PASC News Inside This Issue U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named....................2 Looking Ahead to 2010..........2 Council to Council Idea Exchange................................3 • Turkey Bowl • Thanksgiving Dinner Become a National Council of Excellence.............................4 New Resource for Leadership Class Teachers......................4 Breakfast in Disneyland..........5 NASC Conference Pre-trip Plans for 2010......................6 Getting to Know Your Group Members Better...................6 Student and Staff Appreciation Ideas for American Education Week......................................6 When You Come to Our Next Meeting..................................7
Volume 34 Issue 3 November 2009
Community Center Initiative Begins in Athens Borough Student council members from SRU Middle School, Harlan Rowe JHS, and Athens Area HS met with advisors, community leaders, and the First Lady of Pennsylvania, Judge Marjorie Rendell, to discuss Constitutional rights and responsibilities on Friday, September 18th. During the hour-long meeting, Judge Rendell encouraged students to bring an imaginative and adventuresome spirit to everything they did. She asked students if they thought there was a project within the Athens community that needed to be done to make Athens a better place for everyone. An idea of a community center complete with soup kitchen was brought up along with a community fair to kick off the center’s grand opening. When Judge Rendell asked the group if they agreed, every hand went up. She commented that she had been to many town meetings and had never seen such an overwhelming response to a proposed project. Students from the three
First Lady of Pennsylvania Judge Marjorie Rendell helped kick off an Athen Borough community initiative.
schools broke into groups and discussed ways to make the community center a reality. With community members present, who represented the local business association, town councils, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association, students were able to formulate a plan of action. The Athens Borough Council President, Todd Campbell, suggested a building within the Athens Borough, which would be available for use in November. Judge Rendell felt very confident that Athens Area would have a community center very soon. She said she would like to return next fall to see the progress made on the venture. SRU Student continued on page 2
State Conference Just Around the Corner The lights are ready, the camera is set, and the action is about to begin, because “Celebrity Councils: Celebrate!” is less than two weeks away! One thousand people from across Pennsylvania will be arriving at Pennridge HS for a week-end long celebration of the achievements we’ve made as councils, and to be inspired to take our Student Councils to the next level of student leadership. Almost two years in the making, the weekend will be full of
incredible memories, from keynote speakers Scott Greenberg and Josh Sundquist, to our celebration banquet, “A Night Among the Stars.” Registration is officially closed, so for all attending, here is a run-down of information you need to know before your limo arrives. Your delegation should arrive between 12:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m on Friday, Nov. 12. The conference kicks off with a carnival full of food and games. You may even see a PASC
board member duck-taped to a wall! At this time, advisors will also register for their Advisor University courses. Registration for these courses is rolling, so the earlier you register continued on page 2
News & Notes United States Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named Congratulations to the following students who were recently named as scholarship finalists in the United States Senate Youth program. These students will be interviewed on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the state capitol in Harrisburg. In addition to their interview, they will take a government and constitution-based current events exam. The Department of Education will host these students and their parents for a luncheon as part of this special day in Harrisburg. All school nominees for the U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship will be invited to attend the PASC Student Summit in Harrisburg on February 25, 2010 along with representatives from high schools across the state. Jenna Dellorfano West York HS District 8 AnnaMaria Garuccio Nazareth Academy District 11 Jennifer Karpf Pocono Mountain West HS District 9 Meghan Kozusko Greater Latrobe HS District 4 Tyler McTigue Deer Lakes HS District 3 Shivani Patel Gateway HS District 3 Brett Prestia North Penn HS District 12 John Pope Carlisle HS District 8 Robert Schaub Dallas HS District 9 Emily Walther Trinity HS District 4
Looking Ahead to 2010 During the closing session of the 2009 State Conference, on Saturday, November 14, 2009, our 2010 State Conference team from District 9 will unveil plans for the 74th PASC State Conference. In an effort to coincide with fall break at the University, the conference will be held on October 7–9, 2010. This will be the first time PASC has had an early October conference since 1997. Mark your calendars now. The Scranton area conference will include opening day activities and general sessions on the campus of the University of Scranton. Lunch on Friday and advisor and student workshops will be held at Old Forge Jr.-Sr. High School. The caucuses and closing session of the conference on Saturday will return to the University of Scranton. Throughout this upcoming year, PASC NEWS will feature other aspects of the conference schedule. As your school begins to make plans to attend, please note, for budgetary purposes, that school delegations will need to book hotel rooms in the Scranton area for both advisors and student delegates for October 7 and 8, 2010. A detailed list of hotels and costs will be made available by April 2010. 2
PASC News • November 2009 • www.pasc.net
