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Color Guard is an artistic
expression through costume, dance, marching, plus twirling
and tossing of flags, rifles, and various other implements, all
synchronized and choreographed to music. Color Guard can truely
be considered "the sport of the performing arts".
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Color Guard is a full year activity with two distinct seasons:
Field Season, and
Winter Guard.
The paragraphs below provide an alphabetical overview of Color Guard. If you
have questions that are not answered by the information below, please feel
free to send an email to our Color Guard Director, Jennifer Shetland, at
[email protected].
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| Band Camp |
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Band Camp takes place at Northwood High School during the last two weeks of
August as the initial preparation for
field season.
The Color Guard team works with the band to learn the formation and begin
practicing the initial movement of the field show. All members of Color Guard
are required to attend band camp.
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| Banquet |
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The Color Guard banquet takes place at the end of the school year, generally
in May. It provides a celebration and recognition of the hard work and
accomplishments of the Color Guard team members. The banquet is planned and
organized by the Color Guard
Boosters.
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| Boosters |
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Color Guard parents play a critical role in supporting the team. Most
importantly this is done through encouraging the members and attending
Color Guard performances and competitions. In addition, the Color Guard
boosters support the team through various
fundraising and
volunteer activities.
A current list of volunteer opportunities and assignments for the
Color Guard boosters can be found on the
boosters page.
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| Competitions |
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Color Guard participates in several competitions during the year. During
field season, the
team generally attends two or three band competitions along with the
marching band. The team is judged on their performance, and awards are
given in the Colorguard category.
Winter Guard attends
about 5 to 7 competitions during the winter and spring. The
competitions are generally held at local high schools on Friday evenings
or Saturdays. Attendance at all competitions is an important commitment.
Competition dates are scheduled well in advance, so please plan your other
activities around them. You can view the competition schedule for the
2003/2004 school year on the
competitions page.
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| Constitution |
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The Color Guard Constitution details the requirements of student participation
in Color Guard. It includes qualifications of membership, student responsibilities,
rules of behavior, financial responsibilities, and rules for practices,
performances, and competitions, as well as disciplinary action. Each student
and their parents must sign an acknowledgement of acceptance of the rules and
responsibilities included in the Color Guard Constitution.
Click
here to view a copy of
the Color Guard Constitution.
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| Evaluations |
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Each team member will be individually evaluated several times over the
course of the year. Evaluations are important to insure that each member
learns their part and gets feedback on areas to improve. Individuals must
pass their evaluation in order to participate in Field Shows and
Winter Guard competitions. Evaluations are also an important part of the
student's grades.
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| Field Season |
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Field Season begins with band camp
and continues through the end of football season (including CIF playoffs if
applicable). It consists of Field Show performances with the marching
band. Color Guard performs the Field Show at each of the home football games
as well as a few band competitions. The field show consists of three parts
called "movements". The team learns the movements one at a time and generally
completes the entire field show routine by mid to late October. During field
season, Color Guard performs the field show at each home
football game and at band
competitions.
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| Finals |
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Each member of the Color Guard team will perform an individual routine as
their "final exam". The member is responsible for creating their own routine
choreographed to a recorded music selection of their choice. The routine
should be 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in length and should include several challenging
maneuvers that demonstrate that individual's abilities. The evaluation of
the routine will form a portion of the spring semester
grade.
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| Financial Responsibility |
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In order to participate in Color Guard, each team member and their family
must commit to several payments that cover the cost of
Summer Camp,
uniforms,
equipment (bag, practice pole and flag, etc.), coaches, and transportation.
Please note that fundraising
activities can help to offset a significant portion of these costs.
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| Football Games |
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The Color Guard team performs the field show at halftime of each home
varsity football game. This generally includes five regular season games
and may also include one or more CIF playoff games depending on the success
of the football team. These games take place during September, October, and
November during
field season usually on
Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evenings. The team will generally meet about
two to three hours prior to the game and warm up, eat dinner, dress and
touchup their hair and makeup. The team marches in with the band about
twenty minutes before the start of the game. The girls sit together along
with the band and help cheer the football team. They gather beyond the end of
the field when the clock shows 2 minutes left in the half, and then march out
onto the field promptly at the start of halftime. After performing the field
show, the team is given some free time during the third quarter. They must
return to their seats by the end of third quarter and then contiinue to cheer
on the football team. After the game, all team members must return to NHS to
help put away the equipment. They are then excused. Traditionally many of the
girls go out for a bite to eat at a local restaraunt after they are excused.
On a few occasions the team might also be required to attend an away football
game as a show of spirit to help cheer the football team.
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| Fundraising |
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The team participates in several fundraising activities during the
year. All members are required to participate in some of these fundraisers,
and to put forth their best effort to contribute to the success of the
activity. Part of the profits from some fundraising activities can be used to
directly offset some of the costs outlined in the
financial responsibility
paragraph.
Fundraising efforts are one of the responsibilities managed by the
boosters. Some activities
may require mandatory parent participation as well.
