Blog Posts

NNJOSA STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE AAPI COMMUNITY

5/1/2021

The board of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of The American Orff Schulwerk Association stands in solidarity with our AAPI colleagues, students, friends, and community members. We admonish the increase in violence and aggressive acts towards Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The month of May is AAPI Heritage Month, and while we encourage all to listen and learn from the AAPI community and take the necessary steps towards promoting equity in the world of music education, remember that this month should not be the only month you celebrate the multitude of contributions made my the AAPI community in the music world. As Darlene Machacon said, “We must avoid not only lumping the Asian experience but also gravitating to Asian stories and music now because it seems ‘timely.’ ...White supremacy cannot be dismantled with solutions rooted in white supremacy… Learn about our stories that were erased from whitewashed history textbooks but also ensure that y’all elevate our JOY that isn’t stereotypical but displays Asian excellence.” Stop Asian Hate.

4/10 & 4/17 - CHARISSA DUNCANSON

4/6/2021

In our first workshop we will dive into culturally responsive teaching through exploring the term intersectionality. Attendees should be prepared to learn new ways to include literature, games, and activities as tools to connect students with hard topics in the music classroom. The overall goal of this workshop is to build teacher confidence when practicing hard conversations on race and identity to build student-teacher trust and to allow room for deeper music making.
WHEN: April 10 & 17 from 10am-12pm
WHERE: Virtually on Zoom!
HOW TO ACCESS: The Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants. You must be registered by Friday night to attend. To register, visit our registration page.
Charissa Duncanson has taught K-5th grade general music in the Metro Detroit Area since 2014 and currently teaches K-8th in Detroit Public Schools. As a professional, she has presented locally and internationally. Ms. Duncanson has served on multiple boards for music education associations including MMEA Michigan, DOSA, and AOSA.

3/6 & 3/13 - BETH NELSON

3/3/2021

Distance learning, hybrid classrooms, in-person instruction - oh, my! What is a music and movement teacher to do? In this uncertain time, we are all faced with reinventing our classrooms in unique ways. This workshop is a chance to gather with colleagues to explore what IS possible to keep a creative, engaging Orff Schulwerk classroom alive no matter what modality we are working in. Together, we will create in the infinite space of "what if."
WHEN: March 6th & 13th from 10am-12pm
WHERE: Virtually via Zoom!
HOW TO ACCESS: The Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants. You must be registered by Friday night to attend. To register for the single session or series, visit our registration page.

1/23/21 - CHAPTER SHARE

1/20/2021

Please join us on Saturday, January 23, 2021 on Zoom for a Chapter Sharing Workshop. Members of the NNJOSA Chapter will present teacher-tested and kid-approved lessons for use in today's climate.
WHEN: Saturday, January 23, 2021 (10:00am-12:00pm)
WHERE: Zoom! Registrants will receive the Zoom link prior to the workshop.
REGISTRATION: Registration is available on the registration page.

11/21 - ORFF ECHO BOOK CLUB

11/17/2020

In lieu of conference share this year, NNJOSA is proud to present an Orff Echo Book Club on Saturday, November 21! If you're interested in joining please fill out this Google Form ASAP.
WHEN: Saturday, November 21 from 10am-12pm
WHERE: Zoom!
HOW TO ACCESS: The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants prior to the session. Registrants must also complete the Google Form above.To register for the single session, visit our registration page.

10/10 & 10/17: NATASHA THURMON

10/6/2020

"Being a teacher right now is tough! Being a music teacher provides its own unique challenges as well. How can we provide high quality instruction to our students while building relationships with and caring for them, and also maintain our own mental, physical, and emotional health and well being? Participants will work on setting attainable and practical goals for themselves and their classrooms in this 2 part series that will focus on both virtual and in person instruction."
WHEN: October 10 (Part 1: Virtual Focus) & October 17 (Part 2: F2F with Safety in Mind) from 10am-12pm
WHERE: Virtually via Zoom!
HOW TO ACCESS: The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants prior to the sessions. You must be registered by Friday night to attend. To register for the single session or the series, visit the registration page.

9/12 & 9/26: AIMEE CURTIS PFITZNER

9/9/2020

"Musical Books for Blended Outlooks: Diverse and Inclusive Children's Literature and Music Activities for Face to Face and Remote Learning"
A plethora of possibilities await as we explore music concepts and activities that use diverse and inclusive literature as jumping off points to creative and engaging music making! This session will illustrate the many ways children's literature can be used with movement, speech, and art activities that engage the learner. Concepts of rhythm, melody, form, dynamics, tempo, and improvisation will be illustrated with activities that can be used for face to face or remote learning.
WHEN: September 12th & 26th from 10am-12pm
WHERE: Virtually via Zoom!
HOW TO ACCESS: The Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants by 8am on September 12th. You must be registered by Friday night to attend. To register for the single session or the series, visit our registration page.
WE WILL ALSO BE HOLDING A BOOK SALE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS WORKSHOP! To access the book sale, please use the button below

NNJOSA BOOK SALE

2020-21 WORKSHOP SERIES & REGISTRATION

8/31/2020

This year, NNJOSA is excited to announce a series of virtual workshops, co-hosted by our friends and neighbors at PAOSA. With your registration as a member of NNJOSA, you will have access to both our virtual workshops and those hosted by PAOSA.

All NNJOSA-hosted workshops are held over the course of two Saturdays from 10am to 12pm. All PAOSA-hosted workshops are held on Saturdays from 10am to 12pm and the following Wednesday from 6pm to 8:30pm. All workshops will be held on the Zoom platform.

For a full list of dates and times of the NNJOSA and PAOSA-hosted workshops, please visit our 2020-21 Workshop series page.

Registration is now open! Please click here to register online.

NNJOSA STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY

6/9/2020

The board of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of The American Orff Schulwerk Association stands in solidarity with our Black colleagues, students, friends, and community members. We stand with AOSA’s Statement Denouncing Violence Against Black People as well as the AOSA Diversity Statement. We agree that the Mission, Core Values and Diversity and Inclusion Statement must not only be words on a page but central to our everyday actions as both a National and Local organization.

We believe that Black Lives Matter. We grieve the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and Breonna Taylor, and countless more whose lives have been lost to the systemic racism, police brutality, and unjust violence inflicted on Black communities in America. We commit to listening to and honoring the voices of those who have been marginalized, and to reflect on our teaching and learning practices for ourselves, our students, and our communities.

In accordance with NNJOSA’s Mission Statement, we will “provide a forum for the continued growth and understanding of Orff Schulwerk that reflects the diversity in contemporary American society,” and hope that you will join us in unity. In conjunction with local AOSA Chapters, including resources shared by NYCCAOSA, we will provide professional development, literature, websites, and information on organizations that reflect diversity, equity, and anti-racist teaching practices.

5/9 & 5/16 - NNJOSA & PAOSA PRESENT: "YOU ARE ENOUGH" VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES

5/5/2020

On May 9th and May 16th from 10:00-12:00, in conjunction with PAOSA, NNJOSA will be offering a 2-part workshop series on Zoom entitled "You Are Enough: Navigating the Virtual Landscape - Approaches and strategies to connect creatively with your students during this time of home learning."

Presenters will include our very own Ardith Collins along with Kate Bright, Drue Bullington, Michelle Przybylowski, and David Thaxton.

The workshop is FREE and open to all, but registration is required. To register, click here.

<<Previous

Forward>>

NNJOSA