Welcome

Welcome to the Save Our Kids' Music (SOKM) website. SOKM is the "PTA" or "Booster Club" for the Pleasant Valley School District Instrumental Music Program. Save Our Kids’ Music is a 501(c)(3) California Non-Profit Organization and our Tax I.D. is #77-0409136. All donations to SOKM are tax deductible.

Welcome!

News and Upcoming Events

Wallace Family Garage Sale - Cancelled due to rain Due to rain, the Wallace Family garage sale that was planned for Saturday, March 6, has been cancelled.

2009 Fundraising Goal of $20,000 Achieved! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the individuals who answered our call for 200 people to donate $100! As of 12/31/09, we had individual donations to SOKM of $20,745. A special thank you to the Eugene Baker Family for their donation of $2,000 and the Charles Perry Family for their donation of $500. Thank you for helping to keep the music alive! Donations are always accepted from individuals, businesses or organizations. Check with your employer for matching donation programs. Thank you to Amgen, Boeing, and Verizon for providing matching funds to SOKM. To donate, either go to our Donate page to make a secure donation via PayPal or mail a check to SOKM, P.O. Box 2244, Camarillo, CA 93011.

Save Our Kids' Music Selected as Service Organization of the Year Save Our Kids' Music was selected by the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce as the Service Organization of the Year! A huge debt of gratitude to the many, many dedicated individuals who have worked so diligently over the 19 years that SOKM has been in existence to make sure that the children of Camarillo have access to music education which is an integral and necessary part of a well-rounded education. SOKM will be honored on March 27th at the Las Posas Country Club.
Save Our Kids' Music General Meeting, Tuesday, March 9, 2010 The next Save Our Kids' Music (SOKM) Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 9th at 7:30 PM in room C-3 at the former Los Altos Middle School, 700 Temple Ave, Camarillo CA 93010 (where after school band is currently held). All are welcome to attend!

SOKM Newsletter for January / February 2010 The SOKM Newsletter for January and February 2010, filled with information about up and coming concerts for the Pleasant Valley School District Instrumental Music department, is now available for download.

Updated Calendar of Events for Winter/Spring 2010 Due to the revised school schedule, the dates of some of our upcoming events have changed. Please refer to the Events page for up-to-date information or download our latest calendar.

Local Boys Make The Big Time! Congratulations to David Gatchel, a member of the Monte Vista Toros’ Advanced Band and The Off Beats (P.V.S.D.’s after-school jazz band), and Cole Triebold, a member of the Las Colinas Mustangs Advanced Band. Both boys were selected to participate in the Ventura County Honor Band. David will play 1st chair clarinet, and Cole will play 3rd trumpet. Ventura County Honor Band will present a concert on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Buena High School. The concert is open to the public, but tickets usually sell out, so come early! In addition, David Gatchel was selected from over 1,600 students throughout California to participate in the California Band Directors Association All-State Junior High School Honor Band. David will play clarinet in the band. He travels to Fresno, California from February 18-21, 2010 to rehearse with other band members and prepare for a concert on Saturday night, February 20, 2010. We wish both boys all the best, and look forward to hearing them play.

Las Colinas Solo/Ensemble Concert
Las Colinas Band students will present a concert of solo and small ensemble music on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 7 - 8:30 PM at the Camarillo Library Community Room. The public is invited to experience an evening of wonderful music!
Farmer’s Market – March 13th The Off Beats will be performing at the Farmer’s Market (Ventura Blvd. in Old Town Camarillo) on Saturday, March 13th at 9:30 am. Call time is 9:15 am. Attire is Off Beats shirt, hat, black pants, black socks, and black shoes. More information is available on the “Spring Farmers Market” flyer.

Spring Caroling at Coffee Bean – March 13th PVSD Instrumental Music groups will be performing in the parking lot near Coffee Bean, 824 Arneill Road, on Saturday, March 13th as follows. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your performance time. Please leave cases in your car and park by K-Mart near the garden center. More information is available from the “Spring Caroling at Coffee Bean” flyer.

