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Dear JJ,
Welcome back to school from the Oregon Music Education Association! Click here to visit our new website.
The following email includes OMEA's September News.
Make sure to Click View entire Message at the bottom to see all of the content.
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OMEA Executive Board News | |
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OMEA has a new, future-focused Mission and Vision statement along with a set of Core Beliefs that will guide our Strategic Planning for the foreseeable future. Many thanks to those who gave feedback in our Strategic Planning Survey, as well as members of the board who took the time over the summer to create these statements of accountability and purpose.
MISSION: OMEA supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to a high-quality and comprehensive music education for all students in Oregon.
VISION: OMEA will serve as the trusted source for music advocacy in Oregon and will strive to increase the quality and accessibility of music education in our state.
Please click here to read OMEA's Strategic Plan in full.
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OMEA and NAfME Membership! | | |
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Please enjoy your time of these next few months. If you need to renew your OMEA/NAfME membership, please do that sooner than later. Your membership must be current to submit All-State and All-Northwest auditions this fall. Please click here to renew! Happy summer! | |
All-State and Conference News | |
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Opus is now LIVE and you may now start uploading your students' All-State auditions! Click here to access the Opus Audition platform.
Click here for an Opus Tutorial in setting up your account.
All-State information including audition material and 2025 conductor bios can be found by clicking here.
Ensembles:
- Elementary School Choir (5th grade)
- Middle School Band, Treble Choir, Tenor/Bass Choir, and Orchestra
- High School Treble Choir, Tenor/Bass Choir, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Orchestra
***High School Choir: Students that participated in the 2024 9th/10th grade All-State Choir will be automatically admitted into their 2025 All-State Choir this year as long as their audition is complete. The teacher will indicate this in Opus. Fees apply as usual.
OMEA/All-NW: The OMEA High School audition materials overlap the All-Northwest audition materials, but are not the complete All-NW Audition. Go to the All-NW website for more info.
2025 OMEA All-State Timeline
- September 1: Audition and application window opens on OpusEvent.com
- October 5: Audition and application window closes at 11:59:59pm on OpusEvent.com
Direct All-State questions to Kristi Stingle at allstatechair@gmail.com.
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Mark your calendars for the annual music education conference, happening January 17-19, 2025, at the Graduate Hotel in Eugene!
Share registration information with your administrators now; many districts can use professional development funds to cover registration and hotel expenses.
Registration for the conference opens on October 1st. Register before the end of the calendar year to receive a discounted price and a seat at our banquet.
Direct questions regarding the conference to Elizabeth Soper at omeaconferencechair@gmail.com.
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Celebrate National Arts in Education Week, September 9-13, 2024! | |
National Arts in Education Week is a celebration recognizing the transformative power of arts education. Designated by Congress in 2010 through House Resolution 275, this yearly event is designed to bring attention to the importance of music and arts education with elected officials and educational decision makers across the country. From the proclamation: | |
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“Arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students.” | |
→ ACTION ITEM: Take 10 Minutes To Send Three Emails! ←
Follow these EASY directions to contact your elected officials and encourage them to celebrate National Arts In Education Week.
WEBINAR: Advocating for Federal Funds in the Small School Setting
Wednesday, October 2, 7:00–8:00 PM ET
Advocacy in a small school setting can offer music educators unique opportunities to create meaningful choices and changes for their students and communities. Join us to discover how to leverage federal funds to enhance music education programs in small schools. Additionally, attendees will learn how to identify funding opportunities, explore real-world examples of advocacy involving funding requests, and apply effective strategies. Attendees will curate actionable steps that can be used immediately to implement successful advocacy efforts in their schools and communities.
REGISTER NOW: Webinar: Advocating for Federal Funds in the Small School Setting – NAfME
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We are the Oregon Music Educators Equity professional learning community! If you have a brilliant resource, song, approach, or idea that you want to share with other music educators, please share it here.
Thank you so much for those who participated in our affinity spaces at the conference! We would lover to hear your feedback and ideas for what to improve for next year!
Cynthia Navarro
DEI Co-Chair
navarro16@gresham.k12.or.us
Amanda Sarles
DEI Co-Chair
asarles@siuslaw.k12.or.us
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After feedback and suggestions from organizers and directors, we are piloting a Oregon Jazz Adjudicator Database. This is not an official certification, but a way for festival and league event organizers to have access to a list of highly qualified, diverse, and experienced jazz educator professionals. Individuals may fill out the application directly, or you can nominate someone to be on the list. A public link to the database will be available for organizers to access no later than October 1, 2024 on OMEA and OBDA webpages. Please note that it is NOT required to be on this list in order to adjudicate in Oregon.
