As a parent of a Cook County Middle School and an elementary student, I can’t stress enough, how important music has been in the curriculum of my daughters. My seventh-grader has excelled in band, found a love for music that she didn’t realize she had, until her first year of band in sixth grade. This, I owe a great deal of thanks to Kerri Bilben.
My elementary student has come home more times than I can count, excited about the artist she learned about. The countless hours of preparation, high school band, middle school band, Pep Band, K-5 music classes, winter programs, spring programs…..The list goes on and on.
On top of all this, there are lessons each week for high school and middle school students, as well as choir. All this done, week in and week out by one person. The love she has for music and teaching her students is seen, in her students. This should not go unrecognized.
We are a small school and I understand that there are budgets that have to be balanced. As hard as our school board and administration is working, to make these cuts as painless as possible, reality is there are tough choices to be made. S
I feel that music is an important part of fi teaching our students and I see the impact of that in my daughters. My hope is that music/ band continues in our school at a high level. As I write this, my seventh-grader is practicing her flute, playing for her little sister. It’s a sweet sound, for which I owe a great big thank you to Mrs. Bilben.
Monica Precord
Grand Marais
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