10:00am After School Concert Band White top, black pants, socks and shoes 11:00am The Off Beats Off Beats Shirt, hat, black pants, socks & shoes Noon Monte Vista Int. & Adv. Bands Monte Vista Band Shirt, black pants, socks & shoes 1:00pm Las Colinas Int. & Adv. Bands Las Colinas Band Shirt, black pants, socks & shoes 2:00pm After School Beginning Band Nice casual
Monte Vista To Attend Band Festival The Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (“SCSBOA”), a non-profit association devoted to helping students develop a greater appreciation for music and improving performance standards, sponsors various music festivals for middle school and high school students throughout the year. Monte Vista Advanced Band will participate in the SCSBOA Festival to be held on Saturday, March 20, 2009 at Pacifica High School in Oxnard. Camarillo Fiesta Association Donation Thank you to the Camarillo Fiesta Association for donating $2,000 to SOKM in December 2009. We thank them profusely for the consistent support they have provided to SOKM over the years! Camarillo Art and Jazz Festival Thank you the Camarillo Art and Jazz Festival Association which donated $4,500 to the Pleasant Valley School District for music and art programs!
Thank You and More...
Thank you to the following parents who provided refreshments and chaperoned for the many December performances: Dave Anderson, Iain Anderson, Bruce Arikawa, James and Carol Bjordahl, Terri Brandt, Tia Brandt, Peggy Campbell, Michelle Carvalho, Suzy Chase, Melissa Cohen, Eric and Keiko Chun, Will Falconer, Casey Falconer, Richard and Karen Gatchel, John and Kathy Gonzalez, Maria C. Hernandez, Keith and Michelle Hogan, Ed Hufschmidt, Marie-Pierre Kippen, Barb McKown, Kathy and Steve Sheehan, Dave and MaryLou Smith, Kimberly Somin, Michael Surwin, Agnes and Benny Tan, Betty Tovar, Shelley Townley, Jeanette Ward, Rob Waterlander, Jason and Tahessa White, Keiko Wilson, and Steve Wolf. Thank you to MaryLou Smith for writing our end of the year thank you letters. Thank you to Reese Copsey, Trish Copsey, Karen Gatchel, Darci Knight, Barb McKown, Sandra Reinbold, and Betty Weyek for preparing three large grant applications during January and February. Thank you to Melissa Cohen for the January/February Newsletter. And, a big thank you to Dick DeVillers for keeping our website up to date.

Christmas...In October? It was Christmas in October for the students of the Pleasant Valley School District (PVSD) Instrumental Music Department as Save Our Kids’ Music (SOKM) delivered 16 instruments that were purchased with a Community Service Grant from the City of Camarillo. A string bass, 2 violas, 1 violin, 2 tubas, 2 baritone horns, 1 baritone saxophone, 1 tenor saxophone, a bassoon, an oboe, 2 piccolos, bongos and a marching bass drum were purchased for the students to use.
One goal of SOKM is to provide an instrument for every child who wishes to participate in the instrumental music program. Donations of instruments that are hiding in closets are always welcome! Every instrument donated to SOKM allows a child unable to afford to rent or purchase an instrument the opportunity to experience the benefits of a musical education. Music is one of the few subjects that uses both sides of the brain and has proven to increase standardized test scores. If you have an instrument to donate, please contact us at saveourkidsmusic@gmail.com.

$10,000 Donation to PVSD
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the SOKM Board was able to donate $10,000 to the Pleasant Valley School District at the Board of Trustees meeting on September 3, 2009. The grant will be used to support the After School Music Program. A list of our current donors is updated continually and can be viewed by clicking on Donors.

Meadowlark Service League Grant A wonderful thank you to the Meadowlark Service League who presented a grant of $1,500 to SOKM on Thursday, June 4th to support music in the Pleasant Valley School District!

PTA Honorary Service Award
The Camarillo Council of PTAs presented Save Our Kids' Music with an Honorary Service Award on May 14th. An Honorary Service Award is "given to an individual or organization in special recognition of outstanding service to children and youth." Congratulations to all those who have been instrumental in establishing and sustaining SOKM for the last 18 years!

Subscribe to email Alerts
If you would like to be added to the email list for SOKM Information and PVSD Instrumental Music information, please send your name, phone number, email, student's name, band they are in, and home school to saveourkidsmusic@gmail.com. Thank you for helping us save printing costs!

Ralphs Reward SOKM is now enrolled in the Community Organization program with Ralphs. Every time you shop at Ralph’s and use your Rewards Card, a small percentage will be donated to SOKM. Go here to sign up. You will need your Ralphs Rewards Card number and the SOKM Organization# which is 91608. You must re-register each year after August 31st to keep your information and donations updated.

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