PNQ September 2015 by Leadership Logistics

Pnq PASC News Quarterly

Successful Homecomings Get the Word Out

Honoring those who serve

Volume 40 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 1 â&#x20AC;˘ September 2015

Scholarship Opportunities

PA Adviser Wins National Award

Time to Climb

3 Keystone Council Awards

Board Positions Available

Project 9 Implementation

Inside This Issue PASC Board Positions Available... 2 LEAD Conference Planned for January in Washington DC............ 2 NASC National Conference in Portland, Oregon............................. 2 Applications Now Available for Keystone Council Awards............. 3 PASC Web Coordinator Position Changes Hands................................ 3 National Conference on Student Activities........................................... 3 Jaros Awarded 2015 NASC Adviser of the Year ........................................ 4 Act Now on Scholarship Opportunities................................................... 5 Candidates for Middle Level Representatives Needed.......................... 6 Seeking Regional Reps from Districts 6-10-12............................. 6 Reflections on NASC National Conference....................................... 6 2015 Conference Update: It’s Time to Climb............................................ 7 How To… Get the Word Out...... 7 Alumni Profile: Jess Leidy............... 8 Project Implementation................. 9 Honoring Those Who Serve......... 9 Seven Steps to a Successful Homecoming............................................... 10

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

Executive Director (3-year term)

• 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. • Deadline to apply is December 15, 2015 • Interviews will take place on Friday, January 8, 2016, in Altoona, PA

Resource Development Coordinator (3-year term)

• 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. • Deadline to apply is December 15, 2015 • Interviews will take place on Friday, January 8, 2016, in Altoona, PA

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 has been chosen as 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. Trip and conference details will be shared in the November issue of PASC News. Anticipated cost including conference registration, hotel accommodations, travel, meals, pre-trip entertainment and T-shirts should be approximately $1,700–$1.800. 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.

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

Applications Now Available for Keystone Council Awards PASC is excited to once again offer an opportunity for councils to receive PASC’s Keystone Council Award, a program started by Daniele Cromer, former PASC State President from Boyertown Area HS, two years ago. The 2014¬–15 recipients will be honored at the state conference in Harrisburg in November. The Keystone Council Awards are designed to fulfill PASC’s vision of recognizing school and individual achievements. Different from NASC’s National Council of Excellence Award, these acknowledgements operate solely on a state level and will highlight PASC member councils that are truly remarkable. PASC is presenting your council with not only a challenge, but also with an opportunity to grow and to improve through self-evaluation. We challenge you 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. To more effectively honor all student councils, there are separate Middle Level and High School applications for the awards. Both of these applications are

now viewable 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

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. PASC is eager to see more councils receive this award to show just how amazing Pennsylvania student councils are! This year there will be a special drawing at the Halifax State Conference after all the Keystone Council Schools are recognized on stage. One lucky Keystone Council School will receive a scholarship to attend one of our summer leadership camps that will be offered in 2016.

begin to complete the application, which must be submitted by May 20, 2016. We encourage you to take advantage of this deadline, seeing it as an opportunity to thoroughly evaluate your council’s accomplishments for the year. A Selection Committee will review applications and notify schools receiving Keystone Council Awards by October 1,

PASC Web Coordinator Position Changes Hands Longtime PASC Web Coordinator Dotty Noll officially retired from the PASC Board in August. Dotty served as the Web Coordinator since 2002 and for 21 years she was a staff member at Susquehanna Gold, teaching both organizational skills and project planning. Dotty taught at Eastern Lebanon County HS for 25 years and was the student council advisor there until her retirement in 2012. Dotty was responsible for many of PASC’s technological advances. She initiated our website, pasc.net, as well as email accounts, Google Docs for board meetings, online registration for conferences, ACT 48 credit for advisors, and online registration for the national trip, advisor activity workshop, and youth summit. Communication is the key to a successful organization and Dotty was responsible for bringing Facebook and Twitter to PASC. In 2011 Dotty was named as the PASC Advisor of the year and went on to be selected as the Region 2 Advisor of the Year. PASC thanks Dotty for her dedication to teaching, advising, and PASC. Best wishes and enjoy your retirement! Replacing Dotty on the board as the Website Coordinators are RJ Long from Emory H. Markle Intermediate School and Kyle Kauffman from South Western High School, both in the South Western School District. Both RJ and Kyle have served on the board in the past as district directors. Welcome back!

