I am glad to know your organization is wiling to help us out here in Preston County. I am the band director at Central Preston Middle School.
This is my 18th year as a band director in the county. I grew up in Preston County and attended Central Preston Junior High (Tunnelton) and graduated from Central Preston High School.
Our school is now located in a make-shift room at Preston High School. I am in the auxiliary lunch room at PHS. I had to leave many things back at the old school due to storage issues/limited space. We have been at PHS for two years and have just now received a very small room for approximately 200 students a day.
Our main concern is of course band instruments, electronic keyboards, and computers to run current software programs on. We have instruments, uniforms, and equipment stored in warehouses, old houses, 3 custodian closets at PHS, an old school bus. We would love to get a used 20' cargo trailer to eliminate the storage in the bus. It sweats and leaks in the winter and rain. Before we knew the bus had issues, it ruined about half of our hats and uniforms. Thank goodness we had no instruments stored there.
As you know our band program is very active in community support by attending as many parades as we can. We do have a nice size middle school band that marches 7-8 graders, and a good 6th grade band. We continue to score superior ratings at our region 10 band festivals. The students and parents put all they have into this music curriculum (General music classes, bands, and piano classes). The kids deserve better!!!!
If I can be of any help, please let me know. If you or your organization can be of any help to us, please let me know.
Thank You Very Much!!!!!
--Mike Shaffer, Band Director