Congratulations on an outstanding first week of Band Camp! The students have been working incredibly hard and improving every day. Thank you to everyone who attended Wednesday’s Parent & Student Kick-Off Meeting! It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the start of the season and share what’s ahead for the program.

Band Camp runs from 8:30AM-5:00PM each day. This Friday, we will be ending early at 4:00PM for the Family Beach Bonfire! Please see the flyer below for your items to bring.

STUDENT REMINDERS – Stay hydrated – proper hydration begins 24 hours before rehearsal. Always eat a good breakfast and arrive at least 15-20 minutes early. Students must wear athletic shoes, a hat, and bring a 1-gallon water jug and $5 for lunch. Keep up the great work!

This week is also SPIRIT WEEK! We will have our annual “Dress Up Day” on Thursday after lunch – so be sure to know what your section has planned.

The boosters will be serving lunch again each day for just $5. We accept cash or tap-to-pay.

Thank you to all of the parents who generously donated items and helped serve meals last week, including ABCUSD School Board Member, Jeanie McHatton. Your support makes a tremendous difference, and we truly appreciate everything you do for our students and program. If you are able to help this week, please use the links below to sign up:

LUNCH VOLUNTEERS:
www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E48AFA82EA3F8C61-64866680-7202672426

BEACH BONFIRE:
www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E48AFA82EA3F8C61-64819757-73126

BOOSTER WISHLIST:
www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E48AFA82EA3F8C61-50477110-gahr

All NEW and RETURNING members of the Gahr Marching Gladiators must complete the 2026-27 Band Registration & Participation Form. Please have a parent or guardian complete this form together with your student. The form takes about 10 minutes to complete.

GET YOUR OFFICIAL BOOSTER MEMBERSHIP!

Support the Gahr Band & Color Guard and become an official Gahr Band Booster Member! For just $30 per person, your Booster Membership includes a 2026 “Jungle Boogie” Field Show T-Shirt and a Gahr Marching Gladiators clear cinch bag.

Become an “Early Bird” Booster by this Wednesday, July 29 to receive your field show shirt at the Sneak Preview Performance!

Join today and proudly support the Gahr Marching Gladiators during our 2026 season!

PARENT/STUDENT MEETING HANDOUTS

Thank you to everyone who came to our Parent/Student Kick-Off Meeting! We went through important information about the upcoming marching season and school year. Please click below to access the handbook, flyers, and handouts from the meeting.

BAND CAMP BBQ & SNEAK PREVIEW – RSVP

Join us next Wednesday, August 5th for our annual Band Camp BBQ & Sneak Preview at the Gahr High School Stadium! Come see the incredible progress our students have made and get an exclusive first look at our 2026 field show production, “Jungle Boogie.”

Get a delicious burger/cheeseburger, potato salad, chips, cookie, and soda/water all for just $15 per person! Dinner begins at 6:00PM, and the performance will start at approximately 7:00PM.

All attendees who plan to eat – including students – must pay for dinner. Submit your RSVP by this Friday, July 31st. Click here to RSVP online.

MARCHING BAND AND COLOR GUARD ORDER FORMS

During the Parent/Student Meeting we went through the required items needed depending on the section your student is in. Please fill out the Marching Band Order Form (all winds, battery, and front ensemble) or the Color Guard Order Form. There are three payment options for both forms:

Cash (please turn in with physical order form)
Check made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters” (turn in with physical order form)
Pay online through the website (and still turn in physical order form)
https://www.gahrband.org/store/p/make-a-donation
Please enter the grand total as the quantity amount.

ATHLETIC CLEARANCE – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Gahr High School has changed the platform used for athletic clearance. Beginning this year, all athletic clearance paperwork will be completed through Home Campus, and the school is no longer using FamilyID.

All students participating in the 2026–27 Gahr High School Marching Band & Color Guard are required to complete athletic clearance each year and must have a current athletic physical on file.

Parents should create an account and complete the clearance process through the following website: https://www.homecampus.com/login

After completing a physical exam, families will need to scan or take photos of both pages of the form and upload them to Home Campus as part of the athletic clearance process.

