JAMS Principal Eva Mayoral named outstanding administrator by CMEA

Former I-House Principal and current John Adams Middle School (JAMS) Principal Eva Mayoral was awarded the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Administrator of the Year Award after a unanimous decision by the judging panel.According to the CMEA website, Mayoral will be recognized at the California All-State Music Education Conference in Feb. 2013. The CMEA supports public and private school music departments statewide, and promotes the importance of music training for children. The association holds conferences, workshops and summer camps that allow students to develop and enrich their musical education. They also recognize educators annually for their dedication to the arts in a variety of fields.“The award is to recognize someone who supports the music program in their school and goes above and beyond the call of duty – that is Ms. Mayoral,” I-House Spanish teacher Claudia Bautista-Nicholas said. “I worked with her when she was a house principal, and she was the hardest working administrator. She would always push her practice to do a better job. Students, teachers and parents always felt supported by her.”Mayoral, who became principal of JAMS in 2011, said she has fostered and supported the music department at the school. JAMS currently has nearly 600 students who participate in the music program, and has four bands, four orchestras, five choirs and a music conversion class, as well as two extracurricular honor groups.Mayoral said her belief that music provides a purpose and place for students in their adolescence has shaped her career as a purveyor of music in the classroom, and that the fundamentals for learning are fostered through creativity and individuality.“A critical underlying aspect of each [element of learning] is the students’ sense of spirit,” Mayoral said. “I think it is our collective responsibility to awaken our students to the amazing intricacies of the world around them.”Parents and colleagues of Mayoral have expressed similar reactions to those of the CMEA board, complimenting her unique passion and commitment to the students.“I am a parent at JAMS, and I had the pleasure of seeing a choir concert,” Bautista-Nicholas said. “I was blown away and I sent [Mayoral] a little note telling her how wonderful it had been. She said she was so proud of the work [choir director Cecile] Blanchard does every day and that she was proud to be part of the JAMS family. She appreciates everyone and supports them by encouraging their work.”However, Mayoral said her focus is not just in music, but in everything that is beneficial to students’ intellectual, physical and emotional development.“I just work hard to get our kids what they need,” Mayoral said. “It means connecting with teachers so that we are working to maximize our experiences with our students, it means committing to their continued growth and long, long hours to get what they need and it means being here for the kids. That’s all we do.”According to Mayoral, her recognition by the CMEA is a tribute to not only her long-standing dedication to the arts, but education in general.“Maximizing the opportunity for richness of life for ourselves is about awakening passion and compassion in all,” Mayoral said. “The more places we can awaken passion, the more facets our students have and the more profound their internal and external glimmer is. I do all I can across every domain to maximize the glimmer. I think music and the other arts think I’m special because they aren’t used to being focused on as one of our major departments.”anarayanan@thesamohi.com