THANK YOU! ANOTHER OUTSTANDING LOC!

---

What an incredible weekend to be a Trojan!

Friday night, we traveled to Westlake to cheer on our football team as they earned another impressive victory! Our Trojans are now 9-0 and have clinched the Region Championship! We wrap up the regular season this Friday with our Homecoming game against East Coweta High School, and we’re excited to know that playoff football will return to Grisham Stadium on November 13!

Saturday was a day I’ll remember for a long time as our band parents, students, and community volunteers came together to host the 12th Annual Legacy of Champions Marching Band Competition! It was truly one for the record books!

We welcomed 21 visiting high school bands, each bringing an entertaining and thoughtfully designed production that showcased outstanding musicianship, creativity, and artistry. From the first performance at noon to the final competitive performance at 8:30 PM, our stadium was filled with incredible music and performances. These ensembles competed for the opportunity to take home the coveted Legacy Sword Traveling Trophy and, for the first time, custom commemorative Grand Championship rings!

We were also thrilled to welcome three outstanding college marching bands: the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners, the Georgia State University Panther Band, and the University of West Georgia Marching Wolves! Between our competing high school bands, college ensembles, and our own Trojan Band, nearly 3,500 performers were part of this year’s event, performing for a packed stadium of enthusiastic spectators!

As wonderful as the performances were, what makes Legacy of Champions one of my favorite days of the year is seeing our community come together to make something this special happen.

There is an extraordinary amount of work that goes into hosting an event of this size, and I wish everyone could see all the things happening behind the scenes throughout the day.

Our volunteers were everywhere! They prepared and served food in our concession stands, welcomed visiting bands, guided students and directors across campus, parked buses and equipment trucks, transported instruments and equipment, managed crowd movement to protect performances from interruptions, emptied trash cans, kept our facilities clean and restrooms stocked, operated our Band Shop, coordinated vendors, ran the jumbotron, provided music and announcements between performances, emceed the competition, assisted with instrument repairs, sold tickets, recorded performances, photographed students and volunteers, provided hospitality for directors, judges, and bus drivers, organized scores and judges’ comments, and helped put our campus back together long after the final awards were presented.

And that’s only part of what happened! I’m certain I’ve left something out because there were so many people doing so many things, often without anyone even noticing.

What made it even more special was seeing people volunteer simply because they wanted to help. Alongside our current band families, we had former band parents, alumni, and even some former students from my days at South Paulding who came out to lend a hand.

One of my favorite stories from the day involved a couple from Haralson County who were attending to support their children in the Haralson County Band. Rather than spend the day sitting around between performances, they brought a trailer and an ATV and asked how they could help! They spent the rest of the day hauling front ensemble equipment for our visiting bands, right up until the awards ceremony. They didn’t have to do any of that, but they saw a need and stepped in to help. That kind of generosity speaks volumes, and it’s something I won’t soon forget.

To every volunteer who gave up part or all of your Saturday, thank you. Whether you worked for an hour or were there from before sunrise until well after midnight, your willingness to serve made an enormous difference. You helped make this year’s Legacy of Champions our best yet!

I also want to recognize our incredible Legacy of Champions coordinators, who have been working behind the scenes for months to make this event possible. This team met regularly throughout the year, anticipated challenges, worked through countless details, and helped us navigate the inevitable changes that come with planning an event of this size. Their preparation, leadership, and willingness to take ownership of so many moving parts made Saturday run as smoothly as it did.

A special thank-you to:

• Coordination & Promotion: Maria Menendez and Sarah Bush
• Registration: Yvonne Haley and Laura Davis
• Financial Coordination: Yvonne Haley and Colleen Brown
• Awards & First Aid: April Allen and Jennifer Rowell
• Vendors: Michelle Pethel, Chrissy Robinson, and Iakesha Releford
• Concessions: Blake Adams, Debra Adams, and Jennifer Jones, who coordinated preorders
• Hospitality: Deyonca Dozier, Latricia Daniel, and Arabia Daniels
• Logistics: David Trumble and Amanda Ledbetter
• Volunteer Coordination: Lindy Moore and Rachel Pope
• Student Volunteers: Zachary Nelson

Each of these individuals took responsibility for an important piece of the event, often investing countless hours long before the first band arrived on Saturday. When challenges arose, they found solutions. When plans needed to change, they adapted. And when the day finally arrived, their hard work allowed all of us to focus on providing the best possible experience for our visiting students, directors, and families.