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Lisa Bernet at pasccommunications@gmail.com. Lisa is the chair of the Keystone Council Committee and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Now is the time to print the application and begin the process. PASC challenges you to help us double the amount of recipients of this award at the State Conference in 2016. Good Luck!

The Power of Student Activities The National Conference on Student Activities, sponsored by the National Association of Workshop Directors, is a great opportunity for advisors to gain new experiences and information about effectively working with student leaders. This year’s conference will be held December 4–6 in Niagara Falls, New York. Featuring “The POWER of Leadership” as its theme, the conference is designed to provide program strands that encourage participation of a wide variety of activity advisors, school administrators, leadership educators, motivational speakers, and consultants. For more information and to register, visit http://www.nawd.com/conference/ index.html

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

Jaros Awarded 2015 NASC Adviser of the Year Each year NASC honors student council advisers throughout the United States at its annual conference. This year, Jackie Jaros, student council adviser at Deer Lakes Middle School in Cheswick, PA, was named the 2015 Warren E. Shull National Middle Level Adviser. Jaros was selected at the PASC state conference in Altoona as the Pennsylvania Middle Level Adviser of the Year. In March she was selected as the Region 2 adviser of the year, and in June in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she received this prestigious award, making Pennsylvania proud! Jaros puts in countless hours and her entire heart into student leadership development. Described as passionate, dedicated, loyal, and empathetic, Jaros is a guidance counselor and has served as the Deer Lakes Middle School student council adviser for 14 years. Through her leadership, the students at Deer Lakes have come together for both spirit activities and meaningful service projects, raising funds for organizations

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 4

such as Make-A-Wish, Four Diamonds Foundation, the ASPCA, Best Buddies, and Team Tassy: Hats for Haiti. Jaros believes in making the world a better place for future generations. According to Deer Lakes principal David Campos, what truly sets Jaros apart from the rest is her ability to make people feel special: “I have witnessed quiet students find the courage to give a public speech; students who struggle socially participating with ‘popular’ students; and students with special needs not just made to feel as if they were part of something, but rather to truly be part of something.” PASC extends a special thanks to all of the educators who put in countless hours as advisers in their schools! Please consider nominating your adviser for Adviser of the Year. Talk to your district director to find out how your adviser can be nominated. Good luck to all of the 2015 nominees as we look forward to selecting the next PA High School and Middle Level Advisers of the Year in Harrisburg.

Jackie Jaros of Deer Lake MS was awarded the prestigious Warren E. Shull National Middle Level Adviser of the Year award at last summer’s NASC Conference.

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 • September 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

Act Now on Scholarship Opportunities 52nd Annual United States Senate Youth Scholarship Program Two student delegates from each state will be chosen to receive $5,000 college scholarships and the opportunity to spend a week in March 2016 in Washington, D.C., with delegates from across

engraved gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their schools or organizations, and a $5,000 grant from The Prudential Foundation for a nonprofit, charitable organization of their choice. Information is available at www.prudential.com/community/ spirit. Please do not miss this opportunity to give outstanding young volunteers the recognition they so richly deserve. Deadline is November 3, 2015.

$416,000 in Horatio Alger Scholarships to Be Awarded to Pennsylvania Seniors The Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans is accepting scholarship applications for the Class of 2016 due no later than October 25, 2015. Pennsylvania seniors will receive $416,000 in scholarships in 2016 in this program. Please share the following information with your Guidance Department and with students that you know who fit the following criteria:

President Obama addresses 2013 winners of the U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship during their week in Washington, D.C.

the nation. All expenses are paid by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Criteria and applications are available on the PASC website under awards and scholarships, student scholarships. Each school may nominate one outstanding junior or senior student leader to be considered for the scholarship. To be eligible for the Senate Youth scholarship, a student must be a high school junior or senior and must hold an elected position in student council, class government, or a regional or state officer position in a statewide organization. After being nominated by the building principal, the student must complete an application packet and submit it to be postmarked by October 14, 2015.

