To support the claim that school officials should have protected the girls from Elgas, the lawsuit cites other Anaheim Union teachers who were convicted of molesting their students. Fax: (317) 867-2909. I lost probably 25 kids. A second pregnancy ended the same way. I think weve been fortunate to maintain as many kids in our program as we have. A spokesperson for the school district declined to comment, citing the litigation. He said he often hears from WHS alumni that being a part of music program served them well later in life. A junior high school band director from Anaheim molested eight students from the 1970s to the 1990s, forcing one girl to have two abortions, a lawsuit alleges. Two of the districts high school band directors, Alex Delao and Jeffrey William Plum, were convicted of molesting students in the 1980s. Westfield High School Band Director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 "40 Under 40", a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha last year to "recognize outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs." I tell students that you dont have to be best friends with everyone in our band, but you do have to learn how to work together and help each other be successful. "Through music, we can teach acceptance, empathy, communication, accountability, time management and teamwork," Vitale said. . We are fortunate to have an amazing team of band directors, from elementary school through high school, that work together on a daily basis to make the bands in Westfield some of the best in New Jersey. Contact Band Director, Andrew Muth at mutha@wws.k12.in.us Follow Us: Westfield High School 18250 N Union Street Westfield IN 46074 Phone: (317) 867-6800 Fax: (317) 867-2909 And I have always tried to be bluntly honest with my students, he says. Vitale is among 40 music educators across the United States under the age of 40 who meet the programs criteria of action, courage, creativity, and growth. Mr. Lee received a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of California, Los Angeles. 18250 N. Union Street. In his letter, he notes that Vitalevoluntarily hosts a well-attended book club before school for any student interested in strengthening their leadership skills. Im going to keep a Google Classroom until I retire. During COVID, Vitale said he dealt with a number of challenges as band director and that he had to get creative when it came to teaching music online. WESTFIELD, NJ Westfield High School band director Christopher Vitale was recognized among 40 "outstanding music directors" all under the age of 40 for his achievements in enhancing the school's music program by Yamaha. Director of Bands Andrew MuthAssistant Director- Alex Sparks Director of Operations- Peter Lintzenich Performing Arts Instruction Assistant- Dave Shinault, Director Andrew MuthAssistant Director- Alex SparksHornline Director- Aaron CowgillDirector of Operations- Peter LintzenichGuard Director - Megan MillerPercussion Director - Michael RennakerProgram Coordinator Jack PursifullMusic Arranger - Don BarrettChoreographer - Brayton MendenhallHornline Staff Dave Shinault, Max Degnan, Mitchell Urban, and Shawn CollierPercussion Staff- Jack Doerges,Colton King, Sammy Bonnet, and Orion Avery Guard Staff- Kevin Panzarella, Glenn Panzarella, and Olivia Carlstedt, Director Andrew MuthAssistant Director- Alex SparksHornline Director- Aaron CowgillDirector of Operations- Peter LintzenichProgram Designer Jack PursifullMusic Arranger - Don BarrettStaff Max Degnan and Dave Shinault, Director - Megan MillerProgram Coordinator - Andrew MuthDirector of Operations- Peter Lintzenich Performing Arts Instruction Assistant- Dave ShinaultProgram Designer- Jack PursifullChoreographer - Brayton MendenhallStaff- Olivia Carlstedt, Kevin Panzarella, and Glenn Panzarella, Westfield Indoor Percussion Staff 2022/23, Director - Michael RennakerProgram Coordinator - Andrew MuthDirector of Operations- Peter Lintzenich Performing Arts Instruction Assistant- Dave ShinaultProgram Designer- Jack PursifullMusic Arranger - Don BarrettPercussion Supervisor- Orion AveryStaff- Jack Doerges, Colton King, and Sammy Bonnet, Andrew Muth email: mutha@wws.k12.in.us, cell: 547-971-1248, Alex Sparks - email:sparksa@wws.k12.in.us, PeterLintzenich - email:lintzenichp@wws.k12.in.us, Please do not contact staff through their. Mr. Vitale has an extensive background in the drum corps activity spanning over 20 years and currently serves as a visual designer for high school and collegiate marching bands in Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan. Music Teacher, HS. Westfield Band Boosters are grateful for the crafters and shoppers who participated in the Outdoor Event on October 10, 2020. WHS Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was one of the many people who sent in letters for Vitale's nomination. They appreciate the honest approach and the sense of accomplishment that they feel when they reach their goals is far greater as a result., Every other year, Vitale runs a leadership book club that is open to any student. We are proud that we have students from every walk of life within . There are hand sanitizers in the classrooms and extra