October 27, 2025
2025-26 Foothill High School Music Program’s Newsletter 🪶
Announcements:
🥳Director’s Message: Thank you to everyone who helped organize, plan, prepare, and volunteer for our 51st Foothill Band Review! This incredible event is one of the biggest fundraisers that supports our entire music program, and it simply wouldn’t be possible without each and every one of you. Your time, effort, and dedication helped the day run seamlessly from start to finish.
A special thank-you goes out to Steve Haney and our Band Review Leads for taking on such a huge responsibility and executing it with absolute excellence. We encourage everyone to get involved again in the future, whether it’s volunteering at next year’s Band Review, joining the board, helping move equipment, serving food, or driving a vehicle. Every bit of help truly makes a difference.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and the Foothill Music Program, you are what keeps our community strong and thriving!
Mr. Fagundes and Mr. Nishimori
💌President’s Message:
On behalf of the Booster Board and the Band Review Leads: Thank you EVERYONE for helping to make the 51st Annual Foothill Band Review successful. Each volunteer including our students, families, friends, alums, and past parents made a huge impact on our event. It was a long day but everyone pushed through with smiles and camaraderie! It isn’t possible to do this event without EVERYONE! We received lots of compliments yesterday! That is because of you! If you noticed an area for Band Review improvement, please email us at president@foothillmusic.org or fundraising@foothillmusic.org
We will have our General Parent Meeting #3 – October edition tomorrow, 10/28 in the FHS library at 7:30pm. We will share more spring trip info and other news. Please plan to attend. Thank you!
Warm musical regards,
Cheryl Goebel
🌸Spring Trip 2026 San Diego
We are excited about our Spring Trip 2026 to San Diego, taking place from Thursday- Sunday, April 16-19, 2026!
Any students in Band, Orchestra, and/or Color Guard are eligible to attend. This trip is fully optional and NOT required. Students will miss two days of school and will need prior teacher approval. Note: Students who are in We The People will have a date conflict with Nationals weekend- which we are pretty sure your awesome team will attend. If you decide this is a trip you would like to attend, confirm with your parents, and then you may sign up and pay. Details found on the San Diego Trip webpage!
To be fully registered, the trip leads need to receive the following on or before Nov. 7:
- The completed student google form AND a payment of either $300 deposit or a payment in full of $945. Google forms and credit card payments are both date and time stamped. Cash or check payments will be recorded regularly.
- Adult chaperone google forms will be sent out after interest is indicated on the student form.
- The deposit/payments are fully refundable between Oct. 9- Nov. 7, 2025.
- After Nov. 7, the $300 deposit is non refundable, however excess funds are refundable.
- Payments can be made by cash, check, or credit card. See details attached.
- Our current plan and fee schedule is based on 100 students. We will have 3 staff members and will need 9 adult chaperones.
- Sign ups are first come first served. Directors reserve the right to adjust student attendance to fill in critical ensemble instruments.
Please read all of the attached information first, then ask us any questions you may still have. Thanks!
San Diego Trip Leads,
Harshetha Kumar & Cheryl Goebel
📣 Check the Kick Off Meeting Slide Show This is updated regularly and has many important links and specifics for band students and families.
📣 Parents! Please install the Band app on your phone NOW! (iPhone or Android). This is the best way to get fast and live communications from our band program community! It is a place for boosters, teachers, and parents to chat, post, and ask questions. You will also find fun pictures and videos of our students’ performances and other events from our wonderful music community.
📣 Interested in leading our merchandising efforts? We are looking for a volunteer to step into the role of Merchandising Lead—a position that’s not only incredibly fun but also a fantastic way to get involved with the band program and support our amazing students. If you’re interested or want more information, please reach out to Richa Malik (merchandise@foothillmusic.org) or call/text: 484-6866369!
📣 Stay informed by reading these weekly newsletters, installing the Band app, and visiting our Foothill music program website!
