NORWICH – Formed in late May by a group of parents, students and educators concerned with scheduling changes within the Norwich City School District for the 2011-2012 school year – and the effect on the high school’s music program – the Norwich Music and Arts Advocacy Group received some good news Monday morning.
According to NHS Choir Director Mary Mayo, a solution has been reached that will allow students to attend choir, orchestra and band as in previous years, with no overlap in scheduling. At the start of the year, many students were forced to choose one program over another – or miss a significant portion of rehearsal time – a disadvantage parents, teachers and students alike continued to bring up at Board of Education meetings over the past three months.
While the latest change in schedule meant some sacrifices for both students and educators, said Mayo, the choir, orchestra and band will be able to meet on a daily basis at full strength.
“This was a major undertaking by [NHS Vice Principal] Mrs. Giglio and, as a result of her hard work, we didn’t lose a single student in the change,” reported Mayo. “It took one person to go through 60 students and their schedules by hand, which was a big investment of her time. This was not an easy fix, but it changes my whole outlook for the year.”
Mayo said she met with Kisten Giglio and Principal Lisa Schuchman Monday morning, where she was presented with the potential solution, which went into effect yesterday. She added she thought it apparent after a week and a half that the new schedule wasn’t working, which acted as a catalyst for the change.
“This is a step forward and it’s the difference between a successful year and ... who knows,” said Mayo. “The students are all thrilled with this decision and you have to commend the members of the board, the administrative team and the educators who made this happen.”
Spokesperson for the Music and Arts Advocacy Group Betsy Mahannah said the change in schedule “opens a path into college” for those students looking to pursue a music degree. She added she was happy to see the board of education “following through on behalf of the students.”
“This will preserve the excellence of the music program throughout our school district,” said Mahannah. “Now it’s time for us to switch our focus from the scheduling issue to proactively advocating for art and music instruction.”
The group continues to meet on a weekly basis, typically on Sundays, she added, and is always looking for new members. For more information contact Mahannah at 334-5505.