of my child?
The students are permitted to keep their phones on them so you should be able to get a hold of them at most times. There may be instances where they won’t have access to their phones (practicing, performing or outside of cell service). You will be provided a list of numbers to contact in case of emergency.
What if I have a question not listed above?
Please reach out to the Directors and/or Monique Penney at bus@lakotawestbands.org.