The WGHS Weekly Band Update

This is one of the busier months in our band calendar with events like our two football games, a possible play-off game, the mattress sale, and our favorite performance, the City Museum. All this can be stressful. However, planning ahead by marking dates and times on your calendar and communicating any conflicts well in-advance can make this easier.

By the way, I just want to remind everyone that their are only certain reasons that we consider an absence excused; illness, a funeral, a religious holiday, or another school-sponsored performance or game that you are directly participating in. These still need to be communicated through the Absence Form on the home screen on Canvas. If an absence is unexcused, there will be no points awarded and the student will NOT be eiligible to make up the assignment. Lastly, those directly participating in a school-sponsored game or performance do NOT need to complete a make-up assignment.

We need a few parent volunteers to chaperone the Fall Flicks and Fun social event on Saturday evening 10/10. Please email Erica Morrison at ericamcmo@gmail.com if you are able to hang around that evening and help out.

Due to some district scheduling conflicts and guest artist schedules, we have changed the date for our December Concert Band Concert to Thursday, 12/10/26 and the Jazz Band Concert to Monday, 12/14/26. Both concerts will be held in the auditorium at 7 pm.

Monday night is the first Dine Out Night of the school year. Support the Band by visiting Chipotle in Rock Hill. All orders placed from 5-9 pm will earn a 25% donation to the Band. If ordering in person, show them the flyer on your phone or tell them it is for the Band. If ordering online, use code 9JW7D2F to designate the funds.

The Band Aides are hosting Fall Flicks and Fun on Oct. 10th from 7-9:45 pm in the High School Courtyard. There will be an outdoor movie, games, & snacks for band students. After a long day of selling mattresses, come hang out with friends and enjoy a movie under the stars!

We’re looking for a few more adults to help with the Mattress Sale on Oct. 10th. Duties involve watching students dress up like a mattress and keeping said students out of traffic. Bring a lawn chair and watch the hilarity ensue.

Have you visited the Band Spirit Wear store yet? Just click this link, Band Spirit Store shop from home, and pick-up your order at Zoey’s Attic in Webster Groves. It’s a great way to show your support for the Band. Share the link with family & friends!

You all have been absolutely amazing with supporting our Concession Stand this year! We are looking to the future knowing that our long term coordinator, Virginia Smith, will have her youngest child graduate in ‘28. We are forming a committee to start learning the ropes of how to lead the Concession Stand. Do you like to organize, food shop, coordinate with the school, feed people, or bring people together? All of those skills are needed on our Concession Stand Committee. Virginia would love to share all her knowledge over the next season - starting with Turkey Day 2026. It’s also a great way to support the band during football season while staying in a temperature controlled space. If you are willing to share the responsibility with a team of volunteers, reach out to me.

Upcoming Events:

Oct. 5th - Chipotle Dine Out Night

Oct. 9th - Varsity Football Concession Stand

Oct. 10th - Mattress Sale & Band Social

Oct. 21st - Band Aides Meeting

Cathy Pettibone

cathypettibone@gmail.com

This is a link to our trip website. It is also a good source of information and where you will go to register for the trip. You can access it HERE. When you're ready to register, the passcode is WGHS (all caps).

Are you great at menu and meal planning, an expert grocery shopper or a grill master? You nave just the skills we are looking for to help run the concession stand. We have some BIG shoes to fill as long-time concession stand leader, Virginia Smith, we be retiring from many years of service after next year when her youngest child graduates. Please let a director, Cathy Pettibone (Band Aides President), or Virginia know if you would be interested in learning more.

We must have a high percentage of our students in attendance to have a successful rehearsal or performance. While there are always legitimate reasons people have to miss scheduled events, we cannot excuse all absences from performances during the school year. Communicating is also important. I appreciate email and verbal reminders, but it is hard to keep all that organized. Please complete the link below if you need to miss a rehearsal or performance. The sooner we know, the better.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4R2I0yzOVYln53FZH-lkWDb22-0E5EwK4R2L4_Do6kyvqmw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

ALL performances once school starts are for a grade. An evergreen makeup assignment is on Canvas. Students may choose an option from the list of choices on this assignment to complete for the missed points. Make-up assignments are due 14 days after the missed performance. Assignments turned in later than this will not be given points.

Referrals, referrals, and more referrals – have we mentioned referrals? With just two weeks left, we need every Band family to find their ONE customer to come to the event. To hit your fundraising goal in just 1 day, we need everyone to participate so you don’t fall short.Please send the attached flyers and the following info to all families, faculty, staff, boosters, alumni…everyone! (CC me so I can field questions cfsstlouis@cfsbeds.com.)

We need your help to reach our goal at the upcoming Mattress Fundraiser by finding one person who needs a new mattress! Did you know 1 out of every 4 homes is in the market to buy a new mattress at any given time?? You just need to ask! Your participation may help get us over the top. TALK to everyone! For details on brands, pricing, financing options, and more, go to:FB EVENT LINK. Watch this video to see what to expect at the event: WATCH HERE.

Copy/Paste this & text it to everyone you know:

WGHS Bands need your help.

Their Mattress Fundraiser is Saturday, October 10th

Great mattresses at great prices!

Please come out and support (Your child’s name).

If you need a mattress, call me and I’ll explain.

Want to earn money for your individual band account to use for Band Camp , New Orleans or Spain trips by simply purchasing items you already buy, eating at your favorite restaurants or shopping online? Raise Right is your answer. Download the app to your phone and purchase gift cards to places you know you will shop or dine. You will easily earn 2.5 percent to 17 percent back on your purchases. This money adds up quickly and easily. Click this link to get started: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aGuOpkvtxyYH3VZymjffUbNoSYHopMwS/view?usp=sharing

The Mattress Sale is a unique fundraiser in the fact that it benefits both individual student accounts and the band’s general fund. Students main job is to get the word out. Post on social media, hand out flyers to neighbors, text family and friends. The statistic says one in four people is looking to buy a mattress every year. Why not get one from a band student that you know and love. For each mattress sold, sales people will ask who referred the customer and that student gets $50 for their band account for each mattress sold! That can add up quickly!

Also, new this year, there is a scholarship contest for senior band students who make up to a 30 second video to advertise the sale. Please see the attached flyer for details!