masks. Westfield High School Band director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha.Westfield Public Schools, Westfield High School Band director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha last year to recognize outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs.. We have a fantastic team of dedicated educators working together to drive the organization forward, including my co-president Erik Lynch [from Verona High School]., Copyright 2023 Yamaha Corporation of America and Yamaha Corporation. Growing up, he played trombone, flute, and piano, and was actively playing in top-notch ensembles throughout his high school career, including an award-winning 165 member marching band. Itinerant Music, Strings, Teacher . Stephanie Lai was a 2020 intern for the Los Angeles Times. WESTFIELD, NJ Westfield High School band director Christopher Vitale was recognized among 40 "outstanding music directors" all under the age of 40 for his . He is invested in his students well-being far more than any band director I know.. In addition, his ensembles continue to earn top performance accolades year after year. All DMA Staff. Remy Samuels , Patch Staff Posted Thu, Feb 10, 2022 at 4:48 . Links to high school marching bands, college bands, middle school bands and sites of interest to California. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Have a news tip? We are fortunate to have an amazing team of band directors, from elementary school through high school, that work together on a daily basis to make the bands in Westfield some of the best in New Jersey. In ninth grade, Elgas began taking her to his house to have sex, she said. Salad, Sandwich Shop To Open Very Soon In Westfield, Union County Celebrates Arbor Day 2023 with Free Trees for Schools. Westfield Winds is the 2021 IPA Open Class State Champion, 2021 WGI Class A Finalist, and 2021 WGI Fan Favorite. Yamaha says in a press release that hundreds of nominations were received by students, parents, teachers, and local instrument dealers and mentors, highlighting the music educators impacting their community and students in a positive direction.. Copyright 2017 The Westfield News Group. He continues to perform with ensembles, such as the Charles Dickens Carolers at venues throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. WHS Bands Staff Director of Bands- Andrew Muth Assistant Director- Alex Sparks Director of Operations- Peter Lintzenich Performing Arts Instruction Assistant- Dave Shinault Pride of Westfield Staff 2022 Director - Andrew Muth Assistant Director- Alex Sparks Hornline Director- Aaron Cowgill Director of Operations- Peter Lintzenich The estimates received from two different companies for 120 uniforms averaged approximately $65,000. Luckily, Vitale said this year has been "pretty normal" and that the students have been extremely resilient through all of it. Kennedy sees a third of his members on Cohort A, a third on Cohort B, and he has another third that are fully remote and participate online. But he also had a reputation for getting too close to some girls in his class, according to the lawsuit. Shortly after her 15th birthday, she got pregnant. 18250 N. Union Street . Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). At WHS, he meets with anywhere from 10 to 30 students at a time. Kennedy does all of the remote classes from the high school, which he has made as home base. Vitale is also a leader throughout the state and helped start the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA). Chris takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. During COVID, Vitale said he dealt with a number of challenges as band director and that he had to get creative when it came to teaching music online. jazz I , jazz II, & STage Band. Your Name. Many of her students have been accepted into prestigious programs, such as California Summer School of the Arts, SCVA Honors Choir, California All-State Choir, and ACDA National Honor Choir, for the past consecutive years. Thank you for continuing to support the WHS Bands and Guard programs during these unusual times. Westfield HS Band, Chantilly, Virginia. Westfield High School Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was among a number of people who wrote letters of recommendation in support of Vitales nomination. Vitale is among 40 music educators across the United States under the age of 40 who meet the programs criteria of action, courage, creativity, and growth. Who can participate? Westfield High School Bands Band Director: Andrew Muth 18250 N. Union Street Westfield, IN 46074 Phone: (317) 867-6800Fax: (317) 867-2909 Get Connected! [Vitale] takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. Yamaha reported in a written statement that hundreds of nominations were received by students, parents, teachers, and local instrument dealers and mentors, highlighting the music educators impacting their community and students in a positive direction.. