PASC News Quarterly, December 2015 by Leadership Logistics

Pnq PASC News Quarterly

3 Keystone Council Awards

Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists

Holiday Fundraisers

Volume 40 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 4 â&#x20AC;˘ December 2015

Halifax Hosts State Conference Advisors of the Year

Inside This Issue PASC Board Positions Available... 2 LEAD Conference Planned for January in Washington DC............ 2 NASC National Conference in Portland, Oregon............................. 2 17 Schools Honored with Keystone Council Awards............................... 3 A Keystone Challenge for PASC Member Schools.............................. 3 Halifax Climbs to New Heights with State Conference................... 4 Regional Reps Elected.................... 5 Hawley Award Winners Announced ...................................... 5 Seeking Host School for 2017...... 5 Councils of Excellence Applications Due in February.............................. 5 Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named............................................... 6 Advisors of the Year Selected....... 7 Middle Level Reps Selected.......... 7 Winter Holiday Fundraisers......... 8 Linda Greb Award........................... 9 Student Summit in Harrisburg..... 9 State Board of Education Update............................................... 10 SBE Junior Rep Applications Now Available............................................ 10 PASC Presidential Student Spotlight............................................ 11

PASC Board Positions Available PASC is accepting applications for two positions on the PASC board:

Executive Director (3-year term)

• Deadline to apply is December 15, 2015 • Interviews will take place on Friday, January 8, 2016, in Altoona, PA • You must be affiliated with a PASC school and be an active or retired teacher. Additionally you must be able to miss approximately 10 school days and have access to copying and a fax machine. • For a detailed job description and an application, please contact Kathy Coll, Assistant Executive Director at kcoll1@comcast.net.

Resource Development Coordinator (3-year term)

• Deadline to apply is December 15, 2015 • Interviews will take place on Friday, January 8, 2016, in Altoona, PA• The resource development coordinator is responsible for organizing fundraising events and developing partnerships outside of PASC. For more information and an application, please contact Rose Ann Fulena, Executive Director at pasc.exdir@gmail.com.

LEAD Conference Planned for January in Washington, D.C. The National Association of Student Councils offers a great opportunity to get national conference experience and resources at an affordable cost through its LEAD Conferences. Designed for middle level and high school student council and National Honor Society leaders and their advisors, these exciting and rewarding weekend meetings are designed to encourage interstate communication among student leaders and advisors, to strengthen leadership skills, and to prepare those attending for leadership roles on the local, state, and regional levels. This school year, a conference will be held in our area January 29–31, 2016. Conference details and program highlights can be found at www.LEADConferences.org. The early bird registration fee will be $200 per delegate. Hotel reservations can be made at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA. The hotel rate is $125 per room, per night, plus tax (currently 13%).

Plan Now to Attend NASC National Conference in Portland, Oregon Century High School in Hillsboro, Oregon is the site for the 2016 NASC National Conference. Conference dates are Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26. PASC will plan a pre-conference trip, which should begin on approximately June 21. The cost including conference registration, hotel accommodations, travel, meals, pre-trip entertainment and T-shirts is approximately $1.800. The registration form will be online at www.pasc.net on December 1, 2015. Deadline to register is February 15, 2016. A $500 deposit will be required. If you are planning on attending nationals, PASC encourages students to submit workshops to present at the national conference. If you have successfully presented a workshop at a state conference and are planning to attend the national conference in Portland, Oregon, consider submitting a workshop proposal. Look for more details to come in PASC News.

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

17 Schools Honored with Keystone Council Awards PASC was proud to recognize 17 schools at the state conference in Harrisburg for earning the Pennsylvania Keystone Council Award. Keystone Councils must submit an application demonstrating that they meet criteria in categories such as Financial Procedures, Civic Engagement, and Student Voice. The following schools were recognized for the 2014-2015 school year’s accomplishments:

High School Distinguished Boyertown High School – D13 Elk Lake High School – D9 Fleetwood Area High School – D13 Mountain View Jr./Sr. High School – D9 North Penn High School – D12 Norwin High School – D4

Representatives of the 17 PASC schools that were recognized with the Councils of Excellence Award at teh e2015 state conference are shown with the plaques awarded to their Council. Applications for next year’s award are available on the PASC website and are due in May.

