PASC News Inside This Issue News & Notes.....................2 Student Summit Photo Highlights .........................2 Deadline Extended to Apply for Student Member-Elect for State Board of Education......................................4 Pennridge HS Plans for 2009 State Conference.............5 State Service Project..........5 Summer Workshop: What’s All the Fuss?......................6 Get Involved: Local Government Elections Are Important Too..............................6 PA Advisors Named NASC Region 2 Advisors of the Year.....................................6
Volume 33 Issue 7 March 2009
Student Summit Participants Share Their Opinions with the Governor More than 30 schools from Erie to Philadelphia, from Pittsburgh to Scranton, and everywhere in between, participated in the Student Summit on February 26. The 110 student delegates and 40 advisors who attended heard opening remarks by Gregory C. Fait, Chief of Staff for Governor Ed Rendell. During the morning, groups of students worked with more than 15 adult facilitators in caucus and committee rooms in the Capitol. Working in groups of 15–25, these student committees drafted proposals
expressing Delegates from more than 30 schools participated in the annual their views Student Summit in Harrisburg, February 26. on actions the Pennsylvania government of the House of Representashould take on critical issues. tives. Each participant was Topic areas included: Educagiven written copies of two tion, Environment, Energy, differing proposals from each Healthy Choices in Schools, committee by student pages and Funding of the rebuilding from South Western High of highways, bridges, and mass School. The two proposals transit systems. from each committee were then presented by teams of three PASC Past-President Sarah students followed by a lively Cashdollar and Garnet Val20-minute question and answer ley High School Student period with scores of student Government President Nick participants expressing their Lavella chaired the afternoon opinions at the microphones. session, held in the Chamber continued on page 2
Pennridge Selects Four Diamonds Fund As PASC State Service Project for 2009 Pennridge High School, host of the 2009 PASC State Conference and PASC President, is proud to announce that the State Service Project for the 2009 will be the Four Diamonds Fund. This organization—founded by Charles and Irma Millard, parents who lost a young child to cancer in 1972—provides financial, medical, and research support for the care and treatment of children diagnosed with cancer.
It is our hope that the partnership between PASC and the Four Diamonds Fund will be able to make a significant difference in the lives of children and families struggling with childhood cancer. Charles and Irma Millard founded The Four Diamonds Fund after the passing of their 14-year-old son, Christopher, whose courageous three-year struggle with cancer was the inspiration behind the orga-
nization. During his illness, Christopher penned the story of “Sir Millard,” a long-forgotten knight of King Arthur’s round table who was the bearer of the Diamonus Quadrus, or Four Diamonds. Sir Millard’s quest to collect these Four Diamonds—Diamonds of Courage, Wisdom, Honesty, and Strength—was symbolic of the traits that Christopher believed were necessary to overcome his disease. Now, continued on page 4
News & Notes NASC Conference in Colorado PASC has filled all of its allotted seats for the 2009 NASC Conference at Highlands Ranch High School near Denver for the June 27–30 program. Four student-led workshops from Pennsylvania have also been accepted. More than 70 Pennsylvania delegates will be traveling to the conference this year. Should your school still want to send students or advisors, please complete the direct delegate application now online at www.nasc.us. Delegates who apply now may still be able to join the PASC pre-trip if airline seats are available at a later date. PASC is finalizing its pre-conference trip plans and making airline reservations now. For trip information contact Kathy Coll at kcoll1@comcast.net.
Amy Kauffman to Serve a Second Term as PASC Middle Level Coordinator Advisor to the Emory H. Markle Intermediate School Student Council, Amy Kauffman was recently named to a second threeyear term as PASC Middle Level Coordinator. Amy will continue to work with our middle level representatives and middle level advisors on the PASC board to prepare resources for our member middle level schools. District 3 is finalizing a revised handbook entitled Hosting a Middle Level Conference. Amy will be contacting middle schools across the state, encouraging them to host one-day or afternoon conferences for middle level student councils in their area during the 2009–2010 school year. The handbook will serve as a valuable resource. Please share your ideas, questions, and successful projects with Amy at Amy_Kauffman@swsd.k12.pa.us.
