president’s
message Patrick O’Keefe
patrickaokeefe@gmail.com Website:
http://www.njmea.org
As we enter the final stages of this school year, and
I write what is my last message as President, I find myself extremely grateful to have been a part of your leadership team. The past two years in this role have afforded me many opportunities, and while in this case it seems to have lasted much longer than just two years, I will undoubtedly miss serving in this position and working with so many inspiring educators, stu- dents and colleagues. To say we have had challenges over this period would be an understatement, but I am proud of the work of this Board and the direction in which we are headed. Before I mention some upcoming projects, I
would be remiss if I did not thank the many people for their support and contributions over the course of my term. Thank you first to Jeff Santoro for your guidance and patience. I have great respect for your leadership and feel very fortunate to have worked alongside you and learned so much over this time. Thank you to Debbie Sfraga not only for the aid you have given to me, but the years of commitment you have offered our organization and profession. There are not many people who possess a resume of service like you do, so on behalf of all of us, thank you and congratulations on your NJMEA retirement. I would like to thank my Board of Directors for
their work, especially in facing many challenges head on. We successfully reimagined and brought the Feb- ruary Conference to Atlantic City, and then reimag- ined once more to offer a virtual experience this year. We have diversified PD opportunities and led round table discussions in attempts to bring our members together remotely. We strengthened partnerships
TEMPO 2
with many affiliates like the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in the development of masterclasses, and the National Federation of High School Associations and Arts Ed NJ to present our membership with the most up-to-date guidance on remote, hybrid, and in- person learning and return-to-classroom safety pre- cautions. Even in these final months, we have put many new projects in place to take us into the next school year. While there were several events that had to be cancelled in their traditional form, you kept working for our members, and I thank you. I am so excited to be able to speak to a couple new
initiatives as well. By now, I’m hoping you have seen announcements about our new Mentorship Program. Originally conceived through our strategic plan, it is finally coming to fruition. This program will be a great way to support first and second year teach- ers and strengthen our network of educators, pairing veteran members with those new to the profession. If you are interested in being a part of this endeavor, please look for the communications on our website or social media, or feel free to send me an email so I can send you to the right place. The Crescendo Foundation was formed by a team
of my predecessors in 2014 intending to provide fi- nancial assistance to music education efforts in our state. Driven again by our strategic plan and our ac- tion steps related to the committee work on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access, the NJMEA Executive Board has named a new Board of Directors for the Foundation and made a leadership gift with plans to alleviate the monetary obstacles for qualified students wishing to participate in All-State ensembles. This is
MAY 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
