Pledge Day is the Summit Music Parents Association’s biggest fundraiser of the year — and a long-standing tradition that brings all SHS music students together. On this day, music students team-up and go door-to-door throughout Summit inviting neighbors to support our award-winning music program. It’s a fun afternoon that raises funds and builds community pride in our students.
Why participation matters
With a full turnout, our students can reach nearly every home in Summit — and together, we can reach our $25,000 goal. Every dollar raised supports music programs from elementary through high school, funding opportunities that go beyond the regular school budget, such as:
Master classes and workshops
Guest artist concerts
Scholarships and trip subsidies
Celebration events and field trips.
Student perks
Every student who participates in Pledge Day earns a $50 credit toward a music trip or event.
The music group with the highest participation will win the coveted ‘Golden Sneaker Award’ and a pizza fueled celebration event.
How parents can help
To make Pledge Day a success, we need parent drivers to take student groups on their routes.
Please click the link below and sign-up to be a driver!
We’re thrilled to reconnect with our amazing community of parents, students, and music enthusiasts as we kick off the 2025-2026 school year. Your support continues to make Summit’s music programs shine, and we can’t wait to see what this year brings!
A Look Back at Last Year’s Highlights
Last year was filled with unforgettable moments, from the vibrant performances at the 52nd Annual Big Band Dance at Canoe Brook Country Club to the inspiring showcases at the 2025 District Arts Festival. Our students dazzled us with their talent, and SMPA was proud to award scholarships to our dedicated band, orchestra, and chorus members, nurturing the next generation of musicians.
Check out our 2024-2025 highlight reel here:
Just last year, SMPA provided $41,076 in funding for…
Guest musicians from Broadway, Juilliard, Costa Rica and more
Scholarships for private music lessons and college-bound seniors
District Arts Festival – for the first time, a three-day celebration of the musical, artistic and culinary talents of our students
Move Up events to give elementary and middle school students a sneak peek
Almost $15,000 to support the spring trip to Boston where students had master classes and tours at the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boch Center
Please consider supporting SMPA and Summit’s music programs by making a donation.
What’s Ahead for 2025-2026
We’re gearing up for another year of music, community, and creativity. Mark your calendars for our General Member Meetings in the SHS Orchestra Room, where we’ll share updates, plan events, and connect as a community:
Monday, September 15th, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Monday, January 26th, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Monday, March 16th, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 7:00 PM
These meetings are a great opportunity to get involved, share ideas, and help shape our music programs. We hope to see you there!
Football season is here, help us by volunteering during our home games
Please consider spending a couple of hours with us. You’ll meet some new people, support Summit’s music programs and have some fun – as an added bonus, you get to see the game for free and get a SMPA hat!
We are also looking for volunteers to help provide and serve halftime refreshments during our scheduled home games. This is a great (and easy) way to help out and make sure our marching band and the visiting band are fed, energized and appreciated after their halftime performance!
At the spring Band, Orchestra and Chorus concerts, the Summit Music Parents Association announced this year’s recipients of the SMPA Senior Scholarships and the Carol Hassert Awards.
SMPA awards merit-based scholarships to students who have shown exceptional musicianship, enthusiastic participation, and who exhibit leadership within the music programs. This year’s Senior Scholarship recipients are:
Lucas Gomez
Myles Muston
Rosie Gaeta
Liv Ge
The other award presented was chosen by the music directors and is a scholarship named for Carol Hassert, a former president of SMPA, an employee of the Summit Public School district for more than a decade, and a Summit High School parent. Carol passed away in March 2016 after a battle with cancer. This scholarship was set up to honor her memory and is presented to students that demonstrate a tireless work ethic and dedication to the performing arts and to the music programs in ways that may not always be readily apparent. This award recognizes those “unsung heroes” that exhibit a positive attitude and a willingness to help in ways that impact the overall success of the group. This year’s recipients of the Carol Hassert Award are:
What an incredible year for the Summit Music Parents’ Association!
We’re thrilled to celebrate the vibrant music community in Summit’s public schools. Here’s a look back at our highlights:
Marching Band at Football Games: Our talented students brought energy and spirit to every game, showcasing their musical talent and school pride.
Pledge Day Fundraising: Your generous support during Pledge Day fueled our music programs, ensuring students have the resources they need to shine.