Dotty Noll to Continue as PASC Website Coordinator The PASC Executive Board voted recently to name Eastern Lebanon County High School advisor Dotty Noll to another three-year term as Website Coordinator. Dotty continually updates www.pasc.net and adds links to resources for students and advisors as they are developed. Please share your ideas, and concerns, for items to be added to the website by contacting Dotty at dnoll@elcosd.org. In addition to her work with the PASC website, Dotty also serves as the PASC liaison to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which permits the granting of Act 48 credit by PASC for any of its programs in which advisors participate at the state, regional, or district level.
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PASC News • March 2009 • www.pasc.net
Student Summit continued from page 1 At the conclusion of the Q & A sessions, delegates voted on the proposals, choosing between Proposal A or B for each topic. PASC greatly appreciates the support it has received for this program from PennCORD, our civic engagement partner. WHAT PENNSYLVANIA STUDENT LEADERS THINK ABOUT… EDUCATION: The principal objective of the graduation requirements should be to support and nurture the growth of the individual. PSSA testing does not provide a means of fulfilling the individual’s needs. PSSAs measure academic mastery but not the developing of integrity, thinking critically, collaborating with others and adapting to change. These are also critical aspects of a student’s education and development. It is imperative that authority rest in the local schools which can relate to the needs of the individual students than can a standardized testing program. ENVIRONMENT: All schools in Pennsylvania should reduce energy consumption by 10% within five years. 15% of the money collected as fines from polluters should be directed to a Green En-
ergy School Initiative Fund. Schools would be encouraged to partner with local businesses in the implementation of green initiatives. Examples would be partnering with a local recycling company, energy company, or water company. We feel mandates are necessary for establishing incentives and funding to get schools initiatives started. The state should hire energy experts to work with schools to establish energy use criteria. ENERGY: Currently 55% of our state’s energy use is based on coal and 2% on alternative resources. Pennsylvania needs a comprehensive energy plan. This plan should include taxes, infrastructure, and alternative resources. Taxes: Create tax incentives to encourage households to convert to greener energy technology. Standards and policies will be established for companies to convert to greener energy sources. Over time, higher taxes will be imposed on households and companies which do not convert. Infrastructure: Expand the rail systems of Pennsylvania and converting the system to electric. “Greenovate” our schools and state offices. Our goal is for our public buildings
to be zero emissions structures. Covert state government vehicles to a hybrid fleet. Alternative Resources: Research and develop solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, while reducing but not eliminating current energy resources such as nuclear energy and coal. Promote alternative energy through changing tax standards and incentives. HEALTH CHOICES: The Department of Education should better regulate existing state health requirements for students though a regulatory committee and school health audits. State funding should be provided for schools to have speakers and professionals visit schools to address specific health-related topics with students. The state government should restrict and reform the school lunch choices . This includes but not limited to baked items, whole grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and the complete elimination of fried foods. FUNDING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE: Public transportation should be made more readably available to decrease the use of roads and bridges. Engineering teams should be developed to continually ensure the safety of our state’s infrastructure.
