Gibson County Special School District receives national recognition for music education support
PRESS RELEASE FROM GIBSON COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT:
Gibson County Special School District Receives National Recognition for Music Education Support
Dyer, Tennessee – April 3, 2024 – The Gibson County Special School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the district answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“In our district, we hope that we are teaching and training students to be well-rounded individuals. Access to fine arts and music education is crucial to ensuring that goal.” said Director Schools, Eddie Pruett.
“Music education is everything. It is math. It is language arts. It is work ethic. It is responsibility. It encompasses every foundational curriculum into a medium that students enjoy doing with friends on a daily basis.” states GCSSD Band Director, Frankie Leslie. Leslie goes on to say that “music education does not stop when a student walks across a stage for graduation. It is a lifelong skill that continues to be appreciated by the new and old alike.”
Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music: After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school but also to attend college as well. In addition, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound: young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.
Mission
The mission of the Gibson County Special School District is to provide learning experiences through which every student will be well prepared for their life, education, and career.
Vision
Every student is engaged in a world-class education and extra-curricular experiences that successfully prepare each one for life through academic, social, and emotional learning.
Core Values
- Students are our first priority. Every decision made and action taken must be based on the needs of our students.
- All students can learn and can be successful.
- We are committed to providing a safe, positive, and nurturing environment for all students, staff, and families in our district.
- Every student has access to rigorous instruction and high-quality programs. • Education is a partnership among schools, families, and communities.
- Transparent and effective communication is valued and practiced.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 15,000 global member companies and individual professionals worldwide. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
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