State Conference (cont’d from pg. 1) the more options you will have. For more information on these courses, advisors please visit our website, www.celebrate2009. org. During the carnival, each school is provided a two-foot star to decorate representing their school. Supplies will be provided, but you may bring special decorations if you choose. The stars will then be included in a “Walk of Fame” display. The banquet is themed “A Night Among the Stars,” so come dressed for a red carpet premiere. Semi-formal or formal dress is encouraged, and there will be time at the host homes prior to the banquet to get ready. There will be a dance afterwards, so please dress accordingly. Our pool will be open during the dance on Friday evening for any middle level delegates who would like to swim. A one-piece bathing suit is required, and students need to bring their own towels. Advisors and delegates should be contacted very shortly by their host families. On Monday, November 2, all advisors were sent an e-mail with the names of all student delegates and their host family information. Advisors, if you have not checked that list, please do so immediately and share the information with your students and their parents. Contact Pennridge immediately if any name is missing from that housing list. Encourage your student delegates to contact their host family and introduce themselves to the family members. Also, it is PASC tradition for student delegates to bring gifts of some sort to their host families. The gift can be around $10 in value and could be representative of your area of the state. This is just one way in which we thank our host families. Advisors, if you have not made your hotel reservations, information is available for each hotel online. Finally, Saturday will feature a special Alumni Program as we celebrate PASC. The first-ever meeting of the PASC Alumni will be hosted, and delegates will have a chance to talk to alumni first hand to see how PASC has influenced them after high school. It is sure to be an event you will not want to miss. Finally, any questions can be sent to info@celebrate2009.org. Celebrity Councils is about celebrating our uniqueness as individuals. It is about celebrating our accomplishments as student councils. It is about celebrating the motivation we have to do the things we do. We cannot wait to kick off that celebration, and now all we need is you. So start celebrating!
Community Center
(cont’d from pg. 1)
Council advisor and event organizer Tressa Bishop asked Judge Rendell if that was an official challenge. Judge Rendell said to the students in attendance, “You have a great can-do attitude! I challenge the adults in the community to listen to your ideas and help you make this happen.” With a site in mind, students and community leaders will meet in mid-November to tour the building and put together a proposal for the community center. Students are inspired by Judge Rendell’s visit and ready to get to work to improve the Athens community.
Council to Council Idea Exchange Turkey Bowl Each year, on the day before Thanksgiving vacation, the students and staff at AC Valley Jr-Sr. HS spend the afternoon competing for the title of Turkey Bowl champions. The students live for this annual event! Two weeks before the competition, the class officers are given sign-up sheets. They are responsible for meeting with the homerooms to sign up their classmates. They earn Turkey Bowl points by signing up a variety of classmates (no one should be involved in more than one event). The sign-up sheets are due one week before
Each grade is assigned a color and students dress in this color for the Turkey Bowl. The class also receives points based on the percentage of class members wearing their assigned color. The students enjoy creating their own attire, in fact, many students hold Turkey Bowl parties to make tie-dye shirts and socks. This year Student Council will also be selling class shirts as a fundraiser.
on. From year to year, some of the activities change, but games that have been used include: • Obstacle course–timed • Foul shooting–timed/count shots • Football toss–timed/count catches • Gold fish toss–timed/count catches • Three-legged race • Blindfold wheel chair obstacle course–timed • Wheelbarrow race • Suitcase race
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, AC Valley students spend two hours competing for the title. Music is played while events are going
Each team is awarded points for each activity. The winning team gets bragging rights and an engraved plate on the Turkey
the event so that a script can be composed.
Thanksgiving Dinner Contributions Each year Student Council organizes the collection of items for Thanksgiving dinners for local families in need. All baskets are donated to families of needy students in the district as identified by the school nurses or by other community organizations. Each homeroom is given a suggested list of food items to ensure complete dinners (see list at right). The following is a timeline and instructions and a sample items list so that your school could still implement this project for Thanksgiving or winter holidays in 2009. Instructions to Homerooms n Students and teachers sign up for the food item(s) of their choice. They are responsible for bringing that item in before the due date. n The turkey can either be bought by one student (if desired) or each student can donate $1 and the teacher can purchase the frozen turkey for their homeroom. n Food baskets for homerooms will be provided by Student Council on November 10th and should be decorated by students in each homeroom. This is a contest—so get creative! Baskets must be completed by November 20. n Non-perishable food should be collected in each homeroom on or before Monday, November 23. n On Monday, November 23, baskets should be brought to the cafeteria and lined up, underneath their homeroom number. Note: completed lists should accompany the food baskets. n All food that needs refrigeration should be brought into school on Tuesday, November 24. Turkey should be brought frozen on Tuesday morning (no sooner).
