Strings and choir, both incredibly popular programs among students, remain in danger of being completely eliminated. Roughly 70 per cent of Grade 5 students participate in strings when offered. Choir is easily the most inclusive and cost-effective way to enrich students’ lives through music. Cutting such a program that boosts student mental health, especially now, is very misguided. Teachers have even been told that they are not allowed to run strings or choir programs with the provided band funding, even if there are interested kids. It is arbitrarily cruel to students with these passions. The school district has suggested that teachers volunteer their time to teach strings and choir. To ask them to run these complex and challenging programs in their free time, while in their new roles as general classroom teachers, is misguided at best, insulting at worst.