SOUND OFF: School District 73 — please reverse your decision to cut the after-school Strings program
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF as a parent of two children at Kamloops School of the Arts. My eldest daughter, Avalon, has had the privilege of learning to play the cello this year through the Strings program after school each Wednesday. It is my understanding that this program has been cut recently and will not resume in the upcoming year due to budget cuts. Her instructor, Mr. Thomas, is vastly overqualified for the task of teaching elementary school children how to play violin, cello or bass but he has a great passion for music that is in turn translated directly into the learners he teaches. Every Wednesday, Avalon is excited to spend an hour-and-a-half learning how to read music, how to hold her instrument and how to be a part of a larger musical community.
Children can take music lessons independently but besides it being prohibitive due to cost, with the average lesson being $40 for a 30-minute lesson (which is unaffordable, certainly, in this economy), they do not get the sense of being a part of an orchestra, which they have in the Strings program. This program allows children who may not fit into team sports or other extracurriculars to be a part of a group, while gaining confidence with their instrument. In particular, through word of mouth, I understand that many children with neurodiverse abilities have embraced this program. This program cannot be underestimated for the positive mental health of children with all abilities. Music lights up nearly all of the brain — including the hippocampus and amygdala, which activate emotional responses to music through memory; the limbic system, which governs pleasure, motivation, and reward; and the body’s motor system.
I am an active parent and am always curious about the activities my children partake in; thus, I ask questions. It is my understanding that Mr. Thomas teaches at eight schools and reaches up to 200 children per week. I also understand he teaches at David Thompson, Westsyde Elementary, Barriere, KSA, Sun Peaks, A.E. Perry, Beattie and Brock, and some of these schools he visits more than once per week. The fact that this program serves rural and some economically disadvantaged schools listed above underscores the importance of this accessible program for children of all abilities and economics. I also understand the Strings program continues into high school and furthers instruction with another teacher, which further solidifies that sense of community.
When programs such as this are cut or cancelled for the short term, they are seldom revived. This program reaches a significant amount of children, many who are neurodiverse or economically disadvantaged, and relative to the School District 73 budget, it is such a small drop in the bucket in cost compared to results in children’s lives. The cancellation of this program feels like those who do not understand the importance and impact of this program looked, quite simply, for the ’low hanging fruit’ in balancing the budget. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
