Above / Metea Valley High School, home of the Mustangs, sports school colors of gold and black, perfectly fitting for a Grammy Signature Gold designation. The Metea Mustangs mural by artist Eulojio Ortega of Sandwich was completed in September 2009 when the third high school in District 204 opened.
The Grammy Foundation announced that Metea Valley High School was named a Grammy Signature Gold School, making it one of the top three schools in the country recognized for its outstanding commitment to music education. The school will receive a $3,500 grant to benefit its music program and a special Grammy award to be presented later this spring.
All three District 204 high schools now have been recognized as Grammy Signature Gold Schools, and Neuqua Valley High School twice has been named the top music program in the country. This year, both Metea Valley and Waubonsie Valley High Schools were among the 119 schools nationwide that were selected as Grammy Signature Schools semi-finalists and invited to continue in the competition.
Superintendent Karen Sullivan said having all three high schools recognized by the Grammy Foundation is an amazing honor. “The award speaks to the dedication of our music teachers and hard work of our students. It is a joy to attend a music performance and see the caliber of their work.”
A total of 13 U.S. schools are being recognized as Signature Schools this year by the Grammy Foundation. The selection process begins each year in August when the Grammy Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural, requesting information about each school’s music program. After the applications are scored, finalists are asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent blue ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merit Grammy Signature School status.
For more information about the Grammy Foundation, including a complete list of this year’s winners, visit https://www.grammy.org/news/grammy-foundation-selects-2016-grammy-signature-schools
Don Devany is Fine Arts Chair at Metea Valley High School, located in Indian Prairie School District 204 at 1801 N. Eola Rd. in Aurora.
News submitted by Janet Buglio, Executive Director of Communication Services, Indian Prairie School District 204
