Surrey Schools and Sarah McLachlan School of Music team up for summer program
The sound of music has filled the halls of Forsyth Road Elementary for years, but this July has been the first time the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) has offered a summer program in Surrey.
Hosted in partnership with the district’s Community-Schools Partnership department, the three-week expanded program builds on the past eight years of collaboration between the district and the school of music, providing access to musical instruments for 50 students in Grades 2 to 6.
“It really is the relationship with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and CSP that pushes the importance of giving kids the opportunity to learn music in a different way,” said CSP manager Meredith Verma. “It’s about exploration and giving children a chance to hold instruments and play around and get involved in something that they may not have ever thought of.”
The program includes guidance from eight SoM staff, bringing with them a broad variety of instruments for students to try out, ranging from drums, guitars and keyboards to turntables and recording equipment, covering numerous aspects of music production.
“The School of Music staff are super supportive, they are fostering so much wonderful learning,” said CSP facilitator Jordynn Punter, noting the district has also brought in other partners such as DJs and beatboxers from TableTutors to assist teaching the variety of musical genres.
“From our standpoint, we’re really trying to support the music teachers by bringing in these partners. We want to give students opportunities to experience other genres and give them a chance to enjoy other activities.”
Punter said the program not only gives students an environment to experiment and broaden their tastes musically, it encourages them to share their passion for music with family and friends, and expand their comfort zone to performing music.
“Just seeing the excitement from the students alone is amazing, and the connection to their families as well,” she said. “We try to bring that learning into a performance that they can share with their families.”
Verma said offering the program in the summer is a tremendous support for these students, providing a safe, creative space to engage in extended learning opportunities while getting out of the house and stimulating their minds.
“Just knowing that we’re able to fill in the gaps for at least three weeks of the summer really is super important,” she said. “We’re thrilled to have this partnership and to extend it into summer, and we look forward to the potential of this growing and sustaining in our district.”
