Fall Newsletter

Dear Colleagues:

Greetings from PMEA District 11!

I do hope you enjoyed a restful summer season and have returned to the school year with a renewed sense of purpose. Our profession is most noble in its pursuit of excellence and its provision of an opportunity for each student to participate in something very special, the making of music. Remember that you hold the key to success on the journey of opportunity. Thank you for all you do to make music a vital part of the lives of our students in District 11!

As I begin my final year as President, I would like to thank all of you for your commitment, dedication and your support. I also wish to thank in advance, the members of the D11 Executive Board and all fest, festival, and audition hosts for their hard work and dedication to our students.

May each of you experience a rewarding and musical school year! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
John S. Herlihy
President, District 11

Initiatives for 2009-2010:

· Website: If you are new to District 11, our website has moved to a new address. It is www.pmea11.info.
Click on the link to access the website and browse through the various pages. Some information has been
relocated on the site. If you have any questions, be sure to contact the D11 Webmaster.

· Distribution Hubs: Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, D11 instituted a procedure whereby eight (8)
schools served as distribution hubs for the timely and efficient delivery of music for D11 instrumental
festivals. The role of the distribution hub is to provide a central location where directors can pick up
folders for those students participating in district-level instrumental ensembles.

· District 11 Scholarships: D11 awarded its first festival scholarships to three students. The Band Scholarship
recipient was Christopher Short from Pottsgrove High School who is attending Mansfield University. The
Choral Scholarship was awarded to Victoria Henry from Souderton Area High School who is attendin
University of Delaware. The Orchestra Scholarship recipient was Benjamin Matos from Central Bucks High
School West who is attending Eastman School of Music. Each of these deserving high school musicians will
receive $500 at the 2010 District Festivals at the completion of their first semester majoring in Music
Education.

· Vice Presidential Election: D11 wants you! The end of the 2009-10 school year brings with it the need for
an election for the office of Vice President. Any interested candidates, or those who might like more
information regarding leadership in District 11, please contact John Herlihy, District 11 President at
jherlihy@udsd.org.

· Constitution/By-Laws Revisions: Proposals regarding Electronic Balloting and non-essential language within
the D11 Constitution and By-Laws will be emailed to the membership and posted on the D11 website
sometime following the Instrumental Auditions on December 21^st. Amendments to the constitution
require a two-thirds majority of the ballots returned. Balloting will take place online.

General Information

Membership - Remember to renew your membership or join PMEA this fall. It’s never too late. Membership runs from July 1^st through June 30^th of each year. All members are encouraged to review their membership profile and contact information at www.pmea.net.

2009 Professional Development Conference - Information regarding the 2009 Professional Development Conference is available on the D11 website at www.pmea11.info. Click the C&I link to begin the online registration process. All are welcome to participate. Please adhere to the deadlines for registration and payment, so that we may make the necessary preparations.

Acceptance Auditions - Choral Acceptance Auditions will be held at Upper Merion HS on November 21, 2009. Instrumental Acceptance Auditions will be held at Central Bucks East HS on December 12, 2009. Additional music educators are needed to help judge the student musicians. If a colleague in your school district is willing and able to assist, please contact Brian Horoho at bhoroho@umasd.org. or Jason Morehouse at jmorehouse@cbsd.org. Please review the audition guidelines and repertoire list. Information specific to these auditions is available online at www.pmea11.info.

PMEA Adjudication - A Large Ensemble Adjudication Festival is being planned at Central Bucks East High School on Tuesday May 11, 2008. We strongly encourage directors to consider participating in this educational event. Please continue to check the website for ongoing updates and information.

Information regarding the following items is available on the District 11 website (CRTL + click to follow link)

1. District 11 Calendar

2 .District 11 Auditions

3. Fests and Festivals

4. District 11 Professional Staff Development Conference

5. Curriculum and Instruction

6. D11 Policies and Procedures

7. Minutes - Spring Board Meeting (Password required)

8. Financial Report (Password required)

Advocacy - As you know, one of our most important jobs is to aggressively promote music education within our schools and communities. PMEA has a network of music advocates throughout the state, from D-11 Advocacy Committee Joe Lovecchio (Centennial SD) and Jenny Neff (Lower Merion SD) to State Coordinator Richard Victor. Richard’s advocacy and political action updates are extremely valuable. Please contact him at rdv11@scasd.org <mailto:rdv11@scasd.org> to be included in his electronic mailings.

Awards - We all know superior music educators that have positively influenced students and colleagues in an exceptional way. This year, the Citation of Excellence will recognize a music educator at the high school level. You’ll find nomination forms in the PMEA News as well as www.pmea.net <http://www.pmea.net/>. Click on Scholarships ands Awards. These nominations are due by December 1^st, but please submit your nominations as soon as possible. Outstanding Superintendent nominations are also requested within the same time frame. And finally, any member celebrating 25 years of Service, please submit your name for recognition at the PMEA All-State Conference by February 1.

District 11 Contact Information - If your contact information should change, please notify Teresa Washam, District 11 Secretary at twasham@soudertonsd.org <mailto:twasham@soudertonsd.org>. However, please know that PMEA requires each district secretary to use official membership lists generated from your official PMEA profile. All official changes in your contact information MUST be made through the online PMEA member directory or by contacting the PMEA office in Hamburg, PA. To be sure your PMEA profile is accurate, visit www.pmea.net <http://www.pmea.net>. Click "member log-in" on the lower left of the screen.