Brain Games at TMS to raise funds for music program
Chess is one of the many Brain Games scheduled for next week.
Orchestra Director Debbie Hansen is excited about the second Brain Games event, which will be coming to Tigert Middle School on February 24. The event is “like a field day, but with different kinds of activities.” Hansen noted that in the past, she had seen kids who did not necessarily enjoy participating in the athletic field day events, but lit up when playing chess or building with Legos.
“Brain Games” will start at 6:30 p.m. at Tigert Middle School, and offer an array of different “thinking” competitions to participants. Competition will take place at four levels—Adults, High School, Middle School, and Elementary Levels, with a winner in each game being named for each.
The games themselves will include Chess, Spelling (a spelling bee style competition), Jigsaw Puzzle speed runs, Rubix Cube solving, Scrabble, Checkers, Lego building, and Trivia. The cost to enter into a specific event and be eligible for prizes is $2 per event, though anyone can participate in the games for free.
“It was created sort of out of nothing last year, and it’s still evolving,” Hansen said. “I think it’s a fun way for a lot of our kids to express some of the amazing talents they have and to be recognized for them.”
Prizes have been donated by a number of local businesses, organizations, and individuals, including Lallatins, Soda Smiles, Mountain View Dental, Caribou Medical Center, Baked Fresh Sourdough, and more. Anyone interested in donating prizes for Brain Games, or support to the music programs can contact Debbie Hansen at [email protected].
Funds raised at the event will go exclusively to the music programs, which require fundraising for any activities beyond the bare minimum (and even to sustain the bare minimum, at times). Hansen and others work as efficiently as they can with the resources they have, and have taken on event concessions to help supplement the program needs. Expenses include maintenance and repair of instruments, which can be very expensive and are always needed. Her classroom has an “Instrument Hospital” where supplies are rehabilitated. A large pile of bows is currently awaiting treatment.
Instruments such as timpani drums, tubas, cellos, French horns, and other more complex instruments across band and orchestra usually require more costly outside repairs.
Sheet music, which must be purchased in most cases, requires funds as well. When an orchestra or band performs a musical, they need sheet music for all of the pieces, and whether it is obtained in print or digitally, copies for all students are needed.
Travel to events is fairly limited, with the school district being able to supply busses, but not accommodations or entrance costs to many travelling events.
The orchestra and band together involve more than 80 local students.
Hansen is hard at work developing further fundraising opportunities for the music program, but in the meantime could use the support of the community for Brain Games on February 24. Prizes for winners and winning teams will be given out at 8:00 p.m. “I hope this is a success and we can keep growing it in the future,” Hansen said. The event will be held in the TMS commons.