To submit your name (or a qualified professional's name) to the Jazz Adjudicator Database, click HERE.
If you have any questions, please contact OMEA Jazz Area Chair Jessika Smith at jessika_smith@parkrose.k12.or.us.
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Welcome back, Small Schools Music Educators!
As you begin your new school year, I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know about a few handy resources. Oregon Small Schools has a Facebook group that is a great place to connect with other small schools music educators, share ideas, ask questions, and the like.
Please find us on Facebook by clicking here.
Excitingly, NAfME has recently put together a Small Schools Initiative. The website for this initiative is full of useful videos and information provided by small schools music educators from around the country. You can find those resources by clicking here.
We all share a wonderful and sometimes challenging job. As such, we truly are one another’s best resources. From first-year teachers to established veterans, connection is key to our success! If I can be of any assistance to you this year, please feel free to reach out to me at any time. I am always thrilled to hear from other small schools music teachers.
Best wishes for a great year!
Melissa Jmaeff
OMEA Small Schools Chair
melissa.jmaeff@sutherlin.k12.or.us
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OMEA Student Composition Contest | |
Oregon Department of Education | |
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Dear Education Community,
I want to extend a heartfelt “welcome back” to each of you. There’s something truly special about the energy and excitement that fills our schools at the start of the year—a feeling of hope, possibility, and a fresh start.
To our incredible educators, thank you. Year after year, you return with dedication: ready to inspire, challenge, and uplift our students. Your commitment to making a difference, especially in times as complex as these, is nothing short of remarkable. You are the heartbeat of our schools, and your work is the foundation upon which our students build their futures.
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I also want to take a moment to congratulate and thank our families and communities. Your support for our schools is invaluable. You are our partners in this journey, and your trust in us to educate and nurture your children means the world. Together with schools, families and community partners, we are creating a strong, supportive environment where our students can thrive. Your continued involvement and belief in the power of education help make our schools the vibrant, dynamic places they are. We couldn't do this work without you.
As we come together this year, we are keenly aware of the challenges before us. We live in a time where the world around us is rapidly changing, with a sociopolitical landscape that is more complex than ever. In the face of these challenges, our mission remains clear: to provide every student with the education and support they need to succeed, no matter the obstacles.
This year, we are declaring September “Attendance Awareness Month”—a crucial step in moving the academic needle forward. We know that consistent attendance is key to student success. When students attend school regularly, they are more likely to learn, grow, and connect. This initiative is a call to action for all of us—educators, parents, and community members—to prioritize attendance and to ensure that each and every student has the opportunity to thrive.
By working together, we can create an environment where every child feels supported and empowered to reach their highest potential. With that in mind, we have compiled a set of resources to support educators in schools and classrooms as we set the conditions for healthy dialogues, rigorous learning, and meaningful connections.
As we step into this new school year, let’s carry with us the knowledge that the work we do matters, and that while there are challenges ahead, we are stronger together. We are shaping the future, one student at a time, and there is no greater responsibility or privilege.
Thank you for your dedication, your passion, and your unwavering belief in the power of education. Here’s to a year filled with growth, achievement, and the joy of learning.
In love and justice,
Dr. Charlene Williams
Previously Shared:
NEW Grab & Go Resources:
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Please click here to access OMEA publications. Issuu will now archive all OMEA publications dating back to 1948. These older editions will be posted as access becomes available for scanning.
Please contact JJ Sutton if you are interested in submitting an article for future publications.
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On September 10, 7:00PM ET, join members of the Arts Education Alliance, led by NAfME Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy Amanda Karhuse for “Empowering Teachers to Advocate for Federal and State Arts Education Policy.”
During this free webinar, panelists will explore the collaborative work already underway by the Alliance, including advocacy to support education funding, legislation that strengthens arts access and participation, and examination of the National Core Arts Standards.
Register here!
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A Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter opens up a world of opportunities for students who have already shown themselves to be academically capable and musically gifted. Through performance and community service, they’ll develop confidence, creativity, critical thinking, compassion, and a host of other leadership skills sure to serve them well in school and beyond.
Click here to join or renew your Tri-M membership!
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Follow OMEA on Instagram at "oregonmusiceducation."
You can also follow OMEA on Facebook by liking "Oregon Music Education Association."
OMEA social media is a great way to receive news and updates in real time!
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Sustaining and Supporting Members | | |
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Oregon Music Education Association
560 NE F Street STE A PMB 732
Grants Pass, OR 97526
(541) 291-1149
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