Riverview Elementary School Receives Grant from MusiCounts
by Helena Tsitouras
Verdun’s Riverview Elementary School is known for their STEAM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) but recently they have been given the opportunity to upgrade their music program! Riverview Elementary School is the recipient of MusiCounts’ Band Aid Program grant. The grant includes $10,000 to be put towards music equipment, instruments, and any other needed resources.
Riverview’s music teacher, Skye Stowe, was approached by a parent regarding the grant. Once she had heard the details, she knew it was worth a try. The application included details regarding the current state of the music program, a detailed budget on how the funds would be spent, and how new equipment, instruments, and how resources could benefit the school’s music program.
Another element of the application was to include letters of support from the school and community. Stowe received a number of letters from the community, but most importantly, one of her classes created letters themselves. A few of the students’ works were selected with the application to MusiCounts. The letters highlighted how much fun the students would have playing new instruments, and how they would be used in their Winter Concerts.
Eventually, Riverview received the wonderful news that they were the recipient of the grant. The money will be primarily spent on new instruments such as xylophones, glockenspiels, boomwhackers, and djembes. Additionally, Riverview plans on purchasing a new sound system that will be used at concerts to ensure audience members can enjoy the students’ music loud and clear.
Stowe said that her “hope for the music program at Riverview is that it continues to grow. Music can be such a great outlet for kids to express themselves and a really meaningful way to build community in a school. With the help of the MusiCounts grant, students at Riverview will now be able to take their exploration of music to a new level.”
The future of music at Riverview Elementary School is bright.
In the fall, students will return to Riverview Elementary School with a new and exciting music program to look forward to.
