The SUHSD District Honor Band Concert will be on Saturday, February 12th, 2022 at 6:30pm

Location: Chula Vista High School – Jack Tygett Performing Arts Center
820 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911

It features the finest middle and high school Honor Band students. These are auditioned groups, including the best players selected to rehearse and perform under the direction of two special guest conductors for an enriching musical experience.

Concert Honor Band: Mr. Fredrick Lee,
Symphonic Honor Band: Mr. Jeff Malecki

Sweetwater District Band Teacher Amy Cruz is taking the challenge of making the arts accessible to EACH child to a new level at Bonita Vista Middle School. What began as a pull-out program for kids with mild-to-moderate disabilities has blossomed into a full class where students, teachers, and peer mentors gather together to make music.

Ms. Cruz worked with her Principal, Dr. Eduardo Reyes, the Director of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, Jeff Kover, and the director of Special Services, Dr. Ron Lopez to get funding for the class. Through their combined efforts, Ms. Cruz was able to have a stand-alone class, instruments, and the support of the teachers and staff of Bonita Vista.

Teaching instrumental music is always challenging, but even more so when students are disabled. “We have students with mobility challenges, a lot of them have dexterity challenges where manipulating their fingers can be difficult. Playing a standard instrument like a clarinet or saxophone or even a trumpet could be tricky because they don’t have the same finger strength but with our modified instruments, with recorders and the Orff instruments, they’re able to participate and in meaningful ways. They’re making music but adapted to their ability level.” Ms. Cruz adapts music to the instruments and abilities of her students, while teaching them basic music fundamentals.

Working alongside Ms. Cruz are the Special Education teachers like Richard Giffen. He has found that, beyond the music lessons, “we’re able to make connections. Music is that language of communication that allows them to communicate with peers of all levels.” He is proud of the exposure that his students receive to experiences they might not have had otherwise.

Parents are happy with the program as well. “The students get to be on stage, they get to perform. For some of them that makes them very nervous but once it’s done and once they’re up there and they have that moment of ‘we did it’ they are just beaming and their parents are beaming. It’s great to give the parents the opportunity to see their kids with all of the other students performing” says Ms. Cruz. Her plan now is to make this class available to the rest of the district.

You can see these wonderful kids and their teacher on Youtube here:

District Color Guard and Drumline Show was Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 6pm. It featured SUHSD Color Guard, Drum lines and special guests. General admission was $5 at the door. Location: Eastlake High School – Gymnasium (1120 Eastlake Parkway, Chula Vista, CA 91915)

Participating Schools: Bonita Vista High, Bonita Vista Middle, Castle Park High, Castle Park Middle, Chula Vista High, EastLake High, Montgomery High, Olympian High, Otay Ranch High, Rancho del Rey Middle, Southwest Middle, and Sweetwater High. Special guest: Cornerstone Independent Percussion and Alchemy Independent.

Photos by Grants & Communications – Omar De Leon.

Special needs students are learning music at Bonita Vista Middle with Mrs. Amy Cruz. Students in music class create special sound.