Camden County Schools has approved the school calendar for the 2023-24 School Year. The calendar is now posted in the Events Section on the main District page.
https://www.ccsnc.org/documents/information/calendars/432053
March 22, 2023 the Camden Middle 8th Band and Camden High School Band traveled to Riverside for the NC Music Performance Assessment. This is our end of course test. The event is sanctioned by the NC Bandmasters Association and is a measurement tool to assess our students' knowledge of the NC Standard Course of Study for Instrumental Music. In the band world we consider this the most important musical performance of our school year!
Each group prepared 3 pieces of music for the stage performance. In addition each group is given a piece of music they have never seen before and asked to perform it for a judge after a brief 5 minute preparation session. Both ensembles received a Superior Rating on stage and in Sight Reading an overall rating of Superior. NEVER in school history have both groups received a superior in the same year and this is the 2nd Superior in a row for the high school.
To really understand the significance of these accomplishments, I think it's critical to note that the 8th band was formerly the 6th grade band that began learning their instruments via zoom. The majority of the high school band is made up of students who also spent the bulk of their middle school and early high school band experience behind a computer screen.
In an educational environment where we are talking about learning loss from Covid and measuring growth, I don't think there's a better example of growth the band students could demonstrate. Rose and I really do not like to "toot our own horns" but this major success and milestone for the county's band program was just too big to not share with everyone!
Sincerely
Chris Whitehurst
Director of Bands-CCHS
