This website is intended for the use of music teachers in Southeastern Mass communities. Students, parents, private teachers and other interested parties are welcome to use this site, however any questions you may have regarding SE District in your school should be directed to the appropriate music teacher.
Fall General Membership Meeting Information
From Bill Richter, District Chairperson:
Hello SEMMEA members!
I hope this finds you well rested and excited to get back to your students in whatever way your district decides is the most safe and effective. I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering what will come next and whether in-person music will happen this year. But I’m also optimistic that this will pass and great music will come back, maybe even better than it was before.
If this was a normal year we would be holding our annual General Meeting in early October. Because we can’t meet in person our membership meeting will be on Zoom on Tuesday, September 22nd at 5 pm. Please make every effort to join! In a following email you will see the meeting link from Jillian Griffin, your Past Chairperson.
Over the summer your District and State Boards have met several times in an attempt to plan for the ‘20-‘21 school year. Many of these discussions have been wonderful and the decisions we’ve made will effect you and your students this year. On the 22nd we will announce the calendar, introduce all the Managers, Assistant Managers, Concert Chairs, Officers, Staff, etc. We’ll lay out a revised format for auditions and festivals as well. I also hope to engage you in thoughtful conversation about how we can offer a lively, attractive and meaningful festival experience for our top priority – the students we serve. Equally I hope we can find a vehicle for supporting each other through these difficult times.
I hope to see you on the 22nd!
Bill Richter
SEMMEA District Chairperson
2020 Junior Festival Cancellation
Due to the ongoing Pandemic and Social Distancing requirements, the executive board voted to cancel the rescheduled 2020 Junior Festival. We will be be providing information about the 2020-2021 festival season soon.
2020-2021 Audition Lists Now Available
Scholarship deadline extended
Any students wishing to apply for the Richard N Shattuck Scholarship, the deadline has been extended to June 8. Please visit https://semmea.org/shattuck-scholarship/ for more information. All applications must be submitted electronically.
Support the Arts in Randolph
SE District Members,
The following letter was sent to the Randolph School Committee denouncing recent cuts to the Fine Arts in their school district.
We are writing this letter today out of deep concern for the students and community members of Randolph. It has recently come to light that the school district is planning to cut all art, music, and physical education for the 2020-2021 school year. The Southeastern District of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association considers this to be a short-sighted and disastrous action that will negatively impact the community and its members for years to come.
As defined in the ESSA, “music and the arts” are part of a well-rounded education. Massachusetts is proud to have rigorous music and art standards to guide the implementation of these programs in every school district. Any student who does not have access to the arts as part of their school day is receiving an inadequate education at best.
Furthermore, the nation has undergone a collective trauma. The students will need the arts more than ever when they return to school. Their arts classrooms create a welcoming environment, support social and emotional well-being, and teach empathy, self-reflection, critical thinking, and cooperation in ways that no other discipline can offer. To cut these programs is to deprive the students of access to these much-needed supports.
It only takes one year to dismantle a music program. It takes a decade to build it back. We urge you to reconsider these austerity measures. We stand with an overwhelming number of national arts organizations in stating: “It is imperative that all students have access to an equitable delivery of arts education that includes dance, media arts, music, theatre and visual arts that supports their educational, social, and emotional well-being, taught by certified professional arts educators in partnership with community arts providers.”
Sincerely,
Southeastern Massachusetts Educators Association Executive Board
Jillian Griffin, Chairperson
Please join the “Support the Students of Randolph” Facebook group to help support reinstating the Arts in Randolph.