Bowl plaque. For more info contact Allegheny Clarion Valley JSHS Advisor, Lori Sherman at loris@acvsd.org
Sample Thanksgiving Contributions List Check the form below when brought in Homeroom : ______________ Grade: ____ Representatives: _______________________________ Items Check Turkey (12–14 lbs) or Ham o Aluminum Roasting Pan o 5 lbs of potatoes o Large size bag/box stuffing o 2–4 cans of veggies (corn, peas, green beans, carrots) o Can of mixed fruit o Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, pears) o Can of olives (black or green) o Can of Cranberry sauce o Sweet potatoes (canned or fresh) o Small jar of mayonnaise o Walnuts for salad o Can of mixed nuts o Dinner rolls o Butter or tub margarine (frozen) o Juice (apple, cranberry) o Frozen pumpkin pie o Aluminum foil o Festive napkins o Festive plates o Festive cups o Large box of raisins o Special item (treat bag or table decoration) o PASC News • November 2009 • www.pasc.net
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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 Cheyenne Santoriello Mountain View HS RR 1, Box 339 Kingsley, PA 18826 PASC News Editor Lyn Fiscus Leadership Logistics PASC Email: PASCInfo@aol.com PASC Website: www.pasc.net
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Become a National Council of Excellence For the past four years, the National Association of Student Councils has recognized middle level and high school student councils for achieving excellence in their organizational structure, participation, and achievement on projects and programs. In 2009, three Pennsylvania schools achieved the Council of Excellence award: Pennridge HS (gold), Pocono Mountain West HS (gold), and North Allegheny Senior HS. There are two levels of recognition to the National Council of Excellence Awards. The base level is the National Council of Excellence that is awarded to student councils that meet all “Required Standards” and a minimum number of “Additional Standards.” The National Gold Council of Excellence is awarded to student councils that demonstrate the highest levels of leadership and activities, as illustrated by meeting all “Required Standards” and a greater number of “Additional Standards.” The Councils of Excellence is not simply an award—the criteria to achieve the award provide a structure focusing on goals, and a reporting mechanism that every council can use to improve. “The NASC National Councils of Excellence Awards was created to
give student councils a kind of blueprint to help them be as effective as they can in serving their student bodies, schools, and communities and to construct an organized representation of their efforts,” says Jeff Sherrill, associate director of NASC. “It is designed around measurable standards in demonstrationbased format. As the council members and their advisers move through the application process, they’re introduced to four core areas that are common for all councils, middle and high school levels.” Student councils seeking the honor gather and organize evidence demonstrating that they have met the award criteria, then meet with their principals to present their applications and evidence for administrative review. In addition to earning the award, this is a great opportunity to show your principal all that your council has achieved. “Applying for the award is an excellent way to validate the hard work of the student council and create a historical record that can and should be shared with parents, faculty, administration, and district officials, not to mention the community,” says Sherrill.
Applying for the award begins with a commitment on the part of the adviser and council to “go for it,” says Sherrill. “Review the application to determine all the indicators the council already meets and pull evidence together for those. Next, start looking at indicators and areas that have not been addressed, and then modify, plan the necessary actions. Consider setting up a small committee to spearhead the task of building the portfolio.” PASC is committed to helping all councils in the Commonwealth take steps to improve their record-keeping, develop creative projects, and effectively represent their student bodies. In the process, many excellent councils will receive recognition and many good councils will move up to excellent. Go to www.pasc.net for more information on the simple steps it takes to become an NASC Council of Excellence. For an application and more detailed criteria go to www.nasc.us. Applications documenting the work of councils from January 1–December 31, 2009 are due at the national office on February 15, 2010. Don’t miss your chance to be nationally recognized as an outstanding student council!
New Resource for Leadership Class Teachers Student council advisors who also teach a leadership class will be interested in a new online resource. The Leadership Teacher website (www.leadershipteacher.us) features a variety of free lesson plans in such curriculum areas as goal setting,
PASC News • November 2009 • www.pasc.net
organization, communication, leadership styles, group process, project planning, meeting skills, citizenship, ethics, conflict resolution, and more. The site also features original lesson plans developed as part of Leadership Class Teacher Academies
held in Texas and Michigan last summer. A recommended reading section features a comprehensive list of leadership books, and the “other resources” section links to websites with material of possible interest to leadership teachers.