Pocono Mountain West High School –D9

Marple-Newton High School – D11

Middle Level Distinguished

South Fayette High School – D3 Union Area High School – D2

Fleetwood Area Middle School – D13

West Mifflin High School – D3

High School Keystone

Whitehall High School – D10

Chartiers Valley High School – D3

Middle Level Keystone

Interboro High School – D11

Harlan Rowe Middle School – D7

Additionally, one school received a scholarship to summer leadership camp in a special drawing. That lucky school was West Mifflin High School. The applications for the 2016 Keystone Council Award are on the PASC website. Fill out the application and get recognized for all of the hard work you council does. Applications are due in May.

Pennbrook Middle School – D12

A Keystone Challenge for PASC Member Schools PASC would like to challenge your school to begin keeping a record of all of the wonderful things you do so your council can be honored at the state conference at Deer Lakes High School in 2016! The Keystone Council Awards operate solely on a state level and highlight PASC member councils that are truly remarkable. PASC is presenting your council with not only a challenge, but also an opportunity to grow and to improve through selfevaluation. To more effectively honor all student councils, there are separate Middle Level and High School applications for the awards. Both of these applications are available on www.pasc.net under the

“Awards and Scholarships” tab. Click on school and council awards to find the high school and middle school applications. At this time, your council can print out and begin to complete the application, which must be submitted by May 20, 2016.

A Selection Committee will review applications and notify schools receiving Keystone Council Awards by October 1, 2016. All projects completed during the 2015–2016 school year are eligible for review on the application. Keystone Councils must meet criteria in categories such as Financial Procedures, Civic Engagement, and Student Voice. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the chair of the Keystone Council Committee, Lisa Bernet, at pasccommunications@gmail.com. Help PASC double the amount of recipients of this award at the State Conference in 2016. Good Luck!

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

Halifax Climbs to New Heights with PASC State Conference The 79th State Conference hosted by Halifax Area High School was held November 12–14 at the beautiful downtown Harrisburg Hilton and Crowne Plaza. The conference theme, “It’s Time to Climb” was evident in each of the aspects of the conference. Thursday night included dinner at Strawberry Square and a Vendor Fair at the Crowne Plaza. Delegates and advisors then travelled to the first general session, which was held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Building. The conference featured three noted leadership and motivational speakers. Each shared a different message that challenged and inspired the student and advisor delegates. Each had a message that tied to the theme of the conference “It’s Time to Climb.” The speakers included Eric Alexander, John Beede, and Amanda Hammett. Friday morning the conference began with a special guest, Governor Tom Wolf, who addressed how important the school system is and how he is fighting for school funding. Student-led workshops were held Friday as well as caucus meetings. As students attended workshops, advisors attended an advisor university session and a workshop presented by John Beede. Advisors also participated in a new activity, “40 in 40,” in which advisors were given 40 tips in 40 minutes. Thanks to the presenters Dave Hatfield, Jim Finnemeyer, Jackie Jaros, Jeff Kusniez, and Kyle Kaufman. This amazing activity was moderated by Andy Costanzo. Advisors learned so many new ideas in this 40-minute presentation. Friday evening provided a time for delegates to enjoy a first-class buffet dinner in the ballroom of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex followed by separate dances for high school and middle students and an advisor “Tour of the Valley” event. Saturday morning included the last general session, which included a tribute to our state charity, PA Wounded Warriors, the closing speaker, and a conference-in-review slide show provided by Dynmax Digital Productions. We now turn our sights to Deer Lakes High School near Pittsburgh as planning continues for the 80th PASC State Conference on November 10–12, 2016. Stay tuned for additional details later this winter.

School delegations enjoyed posing in front of the “It’s Time to Climb” photo backdrop at the conference (above). Workshop sessions (left) got students out of their comfort zones. Governor Tom Wolf discussed the importance of increased education funding in the budget (top left).

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

Faces of

PASC

Regional Rep Schools Elected During caucus meetings on Friday, November 15, schools were elected to be the new Regional Rep schools. A student from each one of these schools will be selected to serve a two-year term on the PASC Executive Board which begins on January 1, 2016. The following schools were elected: Region C:

Everett HS

Region F:

North Penn HS

Region G:

Whitehall HS

will begin the second year of their terms in January 2016: Region A: Noah Pollio, Union Area HS Region B: Madison Darrah, North Allegheny HS Region D: Delaney Heller, Mountain View HS Region E: Drew Phillippi, Bermudian Springs HS Congratulations to these students and thanks for your willingness to serve PASC!

