Text Box: Hello. You are receiving this email from me because you have a child or children involved in Band and/or Strings at Centre Ridge Elementary School. You may have heard that Fairfax County Public Schools are facing significant budget shortages. The instrument programs may be cut. I'm sure all of us with children in the Band and Strings programs do not want these valuable programs to be taken away from our schools.  Here are some things you may do immediately to help make sure Fairfax County keeps its Band and Strings programs: 1. Sign the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education (FACE) petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/5856325. Currently they have 7,400 signatures and are hoping to get to 10,000. 2) Register for and attend one of the Fairfax County Budget community meetings. The final three are Wednesday, December 2 from 7 - 9pm at Hayfield Secondary School, Herndon High School, and Lake Braddock Secondary School. Go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget. 3) Join the Facebook group, Save Fairfax Band and Strings (FACE).   4) Go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget and leave written comments stating that it is not acceptable to make the school system sustain any more cuts to education funding. Specifically mention the importance of keeping Band and Strings in our schools.   5) Check out the FACE website at www.faceadvocacy.org. By the way, I have entered more than 250 Strings and Band email addresses into my email account. If you know of anyone not getting these emails who would like to, if you are getting duplicate copies, or if you getting this in error, please let me know at juliepuckett@verizon.net.  Thanks. Julie Puckett, Centre Ridge Elementary School parent