Stephen C. Massey Faculty Scholarship

I. The Scholarship

The Stephen C Massey Faculty Scholarship was created to foster continued growth and development for the Foxboro Public Schools Music Faculty. We believe that when teachers become lifelong learners, they also set high standards for both their students and the overall culture of the music program. The scholarship was established for FHS faculty to take advantage of special professional development opportunities over and above what is provided by the school system, including workshops, seminars, and interaction with world-class artists.

Mr. Massey served as the Music Director and Band Director from 1980 until his retirement in 2017. Under his direction, the Foxborough Music Department developed into one of the premiere public school music programs in the United States. The FHS Music ensembles performed in concerts, festivals, and tours while commissioning over 25 new pieces. The curriculum was based on studying masterworks of the highest quality. Guest Artists and Composers became a cornerstone of the program. Student leadership courses helped develop a very distinctive “culture of excellence.”

The following two quotes sum up the philosophy of the culture:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.”    –Aristotle

“A leader is one who does what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether they want to do it or not”    –Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser

II. Specific Criteria for Eligibility for Faculty Scholarship

  1. Applications will be reviewed and awarded by the Music Department Chair or designee (if Dept. Head is an applicant)
  2. Music Faculty may apply annually, but no recipient may receive a scholarship in two consecutive years.
  3. Up to $2000 will be awarded annually. A change or  adjustment in the award amount or number of awards is at the discretion of the committee. If an annual award is not given, money will remain in the account.
  4. Applications are due to the Music Department Chair no later than March 15. The recipient will be notified no later than April 15.
  5. All current FPS Music Faculty employed by Foxboro Public Schools are eligible to apply.
  6. The scholarship is to be used for workshops, seminars, teaching residencies, and master classes. This scholarship is not to be used for conventions or coursework tuition.
  7. Scholarship recipients will submit a post seminar/workshop assessment.

 III. *Application (See Below)

  1. Written proposal with a detailed description of the workshop/seminar/residency.
  2. Statement of what you hope to learn from this experience and will be able to bring back to the FPS music program.
  3. Detail costs associated with the artistic opportunity.
  • Expenses will be reviewed along with the application which should include a rough outline of what the expenses will be outside of registration fees.
  • Allowable Expense Guidelines: covering costs up to $1,000- including registration fees, meals per diem ($50/day), housing stipend ($200/day) and travel costs.

Any questions about the scholarship may be addressed to Karen Casson Wheatley at Kcasson@comcast.net.

*Expense Reimbursement: The faculty recipient is responsible for turning in all pertinent receipts to the SCM Scholarship Committee to receive scholarship funds. The SCM Scholarship Committee will approve and send to the FMA Treasurer. The FMA Treasurer will issue payment for receipt amounts. Faculty may elect to request funds in two parts: Registration fees prior to event and/or post event total expenses. MetroWest is allowing the FMA to request funds twice per year for the Faculty annual award.