The following Regional Representatives

Dale Hawley Award Winners Named Each year, the National Association of Student Councils provides each state association with five awards named for the former Executive Director of NASC, Dale Hawley. Pennsylvania has annually given these awards to one student in each of our Gold and Blue Summer Leadership Workshops. The students are selected by the respective workshop staffs as outstanding delegates during the workshop programs in July. The Dale Hawley Awards were announced at the State Conference on November 13. The winners are: Grove City Blue:

Ben Hess, Seneca Valley MS

Alvernia Blue:

McKayla Mickel, Octorara Jr. HS

Grove City Gold:

Michael Reed-Price, Upper Dublin HS

Susquehanna:

Francis Burk, North Penn HS

Advanced Gold:

Dan Greer, Deer Lakes HS

Seeking Host School for 2017 Conference The process is now beginning to select the host school for the State Conference in fall of 2017. Student Council advisors and student leaders who are interested in bidding to host this conference should contact PASC Executive Director RoseAnn Fulena at pasc.exdir@ gmail.com or call 724-651-0973for a packet of materials that explains the bidding process and for a host school planning booklet. Schools interested in hosting the State Conference in 2017 should notify PASC by December 15. Official letters of invitation are needed from the advisors, the Student Council president, the principal, and the superintendent of schools and must be received by PASC no later than January 1, 2016. Schools that bid are invited to make a presentation to the PASC Executive Board at a meeting on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Altoona Area High School. The PASC Executive Board will make a decision that day.

Applications for NASC Council of Excellence Due in February With less than one month remaining in 2015, it is time for your student council members to organize information on projects, minutes and agendas of meetings, and other information that can be used to support your council’s application to NASC as a National Council of Excellence for 2016. Many PASC member councils have done many outstanding things since January 1, 2015. Although it takes time to complete the NASC application, the process of doing it allows student leaders and advisors to reflect on all that they have done and to create a portfolio that reflects a positive view of their organization and their school. When the members of the council find a gap in projects not completed, the application provides a renewed incentive to move the project forward in the next month, or to put it on the top of the council’s priority list for 2016. Each of the eight Pennsylvania schools that were named as Councils of Excellence for 2015 would urge your council to make that effort. Each found the work putting the application packet together to be challenging, but worthwhile. It created a renewed focus on who they were and what they sought to accomplish in their school. PASC would like to encourage all councils to apply for this prestigious award. Details on the application process and the appropriate forms—as well as a listing of the Pennsylvania schools that received Councils of Excellence awaards in 2015— can be found at www.nasc.us/nationalcouncils-of-excellence/current-winners.aspx The application, based on the council’s accomplishments for calendar year 2015, is due to NASC on Tuesday, February 16, 2016.

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named Congratulations to the following students who were recently named as United States Senate Youth Scholarship finalists. On Saturday, November 21, 2015, each of these students was interviewed and took a government and constitution-based current events exam. The Department of Education hosted these students and their parents for a luncheon at the State Capitol as part of this special day in Harrisburg. Two state winners and two alternates were selected. PASC will highlight them in a future PASC NEWS. The finalists are: Samantha Barrett, Central Bucks East HS, District 12 Alexandra Kohr, Williams Valley HS, District 13 Michaela Lynch, Halifax Area HS, District 8 William Marks, Harriton HS, District 12

Finalists for the U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship program were interviewed and took a government and constitutionbased current events exam to be selected.

Guanlin Ren, North Allegheny HS, District 3 Eesha Sheth, George School, District 12

Roshni Mehta, Spring-Ford HS, District 12

Joshita Varshney, Great Valley HS, District 11

Luke Myers, Governor Mifflin HS, District 13

Jack Wheatley, Council Rock South HS, District 12

Mark your calendars:

PASC Summer Camp Dates n Grove

City College Blue: July 10–14 n Alvernia University Blue: July 24–28 n Grove City College Gold: July 17–22 n Susquehanna University Gold: July 24–29 n Advanced

Gold: University of PittsburghJohnstown or Alvernia University: July 10–16 or July 17–23 6

All school nominees for the U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship will be invited to attend the PASC Student Summit in Harrisburg on February 18, 2016 along with other representatives from high schools across the state.

