Save Our WPHS Music Programs

Music rocks!

My sister is in the music program and my friends are in the theater group it's truly an amazing program there please keep it!

I have been playing the flute since 5th grade, and have been in the school district's band program since middle school; something that has created many opportunities for me. Seeing our band teacher have to deal with both band and choir, it is clear that she is struggling and it's very easy to see when she is feeling rundown and overwhelmed. I DO NOT want to see someone else have to go through this next year, or ever again! As I've heard from many people from my time here in WP, the district was known for its (good) music program. If we want to keep it that way (and I and many others certainly do), we need separate teachers for the classes in the music department, who can focus their efforts on their subject.

I started playing flute in the 4th grade and continued through junior and senior high school. Without the music program in the school system I would not have had this opportunity. My fondest memories of school are due to the band program. Music was and still is a big part of my life. I am still playing in a band and at church because of the opportunities afforded me through the music program at school.

These are different arts. they should be treated as such!

As a grade 4-12 band student, participating in college classes, wife of a band director, mother of band students and currently in the Woodland Park Wind Symphony (a non-profit community wind symphony which performs throughout the year for our community at no charge), music is one discipline which can be enjoyed (and improved upon) throughout one's life. These school programs which are at risk in Woodland Park are activities which promote school spirit, discipline, active learning and can take students beyond the walls of Woodland Park should be promoted by our school district and administrators. Students need instructors trained in each discipline - do English teachers teach science? Music education involves math, English and the science of sound and rhythms. Please do not let our students down. The Woodland Park sales tax should be used for good.

I am a music teacher in Woodland, CA and feel for you all. Here's to hoping they don't combine the two!

i am an artsy person and music is an off branch, to the fact i am majoring as an artist so keep the music program.

As someone who played band in grade school and then track and theater through out high school. I enjoyed it and believe that be it music or something else. Our kids today need these programs.

Save the band!

Woodland Park Band program & chior program has changed both of my little brothers' lives. Without music, I could not see Lucas do anything else except golf. With music, he has learned to discipline & learned leadership skills from being a section leader with learning from other people in the band. Woodland Park music programs have become such an influence on my little brother & his closest friends. Without music, kids are not encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and see what they can do. Please support the music programs.

I was a student at WPHS and participated heavily in the music programs at the school. Particularly several band classes, which greatly benefitted from a dedicated and focused teacher who was able to spend his time ensuring the band program could be the best it could be. The vocal music program being separate from the instrumental music program ensured two very solid and excellent programs which I was immensely proud to be a part of and which taught me so much more than how to play or sing notes on a page. Please, for the sake of your students, invest in the arts, in their lives, and in their future.

This makes no sense to me. It is like WPHS doesn't want their students to succeed in anything. To reduce the choral and music programs down to one program limits the students ability to grow those areas. They will be in a class that is not focusing on any one thing, so they will not truly be able to perfect that area of study. How does the school except their students to be able to get scholarships or train in these areas if they are not offered the opportunity. Not everyone goes to college for academics, and even fewer from WPHS go to college for athetics, but I personally know a handful of people who have pursued further education in music programs, and to not offer students the opportunity to thrive in these areas while still in high school when training and planning is critical is a real shame. The school is failing those students, and that is very sad. They should really reconsider before following through with this.

We are retired; have no children in the schools . We pay property taxes. We believe it is important that our tax dollars support balanced disciplined students. Music and drama and art accomplish that ! Build confident and well rounded citizens .

WPHS continues to show that they do not value the arts in any way. Only a few short years ago, WPHS was at a place that they could have been an arts magnet school. Now performing arts (choir, drama, band, forensics, etc.) are all a half-step away from being put on life support, and it seems that the visual arts (painting, ceramics, drawing, photography, etc.) are there as well. This has all been done under the guise of budget cuts, but that doesn’t seem to be the real reason. In fact, the more likely explanation is that administration seem to believe the arts doing well hurts the sports side of the school. (By the way, this seems to be part of the justification for cutting back on the number of AP classes as well.) So, it appears that we will force families who desire a strong education (which includes the arts) to take their students down the pass on school days, so that our high school can continue to have well-funded sports teams that lose.

Music (both instrumental and vocal) has been short-changed too long. A class that is poorly taught or taught without the full commitment of the administration should not be taught at all. It is time to share with our children the value and beauty of music (both instrumental and vocal)

It was sincerely my pleasure to serve the Woodland Park community as the middle school instrumental music teacher for five years. The community, the people and the students are completely wonderful. WPMS staff love kids and work hard every day to give students a great education. Ms. Bennett, who teaches WPMS choir, is a treasure. Unfortunately, due to Woodland Park limiting music options over the past few years, I had to move on to a different district in order to keep moving forward musically in my career. It has always been my hope that WPSD arts will be given an opportunity to thrive and to continue to match the incredible talent levels of their students. I firmly believe this can only be achieved by consulting with the district music team and letting music professionals help guide and make staffing decisions...they know what they need to be successful teachers!

I graduated from Woodland Park. I was also a part of Select Ladies Ensemble, Ladies Glee, and Choir. I was interested in my voice and what i could learn i can do with my voice, not instruments. What will happen to all of the special groups? Madrigals?

Minneapolis MN

From personal experience, I could have never asked for a better musical education through one vocal teacher. The environment provided, helped me and others express themselves, grow individually, as well as create relationships for their future. I believe it was most beneficial that there were two different teachers and this is the primary reason the music and band programs have done so well throughout the years at WPHS. Each student was able to gain the knowledge they needed and wanted as well as shine bright doing what they loved to do. I agree that 2 professionals should be hired on for this.