New choir director ready to make music

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Neighbors | Submitted.Stephanie Chizmar is the new choir director at Poland. She is pictured here with husband Joseph and sons Zachary and Noah.

The halls of two Poland schools are alive with the sound of a new music director.

Canfield resident Stephanie Chizmar spent the last part of summer preparing her classroom and will be ready to begin her positions as the Poland Seminary and Poland Middle School choir director Sept. 7. The nine-year teacher beat out more than 10 people who applied to replace departing choir director Bonnie Chronister.

Chizmar is a Washington Court House, Ohio, native and graduated from Capital University with a bachelor’s degree in music education. She taught in Reynoldsburg before moving to the Valley with her husband, Joseph,, and two children, Zachary and Noah. She worked at Cardinal Middle School in Middlefield for three years before accepting the Poland position.

“I was very excited when the job opened,” Chizmar said.

She said her commute will go from 50 miles one way to just 11 and she looks forward to continuing the strong choir tradition Poland has established.

During the first year, Chizmar doesn’t plan to make any drastic changes to the music program. The Christmas and spring concerts and the dinner theater show at the end of the year will continue. But she is contemplating adding a fall concert to the schedule.

“I’m not starting to sing Christmas songs at the beginning of the year,” said Chizmar.

Chizmar said she is pretty traditional when it comes to the repertoire of music she picks. She likes to use music that challenges the kids and entertains the audience. She looks forward to the school year and building a relationship with her students.

“I met a few of the kids already and they have been excited to start,” Chizmar said.