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FSMS honors Albright's achievements
One local administrator has received a very high honor from not only the Kansas Music Educators Association, but also from the students, who attend her school.
On Friday afternoon, Fort Scott Middle School Principal Barbara Albright was led into the FSMS gymnasium for a surprise assembly to celebrate her being awarded the state KMEA Honor Administrator of the Year. As Albright was led into the gymnasium, the entire student body in addition to each staff member, presented her with a standing ovation.
A previous Tribune article stated that Albright had been chosen as the recipient of the Southeast District KMEA award. The article went on to explain that the recipient of the state award would be announced at a later date.
According to FSMS orchestra teacher Jane Williams, when she found out that Albright had been chosen as the state recipient in addition to the southeast district recipient, she and the music department at the middle school planned a surprise assembly to show their support of Albright's award.
At the assembly, the President-elect of KMEA Mike Quilling presented Albright with a certificate. However, before he made his presentation, he explained to the crowd that he is a band teacher in the Scott City school district. He said that when he told his band students that he would have to be absent on Friday in order to make the presentation to Albright, one of his students asked him a question.
"Can't you just call her?" His student asked.
Quilling said he explained to his student that this award that Albright had received was too important for him to just call her on the phone to congratulate her. The state KMEA Honor Administrator of the Year award was not an easy award to earn. He said that it takes more than just spending a lot of money on the music staff at the administrator's school to qualify.
"It takes believing in kids and believing in music," he said.
After having all of the students who are involved in any part of the fine arts programs at the school stand up, Quilling made a statement to the students.
"Your principal," he said, "she gets it (the importance of fine arts)."
Quilling also shared with the students a letter that had been written by one of the students who attends the school. In the letter, the student asked that Albright be awarded the KMEA Honor Administrator of the Year award. This student went on to explain that Albright shows her support by attending every one of the musical concerts. In addition to attending the concerts, Albright recently helped raise funds through a fund raiser to purchase a new piano for the music classes. Finally, the student said that Albright is enthusiastic about the music students, even when they do poorly.
After Quilling presented Albright with her certificate, Albright addressed the students. She stressed the importance of Project Art, a program that exposes all middle school students to a piece or pieces of literature and a theatrical performance directly related to the theme that they have been studying. She said that Project Art makes Fort Scott unique.
Finally, Albright thanked all who were present for the honor that had been bestowed upon her.
According to information in a previous Tribune article, in order for Albright to be chosen for this award, she must have a history of showing special support for the arts. Conveying the message that the arts is an extremely important part of a child's educational curriculum.
Albright will also be honored in February at the KMEA in-service and convention conducted at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita.