newsletter
FEBruary 16, 2026

Weekly Newsletter - february 16, 2026

Sent 2/16/2026 6:50 PM

What a weekend!  I can't thank this community enough for making this event such a success.  Mr. Sayre has plenty of thanks to give below, but I want to echo them as well.  All the students that worked, parents that volunteered, and of course, our Jazz Festival chairs - Beth Whiston and Liz Strot - huge thanks to all of you.  And let's not forget our sponsors - Simpkins Cornwell Tools, Gary Shaw - Realtor, DB Productions, and the NM Drum Major camp - for their contributions to this event.

We still have more to come!  Our Winter Guard Invitational is around the corner, MPA, and, of course, Spring Trip.  Be sure to read Mr. Sayre's section for important information about what's coming up.

Here is what I have for you this week.

What's in this newsletter?

Here's what I have for you all this week:

• Student Accounts - We are a month out from the deadline to pay off student accounts.  Please make sure you get those accounts to $0 soon.

• A word from Mr. Sayre - As always, make sure to read this - ALOT GOING ON!

This week in band...

Monday 2/16

• NO SCHOOL

Tuesday 2/17

• Fine Arts Assembly - Details below in Mr. Sayre's section

Wednesday 2/18

• 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Winter Guard Class

• Basketball (Band A) vs. Sandia Boys - Call Time: 6:00 PM, Game @ 7

Thursday 2/19

• 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Percussion Class

• Basketball (Band B) vs. Capital Girls - Call Time: 6:00 PM, Game @ 7

Now on to the details...

Student Accounts

We are just 3 WEEKS out from the deadline to pay down student accounts.  All student accounts should be brought to $0 by March 6th, and for spring trip participants, this is mandatory to remain eligible to go on the spring trip.  You can view an itemized list of charges on student accounts in Cut Time.

Go Eagles!

JD

a word from Mr. Sayre...

Hello Eagle Band Community!

Congratulations on a successful ABQ/UNM Jazz Festival! I hope our hard working students and adult volunteers were able to get some well-deserved rest before starting this week. We received countless comments about how outstanding and professional our student helpers were throughout the festival.

Our guest artists, clinicians, and adjudicators — Samuel Torres, Steve Davis, Christopher Merz, Vern Sielert, Bruce Dalby, and John Sanks - all shared how impressed they were with our Eldorado students and performing jazz ensembles.

Jazz Festival shout-outs:

Thank you to Beth Whiston, Elizabeth Strot, Anne Lacy, Lorrie Black, Addison Cruver, Jeremy Dencklau, Shelby Cruver, Essie Stewart, Anne Claspell, Robby Claspell, Judie Youngman, Michael Christmas, and all of our parent volunteers for making time in your busy schedules to help run the festival. I truly enjoy working with this group, and your support made the event run smoothly.

A huge thank-you to Javana Buehler and Dave Buehler (DB Productions) for loaning us sound engineers Colin Lorne and Daniel Rivera, and for securing high-quality percussion equipment from El Paso for our guest artists.

To our Eldorado students — thank you for the hard work and long hours. You make it look easy, even though we all know it isn’t.

Thank you to our Eldorado administration team — Juan Torres, Martina Holloway, Angela Adcox, Craig Robinson, and Cris Mancuso — for supporting and allowing this large-scale event to happen on our campus.

Thank you to the teachers who shared students with us during the school day so the festival could run. You’re always welcome to have our shared jazz students back to make up missed class time.

And finally, thank you to the parents for supporting your students through four long days of jazz. This is one of the largest events we host at Eldorado, and your patience and encouragement mean a great deal.

Coming up this week:

This Week at a Glance:

• Monday: No School

• Tuesday: Fine Arts Assembly in the AM

• Wednesday: Color Guard Class after school, Basketball Game PM

• Thursday: Percussion Class afterschool, Basketball Game PM

• Friday: Band room open for sectionals after school

Fine Arts Assembly – Tuesday, February 17

Performance Attire:

• Wind Symphony: all black

• Screamin’ Eagles Jazz Band: jazz uniform

• Winter Guard: performance attire

Setup will take place during zero and first period. Performances will occur during second period (two assemblies). Students will be dismissed back to class once all equipment is put away.

Setup will include placing and organizing:

• protective carpet on the gym floor

• chairs and stands

• jazz band risers

• sound system (audio and microphones)

• Winter Guard floor

• choral risers and shells

• orchestra chairs/stands

• microphones for choir and jazz band

Basketball Games - Wednesday (A Band)  and Thursday (B Band) this week.  Call time is 6:00 in the band room.  Wear your band shirt

Coming Up Next Week:

Pre-Festival Concert – Wednesday, February 25

Student leaders and officers will help with setup after school. 

Performing ensembles include Hoover Middle School (Concert and Symphonic Bands), Jackson Middle School Symphonic Band, Eisenhower Middle School Symphonic Band, EHS Concert Band, EHS Symphonic Band, and EHS Wind Symphony.

Call time for all Eldorado Band students is 5:00 PM in the PAC for attendance.  All students must stay and help put away the equipment before being checked out.  

Performance schedule - warm-up time for each group is 25 minutes before performance time:

• EHS Student call time is 5:00 PM in PAC.

• Hoover MS Concert Band – 5:30 PM

• Jackson MS – 5:55 PM

• Hoover MS Symphonic Band – 6:20 PM

• Eisenhower MS – 6:45 PM

• EHS Concert Band – 7:10 PM

• EHS Symphonic Band – 7:35 PM

• EHS Wind Symphony – 8:00 PM

Winter Guard Invitational Saturday, February 28th at Eldorado High School:

Sign ups for workers will be posted this week.  All student leaders and officers will help run this event.  Set up starts at 12:00 PM in the band room and main gymnasium and the event will go until we get everything tidy and put away correctly around 8PM.  

Parents: be on the look out for sign ups from the Boosters to help us handle money for ticket and concession sales.  

We will require student volunteers, other than leaders/officers and winter guard members, to assist throughout the day with these areas until the event is finished around 8PM. :

• Warm-Up (auxiliary gym)

• Guest storage areas (band room)

• Sound (main gym)

• Timing (main gym)

• Stage Crew (main gym)

• Announcers (main gym)

• Guides (all areas)

• Check in table (gym lobby)

• Judge and Office runners. (all areas)

Just a few big events coming up over the next few weeks. Keep your head up and keep pushing forward.

Go Eagles!

Mr. Sayre