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS/AMY PORTER). Elgas told The Times that his students dont know how good they can be. This proves to them that if we work together and work very hard, success will come.. Vitale went to school for music education where he learned to play a variety of instruments, as well as upper level musical concepts that he now teaches to his students. New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association. Hoboken's Official St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl, Saint Joseph High School Annual Basket Raffle, Johns Crazy Socks Enters the Wholesale Channel so Retail Stores Can Sell Our Socks, Tax Relief, Debt Service, Transit Fare Freeze: 3 NJ Budget Takeaways, More Snow, Ice, Winter Weather On The Way To NJ, Forecasters Say, Westfield School Board Cuts Arts Teachers Amid Student, Parent Uproar. We can all agree that band directing is equal parts music education and life education, Sindorf wrote. Elgas family members could not be reached for comment. Great Oak High School Marching Band. Copyright 2023 Westfield Public Schools. He said it wasnt a sin.. By helping others, you create a better experience for yourself a win-win. In class, Elgas sometimes dimmed the lights and pushed boys and girls together to force them to kiss, she said. Vitale explained that there is a communal aspect of making music with other people that is not something students get in other academic subjects. "We found that coming out of this, students are dealing with all kinds of things and stress levels are higher than we've ever seen them. We look forward to growing in 2022 as an organization run by directors focused on providing world-class adjudication at a low price, Vitale says. Scofield served 13 months in prison. The band director, Richard Elgas, retired in 2003 after a nearly 40-year career. She is an educator of many musical talents, where there have been times where she was a one wo-man band. West Springfield High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, at 6100 Rolling Road, and is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system. The plaintiffs are not named in the lawsuit, and The Times does not name victims of sexual assaults. 36 character (s) remaining. Due to the Town's legal and financial flexibility with capital projects and bonding capacity, the financing of the entire project will be administered by the Town. In October 1983, she gave birth to a boy, naming him Richard after his father. She dropped out of high school and ran away to a home for unwed teenage mothers. I wonder where Id be today if it wasnt for this person who turned my entire world upside down, said the former student, now in her 50s, who later married and had children. Granada Hills. One of the largest all-handmade craft shows in central Indiana, each year we host over 160 booths and 2,500 shoppers! For the last decade, Chris has established a band culture and community at Westfield High School that encourages students to strive for excellence while emphasizing both camaraderie and teamwork, says Thomas Weber, Supervisor of K-12 Visual and Performing Arts. Besides directing the many ensembles at WHS which include three concert bands, two jazz bands, two percussion ensembles, two winter color guards and the marching band Vitale also co-founded the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association in 2020. Central Jersey Music Educators Association. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS/AMY PORTER). You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. WHS Band Director Patrick Kennedy said [] Phone: (317) 867 . "I did not see this coming at all.". For some kids, the online thing isnt for them. "If anything, COVID has taught us that the arts in general, not just music, provides such an important part of a well-rounded education," Vitale said. Hailing from Temecula, she previously covered Riverside County and the Inland Empire and is now focused on Orange County. Socially distanced band practice at Westfield High School. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. As the Director of Bands at Westfield High School, Mr. Vitale co-directs the Wind Ensemble, directs the Symphonic Band, oversees two winter color guards, and co-directs the Marching Blue Devils. The baby had a birth defect and died a week later. Fine and Performing Arts Course Catalog. Performance credits include studio and motion picture work with LA Master Chorale and Pacific Chorale. We are proud that we have students from every walk of life within our school community in the band. For the last decade, Chris has established a band culture and community at Westfield High School that encourages students to strive for excellence while emphasizing both camaraderie and teamwork, said Thomas Weber, Supervisor of K-12 Visual and Performing Arts. Each time we run the club I learn from my students, which I find very fulfilling!, Vitale views high school band as a vehicle to build good humans. A bit aways from his hometown, his musical endeavors have taken him across the globe, but now have landed him in Los Angeles. Elgas told the Times does not name victims of sexual assaults lawsuit, and 2021 WGI a., naming him Richard after his father of California, Los Angeles and Orange.. & amp ; STage band a Google Classroom until I retire largest all-handmade shows! 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