- Howbert Elementary School, an Outdoor Learning School
- COVID GUIDELINES
D-11 Elementary Band & Orchestra COVID19 Guidelines
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Visual & Performing Arts Guidance
Here is the link to the D11 document that contains all of the guidelines for safety due to the pandemic.
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Visual & Performing Arts Covid19 Guidance
Guiding Principles: Curriculum and scheduling must be mindful of how instruction can support the social and emotional wellbeing of students, whether through artistic creation, classroom instruction, or virtual environments in the COVID-19 era. Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Art teachers possess specialized training and pedagogy and should be able to teach in the area in which they are highly qualified.
Elementary Band & Orchestra
- Masks must be worn at all times.
- Bell covers and woodwind bags must be utilized.
- Ziplock bags or puppy pads for water keys on brass must be utilized.
- Students must stay in their seats while instruments are in play.
- Students may not share music or other materials.
- Webex Classes will be utilized.
- No sharing of music stands.
- Students wipe down their music stand and chair after each rehearsal.
- Students may not share music or other materials.
- Must use the CDC guidelines for social distancing of 6x6 feet, with 9x6 for trombone players.
- Indoor rehearsals should last for 30 minutes followed by clearing the room for 20-minutes for the HVAC system tochange the air indoors with outside air.
- If proper HVAC exchange cannot happen, instruction should occur outdoors.
- Hand washing/hand sanitizing should occur en-route to class.
- Students must clean instruments regularly.
- Classes should always occur outside, if possible.
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Woodwind Bags and Bell Covers
So what do woodwind bags and bell covers look like?
Bell covers are like masks that fit over the bell of brass instruments. Here's a website that sells them so you can see examples:
https://www.mccormicksnet.com/Instrument-Bell-Cover-p/3070010.htm
And woodwind bags fit over the whole instrument with holes for the hands to fit in so the player can still touch the instrument. Here's a link to an example:
https://www.mccormicksnet.com/Saxophone-Instrument-Cover-p/3070016.htm
I do not expect you to buy these. But we do have to cover the instruments. You are welcome to make them from a pillowcase, or to go to Etsy, or other websites that can give you ideas. This is a new time and we have to protect everyone from the particles that could be in the air.