PASC News Quarterly is published quarterly during the school year. To submit announcements, articles, or corrections for newsletters, please email the PASC News Director, Executive Director, or Assistant Executive Director. Articles or information from PASC News Quarterly may be reproduced for use, with appropriate credit.

Executive Director Rose Ann Fulena Union Area Middle School 2106 Camden Avenue New Castle, PA 16101 PH: 724-971-4599 FX: 724-658-8617 pasc.exdir@gmail.com Assistant Executive Director Kathy Ann Coll 174 Link Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15237 412-366-5744 Kcoll1@comcast.net PASC President Michaela Lynch Halifax High School 3940 Peters Mountain Rd. Halifax, PA 17032

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

PASC President-Elect Tyler Raub Deer Lakes High School Cheswick, PA PASC News Director Lisa Bernet Fleetwood Area Middle School 610-944-7634 x3228 lbernet@fleetwoodasd.k12.pa.us PASC News Editor/Designer Lyn Fiscus Leadership Logistics PASC Email: pasc.exdir@gmail.com PASC Website: www.pasc.net

PASC Advisors of the Year Selected Megan Fuchs Named Middle Level Advisor of the Year

Middle level advisors selected by their districts as Advisors of the Year were recognized at the state conference earlier this month. From this group, Megan Fuchs from Union Area Middle School was chosen as 2015 PASC Middle Level Advisor of the Year. She has been an advisor for eight years. Megan was recently selected to serve with a student from Union Area Middle School on the PASC Executive Board as a middle level advisor. Megan leads many activities including fifth grade orientation, a Halloween party, a Thanksgiving benefit dance, a fall craft festival, a talent show, monthly door decorating contests, and an eighth grade picnic. She also leads many service activities including a benefit dance, football field clean-ups, snow buddies, and making Valentine cards for nursing homes. In recommending her, Megan’s principal wrote: “She is a respon-

sible and honorable person who takes every advantage to make things better. One of the most beneficial projects that has been established is the Fall Craft and Vendor Show. Our Thanksgiving Food Drive is another beneficial program. This project is life changing for many families. Those are just two of the projects that she spends countless hours working on with and for our students. She participates with students in every PASC conference and program, accompanies students on service projects throughout our community, promotes school spirit among students and staff and helps with programs in our school that aren’t even affiliated with student council. She is an asset to the Union Area School District and is incredibly deserving of this recognition.” Congratulations and best wishes to Megan as her application will now be submitted for additional regional and national recognition.

Harvey Edwards Named High School Advisor of the Year High school advisors selected by their districts as Advisors of the Year were also recognized in Harrisburg at the state conference. Receiving the Linda Greb Advisor of the Year Award was Harvey Edwards of Sellingsgrove Area High School. He has been a high school advisor for 20 years and is a well-respected individual who is described as a bundle of positive energy who encourages his students to do their very best. Harvey has been recognized both within the community and at the state level for his leadership. A member of his student council states that “it is his positive attitude and dedication to students” that drives his passion for student leadership. Mr. Edwards goes well beyond the typical dance, homecoming activities, or even golf putting games. He has spent countless hours bringing the community together at local colleges to foster young leadership and for the past 20 years has passionately taught others on the importance of diversity and prevention of bullying through the Tolerance Troupe. According to his student council President, “it is his willingness

to help and his overall character over the years that has produced a genuine person who would do anything to help guide anyone down the right path to success.” In his recommendation, Harvey’s principal states, “Mr. Edwards is an advocate for his students and he encourages the members of the student council to develop and promote activities that will be a benefit to the student body as a whole. His long tenure as the student council advisor, hosting the District Student Council Conference on more than one occasion, and all of his other student-centered activities are a testament to him as an advisor and an educator.” This PASC High School Advisor of the Year Award is named for the former Mars High School advisor and PASC Executive Board member who passed away in 2002 after a courageous battle with cancer. We congratulate Harvey Edwards as the 2015 High School Advisor of the Year and wish him well as he is now to be considered for regional and national recognition.

2016 Middle Level Representatives and Advisors Selected Through an application process, two teams each consisting of a seventh grader and an advisor were chosen to serve on the PASC Executive Board from January 2016 through August 2017. The new middle

level representatives are:

from Union Middle School (District 2)

Melody Watts and advisor, Rebecca Boyer, from Governor Mifflin Middle School (District 13)

Congratulations to these teams as they begin their service on the board representing middle level student councils in Pennsylvania.