I am incredibly grateful for their leadership, their dedication, and the care they put into making Legacy of Champions something our entire community can be proud of. We could not have done this without them!

We were also tremendously supported by Carrollton City Schools, and I want to make sure that support doesn’t go unnoticed.

Our custodial and maintenance teams worked hard to ensure our facilities were in outstanding condition so that we could provide first-class hospitality to our guests. Our district leadership helped us coordinate the use of facilities across our campus, while our principals visited throughout the day, checking in and offering assistance wherever it was needed. Our elementary and middle school principals graciously opened their facilities to us, and our coaches worked around the significant disruption that comes with an event taking over nearly the entire campus on a Saturday. Our School Resource Officers were on site and ready to assist, and our school nutrition staff helped prepare preorders and a tremendous number of snacks for Jacksonville State’s students as they performed twice throughout the day.

There are so many moving parts to an event like this, and the support of our school system makes it possible to provide an experience that visiting directors, students, and families will remember. We are incredibly fortunate to be part of a school system that values and supports the arts in such meaningful ways.

I also want to offer a special thank-you to Dr. Jeremy Stovall, Dr. Robert Ambrose, Devin Reed, Dr. Josh Byrd, and Dr. Cale Self for helping bring their college bands to Legacy of Champions.

The Marching Southerners, Panther Band, and Marching Wolves were absolutely fantastic! Our audience responded to them like rock stars, and rightfully so! Each ensemble brought something special to the field, and it was exciting to see our stadium come alive for their performances.

Beyond the entertainment, though, I hope our younger musicians saw something even more important. Marching band doesn’t have to end with high school. It can continue to provide a place to belong, build friendships, create unforgettable memories, and serve others throughout college. These college musicians gave up their Saturday to share their talents with our community, and I am so appreciative of their time and generosity. If even one student left our stadium inspired to continue making music in college, that alone made their participation worthwhile!

All of this is really just my long-winded way of saying THANK YOU!

I know this has become quite a lengthy message, but I hope it communicates just how humbled and overwhelmingly grateful I am for everyone who came together to make this year’s Legacy of Champions such a success.

I’ve already received numerous compliments from our guests about how warmly they were welcomed, how smoothly the event ran, and how we somehow seem to “think of everything.” I’ve also heard wonderful things about the talent of our Trojan Band and, perhaps most meaningfully, about the kindness, helpfulness, and thoughtfulness of our students, parents, and volunteers.

Those comments mean more to me than you know because they speak to the kind of program and community we’re working to build. A successful event isn’t measured only by the number of bands that attend, the size of the crowd, or the quality of the performances. It’s also measured by how people feel when they’re here and the memories they take home with them.

You went the extra mile, and it made all the difference.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving your time, sharing your talents, and helping us make the 12th Annual Legacy of Champions an unforgettable day. I am so proud of our Trojan Band family and so grateful to be part of this incredible community.

GO TROJANS!

THIS WEEK • CHS School Announcements

NEXT WEEK Preview

• Monday: Symphonic Band 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• Tuesday: Wind Ensemble 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• Wednesday: Latin Jazz Ensemble 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
• Thursday: Concert Band 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• Friday: Teacher Workday No School | Bye Week | Open – Enjoy your day off!

All In One Sale | Orders Due Thursday

Thank you for spreading the word about the All in One Sale! Students receive 1 raffle ticket for each item sold. You can sell in person or online. Here are the important dates

To place an online order, please visit – trojan.gold/allinone

Important dates:

• October 29^th – Turn in packets during the school day in the band room (THURSDAY)
• November 20th 9 AM- 6 PM & November  21st, 9 AM- NOON – Pickup items at North Point Baptist Church, 1400 Cedar Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30117.

We are all working together to make this sale a success.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call.  Thank you again for your participation in this sale and for all that you do to support our children and our great band!”

Our water bottle supply is running low. We ask families to donate 2 cases of water or $11 to help cover the cost of water for the season. We typically ask for these donations during band camp, but we received a generous donation at the beginning of the season that has covered most of the season. If you’d prefer to donate $11 instead of bringing in 2 cases of water, you can do so at this link: Water Donation Link

Help Us Find Community Sponsors

Our band families are some of our best ambassadors in the community! If you know a business, organization, or individual who may be interested in supporting the Carrollton Trojan Band, please consider sharing our Band Sponsorship Flyer. Students will receive 10% of the sponsorship to assist with their band fees. We have physical copies in the band room if you’d like a few to share with potential partners. Sponsorships provide meaningful opportunities and experiences for our students while allowing our community partners to support and be connected with the Trojan Band.

