I teach 5th grade band and orchestra students in six different schools within my district. In order to make this schedule work, my students have to be flexible and have lessons in creative spaces some weeks. Having a way to store our music stands would definitely ease the challenges we face.
I teach over 110 fifth grade band and orchestra students between all the elementary schools in our rural school district, located about 30 miles east of Madison, Wisconsin.
We have a very diverse student population, particularly in terms of socio-economics. At the elementary schools, over 50% of our student population qualifies for free and reduced lunch. We are fortunate so many students can participate in the music programs, especially when it comes to the financial hardships facing so many of our families. Despite these fiscal challenges, our community is extremely supportive of our students, and our music program is still a leader in our state (we were named one of the top Music Communities in the nation by the NAMM foundation in 2013). Many students from nearby districts opt to open-enroll into our district because of our top-notch academic reputation and our extra-curricular opportunities. Teachers, students, and parents all work hard together to be a beacon district.
My Project
I am requesting two large portable music stand racks for my classroom. Currently, music stands are stashed in multiple areas throughout the band and orchestra room, making efficient use of my classroom space impossible. Students are often bumping into unused music stands and the clutter is very unappealing. Whenever we need to move from one location in the building to another, we need many students (each carrying only one or two music stands at time) to move the equipment. Having two racks to hold many music stands would make much more sense, and would save time for everyone. We will have more time to play our instruments, and save a lot of time when it comes to equipment set-up and take-down.
Music storage racks improve the ease of running my classroom, and my students will receive more quality instruction since less time will be spent maneuvering equipment around.
Additionally, students will learn that these storage racks were made possible through the donorschoose program, which will help them understand the value of giving and will help them gain a true appreciation for others' generosity.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Gary and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.