WEEKLY UPDATE 9-11

PARENTS: WE WILL NEED HELP FOR LUNCH AND TO CONTINUE BUILDING PROPS THIS SATURDAY 9/16! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO HELP.

STUDENTS: GREAT IMPROVEMENT THIS PAST WEEK! Thank you for pushing through the heat this past Saturday. We still have a long way to go, but we are making progress on our field show production. Please make sure you continue to practice and review DAILY. Keep hydrating at least 24 hours in advance – which means drink more water!

A HUGE thank you to all of the parents and volunteers on Saturday with props, sewing, lunch, and the FUNDrive! We would like to thank all the families that cleaned out their closets and donated to the FUNDrive. We collected over 400 bags that raised money for the program and will be donated to a good cause! Congratulations to Caelyn Ellis with the most bags donated at 34 — amazing!! Thank you so much to Yenni Chao who donated one of the Starbucks gift cards, the Target gift card, and the Bath and Body Works gift card!

FUNDrive Raffle Winners:
1st Drawing - Emily Barcelos ($40 Amazon)
2nd Drawing - Haylee Hernandez ($25 Starbucks)
3rd Drawing - Fernando Zuniga ($20 Target)
4th Drawing - Madeline Barcelos ($15 Bath and Body Works)
Most Bags Donated (34) - Caelyn Ellis ($25 Starbucks)

We remember and pay tribute to the innocent lives lost during the 9/11 attacks, and the heroism and bravery that took place. The Madison Scouts commemorated the 10th anniversary of the stunning attack on the World Trade Center with their production, "New York Morning."

THE POPCORNOPOLIS DEADLINE WAS FRIDAY. If you did not turn in your order form or money, we will still be accepting them tomorrow (Monday). Please make all checks payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” write your name and organization name (Gahr Marching Gladiators) on the top of your order form, and turn it into the drop box in the Band Room. If you did not participate in the fundraiser, please opt-out by turning in the $35 of profit by clicking here.

COLOR GUARD PRACTICE TUESDAY 1-4PM — This Tuesday 9/12 is Back to School Night and school gets out at 11:39AM. Because of this, Color Guard practice will be earlier from 1:00-4:00PM. Please plan to eat lunch after school, change, and be ready for practice at 1PM.

Thank you for a great turnout at Wednesday’s kick-off Gahr Invitational Field Show Committee Meeting! Thank you so much to Field Show Committee Chair, Julie Castro, and all the parents who have volunteered to be leads. This is shaping up to be our BIGGEST field tournament yet and we will need all hands on deck to make it a success. Please stay tuned for information on our next meeting!

HOODIES ARE READY FOR PICK UP – If you ordered a blue Gahr Marching Gladiators hoodie and did not get it after practice on Saturday, we have them available for pick up from Mr. Miller or Mr. Loney. Thank you to Gaby Dominguez, Cassandra Ellis, and all of the parents that helped get the hoodies organized and ready to go!

The 3rd Donation of $150 was due Friday, September 1st. We accept checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” cash, or you can pay online with a credit card. It is critical that all donations are turned in on time. We cannot pay our instructional staff, purchase materials for props, or register for competitions without your contribution. Please communicate with Mr. Loney or Mr. Miller if you have any issues.

FIELD SHOW PROGRAM ADS — Advertise in our event program for the Gahr Invitational Field Tournament, held on Saturday, November 4, 2023! THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST INDIVIDUAL STUDENT FUNDRAISER OF THE ENTIRE YEAR. The deadline for all advertisements is Friday, October 6, 2023. We cannot accept late ads once the program is sent to the printer. Click here to download the form. See Mr. Loney for a sample program booklet.

Many local businesses are looking for ways to advertise to the community. This is also a great opportunity to put a "shout-out" for your son/daughter in the program! Best of all, students earn 90% of profit from program ads! You can now also purchase a program ad through our website. Just make sure you email the ad to Mr. Loney at darren.loney@abcusd.us.

