School is out but instead of celebrating, elementary students in Geneva are mourning the death of their beloved music teacher.

Students and parents found out today that music teacher Karen Lucas would never conduct another concert. Lucas leaves a legacy of excellence in Geneva.

To her students, Karen Lucas was a caring teacher who inspired a love of music. Sixth grade student Erin Equinozzi said, “Ms. Lucas. She loved a good beat and a late melody. With a trumpet in hand, her music was grand.”

Erin Equinozzi, who plays the saxophone, composed a poem to Ms. Lucas. She and some of her fellow music students gathered in the library today to remember her.

“She taught music too. She believed in all her students. She believed that there was a magnificent musician inside of every one waiting to come out and play.”

Lucas didn't attend a staff retirement party after school yesterday because she wasn't feeling well. The superintendent says she apparently collapsed in her office off the music room. He believes she died from complications from her cancer.

Geneva School Superintendent Dr. Robert Young said, “Karen was a very private person. And she did not want people to fuss over her. And in spite of the fact that she was very ill, she continued on with her duties.”

“When I found out that she had died, I felt really bad. And I love to write so I just jotted it down and my mom typed it for me,” Equinozzi said.

Nina McCarthy, school principal, said, “Well, certainly she has captured in words the feelings that many of us have for Mrs. Lucas, and it's a great gift for her to be able to that for us.”

Lucas was accomplishment musician in her own right. Dr. Young said, “From time to time, she would take out this very bright silver trumpet. And she would regale the students and the audience with a solo of some kind, or she would play along with the students, encouraging them. She was just a wonderful, wonderful person.”

The poem will be part of a memorial on the Geneva Schools' website. Ms. Lucas was planning to take part in moving up ceremonies today. The school decided to go ahead knowing she would have wanted that.

Ms. Lucas was 46 and a graduate of Nazareth College. She taught in Geneva for 14 years. Her family is from New York City.

Read Erin's poem for her late teacher | Watch Erin read her poem