One of the highlights of attending the ISW is the ability to reconnect with colleagues from around the state. What a privilege it was to get to know you and hear how you are advocating for music education from every corner of Kansas. I would like to thank all the wonderful area teachers who helped supply instruments and equipment for the elementary room. You are a pivotal part of making our ISW a success. Thank you!

We had wonderful sessions from Michele Kashub, Janice Smith, Susan Brumfield, and Denise Gagne. I enjoyed watching you create underscores for movies, dancing to traditional children's songs, and playing rhythm-passing games. We also had some great concerts from four Kansas performing groups and our first ever All-State Elementary Choir. I left the ISW feeling rejuvenated and ready to finish out the year strong.

Do you have an elementary select choir, non-auditioned choir, or emerging ensemble that you think would be a great addition to the ISW? Now is the time to start thinking about adding your performing group to our 2017 ISW lineup. In the audition process, we are looking for quality recordings with a variety of literature. The deadline for submission of elementary performing ensembles is May 20 and more information is available at ksmea.org/perf/. We would love to feature more quality examples of our children sharing their love of music.

Have you ever thought about presenting at the ISW? Perhaps you have great game and lesson ideas. Maybe you have an idea of how to improve your elementary choral rehearsals that others could benefit from. We LOVE to hear from our very own Kansas teachers, so start thinking about writing a session proposal. The deadline for proposals is October 1st and submission forms will be available at ksmea.org/clinics/ by May 1st. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have regarding presenting.

As always, I wish you well as you finish out the year strong and help your students develop into accomplished musicians. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding our elementary programming, please do not hesitate to contact me. I wish you a wonderful summer full of rest and relaxation!