Adriane Falco of Stanley Elementary School uses music as a springboard to an array of subjects

Stanley Elementary School teacher Adriane Falco is the music teacher at her school in the Blue Valley School District. But when she gets her students in her classroom twice a week for those 30 minutes, she knows she’s really teaching them everything from math and history to writing and science, all through the study of music.

That’s how important and far-reaching she feels music education is for her students. That dedication to her craft has singled Falco out for a prestigious honor.

Falco is one of seven educators statewide and the only one from a Johnson County school district to be named a 2016 Emporia State University Kansas Master Teacher. The program was established in 1953 to honor earnest and conscientious teachers who have served the profession well.

Falco will receive a $1,000 professional development stipend and will be honored April 6 as part of Master Teacher Day in Emporia. Since 1985, the Blue Valley School District has boasted an impressive 22 Master Teachers.

“I think it is wonderful that this district has so much talent and that we can hold our own with other teachers from across the state of Kansas,” Falco said. “I am absolutely thrilled that they consider what I do every day as mastering my craft.”

For the past six years, Falco has been passing on her love of music to her students at Stanley Elementary. Her fellow teachers at the school nominated her for the honor.

After submitting a portfolio in January that included several letters of recommendation, Falco received word at the end of February that she had been chosen as a Kansas Master Teacher.

Desiree Rios, her principal at Stanley Elementary, wasn’t surprised in the least to find out that others found Falco to be as exceptional at her job as she does.

“Adriane is truly a master at her craft in teaching music to our students,” Rios said in a written statement. “Her passion for music and the performing arts is apparent each day as she offers students unique and creative experiences.”

In addition to her day-to-day work, Falco works overtime to offer additional experiences for her students. Last fall, Falco applied for and received a $2,500 grant that has allowed her to take every student in her building to see a major performance by groups such as the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Ballet, among others.

“Going to the symphony has been wonderful and hearing a full orchestra is an experience that a lot of kids may never have had and they learn so much,” Falco said.

Falco also was responsible for helping to establish an after-school program at her school called BLAST, or Big Learning After School Time. She wanted to give students who may not have the means or time to participate in recreational sports a chance to participate in fun learning opportunities after school such as Lego, yoga or science classes.

But the biggest way that Falco feels she gives back to her students is through music, which has always been an important part of her life. She said she enjoys the opportunity every day to explore with her students all that music has to offer.

“I love how music allows you to not always contain yourself in a box,” Falco said. “It’s not black and white. There’s a lot of expression in it. It’s about learning to express yourself through music.”

Falco said she is honored to have been chosen as a Kansas Master Teacher and feels this award wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of many wonderful educators that have come before her.

“I honestly believe that I am a product of great teachers that have impacted my life,” Falco said. “I am a culmination of master teachers that have taught me. I can remember teachers that have taught me in my youth as well as college professors. I am not just representing myself as a master teacher but all of those educators that have touched my life.”

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 11:02 PM with the headline "Adriane Falco of Stanley Elementary School uses music as a springboard to an array of subjects."