Riley Crews and advisor, Megan Fuchs,

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

Winter Holiday Fundraisers By Lyn Fiscus The winter holiday season is full of opportunities to make money to support your organization’s efforts at other times of the year. If your funds are a bit low after fall events, try one of these holiday fundraisers to put some jingle back in the treasury. JINGLE BELL WALK. Organize a 5k walk during December where participants pay a fee to enter. Map out a route near your school and charge participants an entry fee to participate. Give walkers jingle bells to attach to their shoelaces so they jingle as they walk. GINGERBREAD COMPETITION. Reach out to the bakers and artists in your school by sponsoring a gingerbread house competition. Put the houses on display and have students vote with coins for the one they like best. The one with the most donations wins a “People’s Choice” award. Have judges select winners for most creative and best use of materials. If the entrants agree to it, you could also auction off the creations after the contest. WINTER WONDERLAND DANCE. Sponsor a casual dance with a wintry theme. Decorate the gym or cafeteria with snowflakes, twinkling lights, pine branches sprayed with artificial snow, and other snowy elements. Elect a Snow King and Snow Queen for added interest. HOLIDAY COOKIE SALE. In this version of a bake sale, have a holiday cookie baking session with your members —possibly in the FACS classroom at school—or ask each member to donate five dozen homemade holiday cookies. Set up a cookie display and have take-away boxes, plates, or plastic bags along with a plastic glove for customers. Buyers select the cookies they want and their selections are weighed at checkout. Charge by the pound, e.g., $5 per pound. Go ahead and make up plates full of cookies covered in plastic wrap for those who don’t want to take the time to select them one-by-one. Conduct the sale while an event that brings people to the school is occurring, such as a holiday concert or basketball game. CRAFT BAZAAR. Invite teachers, parents, community members, and students to sell their handmade crafts at a craft fair in the gym. Divide the area into rows of space with a table in each booth; charge a fee to have a table and charge admission to enter the fair. Sell concessions for added revenue. Be sure to advertise in local media as well as with local churches, civic and fraternal organizations, women’s clubs, and elementary schools. HOLIDAY BASKETS. Hold a silent auction of holiday baskets filled with various items organized around a theme. A treat basket

8 Designed byPASC FreepikNews Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

could feature cookies, candy canes, hot chocolate packets, and other edible items. A pampering basket could include bubble bath, aromatherapy candles, a gift card for a massage, and so forth. A book lovers basket could feature bookmarks, a reading light, a gift card to a bookstore, etc. Be creative with the themes to appeal to a wide variety of people. CANDY CANE DELIVERY. Tie candy canes with different color ribbons: Green means “special friend,” white means “secret admirer,” and red means “true love.” Charge students 25¢ to select a color ribbon and have a candy cane delivered at school to the person of their choice. POINSETTIA SALES. Make money two ways with this fundraiser. First, take orders for poinsettias to be picked up at school on a designated day early in December. Second, decorate the school entrance and office area with some of the plants, then sell raffle tickets for people to win them on the last day before winter break. SANTA EXPRESS. Send home sealed letters to parents of K–3 students advertising that for $15, a member of your group dressed as Santa and other members dressed as elves will go to a child’s house and deliver a wrapped age-appropriate present. BREAKFAST WITH SANTA. Invite elementary students to have breakfast with Santa on a Saturday in December for a fee. Along with a hot breakfast, play “Santa Says,” provide music, dancing, arts and crafts, and a Santa Secret Shop where students can purchase inexpensive gifts for their parents. Your members can dress up as elves to facilitate the activities and supervise the children. PARENTS NIGHT OUT. Reserve the school’s gym or multipurpose room in early December for a Parents Night Out fundraiser. Invite all local elementary students to spend the evening at the school participating in a variety of activities for a reasonable entrance fee while their parents have a free evening to do holiday shopping or other tasks. Be sure to obtain signed emergency contact forms from the parents before they leave. CHRISTMAS LIGHT REMOVAL. It’s usually more fun to put up Christmas lights than to take them down, so many people put off the task. Advertise the services of your group members on a Saturday in early January to take down Christmas lights and coil them up neatly for storage. Assign at least two people to work together so one can hold the ladder. Establish safety guidelines and require members to adhere to them. Charge a flat fee or ask for donations. Lyn Fiscus is a freelance education writer and student activity adviser in Reston, VA.

