[Dhsbb-jazz] Canada News

[JazzyHorns at aol.com]

Greetings Band Families!
 
The Canada trip is just 7 weeks away and final preparations are  underway. 
 
Latest Canada News:
On Monday of this week 1/3 of our group was rescheduled onto a different  
(and unusable) return flight by the Alaska Airlines computer.  So for  6 hrs 
or so on Monday we had 60 kids walking home from Seattle.  Thankfully  by 
the end of the day, I was able to cancel their return flight on Alaska and  
repurchase new return flights for them on Southwest Airlines.  In the end,  it 
is a better flight and will get those kids home even earlier than the main  
group!  Unfortunately, there was a hefty cost associated with this change,  
and  a few kids had to be moved around from the original lists they signed  
up on in class, but still, the fact that all were once again flying back 
from  Seattle to Sacramento on the same evening was everything I could hope 
for.   Departure times for Thursday 5/19 did not change at all, and new lists 
will  be posted to update everyone on the changes.  
 
And there's more great news.  Due to all the great fundraising the  group 
has done this year, the Band Boosters was able to offer a large sum to  help 
offset the overall cost of this trip for us.  That combined with  diligent 
bargaining from the trip committee folks on everything from busses to  hotels 
to food and activities, has resulted in a lower than expected overall  trip 
cost, even with the recent airline fiasco costs.  
 
So the final trip cost per student will be $750!
 
Our last installment amount for the trip is scheduled for this Friday April 
 1st.  John Horn has been working hard to get individualized email updates  
out to each of you regarding your students trip credits, so these should be 
 coming soon, but it is quite a big undertaking and has taken longer than  
expected.  
 
If your student did not participate in the recent Coconut Grove event (by  
either setting up, working the day of the event or playing in any band 
there)  then your last email update from John would still be current.  You may  
figure your final installment amount and send it in at anytime. (Checks made 
out  to DHS Band Boosters and mailed to:  PO Box 73522, Davis, CA 95617).  

If your student did participate in Coconut Grove then it would be  best to 
wait for that email, as their credits will have changed, and thus your  
final installment as well.  If you already sent  more than that  amount, John 
will have details on what your options are in that email.  
 
Watch for official permission slips and packing information to come home  
right after Spring Break.  There will also be sign ups for parent  volunteers 
for our departure and return day activities - so if you have some  time to 
carpool to the airport or help check kids in for the trip, there will  soon 
be emails looking for volunteers with those things.  
 
It's going to be a great trip!
 
Katie Horn
Trip Coordinator
 
PS. You should be very proud of your band student.  The Davis HS  Combined 
Band has been invited to perform at Butchart Gardens this year.   The 
coordinator there originally told me that they only had HS bands perform  once 
many summers ago and it didn't go well at all.  They have never  had a HS group 
since, and he was not interested in having our group there  either.  But 
after reviewing a demo DVD, and after many  conversations, the owners of the 
Gardens decided to give it another try and they  have invited our group to 
play.  It will get lots of publicity through the  Festival Society which 
promotes the weekend events during the Victoria Day  celebration.   And best of 
all, the kids will get complimentary passes  to tour the gardens (which also 
helped with those trip costs!  Yay!)  
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