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Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Mahoney on 5/14/2025, 2:05 pm

We were GREATLY affected by WBGT this past summer/fall. We were often only able to go out for maybe 30 min each rehearsal based on our districts requirements. We also started school a week earlier and will do so again this year.
Those of you who were in a similar position: what are you doing to plan ahead for that?
We shortened and simplified our show for next year. Did anyone out there do anything that worked really well once the school year started. Morning rehearsals are not an option for us.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by NTX on 5/15/2025, 9:52 pm, in reply to "Planning for wet bulb"

We just started with indoor music rehearsal and moved outside once the heat broke. We were generally outside 6-8 2 days per week.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by DesertJazz on 5/14/2025, 7:50 pm, in reply to "Planning for wet bulb"

I see you mentioned your district requirements, but at least for UIL, I think it's still a strongly worded suggestion at this point? I think I heard that they didn't move forward with the mandate. (Time to start triple-checking all the updates here)

For us, we've been scheduled for evening rehearsals on Mondays and Thursdays for years from 6:30-8:30, and that seems to mitigate most of our problems. Our Wednesday afternoon rehearsal from 4-5:30 was more problematic at times, but the team got hit then too.

Long term, if this truly becomes the law, I think we're going to have to all be in evenings or mornings, and/or districts will have to invest in more indoor facilities. The indoor facilities are what I expect most districts to eventually build to deal with this.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by OP on 5/19/2025, 9:42 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

That is correct. Our district makes us adhere to that policy, which is why we are trying to see if anyone has ideas we have not thought of.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by 1A HBD on 5/15/2025, 10:03 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

While it would be nice to have indoor facilities, all of this just makes it worse for when you have to be outside because no is acclimated to the weather.

Also these highly suggested rules need to apply to games and contests also

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by OP on 5/19/2025, 9:39 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

YES! Especially when the district wants to see us in full uniform.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Yeah... on 5/15/2025, 12:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

They do apply to the contests...just not the games.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by We just on 5/14/2025, 4:56 pm, in reply to "Planning for wet bulb"

Delayed rehearsal until we were clear of the thresholds. This was on a day to day basis. If we were past a threshold, then a message would go out to parents that we were pushing the start time back 30/45/60 minutes and then ended practice 2 hours after the delayed start time.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Yep on 5/20/2025, 1:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

Just like any other weather event. If lightening strikes, go indoors and delay before heading back outside. If it’s just rain, put the woodwinds away and get back to it. No big deal.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Respectfully on 5/15/2025, 8:22 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

This isn't a feasible solution.

It's very unfair to your parents to have a variable start and end time to your practices on a daily basis.

It prevents your students from being involved in any other activities outside of marching band.

It prevents your kids from working.

It prevents your parents and kids families from doing anything for a full extra hour of their afternoons.

If this was your solution, I strongly urge you to find another one. Rehearse before school. Start fundraising for a series of tarps/tents to put a sun shield on a part of your practice facility.

What you chose to do is frankly abusive to your community.

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by jt3 on 5/19/2025, 12:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

Says Respectfully as the name and attacks you with the abusive label.

How do you know they didn't discuss this with the parents and/or admin beforehand?

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Respectfully on 5/20/2025, 7:50 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

Because never in the history of educational actions have decisions been made that weren't in the best interest of the students - yet they were made anyways and signed off on. I'm not in any way pointing to the thousands of lawsuits filed annually for people doing things that admin signed off on that aren't ethical or legal.

Do you seriously think that because a few parents say it's OK, it's OK to do this? Simply put, I guarantee you that OP didn't get 100% approval from their parents - or if they did, they lost a bunch of kids out of band for these schedule choices.

Say it with me, folks.

"Life is more than band."

"A trapezoid trophy is not the reason we do this job."

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by 1A HBD on 5/20/2025, 11:19 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

Life may be more than band and a trapezoid trophy but is about doing what is best for your community and students.

What exactly is unethical or illegal about this rehearsal plan? What in this rehearsal plan would or could cause a legitimate lawsuit?

I have been a band director for 30 years now and I can't think of a time that I ever had 100% approval from the parents or students for decisions that had to be made.

You do the best you can and make decisions that will be in the best interest of the majority of your students. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one"

Sometimes situations call for out of the box thinking.

Water your own grass before trying to fertilize someone else's

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Yep... on 5/20/2025, 1:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by 1A HBD on 5/19/2025, 11:43 am, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

This plan may not work in your community. But if it works in another community, leave it alone.

No one is being hurt by this plan. Do what is best for your community and students.

As long as this has been communicated to parents and the safety of the students is the priority, I see no problem with this plan.

Just because this is not what you would do does not mean it is abuse or should not be done.

WBGT has put some programs behind in preparing for the season. This means sometimes you have to get creative with scheduling. Do what works best for your community without breaking any rules and leave the other bands alone that are doing what is best for their community.

Did getting on The Yellow Board and calling out the poster change their schedule? Probably not.

Spend that time on something you can change or control in your own program. You will be much happier.

At the end of the day remember "It is just band"
MYB (Mind Your Business)

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Ass... on 5/16/2025, 2:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

ume much?

Re: Planning for wet bulb

Posted by Well on 5/16/2025, 12:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Planning for wet bulb"

You don’t know my community.

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