Breakfast in Disneyland Submitted by: Lynn Clarke, assistant adviser at Norwin HS (lynn_c_ clark@yahoo.com) For more than 20 years the Student Council at Norwin HS has put on “Breakfast in Disneyland” for the members of the community. The event is held on the third Saturday of December from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Tickets are sold in the school, at the local Shop ‘N’ Save, and at the Chamber of Commerce. Signs advertising the activity are placed in businesses and in schools throughout the Norwin communities. The cost in advance is $3 for children and $4 for adults. One dollar is added to the prices for tickets sold at the door. Profits benefit Student Council charity projects including the local food bank and Toys for Tots. Student Council members decorate the school cafeteria the night before with a Christmas tree, plastic candy canes, balloons, ribbon, and beautifully decorated signs. Each Student Council member brings two dozen cookies for refreshments. During the activity, council members play many roles including registration and information table attendants, costumed characters, elves (picture takers), and face painters, and lead crafts and games. Costumed characters include such favorites as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Ariel, the Beast, Belle, Cinderella, Queen, Cookie Monster, Pooh, Tigger, Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto, Tinkerbell, Elves, Mrs Claus, and Rudolph. The games, crafts, and activities include: Games: (Every child receives a prize)
Pin the Tail on Rudolph
Bingo
Bean Bag Tic-Tac-Toe
Basketball
Ring Toss
Bowling
Crafts:
Noodle Necklaces
Felt Christmas Trees
Coloring Books
Stars
Activities:
Face Painting
Pictures with Santa
Letter writing to Santa
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Tentative Plans for Pre-Trip to NASC Conference 2010 The 2010 NASC Conference will be held at Cedar Grove HS in suburban Indianapolis, Indiana. PASC has made tentative plans for a delegation from Pennsylvania to go on a pre-conference trip. Tuesday, June 22–Friday, June 25: Plans for two coaches meeting in West Virginia and some white water rafting adventures. Then on to Kentucky for a visit to World Heritage Site of Mammoth Cave for an experience like no other. We will then head over to Land Between the Lakes for some team-building activities like canoeing, swimming, night hiking, and campfire time. Saturday, June 26–Tuesday, June 29: NASC Conference in Cedar Grove, Indiana. Tuesday, June 29: Head home to Pittsburgh with eastern bus
staying overnight and heading home on Wednesday, June 30. The cost will be $1,200, which includes all hotel stays for pretrip and conference, transportation costs, all meals except lunches, conference registration, all entry fees for activities, conference T-shirts, and buttons. For more information, please e-mail PASC Trip coordinator, Kathy Coll at kcoll1@comcast. net. If you are planning to be a part of this trip, visit www.pasc. net to complete a reservation form as of November 15.
Getting To Know Your Group Members Better Submitted by: Mike Galietta, Bethel Park HS (Galietta.mike@ bpsd.org)
dividends as you look toward winter activities or toward second semester programs.
School has been in session for 9–12 weeks and organizations are just completing a busy series of fall activities. Often the early excitement of the year can wane as we approach the second marking period. Late fall is a good time to take a break, regroup, review the goals of your organization, and take some time for members to get to know each other better. Building relationships between seniors or officers and newer and younger members of the organization can pay big
The following is a short activity that could be done as a part of a meeting or as a stand-alone activity. It is designed to help groups get to know each other. Each member will create and explain their CD Cover. The following is the construction criteria: 1. Select a name for the artist or group that represents the “Real You.” 2. Select a title and design for the CD cover that represents how others see you.
3. Select eight song titles: a. One that best represents who you are. b. One that represents your philosophy of life. c. One that tells where you feel most comfortable and that makes you feel good. d. One that tells what you do well and would like to accomplish. e. One that represents your family. f. One that represents your goals/dreams in life. g. One that represents the type friend you are, etc. h. Your choice—explain.
(These song titles can be actual songs or they can be invented titles.) 4. Choose a producer— your most influential family member. 5. Choose an agent—your most influential non-family member. 6. List the six credits (individuals) who have helped you become who and what you are. 7. List your five best characteristics. Each member will present the CD cover to the group, explaining the choices he or she made.
