Elkins Band & Guard Family,

Happy Bandtober, everyone!   What an amazing way to kick it off — our students did an excellent job at FBISD Band Night last night! We’re so proud of their hard work and can’t wait to cheer them on at their very first competition of the season: Bands of America, this Saturday, October 4th.

Our next big fundraiser is a Shoe Drive — so start setting aside those gently worn, used, or new shoes (no rips or tears, please!). This is a great way to clean out closets while supporting the band. Stay tuned for more details coming your way soon.

This week’s newsletter is packed with important updates and ways to get involved. We’d love to see YOU in action — whether it’s volunteering, cheering, or helping behind the scenes. Your support makes all the difference!

Sponsor Spotlight:  A huge thank-you to Jason Deitz State Farm, one of our Corporate Gold Sponsors! Their generous support helps fuel our program. Jason Deitz State Farm provides a range of insurance products, including Auto, Homeowners, Renters, Motorcycle, Pet, Condo, Boat, ATV, Business, and Life Insurance. Make sure your coverage keeps up with your current lifestyle. Give us a call or stop by our office — we’re happy to help!  

In this week’s newsletter:

• Thursday, October 2 – Football vs. Travis HS Game
• Friday, October 3 – Prop Construction
• Saturday, October 4 – Bands of America Competition
• Volunteers Needed: 

·       Wednesday, October 1 – Packing Snacks

·       Thursday, October 2 – Football vs. Travis HS (Away)

·       Friday, October 3 – Prop Construction

·       Saturday, October 4 – Bands of America Competition

·       Friday, October 10 – Football vs. Bush HS (Home)

• How to purchase football tickets
• Snack Drive
• Spirit Night at Brandani’s Burgers, Tacos and Brews- October 7th 
• Parent Craft Social - Homecoming Mums - October 9^th
• Community Bash - October 18^th  
• Band Booster Store:  Shirts, Domino’s Cards
• Fundraising:  RaiseRight
• Volunteer Background Check
• How to Stay in the Know: Band App, Band Calendar, Section Liaisons
• Next Booster Club Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m. in the Band Hall

Elkins vs. Travis Football Game (Away) – Thursday, October 2^nd

This Thursday, October 2^nd, we will be playing against Travis High School at Mercer Stadium.  Comeout and watch the game and see our Band and Color Guard perform their show Metalmorphosis at halftime.     

Volunteers are still needed to assist with help with the upcoming Travis football game:  we need assistance in all areas (percussion equipment, chaperones, traffic director, etc).  Please go to our volunteer page to sign up.

It is imperative that you are there to pick up your student on time or arrange in advance for them to catch a ride with a friend.  Please park in the designated area and wait for your student to come to you.  Remember that students must unload, put up equipment (have uniforms checked in when we start wearing them), etc. before they can leave.  So be patient.  It is important that you park in a parking spot in the student lot closest to the parking lot attendant building (near the entrance of the lot) and wait for your student to come to you. There is no "pick up line" and it is a safety issue to have cars moving near the band hall when students are coming and going.  

Volunteers Needed – Prop Work, Friday, October 3^rd 5:30pm-7:00pm

This Friday from 5:30pm-7:00pm, parents will be at the band hall working on props—and we’d love for you to join us!   Don’t worry if you’re not sure what to do—there will be people to guide you.  If you have drills, saws, and/or wrenches, bringing them would be a huge help. And don’t forget your water bottle!   We also like to keep track of our amazing volunteers. If you’re planning to come, please sign up here:   Volunteer Link.  Thank you for your support—we couldn’t do this without you!