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program will award scholarships to students recognized for their dedication and selfless commitment to volunteerism. Eligible students must currently be in grades 5–12 and must be engaged in an act of volunteerism that has occurred, at least in part, during the 12 months prior to the application date. Programs could be done in or out of school. What do honorees win? • Students chosen as Local Honorees receive a Certificate of Achievement from their schools or organizations. Those who qualify (50 hours of service for age 14 and younger, 100 hours for those older) also receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award. • State Honorees receive an award of $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C., for national recognition events. • National Honorees receive an additional award of $5,000, an

The Horatio Alger Association seeks to assist students who have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming adversity, strength of character, financial need (under $55,000 adjusted gross family income), a good academic record, commitment to pursue a college education, and a desire to contribute to society. n National Scholars Program: Three Pennsylvania students will be selected to each receive a $22,000 scholarship and will be invited to the National Awards program in Washington, D.C. n Pennsylvania Scholars Program: Funded by the generosity of Joseph and Janet Neubauer, 50 Pennsylvania seniors will each receive a $7,000 college scholarship. Scholarship criteria are the same as for other Horatio Alger Scholarships. Student Council advisors and student leaders can help promote these scholarships for seniors in your school by sharing this information with guidance counselors, administrators, and faculty members. Every Pennsylvania high school has one or more seniors who could benefit by these scholarships. Help spread the word. These scholarships can only be applied for online: www.horatioalger.com/scholarships/index.cfm Applications available beginning August 1 with an October 25 deadline.

State Honorees in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards meet in Washington, D.C. PASC News Quarterly • September 2015 • www.pasc.net

Candidates for Middle Level Representatives Needed

PASC is seeking two teams, each consisting of a seventh grade student and his/her Student Council advisor, to serve as the Middle Level Representatives on the PASC Executive Board from January 1, 2016 to August 2, 2017. Current board members are Caden Scott and his advisor, Mrs. Andrea Aten, from Mountain View Middle School and Layla Engle and her advisor, Mrs. Jodi Ellis, from Millersburg Middle School. Please contact Lisa Bernet at lbernet@fleetwoodasd.org with any questions about the position or to obtain an application. The job description, application, and the overview of the selection process can also be found at www.pasc. net on the main page or by clicking on the News tab. Completed applications for the student and advisor must be postmarked by Friday, October 22, 2015. All the student/advisor teams will be interviewed at the State Conference on November 13, 2015 and two middle level teams will be selected to serve on the PASC Executive Board.

Seeking Regional Reps from Districts 6-10-12

PASC is seeking schools wishing to run for Regional Representative positions for Region C from District 6, Region F from District 12, and Region G from District 10. These positions are for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2016 and ending January 31, 2018. Elections for these positions will be held during Regional Caucus Meetings at the State Conference in Harrisburg on November 13, 2015. Schools wishing to self-nominate should contact their respective District Directors by Friday, October 22 to express interest and should prepare a five-minute presentation for the caucus. Students who are selected to serve as Regional Representatives must be named by the selected school by December 1, 2015. Students must be a freshman or a sophomore in September 2015 and must be willing to make a two-year commitment to PASC. Present terms continue for Representatives in Regions A-B-D-E until January 2017. Please contact your district director for more information.

NASC National Conference Amazing. Inspiring. Uplifting. By Tyler Raub, PASC President-Elect Words truly cannot do justice to the unbelievable experience I encountered at the 78th NASC National Conference. I was fortunate enough to attend this conference, held at Rio Rancho High School, right outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. As I had already attended a national conference, I thought I knew what to expect. My expectations were far exceeded. I never would have known that when the plane touched ground in Albuquerque on June 24, my life would forever be changed by the time I was back in Pittsburgh on June 29. PASC and NASC together created one of the most unforgettable journeys of my life, and I am only one of many who can say that. Rio Rancho High School went all out to ensure each of the 1,000 delegates had the greatest and most enriching experiences of our lives. The top speakers in the nation provided us with new ways to find our passion. Different thoughts and ideas were exchanged between people from across the country. Friendships and bonds were created that will never be broken. There was never a frown on someone’s face. The excitement and the atmosphere were electric for all three days of the conference. It was impossible NOT to have a good time. I was able to experience a phenomenal, fun-filled week of white-water rafting, hiking in the Sandia Mountains, cultural experiences, meeting new people, and exploring the world around me. While I never wanted the adventure to end, the memories will carry over with me for a lifetime. I left Albuquerque not only as a different leader, but a stronger one.