Click here to download the required physical evaluation form.

Students who have not yet completed their athletic physical may still do so through Anderson Chiropractic Clinic. They are continuing to offer athletic physicals for just $20 cash. Call ahead to schedule an appointment.

10671 Los Alamitos Blvd.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
(562) 594-6538

Additionally, all marching band and color guard students are required to purchase an ASB Card and pay the school Transportation Fee before the start of the school year. These items may be paid for at school registration on Friday, August 7, 2026.

2ND DONATION PAST DUE

The 2nd Donation of $175 was due last Monday, July 20th. All students should already be caught up with the first two donations by this point. This is crucial for us to be able to pay for instructors, production costs, registration fees, and uniforms/costumes. Missing any part of the summer or Band Camp does NOT exclude you from this donation.

We accept cash, checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” or click here to pay with a credit card on our website. Because the booster organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation may be tax-deductible.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR ORLANDO 2027!

If you are interested in traveling with the Gahr High School Band & Color Guard to perform at Walt Disney World during Spring Break 2027, this is your final opportunity to register.

We already have over 100 students signed up, and this trip is shaping up to be something truly special. We still have room for additional performers and would love for even more students to be part of this unforgettable experience.

✨ WHY THIS TRIP IS SO SPECIAL

This is a once-in-a-lifetime high school experience. Our full marching band will perform and march down Main Street at Walt Disney World — an incredible opportunity that very few programs get to enjoy. Students will also participate in a Disney Imagination Campus Workshop, working with Disney professionals in a behind-the-scenes learning experience.

Performance at Walt Disney World
3 days at Walt Disney World
2 days at Universal Studios, including Epic Universe
Airfare, hotels, meals, and transportation included
Travel with Gahr staff, a professional tour manager, and hotel security

📋 Click here to download the full trip itinerary.

💰 FLEXIBLE PAYMENT OPTIONS

Registration only requires a $150 deposit, and remaining payments can be spread out over the months leading up to the trip.

The sooner you register, the lower your monthly payments will be.

If your account was previously cancelled due to missed payments, don’t worry! Simply contact the tour company and they can reinstate your account and help spread any past-due balance across the remaining payment schedule.

✅ HOW TO REGISTER

1. Visit www.etadventures.com
2. Click Login
3. Enter Trip Code: gahr27
4. Create an account
5. Submit your deposit

🔁 TO MODIFY YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT SCHEDULE

1. Click Payments
2. Select View/Modify Recurring Payments
3. Adjust your remaining payments as needed

⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES:

This trip is open to all members of the 2026–27 Gahr High School Band & Color Guard, including current freshmen.
Students are required to register in quad rooms (4 students per room) for safety purposes and to help keep costs affordable.
This is a student performer trip only. Parents and family members are absolutely welcome to travel to Orlando independently to attend performances and enjoy the parks, but all parent travel arrangements must be made separately.
We typically take a major trip like this only once every four years. Especially for incoming freshmen, this may be your only opportunity to participate in an experience like this during high school.

This trip will be filled with incredible performances, lifelong friendships, and memories that students will remember forever. We hope you’ll consider being part of this amazing experience!

For questions, please contact:
Dee Dee Varney
dvarney15@gmail.com
(562) 413-3068

JOIN THE GAHR JAZZ PROGRAM!

Gahr High School is proud to offer two outstanding jazz ensembles! Jazz Ensemble I is our premier auditioned ensemble for more experienced musicians, while Jazz Ensemble II is a great opportunity for students who are newer to jazz, want additional performing opportunities, or are interested in learning a secondary instrument.

Jazz students perform a wide variety of music including big band swing, Latin jazz, funk, rock, and contemporary styles. Students also have the opportunity to learn improvisation and soloing – one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of jazz.

