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Greetings
from
Karen!
President of FEMEA
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Thus
far, it has been an exciting fall for FEMEA. All-State Auditions
are now completed.
Thank you, teachers, for submitting your applications. Every
child who participated is a winner by simply going through
the
process. Everyone learns something from the process.
Congratulations
to those who have students who were chosen to participate.
Now
you can begin the task of preparing them.
Thank
you to our hostess, Kim, and to all of the
judges who gave their time to participate
in the process. Thanks Anita,
our Executive Director and
LuAnne, our past president, for keeping things
running smoothly throughout
the day. When
you see the FEMEA Board Member from your
district, please give him or her a hearty thank-you for his or
her diligence in
getting
All-State applications and CDs/tapes processed for
judging. Until
you have completed that task, you just can’t
imagine the time that is put into that responsibility.
Thanks
Mary, Julie, Brent, Merrybeth, Tricia, Ann and Suzy. You are
all WONDERFUL!
Thank you, Robert Todd and Cheryl Vaughan, All-State
Co-Chairs, for completing such a daunting task. I am amazed
at everything
you do!
We are excited about conference!
**HENRY
LECK will be returning
to Florida as the conductor for the 10th Anniversary of the Florida
Elementary All-State Chorus. (It is our 11th All-State Chorus,
but the end of our 10th year.) The music looks challenging and
exciting!
**Don
Dupont and Brian Hiller,
Orff-Schulwerk Specialists, from the state of New York, will be
traveling to Florida as two of
our major
clinicians. They presented a workshop in Tampa this fall from
which I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews. They have promised
all new material for their four sessions at the January Conference,
so I know all Tampa elementary music teachers will be there to
absorb even more of their great ideas.
**Kalani will present two drumming sessions incorporating
Orff and recorder and a community drum session. Kalani recently
completed
an advanced degree in Music Therapy and will also share strategies
for use with special needs children. Kalani is always a great
presenter
and definitely one you will not want to miss.
**Dr. John Feierabend will be presenting sessions
on Movement, Early Childhood and Conversational Solfege. Dr. Feieragend
is
a wonderful
presenter and is always welcomed with large audiences.
**Cak Marshall will be presenting a session on Orff-Schulwerk
and recorder. Another session is planned for singing games.
*Our clinicians from Florida are outstanding this year. We received
more session proposals for this conference than for any conference
in
recent memory.
*
We have some industry showcase sessions targeting
elementary music educators and the Technology Committee as announced
some incredible sessions geared toward use with the elementary
curriculum. The General Music Committee also has sessions that
will be of genuine interest to our membership. Go to www.flmusiced.org and peruse the sessions!
This is a conference you will not want to miss! Remember,
you need to renew your membership if you have not already
completed
this
task. Register on-line early for conference to received the
discount and save a few dollars!
I’ll see you in January!
And
as always, remember,
as a member of FEMEA you are invited to:
• Network
with other professional educators. We even have a Facebook page.
• Stay informed about legislative
issues that impact our children and our profession.
• Grow professionally through
district, regional and state workshops.
• Apply for grants to further
innovative programs and projects.
• Write a scholarship grant
to underwrite summer training to improve your skills, ultimately
increasing student achievement.
• Audition
students for our Florida Elementary All State Chorus. Our process,
from audition
to performance, serves as a
national model.
• Receive “The Florida Music Director”,
a journal outlining important information and new trends in music
education,
as well as electronic bulletins and updates from our umbrella organization,
Florida Music Educators Association regarding important legislative
issues affecting our profession.
• Borrow DVD and Video teaching
materials from the FEMEA Lending Library.
There are many more reasons to become a member of FEMEA. Join
us in our quest for quality and feel empowered by the unity of
your professional organization. To join, visit www.flmusiced.org.
Karen
Bouton, NBCT
President, Florida Elementary Music Educators
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Greetings
from
April!
President-Elect
of FEMEA
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Greetings! It’s hard to believe the summer is OVER, and that we are poised
to begin a new school year! Are you anticipating all the wonderful things a new
year brings?
There’s a line in one of my favorite movies, You’ve
Got Mail, where Tom Hanks tells his email pen-pal Meg Ryan that he loves the
fall…it makes him want to go buy new school supplies. “I would send
you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils, if I knew your name and address.” Well,
if I could, I’d send all of YOU a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils to
start off your year!
Of course, with the challenges we are ALL facing, pencils
are the LEAST of our worries. Without decending into
a depressing recitation of the former, current,
or future state of things in our profession, let me say that we are
stronger together than we are separately. While you may be weighing your options on
how to best spend your hard-earned money, membership
in this outstanding organization
is an excellent investment!
President Karen Bouton has already outlined many of the benefits of membership,
but let me add that FMEA does an outstanding job of lobbying for music
education on behalf of ALL our component groups. Don’t underestimate
what has been accomplished to keep the importance what YOU do in front of state
decision-makers.
We are fortunate to have such an organized and knowledgable arm of our organization
to speak for us in Tallahassee. PLEASE remember that our organization strives
to make sure that the money you invest is money well-spent. Join in, and make
your voice heard! Together, we can make a difference!
April Laymon, NBCT
FEMEA President Elect
Music Specialist, Beauclerc Elementary
Jacksonville, FL
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The
updated application
for the Janice Lancaster Professional Development
Scholarship is available 