Order your individual shirts on the PASC website at http://pascapparel.com/product/wounded-warrior-tee/

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

2015 Conference Update

It’s Time to Climb By Michaela Lynch, PASC State President

With the 2015 State Conference just around the corner, Halifax has some important reminders regarding the conference. The conference will be held in the city of Harrisburg at the Hilton Hotel and the Crowne Plaza on November 12–14, 2015. REGISTRATION opened on September 3, so don’t forget to register! The registration process is a little different than it has been in past years. You must register for the conference on our website, pasc2015. org. Additionally to book your hotel rooms, you have to call the Hilton, ask for Jason Burd, and mention you are a part of the PASC block for November 12, 13, and 14. The cost of the room per night/per person is $134. PARKING AND FOOD also have changes from previous years. There are a few options for parking. There are a few parking garages in the area that can be used if you are taking a regular-sized vehicle. If you are taking a bus, a school van, or any other large vehicle, you will have to park on

City Island. There are additional fees for parking. Please plan ahead for parking. Food is also something that is different. The Hilton is connected to Strawberry Square, which is where you will be eating on Thursday for dinner and Friday for lunch. Part of your registration cost of $100 covers vouchers for these two meals. Dinner will be served at the banquet on Friday night. Breakfast is on your own. Some vendors will be open for breakfast at Strawberry Square or you can bring your own breakfast items, which can be eaten in your room. OTHER REMINDERS. There are just a few more things you need to keep in mind as you register for the conference. The banquet and dance this year will be held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show building. Halifax has decided to make the dance semi-formal. We also strongly recommend you wear comfortable shoes. The Farm Show building is a large building and there is a short walk from the banquet area to the dance area, so we suggest that you do

not wear shoes that will make it difficult for you to walk. If you have any further questions about the conference please check out pasc2015. org. Please fill out a question form on the website so someone is able to get back to you. We look forward to seeing you in November! Please register for the conference by October 16th! Can’t wait to see you in Harrisburg!

How To… Get the Word Out Whether your council is hosting a great service project, conducting a fundraiser, or sponsoring a social activity, no one will participate if they don’t know about it. Use these ideas for getting the word out about your activities. FIND A UNIQUE ANGLE. With homework to be done, family obligations, after-school jobs, sports, and other activities, students have many competing demands on their time—and their money. To get them to break out of their normal routine and attend your event, it needs to catch their attention. You need to determine what makes your event unusual or interesting and play up that angle. If you can’t find one, be creative and make one up! TRY DIFFERENT APPROACHES. In today’s media-saturated society, students have become very good at tuning out many of the messages they are bombarded with each day. Advertisers believe that it takes a message seven times to get through to a person, so you’ll want to try a variety of methods to attract attention. To be effective, your publicity campaign needs to be unique, eye-catching, multifaceted, and creative. You can’t just rely on

posters and announcements. Try adding more creative publicity techniques to the mix—anything that will get your message noticed, such as: • Use table tents on lunch and library tables • Make use of old election campaign signs by painting over them with white latex paint and then create your own signs to promote your events. Place the signs in yards or on campus. • Put stickers on cans in the drink machines (put them on before the cans get cold or they won’t stick) • Spell out a message on the fence around the athletic field • Create a screensaver and ask the librarians and computer lab folks if you can install it on all their computers • Make doorhangers like hotel “do not disturb” signs from brightly colored card stock and hang them on classroom doorknobs TWEAK THE TRADITIONAL. Being creative with your publicity doesn’t mean you have to abandon the traditional techniques that have served well in the past. See if there’s a way you can tweak them to make them more effective. PASC News Quarterly • September 2015 • www.pasc.net

Where are they now?

Alumni Profile: Jess Leidy How were you involved with PASC, both in high school and beyond? During the end of my sophomore year of high school, one of my teachers approached me about getting involved more deeply in student council; I was a classroom representative at the time. He encouraged me to run for secretary during the following year and I took the risk. Fortunately, I won the election and began to be transformed by the position and the council. From that point on, I was highly involved in any and all student-run activities and fell in love with the constant challenge of each new day in student council. The next year, I was president and began to build a commitment to student council work through attending and presenting at district, state, and national conferences. Once the school year was coming to a close, I knew that the passion I had for student leadership would not die and that I needed to apply to be on summer staff at one of the gold workshops. The same summer I was a color group leader at Susquehanna Gold with some of the best. The next summer, I was back in the same role and the following two summers I was part of another excellent staff at Advanced Gold as a council advisor. I must say, that my favorite summer on staff was this most recent at Advanced Gold, because I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to find myself teaching workshops on self-esteem and stress management. I intend to be part of the PASC family for many more years and could not thank everyone who has been a part of it.

life I have been given. In January, I am embarking on another life-changing adventure in Malaysia. Receiving a Fulbright grant to teach English for ten months, PASC Alum Jess Leidy is a graduate of Boyertown HS I am extremely grateful for this new chapter of my life.

