ARCHIVED—Theodora Kourtelessi-Stathopoulos

Year: 2006 – Province: Quebec

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

School: Fine Arts Core Education (FACE) School
3449 University Street
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 2A8

Principal: Christine Besson
School Telephone: 514-350-8899
School Fax: 514-350-2612
Grades/Subjects Taught: Grade 4-11, Instrumental Music, Strings

Teaching Approach:

• Engages the community in partnerships to demonstrate the relevance of music in society.
• Using music as a vehicle, promotes collaborations and student involvement with multi-cultural communities.
• Raises awareness about philanthropy to students by involving them in benefit concerts.
• Younger students are tutored by older, more experienced students; they become apprentices to members of the symphony orchestra.
• Encourages the development of life skills, such as responsibility, commitment and professionalism, through student development of musical skills.
• Uses email for regular communication with students, orchestra members and parents.
• Encourages student collaboration to initiate and participate in the creation of CDs, recordings, websites, concert publicity and musician recruitment via the Internet.

Outstanding Achievements:

• In May 2005, the FACE Chamber Orchestra received first prize in both orchestra categories entered at the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival. In November 2005, under Mrs. Stathopoulos' direction, the Symphony Orchestra was the recipient of the 2005 Christopher Gledhill Award for Best Canadian Orchestra awarded by the Canadian Music Educators' Association.
• Distinctions based on her students' achievements also include invitation from reputable organizations for ensemble participation, such as the Memorial Concert for the United Nations World Conference on Climate Change (2005). Further achievement and testament to Mrs. Stathopoulos' instruction and leadership is evident by the fact most string student alumni going into music are accepted in top quality programs of the best music schools, such as the Manhattan School of Music, Julliard, McGill, Université de Montréal, Paris and Quebec Conservatories.
• Mrs. Stathopoulos is a regular contributor to the Music Educator's Journal, a member and past President of the Foundation Les amis des beaux-arts, a member of the Canadian Music Educators Association, the International Society for Music Education and the Greek Society for Music Education. In the fall of 2004, she was instrumental in the revitalization of the Quebec Music Educator's Association where she is presently serving as Vice President.
• She is an active team player who provides excellent leadership, guidance and support through her involvement in the school's admissions selection committee and the committee for the production of FACE School's music curriculum for the Ministère de l'éducation du Québec. She has also been a reviewer of the Ministry's document on music for secondary school curriculum reform, collaborates frequently with the Université de Québec à Montréal's Department of Music Education in their teacher training program and has been a selection committee member for Juno's Children's Album Award.

Rave Reviews: