Members of the Newtown High School Marching Band & Guard spent the evening of Friday, October 21, getting fitted into new uniforms that arrived the same day.

Several parent volunteers with NHS Bands Director Aaron Ovsiew unpacked and organized the pants, shirts, and jackets that were then distributed to the students.

Ovsiew explained in an announcement, “I am excited to finally have our new uniforms in hand. The old uniforms were great and served our program well, but it was time for an upgrade. Our new uniforms are sleek and modern, while still paying tribute to the uniforms of the past. The band and guard are so incredibly thankful for the band and guard alumni families and their diligent fundraising efforts — which allowed us to purchase these with ease.”

The band’s recognizable uniforms with silver sashes and round buttons are being retired after 17 years. What to do with the uniforms that are, according to section leader Mason Miller, “older than me?” The old uniform jackets will be upcycled into commemorative pillows that can be purchased through the band’s website for $75. The proceeds will help fund future activities for the group. Orders can be made at nhsbandguard.com/merchandise through October 31. The 15” X 15” crafted pillows with blind zipper and removable filling will be available for pickup in early December.

The following day, Saturday, October 22, the NHS Marching Band & Guard competed at Southington High School after a day of intense practice. Their sleek new uniforms added further to the performance of “Circles All Around Us.” The band and guard received a score of 88.5, which gained them 4.8 points from their home show exhibition performance in the prior week. The score earned the NHS Marching Band & Guard first place.

“Our students have really kicked it into high gear these last two weeks, and I know that they will keep pushing themselves and end our season on a high note,” Ovsiew said.

The NHS Marching Band & Guard has two competitions remaining this season. On October 29 Newtown will compete in the USBands New England States Championships in New Britain. On November 5 the band and guard will return to MetLife Stadium for the National Championships.