Save The Strings

(The following letter to the Newtown Board of Education has been received for publication.)

Dear Board of Education,

Over the years I have been at Hawley School I have experienced a musical tradition that has been going on in the school for years and years. It’s a highly educated program that mostly everyone is involved in. It’s fourth grade orchestra.

As you can see after the Reed Intermediate School was built, fifth graders left the school taking our musical programs with them. Fifth grade band and orchestra no longer exists at Hawley School. But, we have one more hope in musical entertainment, which is fourth grade orchestra. The problem is after we voted on the budget most Newtown citizens wanted the budget to change and that will affect the school system. That change includes eliminating the fourth grade orchestra. I hear you want to cut the orchestra from Hawley School. I think that I might be able to change your mind.

This concerns me for many reasons. First, of all I interviewed the director of the orchestra, Mrs Smith. She told me that she would definitely prefer us to keep the fourth grade orchestra. Also, I found out some information about what could happen if you cut fourth grade orchestra from Hawley.

First, I’m worried that the kids at Hawley won’t be as educated as before if you cut the orchestra from Hawley. For example, playing an instrument can educate you by making you learn responsibility like taking care of your instrument and bringing it to school twice a week. It teaches you math because you need to count how many beats in each measure and sometimes when we practice songs we break it apart so we can learn it better. This goes along with fractions. Finally, you can learn history because when you play a song, it is usually written by a famous person so you can see what they wrote back then. Sometimes, you can experience what kind of person they were.

Secondly, if you cut the start of the orchestra program you will end up with a minimal amount of people playing in the orchestra at the Reed School. What I mean is that the kids at Hawley won’t get a feel for the string instruments and most likely will end up playing in the band. Think about it: on television, parades, and in our everyday lives there are bands. Not many people get to see real live orchestras. That’s why they choose band over orchestra most of the time.

 Next, I want to make a suggestion for you. I understand that because of the budget there is little money left for the orchestra and it is not enough. I think that schools should earn money for themselves, which I have noticed other schools doing for various reasons. Why don’t we start a “save the strings” fund?

I believe that you care about the people at Hawley that want to play an instrument and I know that you want to make Newtown a better place. So give a nice musical cheer to our school system and then leave it alone! Save the Strings!

From a student who cares,

Anne Martino

43 Black Bridge Road, Sandy Hook                                 June 9, 2003