My Students

My students are every bit as brilliant, curious, and thirsty for self-expression as students at more affluent schools. Due to my school's very tight budget, there is no music program to give my students a desperately needed outlet for their creativity.

I am the school's science teacher, so I have the extreme pleasure to work with every last student in the school.

As such, I have come to know them as the sweet, fascinating, and knowledge-hungry little scientists that they are. While I have a passion for science, I also greatly appreciate music and the arts. I want to share my love of music with my students. My students sing and dance throughout the school, harnessing the musicality innate to all children. I want to harness that spirit, and help it blossom. I want to foster the musicians within. My school is a Title I school, with 100% of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunch. All too often, my students miss out on the opportunities afforded to students at more wealthy schools because my school lacks the resources to provide these enriching activities. Please help my students make a joyful noise!

My Project

I am asking for your help in purchasing 50 plastic ocarinas for my students. I would like to teach two ocarina classes in my school's new after-school program. By helping us get these new ocarinas, you will be giving my students the gift of music. The ocarina is an ancient and lesser known instrument, related to the recorder, and it is particularly easy to learn to play. The ocarinas I am requesting are from a Taiwanese company called Focalink, and their ocarinas are of excellent quality. Small, durable plastic soprano ocarinas are perfect for the small hands of young elementary school students, and I am positive that gaining an exposure to making music will set my students on a path to success and self-confidence. I have played the ocarina for several years, and I can't wait to share my love for music with all of my students!

In high-poverty schools such as mine, the local property taxes that help support the schools are much lower than in more affluent communities.

As such, our budgets are threadbare, and music is very frequently the first to be cut. We may not have an official music teacher at my school, but my passion for music and playing the ocarina will help give my students the chance to make music for themselves!