Participants shared these comments on the day: “This summit was both eye-opening and life-changing. I got to see firsthand what students from other schools in Pennsylvania felt.”—Daisey Muldrow, Constitution HS, Philadelphia “It was fantastic being in the beautiful House chamber and learning about topics from other driven students.” —Anna Burnham,York Catholic HS “As a Pennsylvania student leader, the Student Summit gave me a chance to voice the opinions and values of my peers and myself. I was able to further develop my leadership skills and public speaking while tackling the ‘real world’ problems my generation will have to solve in our future.”—Sarah Chudnovsky, Governor Mifflin HS “The Student Summit was so much fun! At first I thought ‘funding infrastructure’ wasn’t going to be fun, but as soon as I got with my group and we discussed, it was so fun and I met really nice and smart people. Then we got up and presented our opinions on the House floor; it was so exhilarating, and I learned to get out of my comfort zone, and take my leadership skills to good use. I’m a freshman, and hope I can do this program all through my high school years.” —Kelsie Miller, Faust Junior HS “This summit got me thinking about what issues affect ME, making it one of the best PASC experiences that I have ever had.”—Michael Belsky, North Allegheny Intermediate HS “The PASC Student Summit was an intriguing view of the daily work of a legislator that not all people realize is important. The program was a fantastic way to get students interested in their state government.”—Allison Wagman, Central HS, Philadelphia “The Student Summit allows you to learn about the legislative process by experience instead of by the book.”— Winston Gordon, Pocono Mountain West HS PASC News • March 2009 • www.pasc.net
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Deadline Extended: PASC Seeks Sophomore To Serve on State Board of Education Since September 2008, Liz Williams, Pocono Mountain West HS senior, and Gardiner Kreglow, Bethlehem Liberty HS junior, have served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. Liz’s term as Student Member will end with the SBE meeting of May 20–21, 2009. We are happy to announce that Gardiner Kreglow will be appointed for a second year to serve as the Student Member. PASC has been charged with the responsibility to select the next Student Member-Elect. This student will be named this spring and will begin his or her term as of July 1. Gardiner and the Student Member-elect will attend their first meeting in mid-July. What Is the State Board of Education? The State Board of Education sets all policies regarding public school education in the Commonwealth. They have 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 mid-July, September, November, January, March, and May. A detailed job description is available at www.pasc.net or by contacting PASC at PASCInfo@aol.com. 4
What Are the Duties of Students on the Board of Education?
have student representatives on their Boards of Education.
The new Student Memberelect of the Board of Education will join Gardiner Kreglow in representing the 1.8 million K–12 public school students in the Commonwealth. Although they can not be an expert on every issue or idea coming before the Board of Education and its committees, student members will be expected to do their “homework” to become knowledgeable about topics of interest to Pennsylvania stu-
Who May Apply? PASC is seeking to name a present sophomore to the Student Member-Elect position. It is our hope that, based on a January 2010 evaluation, the Student Gardiner Kreglow, Bethlehem Liberty HS junior, Member-Elect would will be appointed for a second year to serve as the become the next Student Student Member on the State Board of Education. Member. The process plicants by PASC Ad Hoc will be implemented in the Committee spring of 2009 to name the May TBA: Interviews in next Student-Member Elect, Harrisburg with sophomore finalists
DEADLINE EXTENDED: Advisors: Please share this important information with your student leaders right away! dents, including special needs students and vocational and technical school students. Working with PASC, the student members will use the PASC NEWS communications system, the PASC website, and PASC survey tools to communicate with their constituents. The students will report periodically to the PASC Executive Board and attend the state conference and January Executive Board meeting for face-to face reporting and feedback. Student voice on the Pennsylvania Board of Education will be an incredible opportunity for the students involved as well as for all Pennsylvania students. Only 13 states in the nation
PASC News • March 2009 • www.pasc.net
whose term will begin on July 1, 2009. Any sophomore in a public high school in Pennsylvania may apply for the position for the 2009–2010 school year. Students do not have to attend a PASC member school to apply. Travel, meals, and lodging in Harrisburg or other meeting sites in the state will be paid for by the State Board of Education. Travel, meals, and lodging for required meetings of PASC will be paid by PASC. Selection Timeline April 13: New extended deadline for application and recommendations by mail or fax April 18: Screening of ap-
May 20–21: First meeting of the State Board of Education for the 2009–2010 school year. New Student Member-Elect to attend. Application Includes • Basic contact information • Student resume • Two essays • Three letters of recommendation • Signatures of approval and support from the student, parent/guardian, school administration Download the information cover letter, application, requirements and expectations, and overview of the State Board of Education at www.pasc.net
Application deadline by mail or fax is Monday, April 13, 2009.
