Saturday, our Trojan Band competed for this first time this year at the Super Bowl of Sound hosted by Central High School in Carrollton, GA. The students remained focused and disciplined from the time they arrived until after their performance. And, because of that intense focus, their hard work paid off. The performance was received with thunderous applause. Despite some tough competition, our Trojans were awarded Superior Ratings in all captions, Open Class 2nd place drum majors, 2nd place percussion, 1st place colorguard, and 1st place band. Overall all awards included Champion Colorguard with a score of a 98! Champion woodwinds, Champion front ensemble, Highest Overall Effect, and Most Entertaining Band!! To top it all off, we were named the 2022 Grand Champions of the Super Bowl of Sound! Way to go Trojans!!!

THANK YOU to our parents who continue to help us with logistics! Uniforms, chaperoning, feeding kids, building props, transporting, driving vehicles, loading, unloading, and cheering us on! You make the difference! Special shout out to Tony Antico and Ben Gordon. Although your children graduated many years ago, you continue to be a blessing to us. Thank you for volunteering your time to drive the tractor trailer and assisting with loading and unloading. You are incredible role models for our staff, students, and parents. Thank you for continuing to give so much of your time and efforts to our band program. We love and appreciate you!

Thank you, Cheryl Moore, Ashli Ball, and Kate McCullough for photos

We have a few more weeks left of the competitive season and we received some perceptive feedback to help propel us moving forward. Let’s continue onward and upward as we continue to clean and perfect our show for our final contest at Peach State in Rome on October 22.

Week at a Glance

• Monday: Full Band • 3:45pm – 6:15pm • Band Field
• Tuesday: Carroll County Marching Exhibition • Volunteer Here
  • 3:30pm Load Equipment
  • 4:00pm Dinner
  • 4:45pm In Full Uniform
  • 4:55pm Depart
  • 5:30pm Star Spangled Banner Rehearsal
  • 6:30pm Star Spangled Banner Performance
  • 8:20pm Our Performance
  • 9:40pm Load
  • 10:00pm Depart for CHS
• Wednesday • LoC Band Guide Walkthrough • 3:15pm – 5:00pm
• Thursday: Full Band • 6:00pm – 9:00pm • Stadium
  • All in One Sale Turn • 5:00pm – 6:30pm
• Friday: Home vs. East Coweta • Click Here to Volunteer
  • 4:45pm Report to Band Field for Pre-game rehearsal
  • 5:30pm Dinner provided
  • 6:30pm Uniform Check in Band Room
  • 7:15pm Amp Performance* Updated 10/3/22
  • 7:40pm Pre-Game Performance* Updated 10/3/22
  • 8:00pm Kick-Off* Updated 10/3/22
  • Approx. 11:00pm Game Ends* Updated 10/3/22
• Saturday: Student LoC Itinerary
  • Student Leadership reports at 9:00am
  • First shift 11:00am – 3:00pm
  • 2nd shift 3:00pm – 7:00pm
  • PLEASE report 30 minutes before your shift starts
  • Band guides should arrive 45 mins early to their post. Mr. Nelson will email the band guide schedule to band guides so that they know when to expect their band.
  • All students should be flexible because they may be pulled to work other shifts that are of greater importance.
  • Dinner break – 7:00pm in the Band Room
  • Uniform check – 7:45pm in band room
  • Warmup – 7:45pm in band room
  • Performance 8:30pm (yes we will be a little late, it is printed as 8:15pm, but we need time to get the scores finalized)
  • Clean up after the Awards ceremony. Different sections will be assigned to different locations. Before they can leave, A director will need to verify that their section is clean. We should be finished around 11:00pm.

All In One Sale • Due back Oct 6

Students received All in One Sale materials during class on Monday, September 19. All orders should be turned in by Thursday, October 6. This is one of our largest fundraisers of the year and is critical to keeping our band fees lower. The proceeds of this sale support our Trojan Band Booster Club in providing meals for our students for away games, maintaining the van, tractor, trailers, and golf cart. Additionally, the booster club buys materials and builds props needed for the show. In the past during great fundraising years the booster club has purchased new instruments for our students including the current drums that we use, and the most recently purchased mellophones. This is a critical fundraiser to allow our booster club to continue providing the best for our Trojan Band students. Thank you so much for your efforts in helping this fundraiser be successful! Fundraising materials are due on Thursday, October 6 so that we can order the items in time. Items will be available for pick up November 18 and 19 in the Tabernacle parking lot.

Trojan Band Staff Spotlight

Maria Menendez, CJHS Band Director

Ms. Menendez, a native of Ontario, Canada, joined the Carrollton City School System as a band director in 2014. After three years at Carrollton Upper Elementary School she joined the faculty at Carrollton Junior High School.  Under her leadership the band program continues to thrive at Carrollton Junior High.  The band continues to earn superior ratings, participation in District Honor Band and All-State continues to increase in addition to overall enrollment in the 7th and 8th grade bands. In 2021 she and started West Georgia Winds with some colleagues. She currently serves as their executive director and they are in their 2nd season!

Ms.Menendez is an active teacher, player and clinician outside of her daily schedule at Carrollton City Schools. In 2015 she presented at the Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conference in Athens, Georgia aimed at aiding young teachers beginning in the field. In 2018 she served as one of the guest conductors for the 2018 Fayette County Sixth Grade Honor Band.  Past awards include the Fred Factor Award (2016) awarded for going above and beyond as well as the University of West Georgia’s Graduate Studies Fellowship for Underrepresented Minority Students in 2017.  In 2019, Ms. Menendez was named the CJHS Teacher of the Year!

