Brownville

Committee donates $5,500 to SAD 41 music program

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    BROWNVILLE — The SAD 41 music department, which includes a band for students in kindergarten though grade 6 across the district’s elementary schools and another ensemble for grade 7-12 musicians at the Penquis Valley School, recently received a financial boost in the form of a $5,500 donation from the Marion C. Cook School Playground Committee.

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    ABLE TO MAKE MORE MUSIC — The Marion C. Cook Playground Committee recently gave a $5,500 donation to benefit the SAD 41 music program, which includes a grade 7-12 band at Penquis Valley and another for students in grades K-6. Brownville Elementary fifth-graders Bryan Bolstridge and Kelsy Lacroix pose with a pair of instruments, which is what a portion of the $5,500 will be used for.

    Marion C. Cook Parent Teacher Organization Coordinator Jen Stone said fundraisers, such as game nights and T-shirt sales, were conducted to raise money to purchase more playground equipment for the LaGrange school. She said money was raised to purchase some of the sought after equipment, but not enough to cover the entire project.
    With the SAD 41 schools being reorganized in 2013-14, the Marion C. Cook School will no longer house K-6 students but instead be the site of a high school alternative education program and a behavioral program. Stone said the playground committee members decided the $5,500 would be better spent on the music program.
    “We are going to donate to the band program in general, they do nothing but a phenomenal job,” Stone said, adding a “kudos” to Penquis Valley teacher Kirk Taylor and elementary teacher Jack Eastman. “You never hear complaints from the music department, they are always optimistic,” she added as the students and instructors use the means they have to make music.
    Eastman said he and Taylor will decide how to best spend the money, with instrument purchases for the approximate 90-member elementary band a likely possibility for at least part of the funds.
    Marion C. Cook and Brownville Elementary Principal Lynn Weston said Eastman is great at finding bargains, such as lower priced used instruments or donations to help provide the opportunity for more students to be a part of the band. “With the school budget we are always cutting back,” Weston said, as the music department often has to make do with just the limited funding available.
    “Band is not an absolute necessity,” Stone said. “As good as our athletics are, I want our band to be just as good.” She said the music and athletic programs came together during the Penquis Valley boys basketball team’s run to the Class C state championship earlier this year, as the band helped fire up the crowd and spur the team on to the Gold Ball. Stone said the band gave the Patriots an advantage, as some of the opposing teams did not have an accompanying band at the Bangor Auditorium.

NE BANDMARCH 1 CP PO 24Contributed photos

    PLAYING FOR THE COMMUNITY — The MSAD 41 Elementary Band, which this past school year included students from Milo Elementary, Brownville Elementary and the Marion C. Cook School in LaGrange, performs in the annual Memorial Day parade in Milo.

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