31 August 2025
2025-26 Foothill High School Music Program’s Newsletter
📣 Announcements:
Back to School Night Recap:
At Back-to-School Night, Booster President Cheryl Goebel reminded us how special the Foothill music program is—spanning strings, jazz, band classes, marching band, winter percussion, and color guard, with over 250 students this year. She celebrated the addition of three new honors music classes—the first in PUSD history—and highlighted how music at Foothill is more than performance: “It’s about showing up for each other and building school community and spirit… Band isn’t just a place to play music. For many students, it’s a place to belong.”
Senior Parent Meeting on Tuesday, Sept 2, from 8:00–9:00 PM in Room C6
Marching Band Uniform Fittings – on Sept 6! See below for more details*.***
Golden State Warriors Half Time Performance! – stay tuned for more info from Mr. Fagundes
📅 Important Dates:
9/2 Tue @8:00–9:00 PM: Senior Parent Meeting in Room C6
9/3 Wed @ 7pm Fall Band Review 2025 Weekly Planning Meeting Room C-6 (or join online via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/rqp-zxzp-ovh ).
9/6 Sat @ 4:30-6pm Mandatory: Marching Uniform Fitting Day (during dinner break)
9/12 Fri Evening Football Game: Pep Band
10/4 Sat Honors Jazz Band at NCBA Antioch (Time TBA: likely AM)
10/11 Sat First Marching Band Competition
10/13 Mon All State Orchestra and All State Band recordings Due to Teachers
10/15 Wed @ 7pm Fall Concerts for Honors Wind Ensemble & Honors String Orchestra
10/17 Fri Evening Football Game: Pep Band
10/18 Sat @ 8am Marching Band Picture Day
10/25 Sat, All Day. Foothill High School hosts our 51st Annual Fall Band Review! Fall Band Review is on Saturday, October, 25th. All program families (strings, bands & guard) and students are required to help. Save the date and Sign Up Here to volunteer : Band Review Sign Up
💵 Fundraising:
Vertical Raise Fundraiser – The Vertical Raise fundraiser kicked off last week and IT IS GOING GANGBUSTERS! We’ve already raised over $13,000! With new costs this year, these fundraisers are more important than ever. If your student hasn’t shared their link yet, use the long weekend to reach out to friends and family. With everyone’s help, we’ll hit our $40,000 goal by Sept. 27—ONE FALCON TEAM!
Foothill Music Program Surf, Turf & Earth Sale Fundraiser – Save the date! Our semi-annual “Victuals Sale” (formerly “The Meat Sale”) is at Foothill High on Sept. 20–21. This year we’re adding more options for our vegetarian friends. Watch for a SignUp Genius to help with the register, custom cuts, and bagging.
Trophy Sponsorship – Complete the form to sponsor a trophy for the 2025 Fall Band Review Foothill Fall Band Review Trophy Sponsorship.docx.pdf
If you have any questions about Trophy Sponsorships, please feel free to reach to parent booster Sue Kuo at susiekuo@hotmail.com.
A New Way to Donate your Student Share!
Student Share is how your family supports your student’s music goals and ensures they get the best music program possible. 3 ways you’ve donated in the past:
1) Write a check! No transaction fee. Students drop them in the band box in the band room.
2) Pay through CutTime. Our Boosters management platform. Yes it’s instant, but charges a fee. But, no problem if it works for you!
**3) FutureFund (https://foothill.futurefund.com/). ** FutureFund (through PUSD – you probably saw this at registration). Easy to pay your Student Share online through FutureFund, but they also charge the boosters a transaction fee. Again, no problem if that works best for you.
BUT NOW – A 4th METHOD! Pay pal Giving Fund. Use your PayPal account (or set one up), pay in the app, donate instantly, no transaction fees for you or the music program!
**4) PayPal. Here is how it works: **
- Open the PayPal app, click menu in the upper left corner
- Scroll down and tap Donate ❤️
- Search and select Foothill Band Boosters
- Click the Donate button and select the Other category to input your student’s Student Share amount (see table below)
- Follow payment instructions and you’re done!
Here are the Student Share donation amounts for each ensemble, to insert in the Other field:
Fall Marching Band & Color Guard Students: $900
Wind Ensemble Students: $225
Concert & Symphonic Band Students: $150
Orchestra Students: $100
Jazz Ensemble A and B Students: $200
Winter Guard Students: $900
Winter Percussion Students: $900
Please reach out to our VP of Fundraising with any questions, contacts, or ideas! fundraising@foothillmusic.org
🎶 Ensemble Classes
Honors Jazz – Need to be working on 88 Basie Street and Hammerhead for NCBA Antioch on 10/4
Jazz B
Honors Symphony Orchestra – Labyrinth and Mad King, Scherzo, Barrier Reef, and Idyll for 10/15 Concert
String Orchestra – Working on River Song and Valkyrie
Honors Wind Ensemble
Reading new music for the year. New coaches will be coming in to work with students in the next couple of weeks.
