Northwest District President
Greetings from the Northwest District. The Holidays are here and many of us have completed Musicals, Fall Concerts and Marching Band season as well as Veteran’s Day Programs, League Festivals and our November Mini-Convention, which was held on November 3, 2018 at Hays High School. Our teachers are busily preparing for their Winter concerts. We have selected our honored educators and are preparing for our Mini Convention on December 8, 2018 at Fort Hays State University.
The Northwest district decided to use Festival Scores in our audition process 2 years ago for the High School Orchestra, High School Jazz Band and the Junior High Band. We are in the second year of using Festival Scores for the Junior High Band and High School Band as well.. We have had mostly positive feedback in this process. Thank you Troy Johnson for all of your work that you do for us!
This fall marked the first HS District Choir Auditions for the Mixed and Treble Choirs. The Auditions went rather smoothly and Directors and their students are anxious for the All-State SATB Choir and Treble Choir Lists to come out, following the Mini Convention in December. Thank you to Janet Seehafer and Jessica Hakoda for their hard work in this endeaveor.
We have also welcomed 16 new teachers to our District! Our Advocacy/Mentoring Chair, Mr. William Shick, Executive Board members, and our Ensemble Chairs met for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment and dinner hosted by William Shick, at the Huck Boyd Center in Phillipsburg. The event was specifically planned to welcome our new teachers. Thank you to Mrs. Lynn Unruh for joining us on this special meeting.
This years District Mini Convention, that took place on November 3, 2018 at Hays High School, was a wonderful, rewarding experience for our Junior High Honor Choir, Band and High School Honor Jazz Band. The Concert was held at the Hays High School Gymnasium at 3:30 and Honor Group clinicians were Mr. Brandon Wade of Pratt, (Junior High Honor Choir); Dr. Ken Hakoda of Kansas Wesleyan University, (Junior High Honor Band), and Mr. Brad Dawson, Fort Hays State University, (High School Honor Jazz Band).
Final plans are underway for the December Convention. Clinicians will include: Mr. Blake Thompson of Hastings, Nebraska, (Elementary Honor Choir; Dr. Mark Lucas of Bethany College, (High School Honor Choir); and Dr. Kyle Hopkins of McPherson College, (High School Honor Band).
The December Convention is hosted by Fort Hays State University on December 8, 2018. The Elementary District Honor Choir will perform in the Beech/Schmidt Performing Arts Center at 12:30 PM. The High School District Choir and High School District Band will perform in the Beech/Schmidt Auditorium at 3:30 PM. The combined performance of “Over the Rainbow” arranged by Darren Jenkis will be performed by the High School District Honor Choir and Band. We hope to see you there!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NORTHWEST DISTRICT OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS: Alisha Debey of Smith Center, (Elementary Honored Educator), Jill Nickols of Colby, (Middle Level Honored Educator), Janet Seeehafer of Sylvan, (High School Honored Educator), Dr. Jeff Jordan of Fort Hays State University, (College Level Honored Educator), and Mr. Toby Countryman of Quinter, (Honored Administrator).
CONGRATULATIONS to Janet Seehafer who has been selected to represent our Northwest District as our Outstanding Educator at the State level, in February and to Stacey Green the Honored Administrator who will represent our District at the State level, in February.
