Kim Harrison
Email: eaharris@smsd.org
Phone: 993-6757
Kim Harrison is a graduate of Plainville, Kansas High School in 1972. He then
graduated with a B.S. in Music Education from Kansas State University in
1977. He then toured the U.S. with a contemporary Christian recording band
based out of Nashville, Tennessee for two years. He then taught at Thomas
More Prep-Marian High School in Hays, Kansas from 1979-1982. From 1982-1985
he taught band at Nallwood Junior High School in Shawnee Mission. He then
was awarded a graduate teaching fellowship at Wichita State University, where
he received his Master’s degree in Music Education in 1986.
He was selected as the director of bands at East in the fall of 1986. He
teaches the marching band, symphonic band, both jazz bands and music theory at
the high school. He has been a clinician for marching bands, concert bands,
and jazz bands in the states of Oklahoma, Missouri, New York, as well as the
state of Kansas. In the 2005-2006 school year he was chosen as the
Outstanding Instrumental Music Educator for the Northeast Kansas Music
Educator’s Association. The concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands at
Shawnee Mission East have been receiving superior ratings at music festivals
consistently for the past two decades.
Melissa Watzke
Email: thwatzke@smsd.org
Phone: 993-6807
Ms. Watzke's website is: www4.smsd.org/melissawatzke
Ms. Watzke is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University and is in her
8th year of teaching. She taught middle school band for the first four years
at Excelsior Springs Middle School and has experience in the Kearney School
District, Independence School District, and the Park Hill School District.
Ms. Watzke is a member of MENC and KMEA and plays the flute with the Platte
City Community Band under the direction of Alfred E. Sergel, III. This is her
first year of teaching in Shawnee Mission where she is responsible for the
second concert band and assists with the Marching Band at Shawnee Mission
East High School and she teaches band and strings at six area elementary schools.
