By Dennis Volkert
Eliot Gitelman, orchestra director and strings teacher at Sturgis Public Schools, was selected as Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association’s “Orchestra Teacher of the Year” for District 11.
District 11 comprises band and orchestra programs in the counties of St. Joseph, Branch, Calhoun and Kalamazoo.
Gitelman was selected based on several criteria, including service to students, the community and the profession, and consistency within those categories for an extended period.
Gitelman expressed gratitude for receiving the award.
“It is an honor to be nominated for this by my peers and colleagues in band and orchestra throughout our district,” he told Sturgis Sentinel.
The person who nominated Gitelman said all teachers should aspire to his dedication to provide a positive experience for students.
“He is, quite literally, a one-man show and has directed an army of string players on an island by himself for decades … His kids show up in droves to every MSBOA event and always participate with enthusiasm and artistry … He has been a dedicated leader in countless roles for the strings department in our MSBOA district over the years.”
