PASC News Inside This Issue News & Notes...................... 2 • United States Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named • Act Out Loud Contest National Council of Excellence Applications Due in February ............................ 2 NASC to Hold LEAD Conference in Connecticut.... 3 Improve Council Communication................................... 3 Fundraising Made Easy........ 4 Student Summit Schedule... 4 Minute to Win It Games..... 5 Recommended Leadership Books.................................. 5 Veteran’s History Project... 6
Volume 35 Issue 3 November 2010
Student Summit in February to Focus on State Issues The Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils will host its 13th Student Summit in Harrisburg on February 24, 2011. For more than a decade, PASC has taken the initiative to bring together approximately 150–200 student leaders in Pennsylvania for a discussion of critical issues facing the youth of our state. This Student Summit in Harrisburg Program has allowed us to provide students the opportunity to dialog with a state legislator, exchange views with their peers, develop position papers on areas of interest to them, defend their viewpoints on the floor of the Pennsylvania General Assembly chamber, and to see their views shared with political leaders of Pennsylvania. This one-day activity in Harrisburg has been extremely well received by the student participants who, in past years, have joined us from all corners of the Commonwealth. Their very positive evaluations caused PASC to agree to sponsor a similar program in 2011 in partnership with PennCORD as a major civic engagement initiative in Pennsylvania. There
is no cost to the students or to the faculty sponsor or parent who accompany them to Harrisburg other than the cost of lunch, which they obtain on their own. The 2011 program will focus on issues facing Pennsylvania as Governor Corbett begins his administration. Our 2011 program format will allow student leaders to develop, debate, and present resolutions on five major areas of concern to all Pennsylvanians. Issue areas include but are not limited to: • Education • Energy & Environment • Healthy Choices • Higher Education • Jobs. Delegates will be asked to submit resolutions, in advance, on topics in the areas listed above or on other topics that they feel should be addressed by the youth of the Commonwealth. See page 4 for the planned schedule for the day. The major components include: • A discussion session, with a group of participants, on each of the five critical issues concerning Pennsylvania youth.
• A work session in which students in each of the four topic groups will review and debate the merits of student resolutions. The student committees will select resolutions to be presented to the entire group in the House Chambers. • Lunch at the state capitol building or at nearby Strawberry Square Mall at the students’ expense. • An afternoon session on the floor of the House of Representatives using the desks, rostrums, and microphones of the members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Student speakers will present their proposals, debate will occur, and each student will vote expressing his or her personal opinion for each proposal. All four topic areas will follow the same format. • The program will end with the presentation of the approved student resolutions to a representative of the Governor. Resolutions will continued on page 4
News & Notes United States Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named Congratulations to the following students who were recently named as United States Senate Youth scholarship finalists. On Saturday, November 20, 2010, each of these students will be interviewed and will take a government and constitution-based current events exam. The Department of Education will host these students and their parents for a luncheon at the State Capitol 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 24, 2011, along with representatives from high schools across the state. Matthew Basista
Highlands HS
District 3
Lindsay Berkebile Richland HS
District 6
Austin Cosgrove
Cornell HS
District 3
Robert Hume
Carlisle HS
District 8
Alison Killian
Interboro HS
District 11
Cassandra Petrilla Shanksville-Stonycreek HS District 6 Robert Schaub
Dallas HS
District 9
Timothy Sensenig Cocalico HS
District 8
Andrew Sparks
District 3
Connellsville HS
Stephanie Warner Mercyhurst Preparatory School District 1
Want to Win $10,000 for Your School? In an effort to reduce car crashes—the #1 killer of teens— and save young lives, the Allstate Foundation has awarded a grant to NASSP to engage student leaders across the country in peer-to-peer safe driving campaigns. One way to engage student leaders is through participation in the Act Out Loud: Raising Voices for Safe Teen Driving (AOL) national competition. Your school can win up to $10,000 for its teen-led, school-based activism campaign to curb distracted driving. To apply, encourage your student leaders to submit a distracted driving project idea to www.ActOutLoud.org today. In addition, the Allstate Foundation will award five NHS/ NJHS and NASC student leaders with a $2,000 national award for peer-to-peer efforts to address teen safe driving. For complete details about the Act Out Loud contest, visit www.ActOutLoud.org. 2
PASC News • November 2010 • www.pasc.net
