I'm one of his previous students. He was a great teacher!
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Anonymous
7 years ago
Music is art to enhance all students
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Christine Connell
7 years ago
I was very upset to learn that my sons orchestra teacher was not going to be teaching in the upcoming school year. I think this is a huge mistake. Because of Mr Griffith, my son has a profound love of music. To watch this teacher interact with his students is pure joy. You can see this man truly loves what he does. To take this away from him, and his students is just wrong.
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Sandy Allen
7 years ago
My nephew loves his orchestra teacher and
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Emily Watts
7 years ago
I was a student in the Batavia School District. I used to wake up at 5:30am and drive to school. At around 6:45 on a good day, the sun shines just right on Wilson street, and if you look up at the street lamp banners, they say "Batavia Fine Arts". So when I see news like this, "Batavia Fine Arts" is no longer a true statement.
When I was a Freshman in college, I became frustrated with the music education track, and I began to think of dropping the major. I was in desperate need of some inspiration out of fear that I would forget why I wanted to teach. I was a complete stranger, but I emailed Chris Griffith out of the blue and asked to sit in on a class. Since then, he has always welcomed me into his classroom. That was 3 years ago, and I'm still sitting here as a music ed major.
I've spent dozens of hours in his classroom watching the students in rehearsal. If you have a child in the RMS (or BHS) orchestra, they probably have seen me popping in occasionally. When I walk into Mr. Griffith's classroom, I can instantly tell how happy the students are to have such a great teacher. Believe me, because I've been in classrooms where this is not the case.
I have seen music ensembles in which the teacher has experience with the opposite music group (like a band teacher teaching orchestra). Do you know what happens to music programs like this? The quality diminishes and the students suffer. You are depriving them of the experience and care that they demand. There is a middle school near Augustana College that has fallen into this exact situation. Can you guess how many orchestra students they had last time I visited them? 8.
As a junior at Augustana College, I have spent 3 years visiting and teaching at various school. Not a single one comes close in comparison to Batavia. They have no auditoriums. No money for private teachers. No recording systems, just cell phones. No practice rooms. Schools have 1 ensemble. Just yesterday I was asked to repair a violin chin r
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William DAmico
7 years ago
He is truly the greatest teacher ever I don’t know why the school board is making such a stupid decision. KEEP MR. G
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Kristi Coolidge
7 years ago
Featured
To let Chris Griffith go is a travesty - the students need him in a real and specific way. Let's not pretend that anybody can do his job. As talented as the band teachers might be, they do not have Griffith's expertise in string instruction.
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Morgan Fanning
7 years ago
Music is incredibly important in developing children. To deprive them of an orchestra instructor is to neglect a vital part of their education. As a music major, I would not be where I am today (well rounded, good grades, happy with my life and the direction it is heading) without each and every single one of my music teachers. Let this man teach and let those children get the experience they deserve.
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Matthew Martinosky
7 years ago
Kid need music, music needs a good leader to be effective
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Sara Cox
7 years ago
Batavia orchestra students deserve to have a qualified Orchestra teacher who understands the complexity of string instruments and orchestra. Aside from that, Mr. Griffith is quite possibly the greatest teacher my son has ever had. He has he learned so much under Mr. Griffith. My incoming 6th grader chose to stick with orchestra over chorus purely to work with Mr. Griffith. He is incredible and Batavia is foolish to let him go.
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Anonymous
7 years ago
It is sad that Batavia wants to cut orchestra. It is sad that Batavia says the want to help students when all they do is hurt them. Batavia has become too academically focused.
I was in orchestra at that middle school and I still play today.
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Elly Gustafson
7 years ago
Orchestra Is a must !!!
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Noah Reisdorff
7 years ago
This is outrageous. Strings are completely different than winds. For a district that is trying to help their students, they couldn't hurt them in a bigger way. Very disappointing.
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Abbey Falconer
7 years ago
Catelyn is such a wonderful person and my world is honestly better because she is in it.
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Juliana
7 years ago
Mr. Griffith is perfect for this position! Please reconsider this:(
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Lily
7 years ago
Every child needs an opportunity!
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Sharon Zeilstra
7 years ago
Keep the music alive!
