JRA: Director: Julie Rohr McHugh

Dear Parents,

I am Julie McHugh, director of Julie Rohr Academy. I have a Master of Music Degree in Music Education from University of Miami.  I have also taken many elementary education courses from both University of Miami and University of South Florida.  Prior to coming to Julie Rohr Academy, I taught chorus classes at Everglades Middle School in Fort Lauderdale for a period of six years.  This is my thirty-fourth year at Julie Rohr Academy.  In addition to being director, I teach music to 1st through 8th grade students and direct the spring musical.

I have five sons.  Mitchell is sixteen, Martin is twenty-four, Matthew is thirty-one, Mark is thirty-four, and Michael is thirty-six.  All of my sons attended Julie Rohr Academy until they graduated.

Michael graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando in 1995, taught at JRA during the 95-96 school year and then returned to UCF to work toward a Master of Music Degree in Music Education.  He completed a second degree in music education in 1999 and began teaching at Millenium Middle School for the Performing Arts.  He resigned from his teaching position eight years ago to "follow his dreams" and sing professionally.  Michael moved to Japan and sang professionally for Universal Studios in Osaka for four years.  Four years ago he began teaching music at an International Baccalaureate School in Kobe, Japan.  He got married on July 22, 2006 to a wonderful girl from Japan named Kyoko.  She now teaches at the IB School.  Her family came over for the wedding.  It is amazing how well we managed to communicate even though they did not speak English.  Martin and I visited them in Japan this July.  Kyoko is due to present me with another grandchild in January.

Mark graduated from UCF in December of 1996 with a major in Business and Finance.  He worked at JRA from January until August '96 primarily organizing, ordering, and setting up our computer lab.  He began Law School at Harvard in September of '97 and graduated in June of 2000.  The following month, Mark began working as an investment banker with mergers and acquisitions at Credit Suisse in New York City.  He moved to Los Angeles in 2007.  Mark also got married in April 2007 to Suzzette, who has an eleven-year old daughter, Brittney.  On June 9th, 2008, Mark and Suzzette presented me with my first grandchild, Sienna Rose, who is absolutely beautiful.  Mark and his family have now moved to Sarasota.  In November, Mark accepted a position with Raymond James in Tampa.  Brittney now attends JRA and will be in the 6th grade this year.  Sienna will begin to attend JRA in January.

Matt graduated from Sarasota High School in June of '96.  He began working at Julie Rohr Academy while still in high school and continued while attending MCC.  He took a reduced class load at MCC while Mitchell was in chemotherapy to allow time to drive me to and from Tampa Children's Hospital.  He completed his Bachelor's Degree in Business and Finance from the University of South Florida in May of 2005.  He now works full-time at JRA as our Business Manager.  It is wonderful having him here five days a week!  Matt married Andrea Watt on November 1st, 2008.  I was thrilled that he finally married her after a six-year courtship!  He met Andie at JRA.  She worked here for 8 months before she began Law School at FSU.  She currently is a practicing attorney in Sarasota.

Martin graduated from Sarasota High School in June of '03, from Manatee Community College in May of '05, and from University of South Florida in December, 2007.  Martin also worked at JRA throughout high school and junior college.  He continued to work summers when he went to USF.  Martin sang with Changing Tide at SHS and with the community show choir "Soundwave" during his first two years of college.  After a brief "career" with John Hancock immediately after graduation, he decided a desk job was really not for him!  He began teaching Math at JRA in August of 2008.  He will continue in that position this year.  We are delighted to have him on the staff.

Mitchell will be in eleventh grade at Sarasota High School this year.  He spent the past two years at Sarasota Military Academy and in the show choir which I taught there.  Mitchell was diagnosed with leukemia in November of 1998.  He completed chemotherapy in November of 2000.  We are now nearly ten years post-chemo and Mitchell seems to be doing just fine.  We go every six months for blood work and exams but so far, all is well.  It is a chapter in his life that he wants closed and rarely mentions any more. He does, however, frequently mention his sister, Meaghan, that he never met because she died from leukemia before he was born.  Meaghan died nineteen years ago at age three.  It is interesting that in my 41 years of teaching, I have taught only two children with leukemia and they were both my children.

My husband, Michael, has recently retired from his position as director for the Sarasota County Public Schools Support Services.  He is currently working on the State School of Excellence Committee.  He will also help out at JRA.   I am delighted to have his expertise.

My mother, Dr. Julia W. Rohr, the founder of the school, works here during the day giving private music lessons.  She works full time and still has time left to fuss at people who park in her parking spot!  On July 13th, my mother celebrated her 92nd birthday.   Congratulations, Mom!

It is very important for me to know each of you well.  I want to talk with you frequently and get your feedback on how things are going.  Please be sure to see me at least once a month just to touch base and let me know how you feel your child is progressing.  We want to always maintain our "family" atmosphere.  I am at JRA from 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM daily.  Should you need to call me before or after those hours, you are welcome to call my home at 371-5840 or my cell phone at 544-4232.  I stay up late and get up early so you can usually reach me!

Have a wonderful year and I am so happy that you are part of our JRA family!

Sincerely,

Julie McHugh
Director