Exciting Plans for 2026–2027

Regular jazz sectionals with professional guest artists and coaches
A brand-new commissioned work for Jazz I by composer Jack Lanhardt
Formation of jazz combos that will compete at festivals
A recording studio experience for both Jazz I and Jazz II
Festival performances and our annual Music in the Parks trip to Knott’s Berry Farm

Jazz Band meets before school during zero period, allowing students to participate while still taking all of their academic classes, AP courses, and electives. Jazz is also an honors course, providing students with an additional weighted class in their schedule.

We are currently looking for saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and students interested in joining our rhythm section on piano, guitar, bass, and drum set.

Even if you did not sign up for jazz during registration, it is not too late! If you are interested in joining, please let Mr. Loney know during Band Camp. We are excited to continue building something special in 2026–2027!

📲 REMIND ANNOUNCEMENTS

We use Remind to send important announcements and updates to both students and parents throughout the year. This is our primary method of communication for reminders, schedule changes, important deadlines, and other program information.

Please make sure that both students and parents sign up for Remind using the class code for your student’s grade level below:

✅ PROGRAM DONATIONS – MARCHING BAND

The Gahr High School Band & Color Guard is a largely self-funded program. Student donations make it possible for us to provide the outstanding educational and performance opportunities that define our program each year.

The 2026 Marching Band Program Donation is $775 per student. This donation directly supports essential program expenses, including instructional staff, music, equipment and instruments, uniforms and costumes, props, production materials, transportation, and more. This year’s donation also includes our trip to the Western Band Association Championships.

Families may submit the donation in full or according to the following payment schedule:

$250 – 1st Donation – Past Due June 1, 2026
$175 – 2nd Donation – Due July 20, 2026
$175 – 3rd Donation – Due August 21, 2026
$175 – 4th Donation – Due October 2, 2026

➡️ Click here to make a donation online.

If your family is able to, we strongly encourage paying the full donation at the start of the season. Early donations help us purchase materials and cover significant upfront expenses such as props, equipment, instruments, registration fees, and other program needs.

Your support helps provide students with exceptional educational experiences while developing discipline, confidence, responsibility, teamwork, and leadership – skills that extend far beyond the marching field.

Please note that missing any part of rehearsals, camps, or performances does not excuse you from the donation. Program expenses are incurred regardless of individual attendance.

Thank you for supporting the Gahr High School Band & Color Guard. Your generosity makes these incredible opportunities possible.

TWO GREAT WAYS TO RAISE MONEY

Use the fundraisers below to raise money for your marching band donations! This can also go towards Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion. This is the BEST TIME to do it before we get busy with school starting.

Field Show Program Ads - Earn 90% of the profit from all field show ad sales. The ad prices range from $25 to $175. Many local businesses are looking for ways to advertise to the community. See Mr. Loney to get a past field show program that you can use as an example when selling ads.
Student Sponsorship Letter - 100% of the money sponsorships goes directly to your student account. These take a few hours to complete and mail out, but the return on investment is HUGE if you can make $400-500! This is a great way your family and loved ones can help support.

📆 SUMMER REHEARSALS & EVENTS

7/20 Donation #2 of $175 Due
7/20-8/5 Band Camp 8:30AM-5PM, each day M-F
7/22 Mandatory Parent/Student Meeting at 6:30PM
7/29 Early Bird Booster Membership Due
7/31 Family Beach Bonfire at Bolsa Chica State Beach 6-9PM
8/5 Band Camp Sneak Preview – Dinner 6:00PM / Performance 7:00PM
8/6 DCI Big, Loud & Live in movie theaters (optional)
8/7 School Registration, uniform sizing, and senior band/guard photos
8/12 First Day of School!
8/14 Popcornopolis Fundraiser Starts!
8/15 Saturday Rehearsal 8:30AM-5PM / Prop Party!

STAY IN CONTACT

WEBSITE: www.gahrband.org
INSTAGRAM: Follow us @gahrband
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/gahrband
REMIND: Text "@gahr2030” to “81010”
SLACK (STUDENTS ONLY): http://tinyurl.com/gahr-slack
EMAIL: darren.loney@abcusd.us