JOY is a kindergartener playing the violin.

Hello Friends of JOY!

So many new and exciting changes and growth has come to the Junior Orchestra of Yamhill County over the summer and into the start of our fifth back-to-school season. Read on to hear more!

• The end of last school year marked some changes at our Edwards site. Janis Dodson, who taught music at Edwards and brought JOY to life in our first two years, retired from teaching. After my hire as Program Director in 2019, Janis stepped back from the JOY Steering Committee but continued to be an advocate and enthusiastic supporter of the program. I and the JOY team are so incredibly thankful for the work that Janis has done for JOY and the sage advice she provided us in our first four years. Thank you Janis!

• This past August also saw our long-time Edwards Site Director Julia Pridvaka’s departure after 5 years of building the JOY community at Edwards. Julia was hired in 2017, and with Janis Dodson built the foundation of the JOY K/1 Program and Curriculum. Julia and myself also have worked a lot together these last three years in building the after-school orchestra, weathering the storm of COVID-19, and bringing JOY back to the Edwards campus. Julia unfortunately developed health issues over the summer, and had to step down from her position to heal and address these needs. I am so grateful to have worked with Julia and will indeed miss working with her each day to make JOY happen at Edwards and her deep connection to each child and family who comes to JOY! She will be greatly missed.

• While marking this year as our Fifth Anniversary, this also marks our first year of serving all grades K-5 at Edwards Elementary! At Edwards we have a K/1 violin program that meets during the school day and an After-School Orchestra open to students in grades 2-5. Our After-School Orchestra enrollment has also reached a record 110 students enrolled this year, and we have an estimated 150 Kindergarten and First grade students we see during the school day each week!

• Over the summer, JOY and McMinnville Schools signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to formalize a working partnership to bring JOY to Newby and Sue Buel Elementary Schools in McMinnville. This fall now marks the first year of JOY In-School Kindergarten programming to both elementary schools, and we are excited about developing this working partnership with each school’s music teachers and administrators!

• With the new changes in our programs, we have hired on two new instructors: Sara Heyen will join our Edwards teaching team and step in as our new Edwards Site Director. She will teach K/1 violin in the early afternoons during the school day and be lead teacher for our After-School program. Comfort Smith, newly hired violinist for the Vancouver Symphony and trained Suzuki teacher, will be teaching Kindergarten violin at Buel Elementary with music teacher Debbie Chiovaro. We’re so lucky to bring these ladies on to the JOY team!

• JOY continues to search for a Kindergarten violin instructor at Newby Elementary and an additional teaching artist to support the After-School Orchestra at Edwards. While job postings aren’t live yet, we do appreciate any leads for qualified instructors to join our team!

As we start our fifth back-to-school season, I reflect with gratitude on the people who have come before me to bring JOY to Yamhill County. I also express gratitude for those who have come and gone, those who are just joining us on this journey, and those who continue to stick with us as we grow and change each year. Thank you all for your support of JOY! Every little bit counts. 

If you haven’t already, please sign up to give recurring donations through GlobalGiving on our project page “JOY is a Kindergartener Playing the Violin.”

With JOY,

Danielle Howard Dye

Links:

• 30 second Promo Clip- JOY
• Official JOY Promotional Video (5 minutes)