Amy Kaufman Named 2015 Winner of Linda Greb Award On Friday at the Friday General Session of the State Conference, Amy Kauffman of South Western School District was named as the 2015 winner of the Linda Greb Award. Both delegates and her peers all agree that Amy is an innovative leader, guiding the way with confidence and talent. She is an incredible mentor who makes those around her think outside of the box and tackle real issues while promoting youth leadership and empowerment. Delegates have said that this individual made them realize things they would’ve never imagined. She is a beautiful spirit, inside and out, who makes a huge impact on every life she touches. At Advanced Gold,

Amy challenges delegates to work together to break down the barriers. Everyone always walks away from her workshop looking at life in a way they never have before. Amy received a $500 check and a specially designed pin which includes an inverted triangle representing Linda’s strength, the seeds she planted in young people, their growth into fully developed trees all encircled to symbolize the circle of life. The award is named in memory of Linda S. Greb, who served on many workshop staffs and passed away in 2003 (see sidebar). It is given annually to a workshop staff member for outstanding service to PASC. Congratulations, Amy!

Amy Kaufman is the recipient of the 2015 Linda Greb Award, given annually to a PASC workshop staff member for outstanding service to PASC.

Award Honors Linda Greb In March 2002 the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils’ organization lost an outstanding leader, outstanding advisor, and a dear friend to cancer. Although only 42 years of age at the time of her death, Linda S. Greb had a positive impact on the lives of more people in this state and the nation than most people do in a full lifetime. Pennsylvania student leaders participate in a Student Summit in Harrisburg each year in February.

PASC Schools Invited to Attend Annual Student Summit Focusing on Advocacy PASC invites all Pennsylvania schools to attend the annual Student Summit on Thursday, February 18, 2016, in Harrisburg (snow date is Thursday, February 25). Each school is allowed to select four students in grades 10, 11, and 12. This year the summit will focus on these objectives: • What advocacy is and why it is important • How to determine what students should advocate both on a personal and organization level. • How to advocate by mobilizing others in the school and community by utilizing resources. Applications to attend are available at PASC.net and are due by January 20, 2016. More information about the components required and more details about the program can be found at PASC.net under the Programs tab, then click High School. If you have any questions about this opportunity, email us at PASCyouthsummit@aol. com or call Nancy Brady at 610-775-0682.

Linda was advisor at Mars High School, served as District 2 Director and Advanced Gold Workshop Director, and was PASC Membership Coordinator at the time of her death. The outpouring of memorial funds which PASC continues to receive has been used to establish an annual recognition award and scholarship for a PASC summer leadership workshop staff member for use in their pursuit of an educational degree or for their furtherance of leadership development through state, national, or international programs.

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

State Board of Education Update The Pennsylvania State Board of Education held its bimonthly meeting September 16–17. While there was considerably less on the agenda compared to previous meetings, the Board covered a variety of topics including reports from various educational groups and district transfers. Advancements were made in the GED (General Education Development) exam. The test is now fully online, and new exams similar to the current GED will soon be implemented. The Board members also discussed how passing rates for the GED have increased, but a significantly fewer number of students now take it. The Board also covered the changes in results from the new PSSA cut scores. Schools in the Commonwealth have done a phenomenal job in discussing PSSA scores, and the goal of the PDE is to stay transparent about these issues so that the public is more knowledgeable about them. The Department of Education has done this by adding more documents to the website, creating pre-drafted Tweets, and

sending letters to parents with each score result from the Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera. The most heated and emotional aspect of the meeting was during the discussion of the transfer of Washington Township from Dover School to Northern York. Reasons for the transfer include fewer taxes in Northern York, better education (specifically SAT, ACT, and PSSA scores), and shorter bus route for students in Washington Township. After several public comments explaining both sides of the issue, the Board ruled that the transfer be disfavored. Among other items were the success of the bullying prevention hotline and advancements in Gifted Education despite lack of funds. If you have any questions about the meeting feel free to reach out to our student representatives on the board, Donald LeCompte (paseniorstudentrep@ gmail.com) or Joshita Varshney (pajuniorstudentrep@gmail.com).

