Members of the South Queens Middle School Grade 7/8 band perform at the Queens County Music Festival in late April. (Rick Conrad)

It looks like the band program at South Queens Middle School in Liverpool will live to play another day, though it’s unclear in what form.

Parents and others vented their frustrations online a couple of weeks ago when they heard the school planned to cut the program for next year.

It came on the eve of the 80th annual Queens County Music Festival at the Astor Theatre. The festival features young musicians and vocalists from school and private music programs being scored on their performances by trained adjudicators.

The middle school’s Grade 7 and 8 band competed at the festival.

Principal Stacy Thorburn told QCCR on Wednesday that she hopes to have good news for students and parents by the end of the week.

“It’s in the works. I’m in conversations to find out how it will look next year.”

The program includes about 40 students. 

In a message to students and their families on Friday, the school said they’re looking at ways to continue offering it next year. 

“School administration is having ongoing conversations with nearby schools to explore potential collaboration opportunities and are looking at creative staffing solutions, all with the intention to continue offering the band program,” the note read.

“Additionally, discussions regarding the band program are planned with the school advisory council.”

Thorburn didn’t want to comment on what led to the worries about the program’s survival.

“I would rather not because there are lots of things that go into play. And I’ve had conversations with our (school advisory council) and members of our community who have asked so I’d rather keep it at that for now, until we know for sure what’s happening.

“It will be here next year in some form.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Dave Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, Stacy Thorburn, principal of South Queens Middle School, and Ted Bulley of the Kiwanis Club at an announcement on Wednesday at the school. (Rick Conrad)

Sports teams at South Queens Middle School will be getting a new electronic scoreboard thanks to a donation from the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool.

The service organization donated $7,000 toward the $17,000 piece of equipment that will hang in the gymnasium at the Grade 6-8 school.

Principal Stacy Thorburn said the donation is “amazing”.

“To know that one of our organizations in Queens donated $7,000, it’s just unheard of. Even through our fundraising, as thankful as we are to everyone, we weren’t able to raise that much money, so a one-time donation of $7,000 is huge.”

Currently, a scoreboard is projected onto one of the walls of the gym. 

“Which is great when technology’s working, but it had its time,” Thorburn said. “And so we thought well, we don’t have a scoreboard and we have lots of community basketball coming in, we have sports teams from other schools coming in, so we thought that would be a priority for right now.”

Thorburn said the whole community pitched in. A youth in the community donated what he made from giving basketball lessons, Liverpool Regional High School donated proceeds from their annual alumni basketball tournament, the school itself held an online auction and the school’s advisory council contributed $2,000.

“We couldn’t have done it without the community and the parents from South Queens, which is amazing.”

Dave Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, said usually the club gives up to $1,000 for specific projects.

“Initially we were thinking a smaller amount. And one of our members said, we got extra money this year from running the canteen at Queens Place, let’s go all in on the scoreboard, so that’s what we did.

“You like to see everyone working together for a common goal.”

The school held a short ceremony on Wednesday morning to unveil the Kiwanis contribution. Students, staff and Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian were there, as well as Kiwanis Club members from Liverpool, Halifax and Kingston, Jamaica.

Pam Rodney-White is governor of the eastern Canada and Caribbean district for Kiwanis International.

As part of her duties, she’s touring Canada’s six districts. And she was in town on Wednesday visiting the Liverpool chapter.

She said the Liverpool chapter’s support for the scoreboard is an example of the kinds of contributions Kiwanis clubs make to help kids and communities.

“It’s fantastic. I really want to congratulate the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool for the donation of the scoreboard. I’m sure the students are going to be happy when they look up there and see that they are making some runs, not fouls.”

Thorburn says she hopes to have the scoreboard installed over the summer in time for when students return in the fall.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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