PASC NEWS is published monthly during the school year. To submit announcements, articles, or corrections for newsletters, please email the Executive Director or Assistant Executive Director. Articles or information from PASC NEWS may be reproduced for use, with appropriate credit. Executive Director Jim Finnemeyer North Penn HS 1340 Valley Forge Road Lansdale, PA 19446 215-368-6196 215-855-0632 (Fax) Finnemeyer@aol.com PASCInfo@aol.com Assistant Executive Director Kathy Ann Coll 174 Link Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15237 412-366-5744 Kcoll1@comcast.net PASC President Abby Case Pennridge HS 1400 N. Fifth Street Perkasie, PA 18944 PASC President-Elect To Be Determined PASC News Editor Lyn Fiscus Leadership Logistics PASC Email: PASCInfo@aol.com PASC Website: www.pasc.net
Join Us at Pennridge High School for the 2009 PASC State Conference Believe it or not, the 2009 PASC State Conference is rapidly approaching! Pennridge High School has eagerly accepted the honor of hosting this year’s conference, November 12–14. The state conference committee is working diligently to make this year’s conference a success. This year’s theme, Celebrity Councils: Celebrate! will highlight the importance of leadership and service within student councils, communities, and PASC. During the conference there will be a speciifc focus on each of these groups. Joining the conference are two well-known speakers, Josh Sunquist and Scott Greenberg,
who are excited to join in on the celebration. You can learn more about these incredible speakers and their stories at the state conference website, www. celebrate2009.org. Online housing applications also are available on the website. Delegates wishing to perform a workshop will be able to submit an application online on the state conference website within the next month. The state charity chosen for this year is the Four Diamonds Fund. (See article below for details.) By exposing this charity state-wide, a conference goal is for student councils all over Pennsylvania to begin running Mini-THONs at their
own schools to help raise more money for children suffering from cancer. Delegates will experience the Mini-THON experience as part of our Thursday evening conference activity. By promoting the theme of Celebrity Councils to all student councils across the state, this conference will strive to let each delegate celebrate what makes him or her unique, and discover that our differences can draw us together. Not only will students learn to celebrate service, but they will also learn to celebrate diversity and acceptance through the unification of Pennsylvania students at Pennridge High School.
State Service Project for 2009 Selected continued from page 1 these themes are incorporated into the mission of the Four Diamonds Fund. Since its inception in 1972, the Four Diamonds Fund has helped to provide more than 2,000 families of childhood cancer patients with superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research. The Fund covers all expenses for the care and treatment of the children that insurance alone cannot pay for. Additionally, Four Diamonds supports an experienced staff of pediatric oncologists, nurse specialists, social workers, child life specialists, a clinical nutritionist, a clinical psychologist, and even a music therapist. And, since 1993, The Fund annually has supported research projects that focus on developing new courses of pediatric cancer
treatment as well as cancer prevention.
For more than 30 years, The Four Diamonds Fund has been the beneficiary of Penn State’s annual THON, a 48-hour dance marathon that is now a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer and the Penn State Children’s Hospital. THON has been an enormously successful endeavor, raising more than $52 million since 1977 and nearly $7.5 million during the 2008–2009 campaign alone. In recent years, high schools and middle schools local to the Penn State area and beyond have held their own “mini-thons,” compressed versions of the Penn State event. This is where you, as a PASC partner school, can join us in fundraising for Four Diamonds
and help to aid children in need. With your cooperation, the goals that PASC has set can be reached. We urge you to join in the fight against childhood cancer by holding your own mini-thon, as more than 50 other schools across the state have done. With your help, we hope to increase the current number of mini-thons to 80, as well as to break the $1 million mark in our fundraising efforts (last year, mini-thons raised $700,000). We at Pennridge High School are asking you to join us in these goals for The Four Diamonds Fund; together, we can spread the word and the means to combat childhood cancer. We ask you to seize this opportunity and consider participating in the PASC effort. You can make a difference.