SENIOR PARENTS — There are a number of things the boosters do to celebrate the seniors and to show appreciation for all that they’ve accomplished. We have an annual tradition of creating a picture spread on the middle pages of the Gahr Invitational Field Show Program that will show their baby pictures. Please email your son/daughter’s baby photo to Mrs. Varney at dvarney15@gmail.com or text it to (562) 413-3068. Thank you, and way to go Class of 2024!

ORDER YOUR SENIOR POSTER! — This year, the Band and Color Guard seniors will be honored with a custom poster that will be displayed at the Senior Night football game on Friday, September 29th! We will be taking pictures in uniform before the football game on September 22nd, and the posters will be displayed during Senior Night the following week! Posters are $40 cash/check/online, due by September 22nd. Seniors will be able to take their custom poster home at the end of the season :)

ASB CARD & TRANSPORTATION — All students need to purchase an ASB card and pay for transportation. When you buy these items together it only cost $120 total ($60 for the ASB card and $60 for transportation). Parents or students can pay for this at the finance office during school hours.

PANERA NEXT THURSDAY 9/21 — Go to Panera after practice next Thursday, September 21st from 4-8PM! Make sure you show the flyer to support the Gahr Marching Gladiators! Spread the word and we’ll see you there :)

STUDENT SPONSORSHIP LETTER — The Student Sponsorship Letter is a great way to raise money for marching band, Winter Drumline, and Winter Guard! 100% of the money sponsorships goes directly to your student account. These may take a few hours to complete and mail out, but you can raise upwards of $500 if done correctly! Click here to download the instructions and letter.

ATHLETIC CLEARANCE PAST DUE — All new AND RETURNING STUDENTS must complete their athletic clearance to be admitted into the band or color guard. Here are the steps to complete athletic clearance:

STEP 1 — Get a physical exam. You need to bring a print out of Gahr’s Physical Evaluation Form for the doctor to fill out. It is highly recommended to use a walk-in clinic instead of scheduling this with your primary care physician. If you are looking for a clinic, this one is available for $30 cash but you must call ahead for an appointment:

Sheila Weddle, DC, CCSP
Phone: (562) 866-8384
Address: 5687 Woodruff Ave, Lakewood, CA 90713

STEP 2 — Take a photo of the form. Click here for instructions on how to use your iPhone as a document scanner.

STEP 3 — Register and upload your form on the Family ID website:
https://www.familyid.com/programs/2023-2024-athletic-registration-10

When you complete the clearance, it will ask if you would like to purchase an ASB card and pay for transportation. You can also do this in-person at the finance office to get the ASB card and transportation for $120 total.

THIS WEEK:

MONDAY 9/11
7:15AM Jazz Band A + B
Concert Band/Wind Ensemble — marching on practice field during class period.
3:35-5:30PM Winds and Front Ensemble rehearsal (WINDS — visual rehearsal)
6:00-9:00PM Battery rehearsal

TUESDAY 9/12
MINIMUM DAY SCHEDULE
7:15AM Jazz Band A + B
11:39AM School Ends
After School Optional Sectionals — pass off Mvt. 2 from I-K, make up Mvt. 2 F-H
1:00-4:00PM Color Guard Rehearsal (earlier)
5:30-8:00PM Back to School Night

WEDNESDAY 9/13
STUDY HALL/GRADE CHECKS DURING CLASS PERIOD
AFTER SCHOOL: Do your homework, eat dinner, and hydrate.
5:00PM Set up for rehearsal — DO NOT BE LATE
5:30-8:30PM Rehearsal

THURSDAY 9/14
7:15AM Jazz Band A ONLY
3:35-6:00PM Full Ensemble Rehearsal

FRIDAY 9/15
7:15AM Jazz Band A + B
WINDS: MVT. 1 MEMORIZATION TEST (I-K)
3:30-5:00PM Jazz Band B ONLY

SATURDAY 9/16
Eat a good breakfast. Bring hat, water jug, dot book, and $5 for lunch.
8:15AM Band Room open
8:30AM Set up for rehearsal — DO NOT BE LATE
8:59AM Block 1
12:30PM Lunch — Bring $5
1:30PM Block 2
4:50PM Announcements/Debrief
5:00PM Clean Up / Dismissal