BOA South Houston Regional Marching Contest October 4^th:  

• On Saturday, the students have their first marching contest at Freedom Field in Rosharon TX
• We do need volunteers to assist for this event.  Please go to the volunteer page to sign up:   https://elkinsband.boosterhub.com/calendar/10321
• Our performance time is at 2:30pm.  The format of the competition is prelims followed by finals.  
• We will take the students to the near by mall to eat dinner, please ensure they have cash or a credit card
• The band will find out at approximately 6:30pm if they made it to finals.  Regardless of the results, the students will stay to watch finals.  Arrival time back to Elkins High School will be posted on the Band App; estimated time of arrival is approximately midnight. 
• Students must be prepared to pay via cash or credit card for concessions.
• You must purchase a ticket if you want to watch the performance from inside the stadium.  They are encouraging people to pay online vs at the door.  The ticket is cheaper if you purchase online.  Purchase tickets to the contest here: https://aftontickets.com/BOASHOUSTON25 Cell service can be spotty at the stadium so be sure to screen shot your QR code or save it to your Apple or Google Wallet for easy access at the gate. 
• We are anticipating a hot and sunny day.  There is downtime where our students and parent volunteers are outside the stadium area.  
• Please come prepared with sunscreen, a hat, and a chair.
• The stadium has a clear bag policy.  

Volunteers needed for this week’s football game and other activities

We do have several upcoming events that require volunteer support.  Do visit the Booster volunteer page to review opportunities for you to volunteer at events and football games:

• Wednesday, October 1 – Packing Snacks
• Thursday, October 2 – Football vs. Travis HS (Away)
• Friday, October 3 - Prop Construction
• Saturday, October 4 – Bands of America Competition
• Friday, October 10 – Football vs. Bush HS (Home)

Football Tickets Purchasing Link

Tickets for the football season can be purchased here:  Elkins High School Events and Tickets by GoFan.  If you are a bus chaperone for a football game, you do not need to purchase a ticket.  All other volunteers, guests must purchase a ticket.  

Snack Drive

We have 6 more performances left, and we are running out of snacks to feed our hungry Knights! The next time you are at the grocery store or big box store, pick up one box of snacks for the band that corresponds to your last name (see examples below). Bring the snacks to the uniform room at the next rehearsal. Thank you in advance for filling up our snack pantry!

A-F: Handi-Snacks - Ritz and Cheese, Oreos, Biscoff & Go, Pretzels and Cheese,

G-M: Salty Snacks - Cheese Balls, Goldfish, Pretzels, Sun Chips

N-S: Sweet Snacks - Fruit Roll-ups, Fruit By the Foot, Fruit Bars, Fig Bars

T-Z: Special Snacks: Rice Treats, Popcorn, Little Debbie, Mini Stroopwafels 

Spirit Night at Brandani’s Burgers, Tacos & Brews – October 7^th

Dinner is set!  Mark your calendars for our next spirit night.  Please support the Elkins Band & Guard and order at Brandani’s Burgers, Tacos, and Brews from 11am-9pm.  They will give us 20% of ticketed sales.  You must place the receipt in the spirit night box or mention when ordering carry out for us to receive the credit.  

Parent Craft Social - Homecoming Mums October 9^th

It's Homecoming Time! Here in Texas, it's all about the mums. If you traditionally make a Homecoming Mum for your student, want to make one for the first time, or are just curious as to what the heck this is, join us for a craft night in the Band Hall on Oct. 9, from 5 - 7 p.m.  Get all the information, including what you should bring, on BoosterHub: https://elkinsband.boosterhub.com/calendar/10321?eventId=727317

Community Bash Games Opportunity October 18^th

On Saturday, October 18, the band is hosting an Elkins Community Bash from 12 -2 p.m. at school. The band will perform for the community at noon, followed by food and games. Here's where we need help: We are looking for families to sponsor the carnival games. By doing this, you would choose a carnival game (see idea list below), gather the materials, set it up, and run it.   There will be students to help, but due to them being in rehearsal and then performing, they aren't able to do the set up. The Booster Club will provide game prizes. Please email Christine at president@elkinsband.org to say which game you can help with.

Possible carnival game ideas:

Ring around the soda bottle.

Cake/cookie walk.

Guess weight of a cake

Treasure chest - fill an ice chest with ice and gold coins

Tug of War - borrow ROTC rope

Pumpkin decorating - we will buy faux pumpkins and paint.