Staff and Student Appreciation Ideas for American Education Week Submitted by: Mike White, Pennridge HS (mrwhite@comcast.net) American Education Week, November 15–21, is a great time to show appreciation to the members of your school community for all they do. Try some of these ideas to show your appreciation this year: Staff Serve food at faculty meetings. Make a breakfast or lunch for an in-service day. 6
Put coffee, tea, and Danish on a cart and deliver to rooms. Provide a box lunch for everyone. Serve a potato bar (“this spud’s for you”). Have a “make your own sundae” day. Have a slide show of each teacher in action. Plan a winter holiday meal complete with appetizers, a pot-luck dinner, and a multitude of desserts. Include
PASC News • November 2009 • www.pasc.net
some holiday singing and a visit from Santa. You might also consider having a special meal for staff members’ kids. Decorate the faculty room. Create goodie bags with appropriate notes. Get fall flowers or poinsettias for the faculty room or staff offices.
Students Give out coupons to a tailgating party for free hot dogs and hamburgers.
Host a donut day. Celebrate the end of the first marking period or first semester with a senior barbecue. Give out ice cream coupons at lunch as recognition for all those on the honor roll. Create a slide show of fall or first semester events. Play music in the hall and at lunch to celebrate American Education Week. Plan for the painting of a senior class mural.
When You Come to Our Next Meeting Submitted by: Barrie Finnemeyer, retired National Honor Society Advisor, North Penn HS (barriefinn@aol.com) The following service idea could be used by Student Council, NHS, or any other school and community organization.
Project Description The NHS Chapter at North Penn HS asked each member to bring an item to the monthly meeting. The items are collected at the beginning of each meeting and then stored until they can be taken to the recipient organization. Officers and the project chair decide on types of items to be collected, and members receive advanced notice of what to bring to each meeting.
Organizational Suggestions n Choose items that are popular with students and that are something they may have around the house. n Tie the collection into a holiday or “month.” Check out www. brownielocks.com for an extensive list! n Have student(s) be in charge of the project. Give them assistance with contacts or recipients of items collected; help them with how phone calls should be made. Make sure you have an individual or organization lined up to take what you plan to collect—it’s harder to find the group for some items if it is after the collection has been made. n Remind students to have collection containers; have them in place ahead of time. n Have a storage area available—items don’t usually get immediately distributed. n Keep ideas fresh and different but know that eventually, it may be time to move on to a new project.
Things to Collect n Food is popular and can be donated to various food banks in your local area. Try to be creative by asking for specific types of food tied into a season or holiday such as: • Cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving • Packets of cocoa mix for Christmas and winter • Green vegetables for St. Patrick’s Day • A jar of peanut butter and jelly—November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month • Boxes of cereal—September is Better Breakfast Month • Cans of soup—January is National Soup Month • Boxes of spaghetti and other types of pasta—October is National Pasta Month • Cans and bags of pet food—can be donated to local animal shelters. (Also check to see if animal shelters need old blankets and towels to be used for bedding.)
n Old eyeglasses are collected by Lions’ Club International. Check www.lionsclub.org for their “Recycle for Sight” project idea kit for more information. n Several items are good to collect and donate to homeless shelters, shelters for battered women and children, or to transition programs for the recently homeless: • Gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats—create a “mitten tree” at Christmas • Shampoo and conditioner (one bottle each) • Toothpaste and toothbrushes • Socks • Small bottles of various toiletries (unopened) • Diapers and diaper coupons. n Winter coats (gently used and outgrown). Check Good Morning America’s website for details on this year’s Warm Coats, Warm Hearts Drive www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/ Warmcoats n Old cell phones (with rechargers). Check for companies in your area that are collecting. These can be reprogrammed for emergency use by senior citizens or the contents of the phones can be recycled and a group can be paid for the ones collected. Also check out the eCycle Group at www.ecyclegroup.com for information and prices paid to recycle phones and ink cartridges. n Old printer cartridges. Sign up for the Staples Rewards card; you can turn in 10 cartridges per month for $3.00 each and receive a check each month redeemable at Staples (use for office supplies needed by your organization). n Soccer cleats, shorts, and socks (outgrown). Check with programs in your area that might have participants unable to afford new equipment. n Children’s books. This was our most popular drive! Books can be donated to battered women’s shelters, libraries, elementary schools, daycare centers, Head Start programs, police departments, and hospital emergency rooms. n Kitchen items, pots, and pans for use at shelters for battered women/children and transition programs for homeless. n Items for soldiers. If you have a contact in the military serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, you might think about collecting and sending some of the following: • Silly string (for troops searching for land mines—somewhat controversial) • DVDs and CDs used, but in good condition (for troops) • Boxes of prepackaged snack food • Diaper wipes • Bookbags (to be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan as gifts for school students) PASC News • November 2009 • www.pasc.net
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