Centralia High School Instrumental Music Instruction and Band Director Stephanie Aarons next to some of the awards won the CHS Marching Showcase so far this year. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Centralia High School Instrumental Music teacher and CHS Band Director Stephanie Aarons is this week’s WJBD-WSIQ Teacher of the Week. Aarons is in her fourth year at CHS and fifth year as a teacher after graduating from Centralia High School and being an active participant in its band program.
Aarons has helped guide the program forward while following COVID-19 restrictions.
“We’ve set up some virtual competitions during the marching band season. We wanted it to still feel as real as possible so we had parents coming out and just hoot and holler, supporting their kids. We had a fall outdoor concert for them and played some pep tunes. We had a virtual Christmas Program. We’ve had to be very creative in coming up with some of these things.”
Aarons says the band won some awards in its virtual marching competitions and were even featured in a movie made in O’Fallon, Illinois of bands involved in a Belleville competition. The Rock 101 Band has also been able to make appearances at two outside events.
Aarons has also started a Community Band at the Centralia Cultural Society for grade school students who have been without band during COVID-19. She says the group of 15 kids from Centralia High School’s feeder schools is meeting every Wednesday evening.
“We are helping them develop more advanced skills on their instruments, breaking up in small groups and putting a concert together. We put on a holiday concert in December and I really wanted these kids to experience some of the opportunities they have in playing an instrument. During these hard times playing an instrument is so good for you and so many opportunities can open up to you.”
The Community Band is planning for two performances this Spring.
Aarons finds herself having to convince new band students that they can learn to play an instrument and she is there to help. She hopes the three grade schools in the Centralia High School District with band programs will be able to resume with fewer COVID-19 restrictions. Aarons feels the work at the grade school level is essential to building the program at Centralia High School. She wants to see the Centralia High School program grow and expand as well as showcase the life long opportunities made available by playing music.
Centralia High School Principal Reid Shipley is commending Aarons for keeping the program alive safely during COVID-19.
“Band kids have been able to continue at least playing, practicing, and performing which I think says a lot about her character and willing to work.”
If you would like to nominate a teacher of the week, you may do so with the form available on the home page of WJBDradio.com.
https://www.youtube.com/user/CentraliaBands/videos