🗓️ Important Dates:
10/28 (Tue) – General Parent Meeting #3 – October Edition
- All String, Band, & Guard parents
- In the FHS Library at 7:30pm-8:15pm
- Come find out the latest program news & more details about our SPRING 2026 TRIP
10/30 (Thur) Home Football Game, Marching Band & Color Guard
11/1 (Sat) Competition @ Dublin HS, Marching Band & Colorguard – Itinerary
11/7 (Fri) Home Football Game; 8th Grade Welcome Night! Tailgate BBQ for 8th graders and marching kids at 5pm; call time 6 pm
11/8 (Sat)NCBA @ Merced, Honors Jazz Band A
11/9 (Sun) Pleasanton Veterans Day Parade, Marching Band & Colorguard
11/15 (Sat) Competition @ James Logan HS, Marching Band & Colorguard
11/20 (Thr) Friends & Family @ AVHS for Marching Band & Colorguard; ALL WELCOME!
11/22-23 (Sat/Sun-overnight) WBA Championships @Fresno, Marching Band & Colorguard
12/6 (Sat) Holiday Parade for Marching Band & Color Guard (Time TBD; approx. time 3-7pm)
12/6-7 (Sat & Sun, 9am to 4 pm) The annual Surf & Turf Sale! Come buy high quality cuts of meat for your holiday feasts! Offerings and prices coming soon. All proceeds go to the band program!
12/9 (Tue) @7-9pm Winter Concert
1/23 (Fri) Pasta & Crab Feed Annual Booster Fundraiser Dinner:
- Save the date for an evening of music, food and fun together.
- Held at the Veteran’s Hall!
- Honors Jazz & Jazz B perform; other small jazz, brass or string quartets/ensembles welcome to perform by advanced request to Mr. Nishimori
3/11 (Wed) Sonoma State Band and Orchestra
- Honors Symphony Orchestra @ 3:00pm
- Honors Wind Ensemble @ 6:00pm
🎶 Ensemble Classes
Honors Jazz – Prepping for Merced Competition – November 8th. – Schedule TBA
Jazz B – Be sure to schedule sectionals before Thanksgiving Break.
Honors Symphony Orchestra – Great concert on Oct. 15th!!! – Now prepping for Winter Concert.
String Orchestra – Playing test upcoming: Major Scales.
Honors Wind Ensemble – Wind Ensemble is working on winter concert repertoire. Winter concert is coming up on December 9th.
Symphonic Band – We will be working on major scale tests in class. Winter Concert is coming up on December 9th.
Concert Band – We will be working on major scale tests in class. Winter Concert is coming up on December 9th.
Private lessons are encouraged for all of our students. If you need help finding someone for private lessons, please let either director know
🙌 Parent and Guardian Volunteering
✏️8th Grade Night! Welcome Tailgate on 11/7 at 5:00pm: Marching student call time 6:00pm. On Friday, November 7th, we are inviting seventh & eighth graders, both new and those currently marching with us, from Hart, Pleasanton Middle School, and Sunol Glen to be part of our Football Game Pep Band. The 8th graders will play music with the band in the stands and get a feel for how amazing it is to be a member of our Foothill Instrumental Music Program. The Boosters will be hosting a tailgate style dinner for all band members and the 8th grade students. We’ll be serving beef hot dogs, a vegetarian option, fruit, chips, drinks, and cookies.
We are hoping for 8 amazing volunteers to help make this happen! Two volunteers to prep, four to help serve the food, and two to help clean up. You can sign up to volunteer below: Sign Up to donate and/or volunteer HERE If you have any questions, please email Cheryl Goebel at president@foothillmusic.org
📣Other Band Booster Immediate Volunteer Needs:
- Communication Lead – OPEN contact Mauli Desai: communications@foothillmusic.org
- Yearbook Lead – OPEN contact Cheryl Goebel: president@foothillmusic.org
- Merchandise Sales at football games, contact Richa Malik: merchandise@foothillmusic.org
- Truckers – We need helpers to transport & move equipment at competitions and away performances (Nov 1, 9, 15, 20, 22-23, Dec.6) Please contact Peter Goebel at logistics@foothillmusic.org
Executive Board Positions needed for 2026-27
- Student Treasurer
- Communications Lead
- Secretary
📊 Treasurer of Student Accounts Information
Getting monthly reminders for your Student Share Donation? Pay what you can as you go. Installment Plans are Available. Our program DEPENDS on this money to function. Your voluntary Student Share donation is how your family supports your student’s music goals and ensures they get the best music program possible. Please strive to meet or exceed the requested amounts, but any amount helps.
There are four easy ways to make your Student Share donation:
1) Write a check. Then give it to your student to drop in the locked band box in the band room.
