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AMB Weekly Update: The Grind Continues!
9/8/2026 Greetings Eagle Family. I am incredibly proud of the work these students put on the field at our last game. The crowd reception for our Going Beyond production was tremendous, and the students felt the massive payoff of their hard work. Now, we enter the grind. It is time to clean, refine, and perfect every single set. Please review this week's critical logistics, our updated rehearsal schedule, and the most important academic deadlines of the season. The Band Booster president made an update on the BAND App (spirit wear, game day meal plans, and much more) Please read it entirely. Game Day Logistics: Away at Dickinson High School (Sept 11)
Post-Labor Day Rehearsal Schedule: We are adjusting for the holiday. Attendance is mandatory.
🚨 URGENT: Academic Eligibility Dates 🚨
Academic & Fall Break Deadlines (DO NOT IGNORE)
The 2026 Competition Gauntlet: Lock these dates into your family calendars immediately. This is our road to UIL Area. Itineraries for all of these events will be released as we approach them.
Homecoming Game Concessions: Sept 18
WiddyUp Fundraiser: Nov 6 Kickoff
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AMB Weekly Update 9/2/2026
Greetings Eagle Family. Welcome to September! We are getting deeper into our band season, and it is time to step up our game! This Saturday is our first big home game at Turner Stadium, and I need every student and parent locked in on the expectations below. The Volunteer Standard: Concession Stands
Game Day Logistics: Cibolo Steele HS at Turner Stadium
AMB Weekly Update 08-23-2026
Greetings Eagle Family. I am so excited for the students to be performing at their first football game. They have been working extremely hard for this moment, and I am very happy to present the first couple of opening sets of our 2026 show entitled, Going Beyond, at the football game at Katy. Please review the following critical updates to ensure we have a successful first performance. Marching Band Rehearsal Schedule: Next Week Attendance is mandatory for all scheduled blocks as we prepare for our first performance.
I want to extend an incredibly massive thank you to the families who stepped up to donate and sponsor the critical missing gear we needed for this season. Because of your generosity, we are now equipped with the Honda Whisper Quiet gas-powered generator, the EcoFlow Power Max battery, the DJI drone, and the custom speaker carts currently being built by our amazing booster families. This program runs on your support, and we are deeply grateful. Let’s have an incredible first week under the lights. #ChampionshipMindset #ShowUp #AllIn #NoRegrets Brian Best
AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 8/13/2026
Greetings, Eagle Family! This is all going to be a fire hydrant worth of information, and it is our hope to not overwhelm. There is a LOT to go over this week, so we are going to just dive right in. I have two attachments to this update: one is a checklist of all the things needed to participate, and all the required items needed to purchase. CHECKLIST: Attached is a checklist of all the things that you need to do to prepare for the first football game. Make sure that you have checked off all items to be sure that you have everything you need to be an active member in band. OUTDOOR REHEARSAL ATTIRE: light colored shirt, athletic shorts, tennis shoes (not crocs or sandals or slides), water jug. Students need their music and pencils. If a band student doesn’t have a water jug or appropriate attire, they will be sent back inside to retrieve the appropriate materials. INDOOR REHEARSAL ATTIRE: The band directors want students to wear tennis shoes for indoor practice during the school day. We understand there are students who like to dress super nice for school, but band class would be great if students could change into tennis shoes for their band class. We would recommend that students keep tennis shoes inside their lockers so that they can change into them during the class time. We will definitely be moving and marching inside the band hall during class. BAND ANNUAL DUES: All Atascocita HS band students must purchase the Annual Due of $350.
REQUIRED PURCHASES: Attached is a flyer of all required purchases. All students should have purchased their blue band shirts, red polo shirts, black marching shoes, and your annual dues. All students should have purchased their items before the first football game on August 29th. If you missed out on the cutoff date to purchase items, then we might have some extras in our inventory to sell. We will send out more information on that later too.
BAND REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CALENDAR: The rehearsal and performance calendar is located on the band website. Please make sure to check it very regularly, as we sometimes must be flexible with mitigating weather conditions.
SATURDAY PRACTICES: As mentioned at orientation last year, to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, especially with the high wet bulb globe index readings, we will be holding three Saturday morning practices in lieu of one of our weekday practices. This schedule adjustment is designed to help us avoid the hottest parts of the day while still allowing for crucial preparation before our first game. The Saturday practice days are August 15 and August 22 from 7:30am to 10:30am. PHYSICAL AND RANK ONE FORMS: In order to participate outside, UIL and Humble ISD require all band students enrolled in the marching band to obtain a physical before participating in any marching band activities. All band students must also submit RankOne forms online. Band class awards PE credit, so all students are required to participate in the marching band and must have a physical and RankOne forms.
