Congratulations to Whittier Principal Erika Paladino-Hazlett, and Assistant Principal Dr. Michael Moore for receiving the South Dakota Music Education Association's Distinguished Administrator Award for 2022!
This distinguished award is reserved for administrators who actively support fine arts programs in their schools. Mrs. Paladino-Hazlett and Dr. Moore were nominated for this award by Whittier Orchestra Teacher Kim Bogart, who says the nomination truly came from the whole Whittier fine arts staff. The administrators were recently recognized during the All State Chorus and Orchestra awards reception. In her award speech, Kim shared,
"Both Mike and Erika show active support for our programs in many ways, but really it is just the active support and caring for our students that they exhibit every day that helps our programs thrive. Everything that they do is to break down barriers for our students so that they can have the same opportunities to participate, experience, and grow, and not have any excuses to not do the thing.”