Did your experience with PASC have an impact on who you are today? PASC has impacts my life every day—some days in very small ways, others in large. I think PASC most helped me to shift my mindset from creating “fun” events in the high school I attended to creating events that help other students understand themselves or meet a need. I also see a number of the skills that were cultivated in PASC-sponsored events that continue to show through in my engagement in and out of schools. Mentoring has also become a huge part of my life, since I first had the opportunity to be a mentee. I have found that I desire to be in one-on-one conversations and work on helping others truly find their purpose.

What have you accomplished since you left high school?

What would you tell someone who hasn’t yet gotten involved with PASC?

Since leaving high school, I have graduated from Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County with a degree in secondary mathematics education and a minor in human services. During my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Gambia, a small country in West Africa. During my time, I took classes at the only university in the country, taught 120 high school students various levels of mathematics, and engaged deeply with the culture and people of Gambia. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything at this point in my life. It changed how I view the world and what I wish to do with the one

Do it! Plain and simple, the friends, experiences, and new perspectives that you will gain will be far better than sitting at home watching Netflix.

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

What was your favorite PASC moment? It is quite challenging to pick a favorite, but I will generalize. My favorite times in PASC are when you are reunited with someone you met at a previous conference or workshop. There is an excitement to see people who share the bond of student leadership. I always am very grateful for the conversations that ensue.

Project Implementation

Follow These Steps to Organize an Amazing Event By Billy Wermuth, Middle Level Rep Every amazing event starts somewhere. But where? How do your ideas go from a thought to a huge activity overflowing with kids? That’s where project implementation comes in. As Dictionary.com states, project implementation is the phase where visions and plans become reality. This is the logical conclusion, after evaluating, deciding, visioning, planning, applying for funds, and finding the financial resources of a project. When you have an idea you are reaching the phase of inception. This is when you take in any issues you, your school, or your community face. The first step to hosting an event begins with addressing what you need and why. Dances and fundraisers do not emerge from thin air, but are created by students who see a need for money or for more involvement within their schools. Inception is extremely important in targeting a specific audience and addressing any problems that need more attention.

Once your idea has been established, elaborating is the next phase of the Project Implementation process. Here you take what you incepted and establish the activity or event that will help to fix the problem noticed. This is when you begin brainstorming ideas that would serve as the solution. The basis behind your activity is thought out in this step. Planning serves as one of the important steps to the process. Here the “meat and potatoes” are established. This will be the dates and times and the theme of the event. In this stage you are nailing down all the fine details and making sure everything is written down and organized. Consider splitting into committees and accomplishing different tasks that will move this process along faster and enable all areas to be covered. After thinking of the idea and planning, it’s time to execute the activity. The execution stage is the actual event. Attending and having fun are extremely important. Enjoy the activity and take

in what you just worked so hard to create. Execution also involves getting students and staff to attend—the more people that attend the better. Execution serves as an essential part because it ties in everything you and your council did and it puts it all together. The last stage to Project Implementation is feedback. This is essential in understanding how your event or activity went. People in student council may perceive an activity one way, but students may think something different. Talking amongst your friends or creating an evaluation two great ways of receiving feedback. With Project Implementation students are able to follow a process when creating big and outstanding events. These described steps are essential in planning and with this no event is too big. Project Implementation serves as a format for students to do the best they can when it comes to planning an amazing event.

Honoring Those Who Serve Veterans Day is held each year on November 11, and it provides an opportunity to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It’s a great opportunity for student leaders to organize their peers to say “thank you” to the people in their communities who have served in the military.

projects include:

Many schools organize Veterans Day assemblies where they invite a local veterans group to send an honor guard to present the flag or have a speaker address students. If you’re interested in holding this type of event, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website (www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/docs/2012_veterans_day_teacher_guide.pdf) for a teacher’s guide and other useful resources.

uCreate a quilt of valor to be sent to a combat service member or a wounded veteran convalescing in your community. Visit the Quilts of Valor Foundation at http://www.qovf.org/ to find out how to create a quilt to donate or to donate money or fabric.

