Dear Kings Canon School Board Members,

As a parent, I am writing to the school board because, like you, I want to see the students

in our community succeed academically. You will be able to grant these students a great

opportunity in doing so by providing them with an education that incorporates arts integration.

Young children who are enrolled in schools with art integrated curriculum do better

academically because they become motivated in learning, they learn new skills, and are given the

help they need to deal with emotional and behavioral issues. I have personally seen and know of

the powerful impact that arts has on students’ academic success. A broad body of research has

established the ways in which arts education can affect the quality of learning. By incorporating

arts in their learning we are giving our children the opportunity to a well-rounded education.

There has been countless research that has been made and supports the fact that children’s

experiences in schools with like curriculum do better academically than those that do not. For

this reason alone I strongly encourage this district to do the same, and not strip our children of

such an amazing opportunity.

Students who participate in an active environment with integrated arts are more likely to

get higher test scores, have better attendance and graduate high school. As a parent and educator,

I am aware that the implementation of arts in this district has been slowly decreasing. I am aware

of the positive impacts that the arts have on the lives of many people, and if the implementation

of art in our schools continue to decrease it will take a negative turn in the lives of our children. I

want my child to enjoy their time at school and enjoy being a part of a community. It is common

for many districts in California to focus more on students achievements in math, science, english,

and history. However, I want our students to have a greater selection of subjects, activities, arts,
and athletics to choose from. By giving our children a variety of options, as the ones stated, they

would be able to learn things that they can not in a traditional classroom. They would learn skills

such as working in a team, having good communication skills, and being creative.

Growing up and attending a school in the same district I am aware of the different

struggles students may face, especially during middle school. During the first years of attending

Citrus Middle School I had a difficult time communicating with other students and adjusting to a

new school. I was one of the top 25 students in my school, but I lacked interest in many subjects

and did not find myself enjoying learning. It was not until my second year that I decided to join

the school choir and soccer team. At the time, I had a lot to manage and juggled my schedule

between academics, arts, and athletics. This was a new challenge that I had to face, but I was

prepared mentally and physically to undergo this challenge because I enjoyed what I did. After

continuously maintaining this schedule, over time, I began to notice a change in my own

personality. My communication skills were slowly improving, and I struggled less with talking

to peers and my instructors.

The reason that I underwent these positive changes was due to the experiences I had and

lessons I learned when I was in my school choir and soccer team. When I was a part of the

school choir we were separated into groups based on vocal range. Our choir heavily practiced

and sang songs as one, in separate groups, or individually and gave feedback to one another that

would lead to personal and group improvement. During the soccer season, I was given the

position of last man, a defensive position. I was responsible for leading three other defenders, I

did face many challenges because it was my first time taking on a leadership position. Through

the arts and athletics I was able to grow into a leader, I learned to work in a team, and my
communication skills improved. Being a part of these things made me look forward to attending

school, working with others, and overtime motivated me to get better grades as they were

required in order for me to continue doing what I loved.

Not only did I experience changes in my character, but I was also able to see how my

cousin who has behavioral and emotional issues was able to find an outlet where he could

express himself freely and feel included. During middle school, often times he was separated

from his classmates and was pulled out of class to attend different courses that would help him. I

thought at the time that maybe that was best for him, even though he was being excluded from

classroom activities and lessons. It was not until he decided to be a part of the school band that I

realized how much of a positive impact music could have on students. He fell in love with the

art, and became very motivated in doing well in other classes and began to look forward in

attending school. I observed the way he became eager in participating in his math class, how his

behavior improved, and how much he enjoyed going to school. Through music he gained a sense

of inclusion, that we all knew he never had before. Music changed his life, and of those around

him, as well as his attitude changes and his perception of education. He made improvements on

his behavioral and emotional issues, as well as his communication skills and academic

achievement.

My experiences with the arts has helped me understand how vital it can be for all

students. At the time, my middle school only had 3 sports options, a choir, band, and one dance

class. I am fortunate enough to have been interested in two of these options, but unlike me, many

students did not participate in the arts provided due to the limited options that we had. A good

example of an arts integrated institution provides students with the resources needed to
participate in at least one of the arts which are dance, music, visual art, and theatre. It is the

district’s responsibility as well as ours, the parent’s, to be able to provide our students with a

well-rounded education. The arts should be integrated into our classrooms, and used as tools to

teach our children. With this students will learn skills that they would not in a regular classroom

setting, they would look forward to attending school, become more creative, and will become

critical thinkers.

As the district moves ahead with planning and budget allocation, I hope that the board

will consider increased funding to improve the district’s arts education programs. Funding in the

school band, choir, music, drama, art, cooking, poetry clubs would create more opportunities for

students to grow. In closing, providing the necessary funds for instruments, materials, and staff

would enhance the overall quality of their education and would help them grow into qualified

individuals. Thank you for allowing the time to consider my views.

Sincerely, Jennifer Gutierrez