In the upper left is one of the coolest gifts ever made for me. Made by K.C., one of my flute players from Garden City. She used my likeness to deface some beautiful caligraphy and drawing. I am obviously a direct descendent of Guido d'Arezzo, a Benedictine Monk and music theorist who lived around the year 1000. He is still known today as the man who created the 5 line staff to make music readable. I did not give this really cool picture away with the rest of the stuff from the band room. It hangs in my house.

Next comes a few more rock band posters, The Who and Led Zeppelin. The green sheet under the fire alarm is a list of numbers for calling other rooms. There is also a thermostat which is, for the most part, a placebo.

Hanging onto the telephone is my Fearless Leader doll from the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons. This was a gift from the social worker in my previous district. The joke behind the gift is inappropriate, but really funny.

Under the phone is a weather thing. Temperature, barometer etc. At Garden City I had a running battle with an administrator regarding the minimum temperature that is safe for a classroom. You guys know, my usual sidewalk act. Anyway, the weather thing made its way to ITMS and there is hangs.

This white board was where I posted what music we

were working on for the day. Scale, drum warm up that matched the scale and warm up chorale are posted at
the top. In my middle school world we worked in the keys of Bb, F, Eb, Ab and Db. Sometimes the key of C, but not too much. Sharp keys are for string players.

Underneath that where it says "All 3" is where I would list the songs and sections we would be working on that day. All 3 probably means we are playing all 3 pieces we have been working on.

Because I am retiring, the Par-tay-to is the day we are going to have a party and lottery to distribute all this stuff that is in the band room. Mrs. McGrory picked names out of a hat and kids got to select one item from the classroom to take home. Almost every item I have written about here was claimed. The F.L. refers to Fearless Leader. Someone didn't want him claimed.

This white board is where I would also post any important announcements that I will also tell them in class. For those of you who have not worked in education, information that needs to be reported to those at home needs to be spoken to the students by the teacher, written on the board, typed up and sent home with the child in a memo, posted on the district website, posted on the teacher's website, broadcast to the school during the morning announcements and put in a letter and mailed home. Then the parents say "Wha?"