Sign-ups open for sixth-grade marching band at Vaca Pena

Registration is now open for the Sixth-Grade Marching Band Academy at Vaca Pena Middle School, beginning in the fall.

This new program was developed and spearheaded by Colleen Moe, principal of Vaca Pena Middle School; Catherine Bozzini, Vacaville Unified School District's director of elementary education; Ali Eeds, VUSD director of secondary education; and Melinda Ellis, VUSD music coordinator.

It is open to student who will be sixth graders at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year. To register a student for for the program, visit bit.ly/ VacaPenaMarchingBandAcademy. The deadline to register is March 22.

The program is limited to a small cohort of 60 to 64 students. It will focus on daily music instruction. Students can still participate in middle school extracurricular activities, have earlier access to advanced coursework, and participate in three marching band competitions during the school year, Joel Rosenbaum, a communications specialist with the district's public information office, said in a news release.

On Feb. 1, district trustees approved the addition of a SixthGrade Music Academy with a marching band focus at the 200 Keith Way school. The academy will allow students to develop a love of performance and open performance doors earlier for long-term participation in school band programs, he added in the prepared statement.

Moe hopes the program will allow students to build strong leadership and self-discipline skills while giving them a creative performance outlet. The program will also teach time management skills, develop camaraderie with fellow bandmates, and increase respect for themselves and others through music and competition.

The program is funded through Proposition 28, The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure required the state to establish a new, ongoing program supporting areas of instruction in schools beginning during the current academic year.