The East Central District held its Mini Convention on Saturday December 7th at three different locations within Johnson County. Our ensemble chairs did amazing work in ensuring the day was well-organized and impactful for our students. The outstanding clinicians included master teachers and university professors from Kansas, Missouri, and California.
ECKMEA recognizes Outstanding Educators each year in various categories. Here is a list of this years recipients and their awards:
Honor Administrator
- Courtney Domoney, Principal, Oxford Middle School, USD 229
Young Music Educators of the Year
- Jessica Treat, Band, Mill Creek Middle School, USD 232
- Kara Holbert, Choir, Santa Fe Trail High School, USD 434
- Riann Mack, Elementary Orchestra, USD 233
- Alegra Wolff, Band, Blue Valley Southwest High School, USD 229
Elementary Music Teacher of the Year
- Kimberly Michaelis, Forest View and Central Elementary, USD 233
Middle Level Band Director of the Year
- Joshua Hankey, Summit Trails Middle School, USD 233
Middle Level Choir Director of the Year
- Eric Newlin, Pioneer Trail Middle School, USD 233
Middle Level Orchestra Director of the Year
- Sheri Cain, Prairie Star Middle School, USD 229
High School Band Directors of the Year
- Julia Janda, Blue Valley High School, USD 229
- Brandon Lesando, Blue Valley Southwest High School, USD 229
High School Choir Director of the Year
- Jason Sickel, Olathe South and East High Schools, USD 233
High School Orchestra Director of the Year
- Michael Arbucci, Blue Valley Northwest High School, USD 229
ECKMEA was also honored to present three scholarships in the amount of $750.00 each to seniors that are planning to major in music education at a university in Kansas for the 2025-2026 school year. Those students are Cole Witt (Olathe South HS), Joah Clark (Mill Valley HS), and Scarlett Pfister (Blue Valley HS).
Our ECKMEA Board is now in the process of reviewing our activities from this semester so that we can continue to improve the quality of music education for our students.
Jason Cole
President, ECKMEA