She is a graduate of South Paulding High School and attended Columbus State University where she earned her Bachelors of Music degree in Music Education. While attending, Ms. Menendez was a member of the Columbus State University’s Trombone Choir, Trombone Octet, CSU Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and the CSU Philharmonic Orchestra. During her senior year Ms. Menendez served as the president of CSU’s collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Education. In 2013, Ms. Menendez studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Additionally she spent seven weeks of her summer at Interlochen Center for the Arts where she worked as a counselor in the High School Girls’ division.

Recently, Ms. Menendez earned her Master’s in Music Education from the University of West Georgia and proudly resides here in Carrollton, Georgia.

Ms. Menendez, you are a tremendous asset to our team! A true kid magnet, you balance having relationships with kids with maintaining high expectations for their character and achievement. You are highly respected by our students, staff, colleagues, and parents because of your keen leadership skills and passion to serve. Thank you for inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves. During the pandemic you organized food drives for students less fortunate and you continue to be a champion for those who need one. You’re a rockstar and it is an honor to serve alongside you!

County Exhibition •  Tuesday

Student Itinerary

This schedule is based on last year’s event. The rehearsal and Star Spangled Banner times are set, but the performance times are subject to change. Once I receive the final details, I will share them with you.

• 3:30pm Load Equipment
• 4:00pm Dinner
• 4:45pm In Full Uniform
• 4:55pm Depart
• 5:30pm Star Spangled Banner Rehearsal
• 6:30pm Star Spangled Banner Performance
• 6:45pm Bowdon
• 7:05pm Mt. Zion
• 7:25pm Temple
• 7:50pm Villa Rica
• 8:20pm Carrollton
• 8:50pm Central
• 9:20pm UWG
• 9:40pm Load
• 10:00pm Depart for CHS

Purchase Tickets Here • Tickets are only available via Go Fan and cost $8.00

Parents, please: Volunteer Here

Gates open at 5:00 pm and the National Anthem will be performed by a mass band at 6:30 pm.  Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Dr. Norman L. Padgett Scholarship Fund.

Our Legacy of Champions Marching band Competition is this Saturday! We are still in need of volunteers! We need you to sign-up and check with your closest band friends to make sure that they have signed up too. This endeavor requires participation from our entire village. Thank you for pitching in to make this year another success! Here is the volunteer page: LoC Volunteer Page. There is something for everyone! The most important part is to just be involved, so please take time to sign-up today!

All band students are required to work the entire day and all band parents/guardians are expected to work at least two volunteer shifts, but highly encouraged to commit to working the whole day. Students should use this link to sign up: Student LoC Sign-Up. Please direct any questions regarding student shifts to Mr. Nelson • zachary.nelson@carrolltoncityschools.net.

LoC • Student Itinerary

• Student Leadership reports at 9:00am
• First shift 11:00am – 3:00pm
• 2nd shift 2:00pm – 6:00pm
• PLEASE report 30 minutes before your shift starts
• Band guides should arrive 45 mins early to their post. Mr. Nelson will email the band guide schedule to band guides so that they know when to expect their band.
• All students should be flexible because they may be pulled to work other shifts that are of greater importance.

• Dinner break – 6:00pm
• Uniform check – 6:50pm (in band room)
• Warmup – 7:20pm on football practice field
• Performance 8:15pm
• Clean up after the Awards ceremony. Different sections will be assigned to different locations. Before they can leave, Ms. Menendez or myself (or any staff member) will need to verify that their area is clean. We should be finished around 11:00pm.

Help Us Honor Our Veterans

We would like to honor family members and friends of the Carrollton Trojan Band with the creation of a slide show to be presented at our Veteran’s Day Concert on November 14, 2022. The concert is FREE and open to the public. We would be honored by your presence if you are able to attend. Please help us to spread the word!

Amazon • 2 Ways to Help • Snacks Needed

THANK YOU so much to our parents and friends who have ordered items from our Amazon Wishlist! The snacks for the away games, Gadsden and South Paulding were all provided from generous donations from our Amazon Wishlist. If you are able and willing to assist by purchasing items from the wishlist it helps both monetarily and assist us with our time since it removes the need for someone to go out and purchase the items. If you see items on our list that you can find less expensive elsewhere and would rather shop for them, we have a booster storage room where we can store donated snacks. Your generosity makes a difference and we are very appreciative. THANK YOU!!!!

Health Class

The health class work was due by October 1. Any students who did not complete the course in time needs to visit Mr. Carr as soon as possible to discuss options. The best time to discuss with him is before school between the hours of 7:45am and 8:15am.

Mark Your Calendars

The following events we need all hands on deck and are requesting your involvement.

Upcoming Dates

This is not an exhaustive list. Refer to our calendar online for the most up to date information regarding events and times.

• October
  • 4 • County Exhibition at Central-Carroll • Volunteer Here
  • 6 • All in One Sale Turn In Night
  • 7 • Home vs. East Coweta • 8th Grade Night • Click Here to Volunteer
  • 8 • Legacy of Champions • Required event for all parents and students •  Volunteer Here
  • 10 – 14 • Fall Break • No School
  • 14 • Away vs. Pebblebrook • Click Here to Volunteer
  • 21 • Away vs. Westlake • Click Here to Volunteer
  • 22 • Peach State Marching Competition at Rome High School •  Volunteer Here
  • 24 • Symphonic Band Rehearsal • 3:45pm – 6:00pm
  • 25 • Wind Ensemble Rehearsal • 3:45pm – 6:00pm
    • Spirit Night at Jefferson’s • TBA
  • 26 • Concert Band Rehearsal • 3:45pm – 6:00pm
  • 27 • Full Band Rehearsal • 3:45pm – 6:00pm
  • 28 • Home vs. Campbell • SENIOR NIGHT • Click Here to Volunteer
    • Senior Breakfast • email Barbara Dothard for more info
• November
  • 4 • AGW Spirit Night • TBA