Homecoming Week

You can visit https://chs.carrolltoncityschools.net/student-activities/homecoming for all things homecoming. Homecoming week is not this upcoming week, but next week.

If you want to order a Homecoming TShirt you have until the end of the day tomorrow to place your order at https://ozierapparel.com/carrolltonhomecoming/shop/home

UPCOMING EVENTS

CALENDAR

Be sure to subscribe to the calendar • www.chstrojanband.com/calendar. All you have to do is click the “Add to Google Calendar” at the bottom after visiting http://www.chstrojanband.com/calendar to subscribe. I tried to list as many events as possible. We will also continue to highlight the Week at a Glance and a preview of the next week to keep all families aware of what is upcoming

October

• 26 • Symphonic Band | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• 27 • Wind Ensemble | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• 29 • Concert Band | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• 30 • HOMECOMING vs. East Coweta | 7:30PM | Volunteers Needed

November

• 2 • Symphonic Band | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• 3 • Wind Ensemble | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• 5 • Concert Band | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
• 6 • OPEN | State Cross Country Meet
• 10 • Veterans Day Concert | 7:00PM | MAC
• 13 • Football Playoff 1 | TBD | Volunteers Needed
• 14 • GMEA 2nd Round All-State Jazz Auditions | TBA
• 19 • Band Auditions
• 20 • Football Playoff 2 | TBD | Volunteers Needed
• 23 – 27 • Thanksgiving Break | No School
  • 27 • Football Playoff Game 3 | TBD | Volunteers Needed

December

• 4 • Football Playoff Game 4 | TBD | Volunteers Needed
• 5 • Carrollton Holiday Wishes Parade | TBD | Band Christmas Party Following Parade | Volunteers Needed
• 9 • Winter Concert Dress Rehearsal | 3:45PM – 6:00PM | MAC
• 10 • Winter Concert | 7:00PM | MAC
• 12 • GMEA 1st Round District Honor Band/All-State Auditions | East Paulding High School
• 16 • Football Championship Game | TBD | Volunteers Needed
• 17 • 1st Semester Finals 3rd and 4th Block
• 18 • 1st Semester Finals 1st and 2nd Block | Early Release | 12:30PM | Final Day Semester 1

January

• 4 • Teacher Workday | No School
• 5 • 1st Day 2nd Semester
• 9 • 2nd Round All-State Auditions | Union Grove HS
• 18 • MLK Day | No School
  • MLK Parade | 11:00AM – 2:00PM | Volunteers Needed
• 28 – 30 • GMEA In-Service Conference | All-State Jazz Band Clinic

February

• 4 – 6 • GMEA District Honor Band | Ringgold, GA
• 15 – 19 • Winter Break | No School

March

• 2 • PRE-LGPE Concert | MAC | CB 7:30 PM, SB 8:00 PM, WE 8:30 PM
• 4-6 • GMEA All-State Band | Classic Center, Athens, GA | TBD
• 16 – 17 • HS LGPE | TBD
• 18 -19 • MS LGPE | TBD
• 25 • Winter Guard Friends and Family Show | 6:00PM | CHS Gym
• 29 • Band Golf Tournament | Mirror Lake
• 30 • Band Auditions

April

• 5 – 9 • Spring Break | No School
• 17 • Band Banquet
• 19 • Directors GMEA District VII Meeting | Cartersville HS | 7:00PM
• 20 • Jazz Performance Evaluations | Cartersville HS | TBD
• 22 • Honors Night | MAC
• 23 • Senior Breakfast
• 24 • GMEA Solo and Ensemble | Paulding County HS | TBD
  • Prom
• 27 • Marching Band Kick-Off Meeting | 7:00PM | All 2027-2028 Marching Band Members and Parents
• 28 • Band BBQ Clean Up and Set Up Day | 4:00PM – 6:00PM | Volunteers Needed
• 29 • Band BBQ | Volunteers Needed | Performances start at 6:00PM

May

• 4 • Spring Concert | 7:00PM | MAC
• 14 • Graduation | 7:00PM | Grisham Stadium | Band Performs (5:00PM Dinner)
• 18 • 2nd Semester Finals 1st and 2nd • Early Release 12:30PM
• 19 • 2nd Semester Finals 3rd and 4th • Early Release 12:30PM | Last Day of School

---