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Meg Papadolias Endowment Fund

Established 2011

 

The Meg Papadolias Endowment Fund was created to honor Meg Papadolias, a music educator who devoted more than thirty years to the advancement of vocal and choral music in School District 129.

This fund is primarily designed for the music development and nurturing of current and future students of the district through the expansion and enhancement of the instruction, development, and general excellence of West Aurora High School students in the area of vocal arts.

These objectives may be achieved through, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

  • Purchasing or renting sheet music, music scores or CDs
  • Purchasing or renting props and costumes used in conjunction with middle and high school choral programs and/or musical theater productions
  • Funding of recording sessions
  • Funding of student attendance at professional music performances
  • Supporting voice and ensemble lessons and coaching
  • Providing scholarships for voice lessons for students with financial need
  • Sponsoring visits by professional artists to the high school
  • Fostering innovative programs and methodology in the middle and high school choral programs

Teachers and community members may apply for funding from this endowment through the A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools.  The procedures for applying for these grants will be available in 2012 on the A+ Foundation’s website:  www.aplusfoundation.org

Meg Papadolias received her bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from Northern Illinois University.

She has sung with the Geneva Fine Arts Chorale, the New Classic Singers at the College of DuPage, the Heartland Singers in Elgin, and the Chicago Grant Park Symphony Chorus.

In 1979, Papadolias began her teaching career in West Aurora School District 129.  She first taught at Freeman and Schneider Elementary Schools, and then moved to Washington Middle School.

She started teaching at West Aurora High School in 1985 while also maintaining her position at Washington.  In 1996, she left Washington to become the full- time choral instructor at the high school.

Until her retirement at the end of the 2011 school year, she took the choral program to great heights.  She added a number of specialty choirs to the district’s music program, including the Bel Canto Choir, Dorian Choir, Lyric Chorus, Madrigal Singers, Mixed Ensemble, STUDyhall, and Varsity Singers, as well as maintaining the A Cappella Choir.

Papadolias designed and implemented a piano lab for all beginning choirs. The students in these choirs learn music literacy skills with the aid of pianos and most students learn to coordinate the use of both hands while playing the piano.

She also served as the choral director for West High’s nationally recognized and award winning musicals, and created the district-wide Fine Arts Festival in which all district schools participate.

In addition, Papadolias wrote and continues to revise annually, “Magic,” a beginning textbook for all choirs. The book includes theory, ear training, music history and sight reading.

In her later years at West High, she expanded her leadership to the entire Fine Arts Department and served with distinction as Department Chair.

The Meg Papadolias Endowment Fund will help the district to continue this work in her name, so that all choral music students at the middle and high school levels will continue to be enriched and encouraged to become the best they can be in the field of music.

A History of West Aurora School District 129

In 2016, the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley partnered with the A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools in preserving the history of West Aurora School District 129. Together they produced a collection of photographs, biographies, a video and more highlighting the impressive history of the West Aurora Schools.

Explore the History of West Aurora School District 129

historyintro

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

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Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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