Life-size tic tac toe

Leaf race - blow leaves across the table through a straw

Water balloon toss

Pumpkin golf

Band Booster Store - Dad and Guard Mom Shirts, Domino’s cards

Calling all Band Dads!  Calling all Guard Moms!  You saw the "Band Mom" shirts and asked for your own. The booster club answered! Shirts are $15 or $18 for 2XL or 3XL.

Click here to order Band Dad: https://elkinsband.boosterhub.com/store/10324/32505

Click here to order Guard Mom:  https://elkinsband.boosterhub.com/store/10324/32523

Did you miss your chance to purchase a Domino’s Slice the Price Card during our recent fundraiser? We have some cards available to sell. Each card is $20 and any proceeds add to our fundraiser. Purchase cards here: https://elkinsband.boosterhub.com/store/10

Fundraising: RaiseRight

Help us earn more for our organization by buying gift cards and shopping online through RaiseRight! Choose from over 1,000 brands, including Amazon, The Home Depot, Starbucks, and Walmart.

Earn while eating at local restaurants: Simply link a credit or debit card once, and you’ll earn

5% every time you use it to dine at 20,000+ participating restaurants nationwide. 

Bonus Fest: Between October 3 and 26, shop new bonuses every weekend! Earn more on

everyday expenses or get a jumpstart on holiday gifting — plus every purchase from our weekly featured brand earns you an entry to win a $100 gift card.

Not a part of RaiseRight yet? Join now: Registration Link

FBISD Volunteer Background Checks

If you plan to help the band in any capacity this school year you must complete an annual background check with the school district. This applies for any help you may provide at a football game, contest or on campus. FBISD clears the volunteer list every year on July 1st, and a new application is required. Click the following link to complete Background Check If you have issues, please contact FBISD Human Resources at 281-634-1270.   Once you complete the form, please forward a copy of the approval email to Lyra Gulfo, vicepresident@elkinsband.org.

How to stay in the know: Download the Band App and Google Calendar

In addition to the weekly newsletter that you will receive from the EHS Band and Guard Boosters (posted on Booster Hub and Band App), we highly recommend that you download the Band Calendar and Band App to stay on top of what’s happening with the band program.

Band App – EHS Band and Guard 2025-2026:  Our band directors will send out their weekly “Notes from the Band Staff” via the Band App with all things the students need to be aware of for upcoming school activities. The band staff also send out announcements and communicate arrival times to the band hall while on marching and performance trips. Click this link to be added to this group:   https://band.us/n/ada3AdZ1b5F3C

Band App – Elkins Band Boosters Club Volunteers 2025-26: We communicate with our volunteers via the BandApp. We will post requests and reminders for volunteers. Another nice feature, we have linked the band Google calendar to this group, so you can also see upcoming events in the app. Click this link to be added to this group:  https://band.us/@elkinsvol2526

Band Calendar: Schedules get adjusted from time to time and the band calendar is always updated quickly and is the best place to look for dates and times. Visit https://elkinsband.boosterhub.com/about/11121 and click the +Add Calendar link to add the calendar to your calendar. 

Section Liaison Groups:  We have developed an additional way for all of you to connect with each other.  Each section has a liaison that you can reach out to for questions you have throughout the year that you don’t necessarily need to go to the booster club or directors.  The links to each of the section’s BandApp link are listed below.

• Flute https://www.band.us/n/ada6bcI80dg7U
• Clarinet https://band.us/n/aaafbba6g0n0l
• Saxophone https://band.us/n/a8a1b1I34cyah
• Double Reeds https://band.us/n/a5aebaJbXcjdv
• French Horn https://band.us/n/a8adA5ydxeAdG
• Trumpet https://band.us/n/ada8b6a9g0D4Q
• Percussion https://band.us/band/98274274
• Guard https://band.us/n/a8afA9x7g7adT
• Trombones/Euphonium/Tuba - https://band.us/n/abacbaa9k9Tc5

Let’s make this an unforgettable Bandtober!  Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions that may pop up. The board is here to help!  

It’s a great day to be a Knight!

Zia Anklesaria

EHS Band & Guard Booster Secretary