First and Foremost I want to announce the exciting news that Kelly Morrissey has accepted the position of Director of the KPAA. Kelly started with us as a volunteer at the Holiday Festival last year. She was so instrumental in making that event a success that we brought her in to work at the welcome center and to manage our community and member relations. After six months of hard work and dedication, we offered her a full-time position, and we are extremely happy to have her officially on board. Kelly’s dedication and exceptional performance at the KPAA have been instrumental in enhancing our communication with our valued members. Her passion for our community and her commitment to our mission makes her the ideal person to lead our organization forward.In her new role as director, Kelly will oversee and coordinate various aspects of the KPAA, including community engagement, member relations, managing our two signature events and the day to day operations of the Welcome Center. I am confident that having her as part of our team will result in the advancement of our goals and a future full of growth and success.
Congratulations Kelly and welcome to the Team!
– Beth and The KPAA Board of Directors
KPAA Community Message “Music is Life That is Why Our Hearts Have Beats” – Cecily Morgan
We are a musical town. We all find joy in the open mic nights, dancing at the Cooler in the Mountains, and listening to all the special artists that make their way to the stages around town, Making and listening to music is fun. This week we want to shine a light on the importance of music in our schools. Music provides a myriad of benefits to your brain, physical and mental health, and general well-being.
The impact of learning to sing or play an instrument on a child or teen’s development is more than twice that of sports, theater, or dance. There seems to be a short supply of certified music teachers in our area, and both Killington Elementary School and Prosper Valley School are still in search of a Unified Arts teacher to teach band and music classes this school year. If you know of anyone that might be qualified for this position, please reach out.
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Killington Elementary School also had the Grand Opening of their new Playground this week. The principal Mary Guggenberger gave a lovely speech thanking everyone involved. Many local businesses and individuals supported this project with donations that also included purchasing bricks that were placed in the pathway between the bridge and the playground. It is an ongoing project (you can still purchase bricks in the future!) where more features will be built over time. A weather station is currently in the works. It has been an impressive effort from a collaboration of so many people in our community, including the school, PEAKS (Parents and Educators Aligned for Killington Students), the town, the selectboard, and many individuals. Sending a huge shout out to everyone involved in creating this play space for our children.
Well, here we are on September 1st! The sun is shining now and the first snowfall will be here before we know it. We tend to jam-pack September activities in anticipation of winter. Moguls opened today and will be hosting two K-Town traditions, Chip & Cowboy’s Ride and Pie in the Face for Chase. We want to thank Kate Moran and Howie Karrass for continuing their beautification of Killington. Last week they facilitated the pergola outside Moguls being repainted and will continue to support the KPAA in making improvements in our community.
September 1st also means it is the last month of our typical membership year. We will be preparing for our next year and sending out our membership renewal instructions after the holiday weekend. Please prepare to submit your renewal by October 1st for the membership period of 10/1/23-9/30/24. Most importantly, be sure to join us at this month’s mixer at the Birch Ridge this coming Tuesday. We are looking forward to seeing the renovations, listening to music by Nick Bredice, and toasting Kelly in her new role as Director!
Try to limit your labor, and enjoy the beautiful weekend!
Beth, Kelly, and the KPAA Team
Beth Sarandrea
KPAA Board President
Kelly MorrisseyKPAA Director
