DISTRICT VI

Illinois Music Educators Association

District VI

Fall Newsletter

September,2009

Click Here for PDF Version of this Newsletter

Greetings!  I trust your new school year has had a magnificent start and there is a plethora of good music making occurring in southern Illinois.  This document, plus the information on the other District 6 web pages, should include most everything you need to successfully participate in IMEA activities this fall and winter.  As always, don’t hesitate to contact me with any issues or concerns.

Division Information

Specific information for each division at each level is available on the various other District 6 web pages.

Dates – A Quick Glance

Festival Location

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will not be hosting our festival this year as scheduled.  We have had the date reserved for two years, but construction at Vadalabene Center will not be complete in time for us to use that facility (not to mention a little power struggle between the music and athletic departments).  The District VI leaders have worked feverishly to find a replacement site. We're pleased to announce that Edwardsville High School has agreed to host.

Please Register!

It is CRITICAL that EVERY music teacher be registered in the RNS system.  I understand that some schools like to have one person enter all information for the entire school, but having each teacher registered means they will receive specific information regarding their area of specialty as well as this newsletter.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Nathan Hoke from Columbia Middle School who was recently elected to be the next President of District VI.  He will assume elect status at the conclusion of the 2010 All-State and will become our President at the conclusion of the 2011 All-State.

Get Involved and Encourage Others

Remember, this is YOUR association!  Get involved, stay informed, and urge your colleagues and friends in neighboring schools to participate in IMEA activities.  Their students will benefit, and we all know that increased senior level participation allows for more District VI students at All-State.

I challenge you to do two things:

• Right now (really, RIGHT NOW) call someone in a neighboring school who is not currently active in IMEA activities and encourage them to consider participating.
• Contact a new teacher in your area and share information with them regarding IMEA and our wonderful activities.

In addition, please consider leadership positions within our district as well as at the state level.  Division Representatives and Organization Chairs and Co-Chairs will be elected at our fall festival, so please consider taking your turn.

Executive Director Search

Randy Kummer, Executive Director for IMEA, will be retiring from this position in the spring.  Randy has spent much of his life dedicated to music in our state, first as a very successful music educator and then as IMEA’s Executive Director.  His wife Linda has served as the State Office Manager for several years and will be retiring as well.  A copy of the vacancy announcement appears on the last page of this newsletter…feel free to pass it on to anyone you think may be qualified for the position.

Headaches!

Please help to avoid headaches on audition day as well as all-state selection Sunday by confirming that all entries have the correct information.  Double check:

• Voice part/instrument
• Numbers in the ensemble preference section, not a yes or no
• Names spelled correctly
• Correct grade

FMES

If you have high school students interested in a career in music education, please encourage them to consider the Future Music Educator’s Seminar.  This is a spectacular opportunity for these students to get the All-State experience in a little different setting.

Composers?

If you have any young composers in your program, encourage them to enter a piece in the composition contest.  More information can be found at www.ilmea.org/div_secondary.shtml.

RNS (Registration/Nomination/Selection)

By now, everyone should have updated their profile on the RNS site (www.ilalldist.org).  If you have not done so, do it NOW!

UPDATE YOUR PROFILE

• Go to www.ilalldist.org
• Select “District 6”.
• Select your school (for those at both a junior high and a high school, this must be done for each one).
• Select your name.
• Enter your password and click “Enter” (if you don’t remember your password, e-mail me at washburr@wesclin.k12.il.us).
• Click “Update Profile”.
• Check all boxes that are a part of your teaching assignments.  You may select more than one.  This insures that you receive information specific to each teaching specialty.
• Enter/update all phone numbers.  All numbers are confidential and will only be used for official IMEA purposes.
• Enter/update your e-mail information.  The “secondary e-mail” allows you to enter a secondary/home address…some school filters don’t allow some of IMEA’s communications to pass through and this additional e-mail will insure you receive all necessary information.  It is state policy to not share your e-mail address with third parties.
• If you are the primary contact, delete retiring teachers or teachers who are moving out of your school.
• Click on “Update Profile”.
• Click on “Exit”.

ADD NEW TEACHERS

• Go to www.ilalldist.org.
• Select “District 6”.
• Select your school.
• Click on “Add New Director”.
• Enter requested information.  You will need your school’s faculty password to complete this process.  Your school’s primary contact should have this information or you can contact me.
• Click on “Enter”.

 

Auditions – The Process

• Nominate students.  Each teacher should nominate his/her students on the RNS site (www.ilalldist.org).  Be sure this task is completed before midnight on September 30.  Please double and triple check your entries, being careful you have selected correct voice part, correct instrument, correct grade, etc.  You can make changes up until this deadline.
• Print Your Audition Summary Bill.  Once all students from your school have been entered, log on to the RNS site and click on “Summary Billing Sheet” and follow the onscreen directions to properly format and print the form.  This sheet MUST be signed by the school’s primary contact and the principal.  Use this summary to request payment from your school’s business office.
• Send your summary and payment.  Please note that you have two days after the nomination deadline to get the summary and payment in the mail.  Please do not send one without the other, and please don’t ask for an extension!  Mail the summary and check to

Wesclin High School

Attn. Rodney Washburn

10003 State Route 160

Trenton, IL  62293

• Encourage your students to practice!
• Attend auditions.  Our auditions will once again be held at Highland Elementary School, 1600 Lindenthal Street, Highland.  More information will be forthcoming regarding audition rooms, etc.

District VI Leadership