Oak MS celebrated its newly renovated music room in a ceremony attended by students, teachers, parents, and administration. Oak Principal Sally Neiser, LAUSD board member Meg Cutuli, Oak Instrumental Music Director Justin Padilla, and Superintendent Sherry Kropp served as the official ribbon cutters.
The new room marks the completion of the district's modernization projects that have been authorized and orchestrated by the school board and district administration over the past several years. But this project had additional benefactors. Students made and signed posters to thank the Oak PTA and the Philharmonic Society for their gracious contributions. Members of both organizations were
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Marcy Sudock is a multi-faceted professional musician, conductor, and private music instructor in the Los Alamitos area.
-by Donna Chinn, Los Alamitos Alliance for Arts Education
2014 OCMAA AWARDS FOR SUZANNE MC ELDERRY, JUSTIN PADILLA, CORALIE PRINCE, AND LOS AL ARTS
- by Donna Chinn, Los Al Arts; Sally Neiser & Amber Lee, LAUSD
The Los Al school district has a long and rich history of excellence in the arts. Our strong programs in music, theatre, dance, and visual art are a result of leadership by our many dedicated arts educators. Earlier this month, the Orange County Music and Arts Educators of the Orange County Department of Education presented their 2014 awards to “honor the accomplishments of teachers who make a difference in the lives of students through arts education”. LAUSD is especially proud to have multiple OCMAA winners this year.
Suzanne McElderry – Mrs. Suzanne McElderry received the award for Vocal Music - Elementary because she makes a difference in the lives of students and staff through arts education. In her role as music specialist at McGaugh, Mrs. McElderry makes music come alive in her classroom in part by connecting it to other disciplines and content students are learning. As a result, students receive a highly rich arts experience in her classroom, but also in their core content classrooms.
When upper grade students were studying the westward movement, Suzanne wrote and directed a westward movement themed musical. The knowledge she gained from collaborating