Colorado ASTA Newsletter May 2016 |
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Letter from Colorado ASTA President, Rebecca Jonas The end is near! The finish line is in sight! Many of us are counting down--days, performances, classes, lessons until we get our much needed breaks! As we come into the month of May, most of us are fatigued, exhausted, and stressed. Here are a few tips to make it to the end of the school year and finish strong. 1. Don’t stop too early. Plan a final unit after the final concert, or a project or challenge with your private students. 2. Organize and prioritize. Don’t try to take on too much--in teaching, in cleaning the orchestra room, in planning group numbers on your recital. 3. Reflect. Use this time to reflect on what went well this year and what you want to change for next year. Create a document that you can access at the start of next year. 4. Overcommunicate. This is a busy time of year for everyone, with lots of teachers and coaches competing for parents' attention. Send flyers, emails, etc., and consider following up with texts or phone calls. 5. Delegate. Find ways for people to help you. 6. Make time to recognize student achievement in fun and meaningful ways. 7. Take some time daily to do something for fun for yourself. 8. Look ahead. Hopefully you have something to look forward to: a vacation...time to read, garden, or practice...whatever. As we all continue on towards the end of the school year, I want to thank you for your membership, and thank you for all that you’re doing to educate the next generation of string players. Thanks!
Rebecca |
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Summer Conference Details The 2016 Colorado ASTA Summer Conference will be held on July 11th and 12th at the King Center on the Auraria Campus. Registration is now open, and we have a great conference lined up! More information will be sent out soon, but please go ahead and be getting signed up and submitting your session proposals! |
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All details regarding the summer conference can be found on the Colorado ASTA website, but here are a few documents to highlight: Conference Registration Form (link) The "Early Bird" Registration Deadline is July 1, 2016. You can print, fill-out and mail, or complete the PDF electronically and email to AlisonMayes523@gmail.com. For your convenience, you can pay your conference registration with a check or securely online via PayPal. Your conference rate includes coffee and buffet breakfasts on both Monday and Tuesday morning (available in the King Center lobby). Conference Session Proposal Form (link) We are also in need of presenters, and the session proposal deadline has been EXTENED through THIS FRIDAY, May 6th. PLEASE consider applying--EVERYONE has strengths and ideas that the Colorado ASTA membership can learn from. If you aren't interested in presenting but still have an idea for a session that you'd like to see someone else present, please fill out this form. Hotel Information (link) Colorado ASTA has a room block at The Curtis Hotel for the summer conference. A conference rate of $172 per night (before taxes) is available on a first-come, first-served basis. This includes one king or two queen beds, complimentary wifi, and is within walking distance to the King Center, the Denver Performing Arts Center, and countless downtown attractions and restaurants. PLEASE NOTE: reservations at this reduced rate must be made by June 15. Parking options (during the day AND overnight) are both convenient and inexpensive at the Auraria Campus, though valet and garage parking is available at The Curtis for an extra charge. We will have a varied list of lunch and dinner dining options available ASAP. Lastly, we will be offering our first annual Colorado ASTA Summer Olympics (you don't wanna miss this!). We will also be able to issue certificates of contact hours for re-certification at the conclusion of the conference. More detailed information on this soon. We encourage you pre-register and come to the conference. Bring a friend! Bring your kids! Now is the time to be a part of Colorado ASTA and enjoy all of the benefits your membership has to offer. |
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Get Your Award Nominations In! The nomination period for the Lifetime Teacher, Outstanding Teacher, has been extended to May 31, 2016, and the nomination period for the Exemplary Award is now open (closes June 15th). Criteria for each of the awards can be found on the Colorado ASTA website. Please consider nominating someone you know for the Lifetime Teacher and/or Outstanding Teacher awards, and consider nominating yourself for the Exemplay Award. There are exemplary awards available for elementary, middle, and high school teachers, as well as university professors and private instructors. All nominations and documentation should be sent to Daryl Counsell (castasrep@aol.com) via email. Please visit the Colorado ASTA website for more information. |
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String Job Openings It's job application season! If there's a job opening you'd like to share with the Colorado ASTA membership, please email Hannah Smith at coloradoastawebmaster@gmail.com. We will post it on the Colorado ASTA website. The jobs page already contains information about several string job openings, and we will continue to update it regularly. |
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CMEA Submission Deadline is May 20th Do you have an idea for a great session at CMEA? Want to showcase your outstanding students? Recordings, session proposals, and all associated paperwork for the 2017 Conference is due May 20th. CMEA Instrumental Audition Form CMEA Session Proposal Form |
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April Board Meeting Recap The Colorado ASTA board still found a way to meet amidst the crazy April snowstorm--from the comfort of our homes via computer screen! This meeting was focused on recapping the large group festival and brainstorming ideas for the future, along with continuing preparations for the upcoming summer conference. We also discussed CCAP, the need for more award nominations, and ways to continue better serving our membership. |
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String Bass Openings with Denver Jazz Club Youth All-Stars Dear Orchestra, String and Bass Teachers, The Denver Jazz Club Youth All-Stars are still holding auditions for their final two spots. We are looking for dedicated high school string bass players who would like to audition for our band. All the pertinent information can be found here. No performances or rehearsals conflict with school activities. Thanks, Ed Dr. Ed Cannava Director, Denver Jazz Club Youth All-Stars ecan11@msn.com 303-328-7277 youthallstars.denverjazzclub.com |
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Do you have an article, announcement, or other information you'd like to share with the Colorado ASTA membership? If so, we'd love to include it in our monthly newsletter! Please send your newsletter submissions to coloradoastawebmaster@gmail.com by the 20th of each month, and we will be sure to add them the next newsletter, which is published at the beginning of each month. Contact Hannah Smith (coloradoastawebmaster@gmail.com), Colorado ASTA webmaster and newsletter editor, with any questions. |
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