FIRST FOOTBALL GAME (and attire) The band will perform on August 29th Saturday vs. Katy High School away at Katy ISD Legacy stadium. An itinerary went out last week regarding all of the details for the football game. Students will be primarily wearing their red polo band shirts all day - pep rally game. There is a typo on the itinerary - it will be the red polo shirt for the pep rally and the football game uniform. FLIP FOLDER: All students need to purchase their own flip folder before the Friday game next week. These folders hold their music in the stands, and it’s a very important part of their equipment. Click here for a link to Amazon for an example of what to get. LYRE: All students also need to purchase the thing that holds the flip folder, which is call the lyre. Here’s an example of one for saxophone - you just need to find one for your instrument. Flutes and French Horns will have the lyres that wrap around their wrist. PARENT VOLUNTEERS: PARENTS - WE NEED YOUR HELP. The Boosters will be sending out information soon regarding concession stand volunteer sign up. We are kindly asking for each family to at least sign up for at least two or three concession stand spots each year. Volunteering for the concession stands is an expectation of the program (in the same way of being a snack parent or dugout mom/dad for little league baseball). We always need serious help. We understand that some families are not in a situation where they can sign up, but there are so many ways that you can still help! Email [email protected] for more information. BAND APP: The BAND app will be THE source of communication that we will utilize throughout the year for directors to send out information to students and parents. The BAND app works a lot like modern social media outlets (i.e. Facebook) in which directors and students can interact together.
AMAZON WISHLIST: The band directors have a “wishlist” of items that we could REEEEEALLY use in the offices and our band hall. Think of it as an elementary school supplies sheet with Kleenex boxes, pencils, post-it notes, etc. We could use all of those things: Our wishlist is located below if we have any families who would be willing to help us. Any offering helps us out tremendously! UIL ELIGIBILITY AND GRADES: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. As we transition from the excitement of summer camp and look ahead to our first football game, it's crucial to remember a vital aspect of participation in our marching band: academic eligibility. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) sets clear guidelines for student participation in extracurricular activities, and maintaining passing grades is a non-negotiable requirement. To be eligible to perform with the band, especially in UIL competitions and during the football season, students must be passing all of their courses. This means consistent effort and focus in the classroom are just as important as mastering your instrument or marching technique. Failing even one class can unfortunately lead to a student being declared academically ineligible, which would prevent them from participating in performances and competitions until their grades improve. We encourage all students to prioritize their academic responsibilities FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY. Utilize resources like tutoring, communicate with your teachers, and manage your time effectively to ensure you're successful in all your classes. Your dedication to your studies not only benefits your individual academic journey but also ensures the full strength and participation of our entire band. Let's all try to work together to achieve excellence both on the field and in the classroom! The band directors are here to help in any way we can. AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 7-27-2026
GREETINGS, BAND FAMILY! We have summer camp officially underway, and our kids are doing AMAZING! Our rehearsals have been super positive and fun (and hot), and we are so excited to go beyond this year with our new show! Here are some important updates for the week. NOTICE: THE SCHEDULE IS CHANGING SLIGHTLY NEXT WEEK. READ BELOW. PHYSICALS AND RANKONE: IMPORTANT! All students MUST have an athletic physical on file with the band directors no later than the first day of summer camp, which was today. Without the physical, you will not be allowed to participate outside with the rest of the team. Go to this link for more information: https://www.atascocitaband.com/physicals-and-rankone-for-marching-band.html#/ BAND CALENDAR: Make sure to review the schedule below. The calendar on the band website also shows details - syncing it to your phone is the best option: https://www.atascocitaband.com/calendar.html#/ NEW RANK ONE UPDATE: New this year: Parents are required to create a RankOne account and to complete district/campus required forms through Rank One. Please double check and confirm you have completed the following forms:
July 27-31: Summer Camp Week One, 7am to 4pm
AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 7-13-2026
Greetings Eagle Family! We have a few weeks left until everyone returns back from vacation to join us for our 2026 Marching Season. Celebrating 20 years of marching arts history at our high school, this is going to be an absolutely exciting time for our young marchers, as they are all going to make tremendous history this year with our amazing marching band. The percussion section and color guard have already been hard at work developing skills and learning parts of the show. They continue to impress us every day! LEADERSHIP TEAM: For the leadership camp this week, please click the following link to submit a medical release required by the USBands team: https://form.jotform.com/250406959023052 ALSO… leadership team, you will need to bring your instruments for some of these days. And there are some items that you will need. Go to the following link to review everything you need to know about Thursday and Friday specifically: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CO-VaXVsl1Bx9-oXoPe_6CZUd74PM6a4Z7qSNb7mLnc/edit?tab=t.0 PHYSICALS AND RANKONE: IMPORTANT! All students MUST have an athletic physical on file with the band directors no later than the first day of summer camp, July 28. Without the physical, you will not be allowed to participate outside with the rest of the team. Go to this link for more information: https://www.atascocitaband.com/physicals-and-rankone-for-marching-band.html#/ Make sure to review the schedule below. The calendar on the band website also shows details - syncing it to your phone is the best option: https://www.atascocitaband.com/calendar.html#/ July 13-17: Percussion and color guard continue, 8am to 3pm. Leadership Week is mandatory for the full leadership team. This is only for students on the full leadership team.
