Prince of Peace Christian School’s Headmaster, Chris Hahn, Receives 2015 Distinguished Administrator Award from the Texas Private School Music Educators Association
By: Valerie Gabriel-Swenson
Prince of Peace Christian School & Early Learning Center’s (POPCS) Headmaster, Chris Hahn, received the 2015 Distinguished Administrator Award from the Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) for private schools for the state of Texas.
Each year members of TPSMEA have the opportunity to nominate a Principal, Headmaster, President, or other school administrator from across Texas who has demonstrated continuing leadership in developing, improving, and supporting music education. Their focus on music education must also provide a wider commitment to arts education. The recipient must also be exceptionally skillful in showing support for the arts in ways that include personal attitude and philosophy, program development and improvement, awareness to the special needs of space, scheduling, and equipment, commitment to professional growth of faculty members, and leadership in providing financial assistance.
The POPCS band director, David Lang, nominated Hahn for this prestigious award. Music educators, like Lang are aware of the importance of administrative officers in creating and maintaining successful music programs. In the nomination Lang said, “Mr. Hahn has been a blessing to the Fine Arts Department at Prince of Peace Christian, he knows the important role that the arts plays in education and has been a champion of our programs supporting, the band, theater, choir, and the visual arts,” said, Band Director David Lang, “because of his enthusiasm our programs have had the opportunity to grow and excel.”
In 2010, the state-of-the-art Fine Arts Center opened at Prince of Peace Christian under Hahn’s direction. The 35,000 square foot facility includes a 500-seat theatre, band hall, private rehearsal rooms, dressing/make-up room and costume center, music/choral room, art studio, and gallery. In the fall of 2014 the music programs at Prince of Peace Christian were expanded by the acquisition of The Arts School. An after-school program, The Arts School is open to the public and provides private music lessons to approximately 150 students who study violin, piano, guitar, voice, percussion, and brass-wind instruments.
Hahn has served as Headmaster at Prince of Peace since 2003. He began a teaching and coaching career at the school in 1990.
“We desire to encourage and develop the unique gifts that God has given our children,” said Hahn. “This fostering of talent allows us to facilitate ways to encourage, challenge, and mentor our students. They learn the responsibility of their role, the importance of practice and being prepared, and collaboration. These are important skills they will use not only in the arts but in adulthood.”
In April, Prince of Peace Christian School will present their annual spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof. The dates of the performances are Friday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, April 11 at 3:00 p.m. The performances are open to the public. Tickets range in price from $8-15. Online tickets are available at ticketracker.com.
