Each winter and spring, Evanston Township High School runs a series of school-wide information nights to interface with 8th grade students and parents. The first of which occurs in January, called "Course Selection Night For Incoming Freshmen," and includes an assembly about the freshmen experience in our auditorium as well as an elective fair in our cafeteria. The ETHS music staff will be present to answer any questions you have about enrolling in our daily band classes in high school, or any other ETHS Music specific questions. This event is repeated for two evenings with last names A-L coming on the first night, and last names M-Z coming on the second night.
The second all-school event for incoming freshmen is our "Spring Activity Fair" in the Beardsley Gymnasium at ETHS. At this event, students can visit booths representing many of the extra-curricular activities and sports available to students at ETHS. Among the activities represented at this fair is our Color Guard, which is affiliated with our Marching Band. To find out more about our Color Guard, visit our Marching Band page!
All freshman will be guided through an online course registration program as part of the Course Selection Night experience. Follow the steps below to ensure band fits on your schedule.
Step 1: Sign-up for Biology as your science. All freshman are required to enroll in a “Freshman Advisory” program, which takes up a class period in your schedule. Biology is a double period class – containing a lab period a few days each week, and a free period (often used as a study period) the remaining days of the week. If you take Biology as a freshman, your Freshman Advisory requirement will fit within your Biology free period days – essentially meeting two requirements at the same time! Since you have to take Biology anyway during your freshman or sophomore year, you should definitely take it as a freshman. Choose Biology as your science in the first screen of the online course registration program.
Step 2: Choose your World Language. In the second screen of the online course registration program, you will be asked to choose your World Language. There are many options to choose from! A World Language is not a requirement (it will be in 2023-2024) but most of our students choose to study one while at ETHS.
Step 3: Rank Band (MU0202) as your 1st elective choice. In the third screen, you will be asked to rank your top 6 elective choices of the dozen or so options available to you as freshman. Rank Band MU0202 as your number 1 choice of these six choices.
That’s it! You have now requested band!
** If you get your schedule later in the spring or summer and band is not on it – contact us immediately! It is easy for us to fix a mistake or go over options with you!
Band and Choir Students
For students who are interested in taking both Band and Choir as freshmen (many of our band students decide to do this) you must enroll in the Band as a class and not select Choir as a course during this registration process. Our wonderful Choir program provides numerous opportunities to sing without being enrolled in the Choir course at ETHS. These opportunities will be made available to all students once school begins each fall. Contact Ms. Zegree for further details!
AVID and Music at ETHS
As an incoming freshmen, you may be approached to enroll in the AVID program. While a wonderful opportunity available at ETHS, students may have to make a choice between joining AVID or enrolling in our Band program. AVID is an option for ETHS students and not a requirement. If AVID appears on your schedule instead of Band and you would like to join band instead, contact Mr. Bufis, Mrs. Sullivan, and your guidance counselor right away.