Holiday and Spring Concerts: From heartwarming holiday performances to dazzling spring showcases, our band, orchestra, and chorus students delivered unforgettable moments.
Restaurant Fundraisers: Local eateries joined us to raise funds, blending community spirit with delicious meals to support our programs.
52nd Annual Big Band Dance: On March 29, 2025, we danced the night away at Canoe Brook Country Club, celebrating a 52-year tradition of music and community.
District Arts Festival: Our students shone at the festival, highlighting the strength of Summit’s arts programs.
Boston Trip: A memorable journey filled with music, learning, and bonding for our students.
Scholarships: SMPA proudly awarded scholarships to band, orchestra, and chorus members, nurturing the next generation of musicians.
We are pleased to share that Summit Public Schools has been honored with the 2025 Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its support and commitment to music education.
Now in its 26th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in providing music access and education to all students.
We are proud to have contributed to this achievement through SMPA’s dedicated fundraising, event planning, and volunteer support, which help sustain and enrich our music programs.
Thank you to our music educators for always going above and beyond to provide enriching, creative opportunities for our students!
The 2025 Summit District Arts Festival, held from April 2nd to April 4th, was a vibrant three-day celebration of student creativity that brought our community together. We’d like to congratulate the students and teachers for the amazing work showcased throughout the festival, and extend a heartfelt thank you to the parents for attending, volunteering their time, and sharing their recipes to make this event a success.
Day 1: All-City Elementary Band & Orchestra Event
The festival kicked off on Wednesday, April 2nd, at Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School with the All-City Elementary Band & Orchestra Event. From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, all 5th-grade band and orchestra students participated in a memorable evening, culminating in a concert at 6:45 PM. The energy and enthusiasm of these young musicians set a joyful tone for the festival, highlighting the bright future of our music programs.
Day 2: Open House Art Exhibition & Gallery Opening
On Thursday, April 3rd, Summit High School hosted the Open House Art Exhibition & Gallery Opening from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM, with an Art Show Gallery Opening and Student Recognition Ceremony at 5:00 PM. Attendees were treated to a stunning display of student artwork, including pottery, watercolor paintings, and woodworking projects.
Day 3: Music Marathon
The festival concluded on Friday, April 4th, with the Music Marathon at Summit High School from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This event featured performances by all 8th-grade and Summit High School music ensembles, including choir, band, and orchestra. The evening also included film screenings and delicious refreshments provided by the culinary arts program, showcasing the talents of our culinary students. It was a perfect finale, blending music, film, and food into a celebration of creativity and community.
Summit High School Marching Band Senior Day (2024)
Each year the Summit Music Parents’ Association offers scholarships to recognize and reward members of the graduating class for their demonstrated commitment to Summit High School’s music groups throughout their high school careers.
The Music Parents’ Association’s criteria and selection process do not include or consider scholastic records beyond the music program, other scholarships received or individual music talent per se. This scholarship is not based on financial need.
Instead, it is a merit-based scholarship, recognizing the excellence the students brought to the music program over the years in terms of their commitment, contribution, and leadership.
Students eligible to apply are graduating seniors who have participated in the Summit High School music program. If you believe that you have met the criteria, we urge you to apply for a 2025 SMPA Senior Scholarship.
Use the SMPA Senior Scholarship Application form, and return it to the Counseling department no later than Monday, April 22, 2025. All information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential.
The 2025 District Arts Festival, April 4th, 2025, is right around the corner and the SMPA needs your help to make it a successful event for our students & staff!
Please find the Google sheet to sign up to prepare/donate food and /or donate your time with helping us set up, serve, greet, and clean up!
We have three 2 hour time blocks for you to choose from. Depending on your time block, you will be doing a combination of setting up, serving, greeting and cleaning up! If we get 10 helpers per time slot we think we will be well staffed to have people pop in & out to go check out their own students’ work!
We are feeding about 300 people which includes students and staff, so please donate accordingly.
All food should be labeled & brought to the SHS Kitchen @ 3:30PM. We will have access to the ovens should we need to heat up any of the dishes.
Thank you,
SMPA Parent Volunteer Coordinators on behalf of the DAF Rachel Petrella Karla Ruiz
