Public interest in music appreciated
We want to thank the many parents and citizens who took the time to contact Whitefish Middle School officials about our music and electives programs over the past couple of weeks. Your passion as advocates for these programs is evident, and your interest in the education of our children is very much appreciated.
We can all agree that meeting the needs of students is our top priority as a school. Our true desire is to see each student succeed both within our building and in their lives beyond middle school. Fostering the "whole child" means keeping arts at the center of what we do.
We can also understand the importance of an adult advocate in every child's life — this is the basic goal of an Advisory Program. Such a program could be implemented in a variety of ways, and we are confident that our school will seek a format that will complement and not damage our already successful electives programs.
Kerry Drown, the Whitefish Middle School principal, intends to take at least another year to explore this concept with his teaching staff. We hope you will continue to share your ideas and contribute to that discussion.
Please thank Mr. Drown, school superintendent Jerry House and the Whitefish School Board for listening to concerns and accepting public input. Our school officials are truly in the business of seeking win-win solutions in all situations, and we believe they have the best interests of students at heart. Let's continue to work together as a community toward the goal of providing each student with the best education possible.
We hope you will continue to stay informed about music advocacy efforts at the federal, state and local levels. Here are some positive ways to get involved:
- Attend WHAM (Whitefish Advocates for Music) meetings. We need your help.
- Visit www.menc.org to learn more about current issues facing music educators.
- Visit www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy for up-to-date research data on the value of music in education.
- Sign the national petition to keep music in our schools by visiting online at http://www.petitiononline.com/1806/petition.html.
Again, thank you for your interest in the education of our youth.
Kurt and Julie Reimer, John and Kim Rose, Shawn Watts and Bernadette Duperron, and Frank and Naomi Barnes are members of Whitefish Advocates for Music.