2) Pay with PayPal (https://paypal.com/). Use your PayPal account (or set one up if you don’t have one) to pay your Student Share in the app. Here is how it works: open the PayPal app, click the menu in the upper left corner, scroll down to Donate and tap, search for Foothill Band Boosters and select it, click the Donate button and select the Other category, input your student’s Student Share amount (see table below*), follow the payment instructions and you’re done!
3) Pay with CutTime (https://app.gocuttime.com/). CutTime is the Foothill Band Boosters management platform. Just login with your CutTime account, click below your students name, then click on the Payments link at the bottom of the list. Click on the green button that says “Make a Payment”, click the amount to pay, then fill in your debit or credit card information and submit the payment.
4) Pay with FutureFund (https://foothill.futurefund.com/). FutureFund is the PUSD sponsored platform that you signed up for when you registered your student for the school year. Just login to the site, click the Store button at the top of the webpage, click on the Band Boosters oval button below the page title, then select the Donation square designated for your students ensemble. Select your donation amount, fill in your students name, click Add To Cart, then proceed with the checkout process.
*When using PayPal, 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 Monica Fey, our Treasurer of Student Accounts, at treasurer.student@foothillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
👔 All 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 (pants will need to be hemmed) Tuxedo Link OR ANY tuxedo works fine – MUST BE ALL BLACK with a WHITE SHIRT
Concert Dress: Long black dress, Black dress shoes (dress will need to be hemmed) Dress Link
- Students may choose EITHER option
- Plan ahead for ordering, delivery, and alterations!
Concert Attire is required for all performances.
Jazz Attire is per the director’s request (varies from the above concert attire):
Dark Colors; Long ties only; Coats for everyone wearing a collared shirt and tie; Dark Color Shoes/Black (NO WHITE SOLES); tall Black socks; Shirt should be either white, or dark.
🥁 Marching Band and Color Guard
📣 10/30 (Thur) Home Football Game
📣 11/1 (Sat) Competition @ Dublin HS – Itinerary
🧳The WBA Marching Championships will take place at Buchanan High in Clovis on Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 22-23, 2025. Students and staff will be staying at the Piccadilly Inn in Fresno, for 1 night on Saturday, Nov 22, 2025. Parents, both volunteers and others, are welcome to book rooms at the same hotel.
Hotel Address: Piccadilly Inn, 5115 E. McKinley Avenue Fresno, CA 93727
Boosters are covering the hotel costs for the students and directors. Parents, volunteers, and chaperones can make reservations by calling the hotel directly during M-F business hours. Please ask to speak with or leave a message for the sales manager. The general reception desk is not aware of block room rates.Call 559-375-7760 Reference the group booking code ‘FOOTHILL MUSIC’ to receive the contracted room rate of $93+tax.
*⭐Reservation confirmations require a personal credit card.
Reservations must be made by October 31, 2025, to receive the group block room rate. Breakfast is complimentary for both the students and the families who book using the group code. *
💵 Fundraising
The Winter Turf & Surf Sale: The annual Winter Turf & Surf Sale is on for the weekend of December 6th & 7th. This semi-annual food sale (formerly “The Meat Sale”) will be held at Foothill High School. Come and purchase choice cuts of meats and amazing seafood to enjoy at your holiday feasts! Parents and Guardians: keep an eye out for a SignUp Genius form to help with point of sale, custom cuts, and bagging of products.
Please reach out to Steve Haney, our VP of Fundraising, at Fundraising@foohillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
📸 Photography & Media (aka the Band Click)
Hey Parents!
Whew! That was one heck of a Band Review! If you were able to grab a few images or videos of our students (or volunteers) having a great time, we’ve made it easy to share your media with our community! Simply upload to this Dropbox (thanks Mrs Jenkins!), and the Click team will make sure it gets to Flickr or YouTube (note, this also puts you ½ way into joining the media team! If you want your photos properly attributed, come talk to us – and we’ll make you a full member!)
Again, you don’t need a fancy camera to take great Photos or Videos… the best ones are taken close up – with a cellphone!
- 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 unsearchable on the platform until the band season is over.
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That’s it for The Falcon Beat this week — thank you for your energy, time, and support in making Foothill Music thrive. Go Falcons! 🦅
Email: president@foothillmusic.org to change or add contact information to our distribution list.