Meet 5-12 Band & 6-12 Vocal Director Mrs. Halsey

Greetings! I am excited to start my 7th year in the Wolsey-Wessington School District as the 5-12 Band and 6-12 Choir Director. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know the students, families, and community member during my past 6 years as a Warbird, and I am looking forward to meeting many more of you in the coming days. Pep Bands and Concerts are some of my favorite events because I get to visit with many of you! If you are at a school event and I haven't met you, please introduce yourself! 

A little about myself. I grew up in Huron and I am a sixth generation resident of Beadle County. After high school I attended the University of Sioux Falls for Instrumental/Vocal Music Education. I student taught at the Huron Middle School with Julie Berger and Larry Petersen and at Buchanan Elementary with Barbara Nicholas. After student teaching, I was hired as a Kindergarten Para at Buchanan School for a semester before I accepted my position with the Wolsey-Wessington School District. 

I have been married to Travis Halsey for seven years and I love my summers off to spend time with him and our 4 year old daughter Lydia and little Simeon who will be 2 year old in November. We are excited to be adding an addition to our family in December! We can't wait to meet our new baby! We love our life as parents and enjoy making memories with our children. 

Other things our family enjoys are: visiting our family and friends, playing card games, going for walks, and working in our garden. In my spare time I love to bake and decorate cakes. I have enjoy culinary for years and cake decorating has been a passion of mine since I was eleven. 

Personal Education Philosophy: 
I believe that every student is unique and has the ability to learn and excel in music if they are given the opportunities needed to develop their skills. I believe that a positive and motivated teacher is vital to encouraging students in their learning. I know each student brings their own learning styles to my classroom and that I must understand how they learn in order to teach effectively. I will motivate students through goal setting, weekly formative assessment, rewards, and positive reinforcement. I vow to daily involve students in the music learning process. My desire is to create well developed musicians that can perform with confidence.

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin
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"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf