Keep Ms. Maynard in WVMS

My youngest daughter is going to be a Junior, and has been playing the violin since she was in 4th grade. She actually quit after 4th grade, as she was uninspired. Then, in 6th grade, she met Mrs Maynard. This woman turned her musical life around. The music program has been exceptional, and getting to know Mrs. Leonard and Mrs. Blaikner personally, has been wonderful. If it was not for Mrs. Leonard, Vicki would probably have given up on the violin after the elementary school. The music experience in the Elementary School was very different. Something that you may not know: Mrs. Leonard is like the Pied Piper of music. Her students happily follow her around playing the instrument for which she has developed their love. Every time she performs, whether it is at a school function, Wire Choir, or the Sugar Loaf Summer Festival, she invites her students to be a part of her performances. The experience they gain by doing that is immeasurable. My daughter LOVES being a part of the Wire Choir (she is a co-leader, which is a title Mrs. Leonard gave the older students) and she feels like she is a part of something that really matters. She has developed a love of her instrument, and Mrs. Leonard has guided her from the beginning. She tried out for Chamber Orchestra, and was accepted. She has participated in All County and NYSSMA, and is really proud of her accomplishments. Her mentor every step of the way, was Mrs. Leonard. Please don't underestimate the value of this woman in Warwick's Music Department. Her energy, enthusiasm and absolute love of her instrument is contagious. A teacher teaches, Mrs. Maynard inspires. There is a huge difference. The importance of a quality music department in the years that children are "finding themselves" (Middle School) can not be undervalued. If these children drop out of the music department because of lack of guidance, there is a much greater potential that they will fill their time with something that is not as po

Mrs Maynard is THE reason that my daughter picked up violin again in the 6th grade. She took in during 4th grade, and was not inspired. She dropped it in 5th grade and then met Mrs. Maynard -- she changed her view of music and my daughter is now going into 11th grade and is part of the Chamber (honors) Orchestra, NYSSMA, All County and Wire Choir! Please keep Mrs Maynard where she can do the greater good for the older students that may not continue without her!

Mrs. Maynard's programs motivate children to play string instruments and elevate their level of performance. At string concerts, the conversation often returns to how Wire Choir inspires students to participate in and continue with orchestra. Mrs. Maynard has a gift. She is able to build an appreciation of music in students at an age where orchestra often becomes "uncool". This "gift" did not happen by magic however. It took years of hard work and dedication to build up her programs. Please do not throw that away. It is rich programs such as hers that make a good school great.

Update: Dr. Leach is supposedly reconsidering his decision to place Mrs. Maynard in the elementary school. A final decision will be made over the summer. Thank you guys for writing heartfelt emails and letters. Every single one of you made a huge difference. I am extremely proud that we were able to take our passions for music and put it in writing. Mrs. Maynard is a wonderful MIDDLE SCHOOL teacher. It's where she belongs. It's where her family is. Hopefully, the district officials will feel the same way. Love you all and go orch dorks!! ~Brianna Flood, co-leader of Wire Choir

It's clear from a strictly music achievement perspective that Ms. Maynard is the best orchestra teacher in the school district. Attending String Fling each June makes this extremely clear. It's odd to see how amazingly well the 6th grade plays and then hear the performances quickly diminish, not backward toward 4th grade, but forward to 7th, 8th, and sadly high school. If any change is made, Ms. Maynard should be in charge of high school orchestra. I'd suggest putting Brown in 5th and 6th grade, keep 4th grade the way it is, and put Maynard in charge of 7th through 12th grade. Warwick high school orchestra would win awards and probably be invited to play Carnegie Hall.

Ms. Maynard has done such an amazing job at instilling a love for music in the children she teaches. Her wire choir is the main reason many of the kids take a stringed instrument. To lose the momentum this fabulous group has added to the music program is criminal, and reason enough to keep her at the middle school!

Ms. Maynard changed my daughter's life. She went from mild curiosity to a love of the violin... A love that has driven her to do NYSSMA even when she swore she'd never do it. Moving Ms. Maynard would be a huge mistake. Huge. Please don't do it.

Please keep Ms. Maynard in the Middle School! Ms. Maynard is an amazing, talented strings teacher who is adored by her students. She gives her students a fresh new outlook on music.

She has made a positive impact on the students.

When I was a student in Ms. Maynard's class 7 years ago it was the best year of my life. I loved wire choir. It is where I met some of my best friends that I still have to this day. I loved it so much that the night of one of my performances with Ms. Maynard I had fallen and at the time was in a lot of pain. My mom wanted to take me to the ER but I wouldn't let her because I didn't want to miss playing for Ms. Maynard. Later to find out after that I had actually broke my foot/leg in 3 places! So needless to say Ms. Maynard has/had such an impact on my life that I wouldn't let anything stop me from performing for her!

Our 5th grade daughter told us that Mrs. Maynard inspires her. We have never heard her say that about any of her other teachers. If she loses Mrs. Maynard she is not going to continue in Orchestra. I know she is not the only student that feels that way, What a shame!

DON'T SQUANDER MS. MAYNARD'S TALENT. THE KIDS LOVE AND NEED HER AND THE PROGRAM WILL NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT HER!!!!!

My daughter loves the violin but told me she is leaving it to go to band because Ms. Maynard is leaving. The only teacher she bonded with so far in middle school. Very heartbreaking.

I am from Sugar Loaf, NY. I don't know why it says "Bronx".

Wire Choir is open to any student in the Middle and High School. This interactive group allows older students to mentor younger students under Ms. Maynard's tutelage. It helps them learn to love what they play both musically and for their instrument of choice. Moving Ms. Maynard to the elementary school will harm the strings program in the long run. Every student can not wait to be able to have Ms. Maynard as their orchestra teacher. It has become a rite of passage. Students in the Middle School and Wire Choir have the opportunity to work with Ms. Maynard in arranging some of the music they play. This is not something an elementary school student would have the knowledge and skill level to do. Dr. Leech - moving forward with this is one of the worst decisions you could make for our district's strings program!!

Wire Choir is a voluntary club that serves well over 50 students. Moving Mrs. Maynard to a later shift would eliminate this talented orchestra.