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| Grading |
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Color Guard is a graded Performing Arts course at Northwood High School. In
addition, Color Guard fulfills the physical education requirement. Grading is
based on a combination of individual
evaluations and performance,
level of participation, leadership, and attitude. In the spring semester,
students are also required to prepare and perform an individual routine which
serves as their final.
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| Leadership |
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Color Guard offers a few students an opportunity for leadership roles. Typically
the team has a captain and two squad leaders. This provides an excellent way
to demonstrate leadership experience for one's college application. Interested
students must tryout for leadership positions in the spring for the following
year's team.
Squad leaders are responsible for communication to the members of their squad
to inform and remind them of specific activities and events. In addition, squad
leaders conduct occasional squad practices and assist members of their squad
with techniques in the routines.
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| Letter |
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All Color Guard members are eligible to receive a letter following one year
of participation.
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| Performances/Parades |
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Occasionally the Color Guard team will participate in general performances.
These include pep rallies, parades, and demonstrations like the Irvine
Band Spectacular. Members will generally be informed of these activities
well in advance so they can schedule their time accordingly.
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| Practices |
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Considerable practice is required in order to achieve a desirable level of
excellence for the Field Show and Winter Guard routines. This practice is
accomplished through a combination of each of the following:
- Class time practice
- Zero period practices
- Occasional after school team practices
- Occasional squad practices (typically after school)
- Daily individual practice
Color Guard currently meets during 2nd period (every other day under the
Northwood High School block scheduling format). In addition, the team
frequently meets one hour prior to the start of school for
zero period practices.
Occasionally, the team will have after school practices (typically a day or
two prior to a competition). Sometimes these practices will be run by the
squad leaders with their squad. Finally, it is very important that each member
spend at least one-half to one hour each day practicing individually at home.
It is essential that all team members attend and be on time for each practice.
Disciplinary action will be taken for attendance problems.
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| Questions |
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Please feel free to direct any questions pertaining to Color Guard to our
Color Guard Director, Jennifer Shetland, at
[email protected].
If you are interested in joining NHS Color Guard during the next tryout
period, please drop a note to
[email protected] and
we will be sure to notify you of upcoming important dates.
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| Summer Camp |
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The NHS Color Guard team attends a summer camp each year. This provides an ideal
opportunity to focus on some special skills such as rifle and is also a
lot of fun for the girls. The 2004 Summer camp will take place at Woodbridge High
School from July 26th to August 6th.
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| Try Outs |
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Membership on the NHS Color Guard team requires performance in a tryout. No
experience is necessary to try out. The tryout date is preceded by a clinic
which is highly recommended to become familiar with the expected skills and
techniques. Candidates will be judged based on the following criteria:
- appearance
- showmanship
- flag techniques (tosses, spins, sweeps, and carves)
- dance technique (timing, rhythm, coordination)
- dance movements (jazz runs, chases, etc.)
- leaps (jetes, grande jetes, stag leaps)
- turns (pirouettes, etc.)
Tryouts will be held in the spring for the following year's team. At the
discretion of the Color Guard director, an additional tryout may be held in
late fall for the Winter Guard. (Space for additional members for Winter
Guard is not always available).
The NHS Color Guard team will generally visit Sierra Vista Middle School
prior to tryouts in the spring to recruit new freshman members for the
spring tryout. 8th graders at other middle schools should be sure to
notify NHS Color Guard
of their interest in advance in order to insure an opportunity to tryout
for the team.
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| Uniforms |
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Uniforms are an important part of the presentation of the Color Guard
performances. Team members are required to purchase uniforms for
Field Season and
Winter Guard. The
field season uniform is intended for use over several years. The Winter
Guard costume is selected to match the theme of the routine, so it will
change each year. In addition, Color Guard members will purchase a couple
of casual day outfits and accessories to wear at
summer camp,
and on the days of football games, pep rallies and other team events.
The cost of the uniforms, outfits, and accessories is a significant portion of the
financial responsibility.
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| Volunteer Opportunities |
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The Color Guard boosters
rely on parent volunteers in order to fulfill a number of important
tasks that help to make the Color Guard team a fun and successful
activity for the girls on the team. These tasks include arranging
meals for the team members prior to football games and at certain
other times during the year, sewing silks for the flags, preparing
backdrops and props for the Winter Guard routines, and many other
important jobs. Please review the opportunities and assignments on the
boosters page and
contribute in any way you can.
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| Winter Guard |
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The Winter Guard season begins in the late fall and concludes with the Regional
Championship competition in April. Winter Guard routines are themed presentations
choreographed with recorded music. The team begins preparing the Winter Guard
routine in late November or early December. The team initially performs the
routine in January in an evaluation competition where they receive valuable feedback
and suggestions from judges. They then polish the routine and begin serious competitions
in February. You can view the competition schedule for the upcoming/current Winter
Guard season on the
competitions page.
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| Zero Period |
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During field season, the Color Guard team practices with the marching band beginning
at 7:00am (one hour before first or second period begins). The team may have zero
period practices (either occasionally or regularly) during Winter Guard as well.
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