Working on Pep tunes to prepare for the first Football Game on Friday 9/12
First concert is October 15th in FHS MPR at 7pm
Symphonic Band
Reading new music for the year. New coaches will be coming in to work with students in the next couple of weeks.
Working on Pep tunes to prepare for the first Football Game on Friday 9/12
Concert Band
Seating auditions are in progress. Should be done next week. New coaches will be coming in to work with students in the next couple of weeks.
Working on Pep tunes to prepare for the first Football Game on Friday 9/12
🙌 Parent and Guardian Volunteering:
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to fill out your Parent Volunteer Form!
👔 Band and Orchestra Concert Attire
Students in String Orchestra, Honors Symphony Orchestra, Concert, Symphonic & Honors Wind Ensemble will need concert attire for performances this year.
Tuxedo: Black Tuxedo, Black Bowtie and cummerbund (or vest), White shirt (wing collar is a good choice), Long black socks, Black dress shoes. Tuxedo Link
Concert Dress: Long black dress, Black dress shoes, flats Dress Link
- Students may choose EITHER option
- ANY tuxedo works fine – MUST BE ALL BLACK with a WHITE SHIRT
- Plan ahead for ordering, delivery, and alterations!
Concert Attire is required for all performances.
🥁 Marching Band and Color Guard
Marching Band & Color Guard Picture Day
- Group, buddy and individual picture options for picture day with “Photo 360” on Saturday, October 18th, at 8:00 a.m.
- Order forms will be distributed to students as we get closer to the date.
Fall Band Review 2025
***The Fall Band Review is one of the biggest events of the year—*a premier marching band and field show competition that brings schools from across Northern California in the NCBA circuit to Foothill. The day kicks off with a parade down Main Street and continues into the night with exciting field shows at the Foothill High School stadium. It’s a full day of music, family, food, and fun—and it takes all of us. Every music program family and student is required to participate and volunteer!
IMPORTANT VOLUNTEER ROLES STILL NEEDED:
Logistics Lead and Concessions Lead (at Amador). Please reach out, reply to this email, or attend the next planning meeting if you are interested in learning more.
Sign up Genius is here: Band Review Sign Up Form
All Parents Invited to our Fall Band Review 2025 Weekly Planning Meetings!
- Next Meeting: Wed. September 3rd, 7pm – Foothill Campus, Room C-6 (or join online via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/rqp-zxzp-ovh ).
Uniforms
Marching Band & Guard Uniforms, Shoes & Show Shirts Form All marching & guard students fill out this form, due NOW:****Uniform, Shoes, & Show Shirt form REQUIRED
Uniform Fitting Day, Sat. Sept. 6 – Dinner Break STAY ON CAMPUS
All Band students will be fitted for their marching band uniform. In order for the Uniform Team to properly size students, families/students MUST complete the online form above.
**Students are required to attend the Uniform Fitting schedule listed below: **
12 pm – 2 pm: SENIORS, FRESHMAN & 8TH GRADERS
4 pm – 6 pm: JUNIORS & SOPHOMORES
Juniors & Sophomores will be fitted during rehearsal dinner break, and students need to bring their dinner to band practice or have dinner dropped off.
- All students should wear black shirt, shorts or leggings and black socks
- Students will be trying on marching band uniforms over their street clothes.
🙌 The uniform team is a small group of volunteers, but we need YOUR HELP on Saturday 9/6 to complete sizing for over 100 students! Please sign up for a volunteer position today. Instructions for each position will be provided.
Uniform Fitting SignUp Genius Link
📸 Photography & Media
Hey Parents! The Media team needs parents to help take pictures at events!
**If you’re willing to take pictures at your student’s event and send them to us, please reach out to photography@foothillmusic.org **
- Photographs of all Band events can be found on Flickr
- Videos will be uploaded to our Youtube Playlist for each performance.
Please note that most videos will be marked private, and are un-searcheable on the platform until the band season is over.
That’s it for The Falcon Beat this week — thank you for your energy, time, and support in making Foothill Music thrive. Go Falcons! 🦅
Please bookmark these newsletters for reference. If someone in the program is not receiving this letter, first have them check spam, then email president@foothillmusic.org or communications@foothillmusic.org to be added to the distribution list.