In addition to the traditional Veterans Day assembly, students can show their appreciation to members of the military by organizing any number of service activities. Some ideas for service

uCollect old, worn-out flags that have embroidered stars on them and send the flags to the Stars for Our Troops program. The stars will be turned into mementos for American soldiers to let them know they are not forgotten. Find out more at http://www. gettysburgflag.com/starsfortroops-americanflags.php

uConduct a book or DVD drive to send to deployed soldiers and veterans in VA hospitals. Check the Books for Soldiers website at http://booksforsoldiers.com/ for details. uDonate blood for troops in combat. Visit the Armed Services Blood Program at http://www.militaryblood.dod.mil/ to find out how. PASC News Quarterly • September 2015 • www.pasc.net

Seven Steps to a Successful Homecoming By Lyn Fiscus

More than one hundred years after the first Homecoming was celebrated on the college level, Homecoming is well-entrenched as a traditional fall activity at most high schools in the United States. Over the years, Homecoming spirit week in secondary schools seems to have lost the primary focus of inviting alumni back to visit their alma mater and typically has become an extravaganza that involves many people in a variety of activities designed to raise school spirit. It often includes class competitions, spirit dressup days, a pep rally, a bonfire, election or selection of “royalty,” a parade, a dance, and other activities—all of which can be overwhelming for student councils responsible for organizing it all. If your council organizes Homecoming, follow these tips to make the process go smoothly. START PLANNING AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Theme selection and basic outline of activities for the week can all be done in May or June for the following fall, and theoretically student leaders can begin planning over the summer. At the very least, getting an early start with the basics will enable your group to begin serious planning right away at the beginning of the school year. SET GOALS FOR THE WEEK. As with other activities, it’s a good idea to begin by determining what you hope to accomplish with all the hubbub of Homecoming. Are you trying to build class unity? Show school pride? Reconnect with alumni? Establish stronger ties with the community? The activities you select to carry out will be influenced by the goals you have in mind. CONNECT WITH OTHER GROUPS INVOLVED. Other groups on campus also have important roles to play in spirit week. For example, the marching band will likely have a halftime show and the pep band will play a role in your pep rally and bonfire. The cheerleaders and other spirit leaders will have routines to show off. Coaches and athletes will be getting ready for their big games. Various other groups might be planning activities and fundraisers. To avoid conflicts between plans and to facilitate communication, establish a steering committee to guide all the events and create a master plan. Keep communication open and be sure all groups involved know what is planned. SELECT A THEME. The trick to selecting a Homecoming theme is to pick something that offers a wide variety of choices in developing spirit days, activities, parade floats, and dance decorations. A good theme provides a unifying element that ties all the activities of the week together. When deciding on a theme, keep these things in mind: • Will there be enough variation so that each class will be able to develop distinct elements? For example, “The Games Seahawks 10

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

Play” provides ample opportunity to develop sub-themes such as board games, card games, sports games, TV games, and so forth. • Will you be able to develop noontime and pep rally activities to correspond with the theme?[[ • What kind of spirit dress-up days will be inspired by the theme? • Will the theme work with dance decorations? What colors will be predominant? • Can you think of a catchy slogan to use? For example, instead of just the topic “cartoons” use a phrase like “Mustangs ‘Toon It Up.” • Will the theme present your school in a positive manner to the community? ESTABLISH COMMITTEES. Following the adage that “people support that which they create,” the more people who are involved in planning Homecoming activities, the better the participation in your events will be. Instead of relying on a few key people to do all the work, engage as many people as possible in committees and subcommittees. SET A BUDGET. Without a guideline of how much money is available for Homecoming activities, it’s easy to go overboard on expenses. As a starting point, look at previous Homecoming expenses and income, if possible. Calculate how much revenue you have to work with from all sources—dance ticket sales, concessions, spirit fundraisers, etc.—and estimate all the areas in which your group will have expenses. If the expenses exceed your revenue projections, you can either figure out how to trim costs so they are in line with revenue, or figure out how to increase the revenue by doing things like raising the ticket price, seeking donations for needed supplies, or selling ads for a program. Once the overall budget is determined, be sure to let each committee know what its part of the budget entails. LET STUDENT LEADERS LEAD. It’s often easier just to tell students what needs to be done or do it yourself, but that approach often leads to adviser burnout—one person just can’t handle everything involved in planning Homecoming. If you take the extra time to teach student leaders how to break a project down into the steps that need to be accomplished, pull all the elements together to make the project happen, and hold them responsible for carrying out their plans, you will end up with student leaders who can apply those skills in many situations after Homecoming is over. Used as an on-the-job training opportunity, Homecoming can make your job as the adviser a bit easier for the rest of the year as student leaders look for new opportunities to practice their leadership skills. Lyn Fiscus is a freelance education writer and student activity adviser in Reston, VA.