Chelsea Karim, Sherman band teacher, told board members that the Music Honor Society has the same standards as the National Honor Society. It is the only music honor society open to junior/middle school and high school students in the United States, she said.

“Membership can include students as young as sixth grade, but we are going to begin with seventh-graders as the youngest members because of the way we divide junior and senior high,” Karim said. “Our chapter will include a student president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, historian and grade level representatives, in addition to a choral representative and an instrumental representative.”

The Tri-M Music Honor Society is a program of the National Association for Music Education. It recognizes students that have “gone above and beyond, both academically and musically.” It is an international association with more than 2,100 chapters in all 50 states and 15 countries.

To belong to the Tri-M, students must be enrolled in choir and/or band, Karim said. To continue membership, students must stay enrolled in an ensemble, maintain an A average grade in music classes, and at least a B average in the rest of their classes, she said.

Sherman Central School band leader Chelsea Karim accompanies student Kihomi Lilley as she performs for the Board of Education

Karim stressed that candidates must demonstrate leadership, service and character.

“This year, we decided that members’ community service will be done through the school,” she said.

Candidates for induction must perform a solo on their main instrument at either a Chautauqua County Music Teachers Association Solo Festival or a New York State School Music Association Solo Festival, Karim said.

“Our goal is to start inducting students in June,” Karim said. She noted that inductees will be honored at the district’s first Annual Music Banquet, “which will be a joint celebration of the achievements of our vocal and instrumental students in middle and high school.”

Karim said that the CCMTA offers several opportunities for students to perform, The Winter Festival, Solo Festival and Spring Festival.

“We had three students accepted into ensembles for the Winter Festival, 18 students performed solos at the Solo Festival, and 27 students were accepted into ensembles for the Spring Festival last year,” she said

After Karim’s presentation, 11th-grader Kihomi Lilley gave a vocal presentation and eighth-grader Eli Barrett performed on the clarinet for board members.

In other business, board president Teresa Guzman said that the Clymer-Sherman-Panama partnership efforts are continuing and the superintendents of all three districts have been meeting with BOCES regarding the study for a possible merger.

The districts have received proposals for the study, which will be reviewed at a public meeting on Nov. 13.

“We are all committed to being very transparent throughout the process,” Guzman said.

Sherman Superintendent Carrie Yohe reviewed the 2024-25 district data with the BOE. She reported that the district’s attendance rate was at 94% for the 2024-25 school.

“During the 24-25 school year, there are 439 students enrolled, which reflects a slight decrease, when looking at our current enrollment for this school year,” she said.

The district was also noted for having one student who did not graduate with the 24-25 cohort.

Yohe also told board members that an evacuation drill was held on Oct. 3 and went very well.

“It was very well practiced,” she said. “This year Leslie Melquist, Dave Maleski, Jared Oehlbeck, and our admin intern Danielle Jacobson created a video for the entire staff to view prior to the evacuation drill. Providing staff with visuals of routes to the evacuation site, locations to enter at the site and more. “Everyone knew just where to go.”

Student ex-officio board member Brookelynn Wright reported on student activities and concerns. In regard to the new morning free snack cart that the district implemented after several teachers and students expressed a need for middle and high school snacks at lunch,

“The grapes did not go over very well, and I have to say the fruit snacks are not very good. I was also told to tell you that the Nutty Buddies are one of the best things,” Wright said.