6th Grade Band

How often do you hear children bemoan a holiday from school? Well, Sam is not happy about being off next Monday for Labor Day. Why? Because on Mondays he has band, and he loves band.

Towards the end of last school year, the band teacher met with the fifth graders to tell them about 6th grade band; and Sam was instantly excited. He fretted for a week over which instrument he wanted to play and settled on the trumpet. Then, all summer he begged to go to the music shop to look at the trumpets. When we finally went, we were dismayed at the cost of even a used instrument. The monthly fee to rent an instrument was out of our budget also, so Sam was really disappointed. Wanting to provide all things good for my son, I was disheartened that I could not get him a trumpet.

Mrs. Richardson, the band teacher, had told the class that there was a limited number of instruments that the school could loan to students who could not afford to buy one; but Sam wasn't happy at the idea of being responsible for a loaner. Despite that, last Monday he brought home the form we both needed to sign, pledging to be responsible for a loaned trumpet, should one be available. Turning in the form in no way guaranteed that Sam would get a loaner, but it was the first step in the process. He made a big deal about needing to hold on to the form for a WHOLE WEEK until he went to band again; yet this past Monday morning he could not find it anywhere. Although we both searched in every possible place a piece of paper could hide, we still could not find it; and Sam went to school very upset, knowing it would be a terrible day.

When I picked Sam up that afternoon, the first thing I noticed was the HUGE smile on his face. I certainly wasn't expecting that! Turns out, last Tuesday when he handed in some papers to his homeroom teacher, he accidentally turned in the band form also. His teacher, Mr.Dixon, passed it along to Mrs. Richardson; and she let Sam know at band class that he WILL be getting a loaner trumpet. Yippee!!! Now, he's depressed that there is no school next Monday, and he'll have to wait an extra week for his precious trumpet.

I'm just glad that he gets to try it out for a year before having to pay out all that money for an instrument of his own. If he loves it as much as he expects he will, I will help him save up the money to buy his own trumpet before school starts next year.