newsletter
september 20, 2026

Weekly Newsletter - september 20, 2026

Sent 9/20/2026, 4:00 PM.

A quick thanks to all that came out and helped with the game on Friday.  The weather was a bit crazy and did not cooperate with us, but we were still able to get everyone and everything down to Community Stadium and back, which is no small feat.  Thanks for being flexible and going with the flow.

SENIORS - Senior pictures are tomorrow in the PAC.  Remember your full uniform.

Have a few other things for you this week, the biggest of which is getting Los Lunas transportation worked out.  Every student needs to have arranged a ride, either with another driver, or with their parents or guardians.  All drivers must turn in the paperwork, per the instructions below, and it needs to be in THIS WEEK.  Thanks for your prompt attention to this.

And don't forget about Chipotle night on Saturday!

Let's get into this week - keep in mind, it's looking to be another wet one...

What's in this newsletter?

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

• Senior Photos - Being taken immediately after school in the PAC - details below

• Los Lunas Invitational Transportation - We get ourselves to this event because of balloon fiesta, but there is paperwork involved.  Read up on the details.

• Yearbooks - get your yearbook early and save 10%!  And keep those pictures coming in.

• Volunteer Opportunities - Los Lunas Invitational signups are coming soon.

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

This week in band...

Monday 9/21

• Immediately After School - Senior Photos in PAC (details below)

• 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM - Woodwind/Brass Sectionals

Tuesday 9/22

• 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Tuesday Afternoon Rehearsal

• SPRING TRIP REGISTRATION DEADLINE - Register by the end of the day

Wednesday 9/23

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

Thursday 9/24

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

Saturday 9/26

• 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM - Saturday Marching Practice

• 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Chipotle Restaurant Night - grab some Chipotle for dinner after a long practice.  See the Restaurant Nights page for the details.

Now on to the details...

Senior Photos

Attention Seniors!

Immediately after school this Monday, September 21, we will be taking individual senior photos in the PAC. These photos will be featured in the football program, and each senior will receive free digital copies.

These photos are zero cost to students, everything is being donated by a parent volunteer.

Please bring your full marching band/Color Guard uniform with you on Monday so you're photo-ready.

Los Lunas Invitational Transportation

Because this event takes place during balloon fiesta, there are not buses available for us to use.  This means students have to get themselves to the event.  We accomplish this through carpooling, but this takes extra paperwork and planning, and it has to be completed by end of the month.  All the forms and details are below in Mr. Sayre's section.  If you need a printed version of the form, please request one from Mr. Sayre during school.

Yearbooks

Got some awesome band pictures? We’d love to have them for the yearbook! Send us your favorite photos from band camp, to the car wash, and everything in between. We’re looking for the fun moments that make the year special!

When sending photos, please label them by event, such as Band Camp, Car Wash, or Game One. This will make it much easier for us to sort through everything!

Send your photos to: yearbooks@eldorado.band

ALSO: It’s never too early to order your 2026–2027 Band Yearbook! TreeRing is offering an Early Bird Sale with 10% off book orders through October 31st.  Order at treering.com, and use passcode: 1016667234694117.

Volunteer Opportunities

Currently available signups:

• Coming Soon - Los Lunas Invitational

Remember, if you want to volunteer at any time this year, please get your background clearance started now so you are ready to go.  It's easy - all the details are on the How To Volunteer page.

Go Eagles!

JD

a word from Mr. Sayre...

Hello Band!

Thank you for putting in the effort to make as much happen as possible at the game. When weather like lightning and rain stops the game, the decision about whether we can continue is out of our hands. We appreciate the positive attitude you maintained throughout the night and the way you handled a situation that was out of our control.

This Week at a Glance:

• Monday: Sectionals after school

• Tuesday: Full Band Rehearsal, 4:00–6:00 PM

• Wednesday: Color Guard Class, 4:00–6:00 PM

• Thursday: Percussion Class, 4:00–6:00 PM

• Friday: 3rd and 4th Movement Memorization Test DUE

• Saturday: Full Band ALL DAY Rehearsal, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM

BAND ACTIVITY CLASS FEE

The Band Activity Class fee is due. This is a separate fee paid to the school activity account and is used for curriculum and school-specific needs. The fee is $50 per student.

Please pay using the following link:

https://aws.schoolpay.com/pay/for/BAND-CLASS-FEE/Sc2cgXM 

3RD AND 4TH MOVEMENT MEMORIZATION

3rd and 4th movement memorization is due Friday. Please get your recording uploaded in a timely manner.

Use a metronome or the click track provided in Google Classroom to play along with your music. You must have your music memorized in order to be a fully contributing member of the band, so please take the time to prepare this ahead of the deadline.

SATURDAY MARCHING REHEARSAL

This is the only Saturday marching rehearsal of the season, and every member of the band is required to attend.

Rehearsal starts promptly at 7:30 AM and will likely go until 4:00 PM, depending on the speed at which we are able to get all of the remaining drill and visuals onto the field. Having your music memorized will make this day go much better and much quicker, so please come prepared.

Bring:

• Sunscreen

• Water

• Your blue hoodie

• Your marching band hat

• Anything else you need to be successful throughout the day

CHIPOTLE FUNDRAISER — SATURDAY

We need 20 or more students to help with the Chipotle fundraiser. We will need students in the following shifts:

5:00–6:00 PM

• 2 students to hand out flyers with codes at the door

• 4 students to hold signs for cars driving by

6:00–7:00 PM

• 2 students to hand out flyers with codes at the door

• 4 students to hold signs for cars driving by

7:00–8:00 PM

• 2 students to hand out flyers with codes at the door

• 4 students to hold signs for cars driving by

ALL-STATE AUDITIONS

All-State audition registrations will be posted soon through Cheddar Up. All Screamin' Eagles and Golden Image Jazz students are required to audition.

Last year, we had more students make All-State than any other school in the state, so make sure you are preparing your auditions. All students are expected to prepare the audition materials regardless of whether they are required to submit an audition.

Audition registrations must be submitted by October 12.

HONOR BAND NOMINATIONS

If you would like to be considered for an Honor Band nomination, please fill out the form in the Announcements section of Google Classroom.

We have a limited number of nominations available. Acceptance and placement are based on the instrumentation needs of the ensemble and seniority.

LOS LUNAS INVITATIONAL TRANSPORTATION

We will not be taking a bus to Los Lunas because of the availability of transportation during the Balloon Fiesta. The bus contractors are being heavily used for Fiesta transportation, so students will need to arrange their own transportation after our morning rehearsal on the day of the event.

Because this is an APS field trip, the proper transportation paperwork must be completed and submitted to Mr. Sayre and/or the Booster Secretary (secretary@eldorado.band) by the end of this month.

The paperwork verifies:

• That the driver has a valid driver's license

• That the driver has up-to-date insurance

• That an adult driving other students has completed an unsupervised background check, when required

APS policy requires this paperwork in order to verify that students attending an APS event or field trip are being transported legally.

We understand the redundancy and frustration of having to complete paperwork to transport children you may already transport every day. However, because this is an APS field trip, we are required to follow APS policy regarding the transportation of students. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your help in getting this completed.

Transportation Form:

https://www.aps.edu/risk-management/documents/travel-forms/Notification%20of%20Responsibilities%20and%20Liabilities%20When%20Transporting%20Students.pdf/view 

Let's have a great week of putting the rest of the show on the field!

Go Eagles!

Mr. Sayre