Apply to be the Junior Student Rep on the State Board of Education PASC is seeking to name a present sophomore to become the Junior State Board of Education (SBE) Member as of July 1, 2016. Since September 2008, a senior and a junior student have served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. In the spring of 2016, the process will be implemented to select the next Junior SBE Member, whose term will officially begin on July 1, 2016 as the current Senior Board member retires. What Is the State Board of Education? The State Board of Education sets all policies regarding public school education in the Commonwealth. It consists of Councils of Basic and Higher Education. The Board of Education has 17 adult members selected by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The chair and minority leader of the House and Senate Education Committees serve as well. The board meets in Harrisburg on Wednesdays and Thursdays in July, September, November, January, March, and May. Who May Apply? Any sophomore in a public high school in Pennsylvania may apply for the position for the 2016–2017 school year. Students do not have to attend a PASC member school in order to apply. Go to www.pasc.net to apply now for this important student advocacy position in Pennsylvania. Applications are due no later than February 28. Please direct any questions regarding these positions and the application process to PASC Executive Director RoseAnn Fulena at 724-971-4599 or PASC.exdir@gmail.com. 10

PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net

PASC Presidential Student Spotlight The Presidential Student Spotlight is a new program implemented by PASC State President Michaela Lynch. She started this program to recognize leaders throughout Pennsylvania who make a difference in their schools and communities. Consider nominating a student in your council who has exhibited leadership skills. Reasons to nominate a student leader include initiating a new program or event, helping others in a significant way, or spending a significant amount of time on a project or community service. If you feel someone in your council is worthy of this award, go to Awards and Scholarships, then student awards on the PASC website. More details and all of the requirements for the award are on the website. Nominations can be made directly at pasc.net. A committee will review all applications and a winner will be selected at the end of each month. The winner will be featured in PASC News. See page 11 of this issue for the first Presidential Spotlight.

First Presidental Spotlight Winner:

Becky Stefanyak, Norwin High School Almost every school and SGA in Pennsylvania hosts a Homecoming, which typically consists of a dance and parade. For Norwin High School’s student council president, Becky Stefanyak, this year’s Homecoming was not that simple. Since the beginning of June, Becky and her fellow officers worked diligently to make this year’s Homecoming a success. Becky had to deal with the transition of new advisors, new school principals, and other obstacles that made her responsibilities even more difficult. Becky was determined to make “A Knight in the Jungle” a night that she and her classmates would never forget. After months of planning and hard work, Becky was able to pull off a successful Homecoming weekend. The weekend started off with a Hall of Fame banquet Thursday night, along with the Royal Reception for the Homecoming Court that same evening. The following day, Friday, they held the second annual Homecoming Carnival. The carnival was an opportunity for the Norwin community to gather before the big game to meet and greet the Norwin HS sport teams and clubs/organizations that sponsored a game booth or food stand. After the carnival was the football game where the coronation of king and queen took place during halftime. Because Becky is asenior cheerleading captain, she walked out to the middle of the football field with her blue and gold cheerleading uniform on to present the sash and crown to the

king and queen On Saturday, Becky and the student council had even worse luck—they had no choice but to cancel the morning parade in which all high school sports and organizations were eager to participate. However, Becky was able to handle the situation maturely and take the necessary precautions so the community would be protected from severe weather conditions. The last and final homecoming event was the dance on Saturday evening. The dance was a huge success and all students who attended enjoyed themselves. From the DJ to the photo booth to the pop and snacks, Becky’s planning paid off. Now you may be thinking: What’s so different about this Homecoming than any other Homecoming? What’s the big deal with Becky? Becky is one of a kind. She is brilliant and selfless and defines what a true leader is and how one should act. For months, Becky was confident and able to lead her council to put on a fantastic weekend, while also managing numerous events as well (i.e. open house, teacher night, meetings, etc). It is stated that the PASC Presidential Spotlight Program is an opportunity for some of Pennsylvania’s greatest leaders to get the recognition that they deserve. After attending all three summer workshops and attending several state and district conferences, Becky is a prime example of what PASC is all about.

Nominate an outstanding student leader at your school for recognition in the PASC Presidential Spotlight! Visit http://www.pasc.net/ student-awards.html for details. PASC News Quarterly • December 2015 • www.pasc.net