Tuning In For A Great Year:

As we settle into this new school year, I hope everyone is finding joy in the music making process with your students. The FEMEA board of directors has been hard at work creating meeting the needs of elementary music teachers of Florida. First of all, we are excited about the creation of the Culturally Responsive Committee which is chaired by Ernesta Chicklowski. We look forward to the important work this committee will be doing for teachers and students.

We will be hosting the following webinars:
August 23rd - Mental Health Tips for Elementary Music Teachers presented by Caitlin Collin.
September 29th - Grant Writing for Music Teachers presented by Asheigh Lore
October 25th - Expanding Outreach to Those We Teach - Culturally Responsive Teaching Committee
November 15th - Elementary Music Advocacy - It’s Personal - FEMEA Advocacy Team

Even though we are all music teachers, our needs may differ depending on our individual circumstances. We have created the following new representatives to reach out to the private school teachers and early career teachers. If you have questions or concerns in these areas please reach to the following people:

Private School Teachers Representative:
Katy Pelletier
PrivateSchoolsRep@femea.flmusiced.org

Early Career Representative:
Madison Schafer
EarlyCareerRep@femea.flmusiced.org

There are new processes and audition material for the All-State ensembles. Thank you for your time and effort preparing and submitting All-State auditions. I truly appreciate all you do for the students of Florida. I would also like to thanks the All-State Coordinators, District Chairs and Executive Director, Jenn Sullivan, for their tireless efforts answering questions, processing paperwork, preparing materials and ensuring a wonderful musical event.

- FEMEA President, Joani Slawson

Our FEMEA Board Member Spotlight is our President-Elect, Ashley Peek! Ashley serves as the Music Specialist at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School in Navarre, Florida and is a graduate of Auburn University. She loves spending time with her husband (Phillip) and her son (Noah), traveling, and trying new foods and restaurants

Below are some words from Ashley's heart about music education and our organization:

"Coming into the state of Florida to teach, I immediately saw how strong our state music education association was and the sheer passion our educators have for our profession. I knew that this was the place for me and I knew that I wanted to be a part of what has made this organization so strong and successful. Serving on the FEMEA board the past 5 years has been a phenomenal experience that has allowed me to be a part of this, and I am very grateful for the possibility to continue my leadership at the next level. My vision for FEMEA is that we provide teachers with the resources needed to give their students that feeling of success and musicianship, so that we can reach all of our students in some way, no matter how big or small. Professional development is vital for teachers to be able to strengthen their educational foundation and keep the joy of music alive in their classrooms. I believe in the power of our All-State and regional chorus and Orff ensembles and how these ensembles give students a once in a lifetime experience that will help them be successful in many other areas of their lives. In my vision for FEMEA, I would like to continue the development of these ensemble experiences to provide meaningful enrichment for our young Florida musicians.

I am honored to have to opportunity to serve and lead as your FEMEA president-elect."

We are so thankful to have had Ashley serving our state's elementary music teachers for the last 5 years and we look forward to how she will continue to serve our organization, our teachers, and most importantly our students in the state of Florida!

Email: jennifer@femea.flmusiced.org
Website: femeamember.org
Location: Winter Park, FL, USA
Phone: (321) 624-5433
Facebook: facebook.com/femeaorg
Twitter: @FEMEANews