[Dhsbb-jazz] FW: DHS Band Trips

[Rob Kerner]

Hello Jazz families,  Below is an email that Vera sent to Tom Mchale, and the school board.  I think it is important that they hear from the parents and not just me.   Please feel free to express your opinions to those in charge.

Rob Kerner
Band Booster President


From: Vera Personal <VeraCity at DCN.Org>
Date: Friday, May 10, 2019 at 3:52 PM
To: "tmchale at djusd.net" <tmchale at djusd.net>
Cc: "boe at djusd.net" <boe at djusd.net>, 'John Bowes' <jbowes at djusd.net>, 'Matthew Best' <mbest at djusd.net>, 'Thomas Slabaugh' <tslabaugh at djusd.net>, ROB KERNER <rvkerner at ucdavis.edu>, 'Annika and Brian Keeley' <abkeeley98 at gmail.com>, 'Kevin English' <english at dcn.org>, 'Brett Barnes' <brett.a.barnes at comcast.net>, 'Lindsay Terry' <blisterry at sbcglobal.net>, 'Vera Personal' <VeraCity at DCN.Org>
Subject: DHS Band Trips

May 10, 2019
Dear Mr. McHale,

I learned on Tuesday, April 16 about the cancellation of the DHS Jazz Band trip to the Reno Jazz Festival from my daughter, and then received your April 18 email (attached to my email) two days later.  I learned that you announced this cancellation to the students at the end of their class on April 16.  As a parent who has supported the DHS band in my volunteer efforts for two years and cares about the wellbeing of the band programs, this development was very upsetting.  The Reno trip was cancelled only 10 days before the event.  The students had been practicing and were looking forward to the opportunity to perform.  This trip cancellation cannot be understood without also reviewing the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the New Orleans trip earlier in the school year.

The New Orleans trip, which was scheduled for March of this year, was cancelled well into the school year (in December) after there had been substantial parent volunteer work to make the arrangements and fundraising for the trip.  It is important to note that parents, extended family and members of the community have donated funds to ensure that all students can go on trips, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.  The District’s cancellation of both trips frustrates the students, the parents and all those who have contributed their volunteer time and resources for these trips.

The stated reason for the cancellation of the New Orleans trip was the inability to secure a school administrator to go with the Jazz Band.  Your April 18 letter about the Reno trip cancellation cited this same obstacle as one of the reasons for the second trip cancellation.  In addition, your letter identified other reasons for the Reno trip cancellation, such as paperwork that needed to be in place for safety and legal reasons.

I ask you and the other District officials who have a role in the trip approval process to consider what needs to change to ensure that the problems that have surfaced with these two trips get fixed.  Other DHS bands travel (the recent Disneyland trip is one example) and other DHS music groups travel.  For the Jazz Band, though, the trip approval process seems broken, and the result is that this year’s Jazz Band has missed out on opportunities that will never come to them again.


I look forward to your response to my email.

Sincerely,

Vera Sandronsky


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/dhsbb-jazz/attachments/20190513/02d120d9/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Jazz Band Period 5.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 57830 bytes
Desc: Jazz Band Period 5.pdf
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/dhsbb-jazz/attachments/20190513/02d120d9/attachment.pdf>