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