PASC News • March 2009 • www.pasc.net
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Summer Workshop: What’s All the Fuss? Wondering if a PASC Summer Workshop will be a worthwhile experience? Here’s what some 2008 Gold Workshop participants had to say about it: “PASC Gold is truly a life-changing experience. The best part of it is that when all of the delegates go home, they will change even more lives using the leadership skills used here.” —Lexa Mastro, Mars HS “A week full of fun, craziness, friendships, and leadership.”—Priyanka Patel, North Penn HS “This was the best time of my life. I’ve gained invaluable experience and
knowledge that I know will help me through the rest of my life.”—Dan Nguyen, Norristown HS “Leaders aren’t born, they’re made and PASC is the perfect place to become a leader.” —R. J. Walsh, Kennedy-Kendrick Catholic HS
welcoming people I have ever met. Everyone here really enjoys their job.”—Anonymous Delegate
“So much more than just leadership. Not your average camp. What a great experience!!!” —Jenna Reichert, Garnet Valley HS
“I thought I knew what Student Council was all about—but I had NO idea! This was an awesome experience.” —Ann Deibert, West York HS
“Exceeded all of our expectations. On Monday, you’ll wonder why you are here and by Wednesday, you’ll wish you could stay forever. These were the most
“Simply amazing. Not only was this camp very useful and informative, it was tons of fun and exceeded all of my expectations.”—Steve Gaddis, Bethel Park HS
“I never believed that I could grow so much in just a small period of time until I came to PASC Summer Workshops. One of the best experiences of my life. Wow!!!”—George Tsoflias, Manheim Twp HS
Get Involved: Local Government Elections Are Important Too Many student councils focused on the presidential election in 2008 with voter registration drives and mock elections in November. The primary and general elections of 2009 focus on candidates running for school board, town councils, township supervisors, and other local positions. u. Work to make sure that your seniors and other 18-yearold students are registered to vote. Registration forms are available at your County Board of Elections Office. The
deadline to register to vote in the May primary election is April 20. A potential voter can register as long as they will be 18 by May 19. v School Board elections in many ways have the greatest impact on high school students and the community. Consider hosting a “Candidate Forum” in your school before the May primary. w. Many communities need individuals to staff the local polling places. Inspectors of
Election (one Democrat and one Republican) are needed for every polling location to check the names of voters as they come in to vote. Each polling place also needs a Clerk to write down the name of every voter that comes in. Polling places also need from one to four Machine Operators to monitor the voting machines. Elections days are long days, approximately 6:30 AM–9:00 PM. A small remuneration of $50–90 is given to poll workers. This is a great civic service
opportunity. It may mean a day out of school on Tuesday, May 19 for schools in session. Those who staff the polls must be 18 years of age or older and also must be registered voters. If you do not know the local leader of the Democratic or Republican Party in your community, look in the phonebook and call the party headquarters at your county seat to find out who to contact in your municipality. Get your feet wet in local politics and serve your community at the same time.
PA Advisors Named NASC Region 2 Advisors of the Year Both Kathy Coll, recently retired advisor at North Allegheny Intermediate High School, and Amy Kauffman of Emory H. Markle Intermediate School have been named Advisors of the Year from Region 2 of NASC. NASC Region 2 is comprised of the states 6
of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. At the NASC Conference at Highlands Ranch HS in Colorado in June, Kathy and Amy will be recognized as regional award winners and each will compete against seven other regional nominees to be
PASC News • March 2009 • www.pasc.net
named as one of the two Warren A. Shull National Advisors of the Year. Good Luck to both Kathy and Amy has they move forward in the selection process!
Kathy Coll (left) and Amy Kaufman have been named as NASC Region 2 Advisors of the Year and will compete for the honor of 2009 National Advisor of the Year.