Earth Day and Discovery Kingdom

Hello everyone --  Many of you probably saw the "Questions for Parents" paper that Honor Band students should have brought home.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure that they explained all of the information that I tried to give them about the events and how and why they are connected.  For many years we attended the "Music in the Parks" Festivals that were put on by a private company that contracted with Discovery Kingdom.  We would perform at an adjudicated festival in the morning at a high school in Vacaville, change out of our concert attire arrive at the park after noon, and enjoy the park for the remainder of the day.  This became super expensive because there was a fee for the festival, for DK, and for the bus.   It also limited the amount of time we had at the park. 

Later we participated in DK's "Celebrate the Arts" program where we would actually perform at the park for a mostly unappreciative audience after lugging all of our equipment through the park.  We were often placed underneath a big roller coaster where no one would see us or hear us play.  Logistically, that become a nightmare.

Several years ago, we decided to play at the Town of Windsor "Earth Day" Celebration for a local audience that was glad to hear us play.  We then went to Discovery Kingdom on a separate day to maximize our time in the park. 

FAQ
1.  Is this a curricular event that will affect a student's grade?  No.

2.  Do we have to attend The TOW Earth Day celebration to attend the DK trip?  Since the Earth Day Celebration is on a Sunday, it is difficult for some students to attend because of religious and family obligations.  I am hoping that we can get enough students to perform at Earth Day so that we can play adequately.  I will give students who are able to perform at ED a 250 Academic point bonus that will be applied to the final quarter's grade.  If we can't get enough people to play at Earth Day, I don't believe we should take the trip to Discovery Kingdom.

If the Discovery Kingdom trip happens:

3.  Can we use our Season passes at Discovery Kingdom?  Yes.

4.  Are we going in a bus or in cars?  The bus is a fixed cost of $1000.  It would be better if we could go in private cars.  Because it is a school trip, we would need drivers who have been fingerprinted and cleared to drive with the school.   If you are interested in becoming a fingerprinted driver, see Hollie in the WMS office.  There is a fee to be fingerprinted, but once it is done, it is good for the remainder of the time that your child is in the WUSD.  I'm happy to reserve a bus, too, if that is easier but the cost will be split among the people who are riding the bus. 

Thanks for your patience, understanding and getting the information back to me ASAP.  Please don't hesitate to write or call with questions. 

 

What are the questions that we need to answer?

1.  Can I play at the TOW Earth Day Celebration on Sunday, April 23d?

2.  Can I go to Discovery Kingdom on Saturday, May 13th?

3.  If so, are you willing to drive and take students to DK?

4.  Group tickets to DK are $32.  If we had to take a bus the cost of the trip would be closer to $60.  Would you favor the bus option or the car option?

Please also have your child put their name on the form, so that I can get accurate information to plan these events.  Thanks!!  SM