Out of Cycle Communication
January 3, 2022
Hello Pathfinder Community
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that our music classroom was broken into over the winter break. This was discovered Monday morning, upon my arrival at school. We are working with the Seattle Police Department to report this break-in and missing items. Items stolen include a majority of our woodwind, brass, and string instruments stored in the room, audio equipment, internet connectivity servers/devices, percussion instruments and equipment, and our student-device charging station.
Tomorrow's K-5 music classes and middle school band classes will serve as a time and space for students to ask questions, talk, think of next steps, and reflect. Students who do not have music until later in the week will also have an opportunity to ask questions, talk, and reflect during this time. Middle school students should not bring their instruments to school tomorrow (1/4/22).
I ask that you have a conversation with your students about this event. Music, for all grade levels and subjects, is often a safe space for students to come to explore their creativity, build community, and engage in deep and rich learning about the arts and themselves. I imagine some students will be distraught to learn about this violation of our space, as I am. This challenge is a setback, but one we can bounce back from. It shows us what we need to improve to make the Pathfinder music program even greater than it already is.
The past few years have brought many challenges to musicians, students, and teachers alike. Pathfinder has been making great strides in bringing our developing musicians back to the stage since September of 2021. We have offered musicians the opportunity to play with students of different grade levels to enrich their musical ability, knowledge, and passion. Despite the outcome of virtual band, we have continued to perform quality music that promotes literacy, community, and critical thinking. We have successfully performed a safe, socially distanced concert IN-PERSON, which our students and I are incredibly proud of. We have acquired resources and equipment that are essential to comprehensive K-5 Music and Middle School Band programs including a set of Timpani, new mallets, and curriculum to support non-singing musical instruction for our K-5 students due to COVID. Pathfinder's music program has proven to be strong, successful, and rewarding for our students.
To be our musical best, we need to remember to take time to ground our thoughts and emotions, and grant ourselves time to heal in response to this event. I look forward to making music with our students again soon.
We are organizing this week to determine how to replace the stolen equipment and how to protect it moving forward. Please look for information in this weeks Compass.
- Mr. Bores
K-5 General Music & Middle School Band teacher
