Mrs. Vilma Dydas is the recipient of the 2023 Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Arts Teacher of the Year Award!
Congratulations Mrs. Vilma!
Music Director, Ms. Vilma Dydas: St. Mary Catholic School is proud of its fine arts program. European-trained Ms. Vilma Dydas is our phenomenal director. The children in grades preschool – 8th have music classes with her twice a week. In addition to singing, the children also learn to play recorders, chimes, and bells. The students are taught music theory and the history of music. Children in grades 3-8 have the opportunity to lead the music in our weekly school Masses. Ms. Vilma also directs our church children’s choir and gives piano lessons. She directs our annual Veterans Day Program, which includes instrumental performances, group songs, and poetry. We have a Christmas program like no other! All classes perform group songs, and children have the opportunity to perform their own musical acts, including vocal and piano solos, duets, dance, and even jokes.
Elgin Symphony Orchestra Partnership: St. Mary Catholic School is so proud of our unique partnership with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. During the 2022-2023 school year, we were blessed with four performances featuring percussion, woodwinds, strings, and brass quintets. Amazing program! The professional musicians presented unbelievable concerts to our students in our school gym. In addition, they taught the children how sounds are produced on various instruments.
Music and Drama Field Trips: Every school year, Ms. Vilma, our Music Director, coordinates two spectacular all-school field trips. This year, all the students in the school attended a professional performance of “The Sound of Music” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. In the spring, our students will walk to The Hemmens to hear the entire Elgin Symphony Orchestra perform in its entirety.
Art: We want to welcome to the staff Mrs. Katie Smith, our art teacher, who teaches art classes to all children from preschool to 8th grade. She uses many different art mediums. The children also create unique classroom projects that are presented at our annual fundraiser.
Band: We have a fabulous outside band program. The band teacher comes to St. Mary Catholic School twice a week and gives lessons in many woodwind and brass instruments. The students get the chance to perform in area band concerts with students from other schools. They also play in our Christmas Program.