PCS Student Musicians Stand Out at the Music in the Parks Festival
Apr 27, 2026 | by Ildi Carlisle-Cummins
Four PCS music ensembles picked up first place awards at the Music in the Parks Festival at Milpitas High this past weekend. More than 20 schools participated in this year's festival, which was followed by a day of fun at Great America.
Supported by Music Teachers Alyssa Beltran and Heather Calame, PCS students received the following awards:
HS Callista Chorale: 1st Place with a rating of Excellent
HS Jazz Band: 1st Place with rating of Excellent
HS Concert Band: 1st Place with rating of Excellent
HS Orchestra: 1st Place with rating of Excellent
According to Ms. Beltran, "Our ensembles are unique in that we have mixed grades and often have middle schoolers and high schoolers in the same ensemble and they compete in the highest grade level. So for Callista Chorale to have 1 high school student attending and 9 middle schoolers and still receive that rating and place in a high school category is amazing! You can check out our trophies on display in the front office!"
"We are also extremely proud that PCS musicians earned this year's 'Esprit de Corps' Award. This is a prestigious honor presented to one school at each event for demonstrating superior character, kindness, respect, and positivity. This award highlights exemplary behavior, and is awarded to schools who also receive competitive performance ratings. This award is so meaningful because it highlights that are students are not only incredible performers, but also the character of our students and our program. This is the FIRST time PCS has won this award!"