FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome to the fall edition of TRIAD. I hope your year is off to a good start and that you are physically, mentally, and emotionally well. Our optimism over the summer that this fall would bring a complete return to normal has been upended by the surging Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus and once again, music educators are struggling to protect students, create meaningful musical experiences, and recover from the many damaging effects of the last challenging year. Although we are all very tired of this battle, I hope that you have been reenergized by summer vacations, back to school activities, and the joy of making music with your students, together again. NAfME and NFHS have published the Return to Music Guidance Phase III. In addition, the latest Guidelines for Fall 2021 Activities from the Colorado aerosol study can be found HERE. Local districts have employed a wide variety of policies regarding mitigation strategies and we encourage music educators to proactively be a part of those conversations. Our ultimate goal is to do everything we can to ensure outstanding musical experiences for all students in the safest possible environment. After the success of virtual events last year, the Adjudicated Events Committee has announced the opportunity for directors to again participate in Virtual Solo & Ensemble Adjudicated Events this fall for both HS and JH/MS students. Registration will open 7 | TRIAD
on Saturday, September 25th and close on Saturday, November 6th. See the OMEA website for details. At this time, we anticipate all Adjudicated Events in the spring will be in-person. First-year music educators and student teachers are invited to participate in the ‘New Teacher Cohort’ facilitated by the Ohio Department of Education. These discipline-specific virtual cohorts will learn the nuts and bolts of teaching in Ohio from expert teachers who will assist new teachers in navigating a successful first year of teaching. Topics will include: standardsdriven lesson planning, innovative practices, program development, and much more. All meetings will be held virtually on the second Tuesday of each month (September – May) from 4:30-6 p.m. Register HERE. If you do not currently receive the weekly updates from the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE), I encourage you to sign up for their mailing list HERE. This organization, of which OMEA is a partner along with other state arts organizations, monitors arts legislation in the Ohio legislature and works tirelessly on advocacy and professional development. Specifically, keep your eyes open for announcements of Building Bridges sessions which will address topics such as OTES 2.0 and SEL (Social Emotional Learning) in the arts. This organization has also developed wonderful guidance on applying for ARP ESSER III Funds for Arts Education with sample letters and a breakdown of the process. Take
