Frequently Asked Questions
So, as Mom and Dad, or Grandparents, or just friends of the Band & Colorguard students, you have questions about the EEU? Or maybe just what is happening in the EEU?
Here is the place to get some of those general (and maybe not so) general questions answered. You can always ask Mr. Davis or a member of the EEU Booster Board your question, but many times your questions are common and requested by many other parents too. Below are some Frequently Asked Questions and helpful locations within the Website you can go to get additional information.
If you have a question that might be helpful for other interested parties, please feel free to send them and we will add them to this page as soon as we can!
Where can I find the EEU rules?
Find EEU Rules & Regs in the latest Student/Parent Handbook on the Registration Page.
Click here to view the EHSEU bylaws.
Here’s what new EEU families need to know about:
- How to do a Field Show Event
- How to do a Jazz Festival
- How to do a Winter Guard Competition
- How to do a Percussion Competition
Where can I find what’s going on each day or week?
Click on the EEU Calendar to see what is going on. Click on the particular day and then the event to get additional information for that event.
Why does my student need to go to band camp?
There are multiple reasons as to why. First, if your student is a Freshman, this is the time they learn the basics of marching on the field and possibly the street. Most students have marched on the street, but the field is a whole new ball game. Second, it’s time to learn the music and the drill. Yes, the EEU will jump right in and start learning the field show drill. Other schools have up to four weeks during the summer for their band camp. We need everyone there to put on a great show. Third, camaraderie. Yes, it is important to reconnect with old friends and meet new friends. This is the best time for your student to build friendships, especially if your student is new to Esperanza. Last, and maybe the most important, every student has an important place to fill in the show. If we practice with a hole in the drill, all the students around that hole has to work harder trying to hit their marks.
How do we handle EHS Registration during the first day of camp?
All EEU students need to be in the EHS Registration line between 7:40-7:50am on Monday morning (regardless of your alphabet group). We have made arrangements with the ASB for EEU students to get started first so that all students will be at camp daily. Read more at Band Camp FAQs.
Do I have to volunteer?
The EEU cannot survive without the help of our great parent volunteers! We recognize this adds more time to an already busy schedule. There are numerous ways to fit in a few hours to volunteer. It is expected that every EEU family, band & colorguard, will volunteer a minimum of 8 hours or volunteer to work one fundraising event. If you would like to volunteer, don’t be shy, just jump right in and start helping during an EEU activity. You can check out Volunteer FAQS and brief position descriptions and committee needs at About EEU and click Volunteers. Let us know your interests or experience at the I’d Like to Help form.
What are Meet and Eats?
These are the easiest fundraisers we have. All you have to do is go out to eat at the particular restaurant where our Meet and Eat is at and give them the flyer that will be posted on the website. That’s it. We get anywhere from 10% to 20% of the proceeds, which go directly to the EEU to reduce the cost of running our great program.
Boy, it’s expensive to participate in the band and colorguard. What is this Performance Donation?
Yep, we hear this a lot. Yes, the Performance Donation is expensive, but we try to keep it down as much as we can. Believe it or not, the EEU Performance Donation is one of the least expensive in Orange County. Some families in other districts donate up to $1000.00 and more a year to participate in band and colorguard. Within our own school our performance donations are just a mere fraction of what other activities are requiring their parents to donate. Our typical budget to run the EEU is just under $100,000.00. We get very little cash assistance from the school and the district to put on our field shows, march in parades and entertain the multitudes of people in our competitions and performances. Performance Donations help reduce these expenses and allow the EEU to do what band and colorguard students do best, perform and entertain! Performance Donations are also a 100% tax write off on your tax return as the EEU is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, charitable organization.
If you have difficulty in paying the Performance Donation, please contact Mr. Davis as soon as possible. We are always willing to help out and come up with a viable solution that works best for you and your student.
Got Questions?
Please find Mr. Davis & Booster information at the CONTACT page. You can submit your question to a Board Executive or any related Chairperson; our EEU volunteers will answer as soon as we can!