July 27-31: Summer Camp Week One, 7am to 4pm
AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 7/1/2026 Greetings Eagle family! We are getting ready to welcome everyone back for another year of AMB! And it’s not just any new year - it’s our 20th year anniversary! And we are playing the most exciting show music we’ve ever had, and our kids are about to have the most unforgettable marching band experience yet! This year, the AMB is GOING BEYOND! https://youtu.be/D7rguJLkupA  ACTION ITEM: Join Cut Time!
ACTION ITEM: Join the BAND APP!
ACTION ITEM: Athletic Physical is Required to Participate
FINANCIAL DEADLINES! The hard deadline to purchase the required Woodwind and Brass Performer Package was June 1.
If you need to purchase your required items, go to the following links:
Summer Band Camp 2026 Schedule
AMB Marching Band Showcase 2026
Ultimate Drill Book Subscription
   AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 5/18/2026
Greetings, Eagle Band Family! We are ALMOST there to the end! This week, we honor our senior class, as this is the official last week with them, and they will be performing their final and last-ever concert with the Atascocita High School band. We are also honoring them by playing at the AHS Graduation this coming Saturday. Mr. Hicks has asked if you have ANY school-owned instrument at home, please bring it back up to the school. We have a district-level fine arts instrument audit in progress, and we are doing the best we can to scan instruments in. This update will deal with three things:
CALENDAR: Here is a look at the band calendar that takes us to the end of school:
ACTION ITEMS: VERY IMPORTANT!! We need for everyone to go through the following check list of things and make sure that you have taken care of them.
GRADUATION BAND ITINERARY:
AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 5/11/2026
Greetings, Eagle Band Family! We are proud of our Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble students in their performance at Sam Houston State University this past weekend. They played very well, and we are very proud of them representing Atascocita High School through high-quality musicianship. As we push through the final reps of the school year, our focus must remain absolutely locked in. We are laying the groundwork right now for a large 280+ corps-style marching band next year. Every performance, every rehearsal, and every meeting sets the standard for what is to come. This week, we are excited to launch our new leadership team into action and share our Wind Ensemble onto the University of Houston stage. Let’s finish the year strong. CALENDAR: Here is a look at the band calendar that takes us to the end of school:
ACTION ITEMS: This is a repost from last week. VERY IMPORTANT!! We need for everyone to go through the following check list of things and make sure that you have taken care of them.
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MOORES OPERA HOUSE CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL Detailed Itinerary Monday May 11, 2026 Performance Site (PS): University of Houston, Moores School of Music - Opera House Address: 3333 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77004 This event is for the high school Wind Ensemble ONLY Concert performance attire required - black long sleeve dress shirt, black dress pant, black socks, black dress shoes/flats Parents: are strongly encouraged to attend. This is the very last time these amazing students will ever play this very difficult program again. We are very proud of all of our band students who have worked so hard this year - let’s show them as much support as we possibly can!
AMB WEEKLY UPDATE 5/4/2026
Greetings Eagle family! We have gotten past a lot of big events in our band world this last month, including concert and sightreading, evaluations, orientation, and much more! We are thankful for everyone who came to marching band orientation. The directors are tremendously excited to kick start the new year with an all-new marching band season. If you missed orientation, we will get with you and help you through the process to get started with the band next year. CALENDAR: Here is a look at the band calendar that takes us to the end of school:
ACTION ITEMS: For this week, these are the biggest things. We need for everyone to go through the following check list of things and make sure that you have taken care of them.
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL Detailed Itinerary Saturday, May 9, 2026 Performance Site (PS): SHSU Performing Arts Center - Auditorium Address: 815 17th Street, Huntsville, TX 77340 This event is for the high school Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony, 4th and 5th period Concert performance attire required - black long sleeve dress shirt, black dress pant, black socks, black dress shoes/flats
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MOORES OPERA HOUSE CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL Detailed Itinerary Monday May 11, 2026 Performance Site (PS): University of Houston, Moores School of Music - Opera House Address: 3333 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77004 This event is for the high school Wind Ensemble ONLY Concert performance attire required - black long sleeve dress shirt, black dress pant, black socks, black dress shoes/flats Parents: are strongly encouraged to attend. This is the very last time these amazing students will ever play this very difficult program again. We are very proud of all of our band students who have worked so hard this year - let’s show them as much support as we possibly can!
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BRIAN BESTDirector of Bands, Atascocita High School 
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