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Anyomus
7 years ago
He is a amazing teacher!
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Heidi Forsyth
7 years ago
PLEASE RECONSIDER YOUR DECISION.....This is the 2nd time in a few months that we as a community have had to fight for the Music program. When are you all going to realize what the Music program means to this community??? There must be another way to figure out another plan....
I'm one of his previous students. He was a great teacher!
Music is art to enhance all students
I was very upset to learn that my sons orchestra teacher was not going to be teaching in the upcoming school year. I think this is a huge mistake. Because of Mr Griffith, my son has a profound love of music. To watch this teacher interact with his students is pure joy. You can see this man truly loves what he does. To take this away from him, and his students is just wrong.
My nephew loves his orchestra teacher and
I was a student in the Batavia School District. I used to wake up at 5:30am and drive to school. At around 6:45 on a good day, the sun shines just right on Wilson street, and if you look up at the street lamp banners, they say "Batavia Fine Arts". So when I see news like this, "Batavia Fine Arts" is no longer a true statement. When I was a Freshman in college, I became frustrated with the music education track, and I began to think of dropping the major. I was in desperate need of some inspiration out of fear that I would forget why I wanted to teach. I was a complete stranger, but I emailed Chris Griffith out of the blue and asked to sit in on a class. Since then, he has always welcomed me into his classroom. That was 3 years ago, and I'm still sitting here as a music ed major. I've spent dozens of hours in his classroom watching the students in rehearsal. If you have a child in the RMS (or BHS) orchestra, they probably have seen me popping in occasionally. When I walk into Mr. Griffith's classroom, I can instantly tell how happy the students are to have such a great teacher. Believe me, because I've been in classrooms where this is not the case. I have seen music ensembles in which the teacher has experience with the opposite music group (like a band teacher teaching orchestra). Do you know what happens to music programs like this? The quality diminishes and the students suffer. You are depriving them of the experience and care that they demand. There is a middle school near Augustana College that has fallen into this exact situation. Can you guess how many orchestra students they had last time I visited them? 8. As a junior at Augustana College, I have spent 3 years visiting and teaching at various school. Not a single one comes close in comparison to Batavia. They have no auditoriums. No money for private teachers. No recording systems, just cell phones. No practice rooms. Schools have 1 ensemble. Just yesterday I was asked to repair a violin chin r
He is truly the greatest teacher ever I don’t know why the school board is making such a stupid decision. KEEP MR. G
To let Chris Griffith go is a travesty - the students need him in a real and specific way. Let's not pretend that anybody can do his job. As talented as the band teachers might be, they do not have Griffith's expertise in string instruction.
Music is incredibly important in developing children. To deprive them of an orchestra instructor is to neglect a vital part of their education. As a music major, I would not be where I am today (well rounded, good grades, happy with my life and the direction it is heading) without each and every single one of my music teachers. Let this man teach and let those children get the experience they deserve.
Kid need music, music needs a good leader to be effective
Batavia orchestra students deserve to have a qualified Orchestra teacher who understands the complexity of string instruments and orchestra. Aside from that, Mr. Griffith is quite possibly the greatest teacher my son has ever had. He has he learned so much under Mr. Griffith. My incoming 6th grader chose to stick with orchestra over chorus purely to work with Mr. Griffith. He is incredible and Batavia is foolish to let him go.
It is sad that Batavia wants to cut orchestra. It is sad that Batavia says the want to help students when all they do is hurt them. Batavia has become too academically focused. I was in orchestra at that middle school and I still play today.
Orchestra Is a must !!!
This is outrageous. Strings are completely different than winds. For a district that is trying to help their students, they couldn't hurt them in a bigger way. Very disappointing.
Catelyn is such a wonderful person and my world is honestly better because she is in it.
Mr. Griffith is perfect for this position! Please reconsider this:(
Every child needs an opportunity!
Keep the music alive!
He is a amazing teacher!
PLEASE RECONSIDER YOUR DECISION.....This is the 2nd time in a few months that we as a community have had to fight for the Music program. When are you all going to realize what the Music program means to this community??? There must be another way to figure out another plan....
good luck!