JET Band & Colorguard Spring Break Trip Announcement! 🎶🌆

Every four years, the JET Band takes an unforgettable journey—and this year, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re heading to Washington, D.C.! Over Spring Break, we’ll be flying out to explore our nation’s capital, packed with history, culture, and exciting experiences for our students.

A message from Mr. Ary

Katy ISD allows one big out of state trip every 4 years. This year is our rotation to go on our big trip. In 2022 we went to Los Angeles (2021 should have been our normal rotation but COVID set us back a year) and in 2017 we went to Boston. Last year we polled our families and found a price point that most were comfortable with paying for such a trip. We then met with our travel agent and found out what destinations are in that price range. We chose to go to Washington DC!!!

This trip is completely optional – no student is required to attend. Historically about 60-70% of the students do attend this optional trip.

We chose DC because there are many opportunities to explore the Smithsonian museums, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Old Town Alexandria, Ford’s theater, dinner cruise, Holocaust museum, National Harbor, bus tour that includes Washington and Jefferson monuments, Spy museum, and more national treasures that are in DC. We also chose to leave the Thursday before Spring Break and will return the first Sunday of Spring Break so that our students can still have most of their Spring Break to rest and spend time with family.

All expenses are included – airfare to DC, local ground transportation via charter buses, hotel, all meals, admission to the museums, bus tours, dinner cruise.

This trip will be your student’s one opportunity in High School to go on a big trip with the band. This trip will probably end up being one of the big core memories your student has from high school. 20 years from now they probably won’t remember what music they played or what place we got at a marching band contest. They may not even remember how the play an F# but they’ll remember going on this trip with their best friends!

We will also need some chaperones to attend this trip to help us keep our students safely having a great time.

A Message about the trip from Liz Johnson, A Parents Perspective:

As a parent, I can’t say enough about how valuable these trips are. They’re more than just travel—they’re unforgettable experiences that bring students closer together and open their eyes to the world beyond home.

This year, we’re heading to Washington, D.C., where students will explore iconic landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol, and the Smithsonian Museums. Imagine walking the National Mall with friends, seeing the White House up close, or watching the Changing of the Guard at Arlington. These are the kinds of memories that last a lifetime—late-night laughs at the hotel and bonding over new experiences.

This will be my second time traveling with the JET Band and Colorguard for the Spring Break Trip, and I truly can’t wait. I know trips like this come with a cost and are optional, but they’re absolutely priceless in what they offer—fun, friendship, independence, and personal growth. My own son made some of his best friends on this trip as a freshman.

We’ve worked hard to make this a safe, meaningful, and exciting adventure—and we hope your child (and maybe even a few parents!) will join us. It’s one of my favorite memories with my son, and we still talk about it to this day. I’m especially looking forward to making this trip with my senior this year and creating new memories together.

If you’re on the fence, I encourage you to consider it. It’s not just a trip—it’s a chance for your child to grow, connect, and be part of something truly special.

Spring Trip Details can be found here, but here are a few important details below we wanted to call your attention to, especially the registration deadline.

Our Itinerary can be found here but we will be visiting the Smithsonian Museums, U.S. Holocaust Museum (if available), Ford's Theater, Peterson House, Arlington National Cemetery Trolly Tour, Night time guided monument tour, Mount Vernon, Air & Space Museum, and more! 

NEW: If parents want to set up contribution pages so others can contribute to their child's trip, here is a link that will help! This trip makes a great birthday or christmas present for family and friends to contribute to help them cover the cost. Create your Contribution Page now!

JET Band Gear & Spirit Stores Are Now Open!

It takes a lot to make a JET Band show take flight—and that includes making sure every student has the gear they need for a successful season! We’ve made it easy by organizing everything into one helpful place: the JET Band Gear Guide page on our website.

 Start Here:

Before you shop, be sure to check out the JET Band Gear Guide—your one-stop resource for everything your student needs and is required for the upcoming season:

JET Band & Color Guard Gear Guide

The guide includes important details about required gear, deadlines, quantities, and where to order. This newsletter is just a summary—we strongly encourage you to read the full guide carefully!

Our Store Page on BoosterHub now has several drop downs and we encourage you to explore them all.

 Where to Shop:

To keep things cost-effective, we’ve set up three main stores:

• The Booster Store (via BoosterHub):Pay band fees, buy decals, t-shirts, mum sales, and more. This is also where many campus-based items and events are handled. A lot of ColorGuards required gear is located here. But you can also find JET Band and Color Guard Merchandise for sale here that is optional.
• The Gear Store- REQUIRED Gear: Order performance gear like bags, hats, and practice shirts. This store helps us keep costs low and quality high.This is the only source for the required gear for Band Students.
• The Spirit Store powered by LogoSoftWear: Optional and Personalized-Show your JET pride with customizable apparel and accessories! Add names, graduation years, or change colors—plus, every purchase supports the band.

 Some items may also be available via Amazon, and we’ll provide direct links when that’s the best option. You can view the list of required items here:https://jetband.org/about/11620

Order Early!

We strongly encourage all orders to be placed before July 30th to ensure everything arrives in time for Marchathon. Some items are also needed for Summer Band, so don’t wait—get your orders in early!

Questions?

We know it can feel like a lot—especially for new families. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the executive board or our Freshman Mentor at mentor@jetband.org. We’re here to help!

Let’s gear up for an amazing season! 

JET Band & Color Guard Rebranding Announcement

We’re excited to share that the JET Band and Color Guard have officially completed our rebranding—and we’re launching a fresh new look!

With this update, we’ve introduced new logos and taken the opportunity to build a strong set of tools and resources for our Boosters and Directors. These include updated brand guidelines, mission statements, and design assets to help us create a consistent and professional look across all merchandise, signage, and graphics.

 What does this mean for you?

All new merchandise and gear going forward will feature our updated branding. However, this does NOT mean that older items are no longer usable—students are absolutely welcome to continue using gear from previous years. The new look simply applies to newly created items.

We’re proud of this fresh chapter for the JET Band and Color Guard, and we can’t wait for you to see it in action! 

More to come in Next weeks Blast including:

• Our Volunteer Pages
• Summer Lunches
• Board Meetings
• News and Information

Upcoming Reminders and Events:

• June Fees Due by June 1 and are late by June 15
• July Fees are due on July 1 and late on July 15th
• Mandatory Parent ZOOM Meeting is July 14th at 6 PM
• Booster Meeting August 5th