Mrs. Connelly has lived in Orlando for eighteen years and has worked as a teacher in Orange County since moving to Central Florida. She is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor and Masters degree in Music Education and completed her National Board Certification in 2004. She has worked at the middle and high school level as a chorus and piano teacher at Apopka Middle School and at Boone High School. She is an active choral clinician, adjudicator, and has served as guest conductor of Honor Choruses throughout the state of Florida. Memberships include Florida Vocal Association, Music Educators National Conference, Florida Music Educators Association and American Choral Directors Association. She believes strongly in the mission statement of OCPS, that the Arts are a Universal language and that they are a fundamental form of communication for every human being. She is committed to building a strong choral and piano program at Lake Nona that includes all students who have a desire to create and express themselves through music!
Mrs. Majka is a native of Crawfordville, Florida and is in her eleventh year of teaching in Orange County Public Schools. She has experience with students of all ages and has spent much of her teaching career at the middle school level. She joined the Lake Nona Choral Faculty in 2015 and currently teaches chorus, piano and is the musical director for the school musicals. Prior to Lake Nona, Mrs. Majka taught at Wolf Lake Middle School where she started the choral and piano programs. She was awarded “Teacher of the Year” in 2013 and piloted a partnership with the AVID program for students to perform on college campuses all over the southeast. She believes music is life long and enjoys providing opportunities for students to explore music. Students under her direction have performed at universities such as Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Mrs. Majka holds a Bachelors of Music Education degree from Florida State University and is an active member of the Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Vocal Association and American Choral Directors Association.
I am so excited to be a part of the Lake Nona Middle School Music team. I have taught in Orange County Public Schools for the past 31 years. I taught elementary strings for 15 years, high school orchestra for two years and middle school orchestra for the past 14 years. I grew up in Orange County and began playing the violin in my public school orchestra program. After graduating from Winter Park High School I received a scholarship to Florida State University where I studied music education and received my Bachelor of Music Education Degree. I finished my classes at Florida State and two days later began my teaching career in Orange County Public Schools. After graduating I have continued my studies by receiving certification in Suzuki Teaching levels 1A, 1B, 2 and 3 Violin and Levels 1 and 2 Cello. I have also participated in many music teaching workshops every year to keep up on the latest and greatest teaching methods. I have enjoyed working with students over the years and love to share with them my love of music. I also enjoy teaching students how to play orchestra string instruments including the violin, viola, cello and string bass.
Hannah Jennings was appointed director of bands at Lake Nona Middle School in 2010. She is responsible for a fully comprehensive middle school band program consisting of beginning, intermediate, and advanced level wind bands, as well as jazz band. Bands under her direction are consistently rated “Superior” at Florida Bandmasters Association Music Performance Assessment events. Prior to Lake Nona Middle School, Mrs. Jennings taught at Bridgewater Middle School and Legacy Middle School in Orange County, as well as Southside Fundamental Middle School in Pinellas County.
An alumnus of the prestigious Lassiter High School Band (Marietta, GA), Mrs. Jennings holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education (1999) and a Master’s degree in Music Education (2008) from the Florida State University. While at FSU, she was a member of the Marching Chiefs, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, and Concert Band. She studied conducting with Dr. Patrick Dunnigan and Richard Clary, and clarinet with Dr. Frank Kowalsky.
Mrs. Jennings is actively involved with the Florida Bandmasters Association as an adjudicator for Music Performance Assessments throughout the state of Florida and served as a member of the FBA Executive Board for 7 years. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Middle School All-State Band. Mrs. Jennings is also active as a clinician for honor bands and music camps across the state.
Mts. Jennings holds memberships in the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA), Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and Tau Beta Sigma. She resides in Orlando with her husband, Franklin.