newsletter
July 12, 2026

Weekly Newsletter - July 12, 2026

Sent 7/12/2026, 5:45 PM.

Band Camp is HERE!

Thanks to everyone who came out to help with getting our practice field cleaned up and ready to go for this year's marching season.  It is very much appreciated by the students and the entire community.

Make sure you have a LARGE water bottle for this week (1/2 gallon minimum), plenty of light clothing, sun protection, and good shoes.  Preparedness makes the experience much more comfortable.

And during the second week of band camp, when we are doing uniform distribution, we are in need of some volunteers (background clearance required).  See the details and signup below.

Otherwise, I have a few things for you this week...  Let's dive right in.

What's in this newsletter?

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

• Calendar - our calendar is the best way to make sure you have all the information on what is coming - make sure you subscribe today!

• Physicals - remember to bring your students' physical paperwork to Mr. Sayre when you report to band camp

• Band Camp - two weeks of intensive rehearsing, all you need to know. Remember the family picnic Thursday evening!

• Summer Fundraising Campaign - we will kick off our summer donation campaign this Saturday with our call-a-thon

• Volunteer Opportunities - Uniform fitting will be happening next week and we need your help!  An existing, valid background clearance is required.

• And a word from Mr. Sayre - always make time to read through this section

This week in band...

Monday 7/13

• 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM - Color Guard Camp

• 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Band Camp - Leadership Training (Drum Majors, Section Leaders, and Officers)

Tuesday 7/14

• 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM - Color Guard Camp

• 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM - Band Camp - Organization Day (Drum Majors, Section Leaders, and Officers)

Wednesday 7/15

• 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM - Color Guard Camp

• 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Band Camp - New Marchers, Leadership, and ALL Percussion

Thursday 7/16

• 7:00 AM - 2:30 PM - Band Camp - All Members

• 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Family Picnic @ El Oso Grande Park (Bring your own dinner)

Friday 7/17

• 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM - Band Camp - All Members (Uniform Fitting for Seniors)

Saturday 7/18

• 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM - Band Camp - All Members

Now on to the details...

Calendar

The band Google calendar is the best way to keep track of everything upcoming regarding band and color guard.  We work very hard to keep it as up-to-date as possible.  All the important dates for the year have already been added, and if anything new comes up or anything changes, that will be reflected on that calendar.

If you haven't yet, I highly recommend you subscribe to the calendar.  You can subscribe by doing the following:

1. Go to the Calendar page of the website (https://www.eldorado.band/Calendar)
2. In the lower-right corner of the embedded calendar is a little blue plus sign - click on the plus sign
3. The Eldorado Band calendar will now be joined to your own Google calendar

Physicals

Something new this upcoming season is the requirement that students participating in marching band complete a physical examination.  I sent out information this summer on what you need to do to meet this new requirement.

We are keeping it as simple as possible. Linked at the bottom of this announcement is the NMAA (New Mexico Activities Association) evaluation packet. Follow the instructions outlined in that packet. There are forms in that packet you are supposed to keep and there are forms you are supposed to turn in. The portion of the packet that is to be turned in needs to be turned in to Mr. Sayre on the first day your student reports for band camp in July - whatever day their first day is, make sure that packet is sent with them and they physically turn that in to Mr. Sayre.

NOTE: Do NOT send the packet to the boosters. This packet needs to be turned in to the Director.

Here is the link to the form: https://www.nmact.org/file/Physical_Form.pdf 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Sayre at jordan.sayre@aps.edu.

Band Camp

Band camp begins this week!  It is two weeks of intensive rehearsal that get new marchers up to speed, returning members back into the swing of things, and a sizable portion of our marching show on the field for the upcoming season.  There are some important things I want to make sure you know beforehand:

1. The calendar has all the band camp dates/times on it - make sure you subscribe.
2. There is a Band Camp page on the website that also has the schedule and other band camp related information, such as what you should bring
3. Speaking of what to bring - make sure the students are wearing cool, light-colored clothing and athletic/tennis shoes (no sandals, boots, crocs, flip-flops).  Bring LOTS of water (i.e., the largest water bottle you have) and sunscreen/hats.  And of course, all the supplies they need to play and maintain their instrument.
4. Bring a sack lunch, or money to buy lunch at surrounding restaurants near campus.
5. Pay attention to special days, such as marching shoe fitting day, or uniform fitting day for classes.  Those happen during lunch, so plan accordingly.

Also, don't forget the band family picnic on Thursday evening, July 16th at El Oso Grande park.  Bring yourself some dinner, and come hang out with the band community.  The boosters will be there as well to answer any questions and provide opportunities to signup to volunteer this year.  You don't want to miss this - its such a great opportunity to get to know the rest of this amazing community.  I really hope you can make it!

DON'T FORGET! There will be a very important parent meeting at the end of band camp.  While the students are rehearsing that morning, the boosters and parents will be meeting in the Eldorado PAC at 9 AM and will be going over EVERYTHING you need to know as a parent (not just new parents, but returning parents as well), including finances/fees, schedules, rules, chaperoning/volunteering, uniform care - literally everything.  After we get done, we will go up to the practice field and watch the students perform what they learned over those weeks.  Mark your calendars!!

Summer Fundraising Campaign

Our summer fundraising campaigns bring in the bulk of our fundraising dollars, and are the best opportunity to lower band program shared costs for all band families.  They officially kickoff this Saturday with our call-a-thon.  There are opportunities to have family and friends donate to our program, as well as partnering with local businesses through sponsorships.  All the details will come on Saturday - stay tuned.

Volunteer Opportunities

Here is a list of all our current volunteer opportunities.  You can also see these anytime on the Volunteering page of the website.

We currently need volunteers to help with uniform distribution during band camp next week.  A current, valid background clearance is required to volunteer.

• Uniform Distribution Volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D48ADAA2DA1FB6-64740310-marching#/ 

Go Eagles!

JD

a word from Mr. Sayre...

Welcome Back!

Welcome to a new year of Eldorado Band! We are excited to officially kick off another incredible season, and we'd like to give a special welcome to all of our new members. We're thrilled to have you join our band family!

A huge thank you goes out to the many parents, volunteers, alumni, and community members who gave their time during our Field Clean-Up Day on Saturday. Your hard work has helped prepare our home for a fantastic season, and we truly appreciate your support.

What You'll Need for Band Camp

Please come prepared each day with:

• Athletic shoes (no sandals or Crocs)

• Lightweight, comfortable athletic clothing

• Hat or visor

• Sunglasses (optional)

• Sunscreen

• Refillable water jug (at least ½ gallon)

• Lunch and snacks

• Pencil

• Music and drill binder (if issued)

• Instrument and all required equipment

• Flip folder and lyre (winds and brass)

• Drumsticks, mallets, and any percussion equipment (percussion)

• Positive attitude and willingness to work!

Remember that New Mexico mornings can be cool while afternoons become very hot. Dress accordingly and stay hydrated.

This Week at a Glance

Monday

• Leadership Training: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Color Guard Camp: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Tuesday

• Organizational Day (Student Leaders & Social Committee): 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM

• Color Guard Camp: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Wednesday

• New Members & Leadership Band Camp: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Color Guard Camp: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Thursday

• All Members Band Camp: 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM

• Band Family Picnic: 6:00 PM at El Oso Grande Park

Friday

• Band Camp: 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Saturday

• Band Camp: 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM

• Call-A-Thon: Morning (more information will be provided during camp)

We can't wait to see everyone this week as we begin another exciting marching band season. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're looking forward to a fantastic week together!

Go Eagles!

Mr. Sayre