Save the Strings program at our Bft Cnty Elem Schools

We need support from you.  Please sign this petition that will be presented to the Board of Education and our Beaufort County Superintendent.  We are asking them to KEEP Strings (violin) in our Elementary Schools.  Let me add this information.  Out of 14 Elementary schools that offered Strings classes last year, already 7 (50%) have ZERO strings class this year.  How can you say it is only being "considered"?

Children that play a string instrument get better grades and higher test scores than the National average.  String classes support our community efforts to improve SC education, as measured by student test scores.  Numerous studies have been done to support this claim. For example a Texas University study measured SAT scores over a 10 year period.  It shows that String orchestra students earn 400 points higher on SAT's than the National Average.

For strings to be effective both ASTA and MENC (Music Educators National Conf.) recommend that classes start no later than 4th grade.  Third grade seems to be the most common but many schools start sooner.

National data provided by ASTA, American String Teachers Association   http://www.astaweb.com/Content/NavigationMenu/Advocacy/NEWAdvocatingForStringsDVD/default.htm  

WHY STRINGS (VIOLIN) IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS?

1.      More than two-thirds of students who begin playing string instruments in elementary school continue to participate through high school.

2.      50% of high school string/orchestra students are school leaders in classes and activities and are members of academic honor groups.

3.      The majority of string/orchestra students enroll in college.

4.      Music students have significantly higher SAT scores (400 points) than the average student population:  String students have the highest among music students.

5.      Most high school string/orchestra teachers report that their string students are in the upper 10 percent of their graduating class.

6.      28 percent of string students are African-American, Hispanic, or Asian.

7.      First and second year string students%u2019 math and reading test scores are higher than the general student population in suburban, urban and rural schools.

8.      After two years of study, students who participate in the arts and music programs generally have higher GPAs than students not participating in the program.

9.      Students who participate in orchestra and band programs in the schools are less likely to abuse substances, including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.

10. Students in school orchestras learn teamwork by playing in a group, have self-discipline due to practicing their instruments outside of school, and gain enhanced aural (sense of hearing) and motor skills coordination.

We need parents and people in our community to get involved now while this process of removing Strings in the Elementary Schools is just starting.  This year, they announced at the beginning of the year that Strings would not be offered in the third grade, nor during the school day.  Next year, they plan to remove Strings from fourth and maybe even fifth grade.  Yet, they hired a new Strings teacher for the middle school and elementary schools to build a program.  Through planning and excitement and quality instruction, this teacher has over 100 students signed up this year.  Last year, prior to his arrival, there were only 25 students in the program.  Clearly, there is plenty of student and parent interest! 

There is also research supporting that the students who have active parents involved in their school activities and studies will outperform students whose parents are non-active.  Through the Strings classes, parents are drawn in and thus become more active in their students school activities.  We even have a few parents taking the class with their child.

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION TO KEEP STRINGS IN OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.