newsletter
october 25, 2026

Weekly Newsletter - october 25, 2026

Sent 10/25/2026, 7:00 PM.

So proud of these kids.  What a fun and exciting weekend.  If you did not hear, our Eagles placed first at NAU this weekend, taking top honors for music and general effect.  It was an amazing way to finish up our season.

A huge thanks to JP Bowdoin, our trip coordinator for ensuring the entire weekend went smoothly.  And also to all the parents that came out to help, some pulling double and triple duties to ensure the kids were safe, organized, fed, and hydrated, and ensured equipment made it out to Arizona, and onto the field.  Giving up a weekend is no small thing, and we're all incredibly thankful for those who were able to do so.

October is nearly done, which means our focus begins to shift from the hustle and bustle of marching season to the slower, but longer concert season.  As we do so I have some things for you as we wind down marching season and move to concert season.

I have a bunch for you this week, so let's dive in...

What's in this newsletter?

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

• Halloween Game - Our final regular season game is this Friday night, against Volcano at Community Stadium.  Come in costume, alumni welcome to play in the stands.

• Yearbooks - Keep those pics coming, and Saturday, 10/31 is the deadline to receive 10% off your yearbook order

• Booster Chair Positions - It's never too late to start planning for next year, and we have some important positions opening up soon that will need some dedicated parents to fill and begin training on those roles

• Zia Video - Zia performances were professionally recorded.  If you are interested, that company is selling videos of those performances

• Volunteer Opportunities - Our last football game has signups available.

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

This week in band...

Thursday 10/29

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

Friday 10/30

• 7:00 PM - Football Game vs. Volcano Vista (Away) - Community Stadium - Report Time: 4:45 PM in the band room.  Wear costumes per your section.

Now on to the details...

Halloween Game

Our last game of the year is the Halloween game.  The students dress up in themes per their section (they should already have that planned out by now).  We'll be at Community Stadium, and they will perform the show in costume.  It's a fun event for everyone.

Another way this game is fun and memorable, is we invite alumni to come and play pep tunes with the students in the stands.

Yearbooks

We really want your photos for the yearbook.

Send photos to: yearbooks@eldorado.band

And 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.

Booster Chair Positions

We are always looking ahead, even in October.  And I wanted to let you know we have some important positions that are going to need some dedicated parents to start training to take over in the future.

Food/Fun Chair - This position involves coordinating the food/fun team, ordering/serving meals for the band when we feed them at competitions and other events, and ensuring those with special dietary needs are taken care of.  Our current food/fun chair, Anayeli has done an amazing job, but wants to find someone hard-working and passionate for this important role to begin learning and training as early as possible.

Pit Crew Chief - Clint has been running our pit crew for a number of years, and has also done an amazing job.  This position involves coordinating the pit crew team and heading up the building of props and equipment.  If you love building things, or love logistics, or both, this might be a great position for you.

If you have any interest in these positions, or would like more information, reach out to me at president@eldorado.band, and I can put you in contact with our current chairs to learn more.

Zia Video

The Zia performances were professionally recorded, and they are selling recordings.  If you are interested, I wanted to share the link with you:

https://mrvideoonline.com/905253?searchuuid=d45bcc83-ccec-404f-bab7-c6f64ef4325d&search_query=905253 

Volunteer Opportunities

Currently available signups:

• Football Game, Friday 10/30 (Halloween Game)

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 Eagles!

Congratulations on a great performance at NAU Band Day yesterday! We were able to bring home the GOLD!

A huge thank-you to our parent and adult volunteers and supporters for handling so many details, including transporting equipment, chaperoning students at the hotel, providing food and snacks, and keeping everyone organized. Thank you to our students for working hard, showing up to rehearsal, and trusting the process as we brought the show together. We appreciate everyone who helped make this trip a success.

Here is the video of yesterday’s performance: Watch the performance on YouTube

Now we get to take a breather, prepare for our Halloween football game on Friday, and focus on All-State auditions and Zero Hour placement assessments. Details are below.

We will have Zero Hour rehearsals Wednesday through Friday this week.

This Week at a Glance

• Monday: No Zero Hour; no after-school sectionals

• Tuesday: No Zero Hour; All-State audition recording after school

• Wednesday: All-State recording after school; no Color Guard class

• Thursday: All-State recording; Percussion class

• Friday: Zero Hour on the marching field; All-State recording; Halloween football game

Coming Up

Zero Hour Placement Assessments

Please check Google Classroom for details about the Zero Hour placement assessments. All woodwind, brass, and percussion students need to submit a recording of their All-State etudes.

Halloween Football Game – Friday vs. Volcano Vista

We will perform at halftime this Friday. Volcano Vista’s band will not be performing at halftime, so we will have the field to ourselves. Wear a costume!

We also invite our band alumni to join us and play in the stands. It would be great to have you back with us!

All-State Audition Recordings

We need to get your auditions recorded as soon as possible. The submission deadline is November 6, and the sooner you record, the easier the process will be.

Students may record themselves and send their recordings to Mr. Sayre. Please name each file with your name and the material recorded. For example: eddie.eagle.swingetude.mp3. Please use an audio file format.

Auditions must include:

• Both etudes in their entirety

• Scales in full range

• Sight-reading with Mr. Sayre

Sight-reading must be recorded with Mr. Sayre. Please plan accordingly so we can get everyone finished before the deadline.

Marching Awards Ceremony – November 7

Student leaders need to report to the band room at noon to help organize equipment and prepare our facilities as we wrap up the marching band season.

The ceremony will take place in the gymnasium at 3:30 PM. Students should arrive by 3:00 PM, ready to go. Please note that this year's ceremony is in the afternoon rather than the morning, as in previous years.

The uniform crew will share details about the process for returning uniforms.

Possible Middle School Tour – November 10

We are working on the possibility of performing for some of our middle schools on November 10. Stay tuned for more details as plans develop.

Have a great week, Eagles! Thank you for a successful weekend at NAU. Let's keep things moving as we finish the marching season and prepare for All-State auditions.

Go Eagles!

Mr. Sayre