National Council of Excellence Applications Due in February With two months remaining in 2010, it is time for YOUR student council members to organize information on projects, minutes and agendas of meetings, and other information that can be used to support the council’s application to NASC as a National Council of Excellence for 2010. PASC’s goal is to see an increase in the number of schools recognized, including some of our outstanding middle schools. Many PASC member councils have done many outstanding things since January 1, 2010. Although it takes time to complete the NASC application, the process of doing it allows student leaders and advisors to reflect on all that they have done and to create a portfolio that reflects a positive view of their organization and their school. When the members of the council find a gap in projects not completed, the application provides a renewed incentive to move the project forward in the next two months, or to put it on the top of the council’s priority list for 2011. Each of the schools that were named as Councils of Excellence for 2009 would urge your council to make that effort. Each found the work on putting the application packet together to be challenging, but worthwhile. It created a renewed focus on who they were and what they sought to accomplish in their school. Details on the application process and the appropriate forms can be found at www.nasc.us. The application, based on the council’s accomplishments for calendar year 2010, is due to NASC on February 15, 2011. At the recent state conference in Scranton, the following schools were recognized as NASC Councils of Excellence in 2009. Do not hesitate to contact advisors from these schools for advice on completing the application: • Boyertown High School, advisor: Jeff Kusniez (jkusniez@ boyertownasd.org) • Downingtown East High School, advisor: Julie Kostecki (jkostecki@dasd.org) • Interboro High School, advisor: Andy Costanzo (costanab@ interbrosd.org) • North Allegheny High School, advisor: Patti Dzambo (pdzambo@gmail.com) • North Penn High School, advisor: Summer Sieller (siellesa@ npenn.org) • Pennridge High School, advisor: Mike White (mwhite @pennridge.org) • Pocono Mountain West High School, advisor: Neil McGovern (nmcgovern@pmsd,org) and Jen Paul (jpaul@pmsd.org) • Red Lion High School, advisor: Jane Smyser (smyserj@rlasd. k12.pa.us)
NASC to Hold Lead Conference in Connecticut NASC will sponsor a LEAD Conference at a familiar site to PASC member schools on April 1–3, 2011. Located on I-95 just across the border from New York, the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, CT will serve as the host site. The schedule for the conference runs from registration on Friday at 3:00 until the closing general session on Sunday morning, which ends at 10:30. Keynote speakers Heather Schultz and Alton Jamison will inspire attendees, while opportunities to learn and grow as student leaders and advisors abound. Highlights will include: High school officer training covering such topics as: self-esteem; what makes a good leader; tips and activities for leaders; hoal setting; organizing your group; problem solving; and conflict resolution. Student and advisor small group workshops on a variety of topics StudentReach Program, a fast-paced, multimedia 3-D program bills itself as a life-changing experience that expands students’ outlooks and perspectives on their place in the world, creating awareness, inspiring action, and introducing resources and strategies to make difference. To learn more, visit www.studentreach.org. Stu Shaffer and the Traveling Junk Show Throughout this hands-on, high-energy program for students and advisers, Stu provides a plethora of ideas and events that can be taken back and used at school. It’s a really BIG pep rally with really BIG leadership lessons.
For more information, visit www.StuShaffer.com. Advisor Professional Development All LEAD Conferences offer professional development to advisers through a full training program that runs concurrent with the student program. Advisers will take
part in sessions that are designed with their unique needs in mind and led by experienced advisers and nationally known speakers and presenters. The LEAD Conferences also include the ever-popular Adviser’s Idea Exchange, which has frequently been rated as the
most valuable opportunity for advisers to obtain new ideas and share information For program details and to register, go to www.LEADConferences.org,. Deadline to register online to receive the member school early-bird rate ($165) is March 2, 2011.
Improve Council Communication By Kyle Kaufman Most leadership programs will include lessons on group dynamics and communication. Effective organizations find ways to effectively communicate within their group and work consistently to build the interpersonal connections that promote productive teamwork. Technology has simultaneously made communication easier and harder. Easier because there are so many tools and most are instantaneous. Harder because with so many tools it’s difficult to focus communication and often efforts become impersonal. There is a technology tool however that is specifically designed for improving how people work and communicate in groups. That tool is called Wiggio. What does Wiggio do for your group’s ability to communicate? Well, just about everything according to their web-
site: “On Wiggio, you can share and edit files, manage a group calendar, poll your group, post links, set up conference calls, chat online, and send mass text, voice and email messages to your group members. Each group member can define how they want to keep informed of group activity.” Wiggio is free, flexible, and even fun to use. More importantly, your district’s tech administrators may be more willing to allow Wiggio to be accessed during the school day compared to other group collaboration tools like Facebook. Here are just a few examples of how you can use these features: • Use file sharing to post forms that your Council needs to access on a regular basis—like proposal sheets or expense reports. • Use the group calendar to
manage events and have it send out text reminders. • Have a closed group chat, video, or voice conference call to make committee work more efficient and flexible. • Distribute messages to all members’ phones (the best way to reach students). Although there are separate technology tools out there that do each of these things, Wiggio’s advantage is that it incorporates them all into one website. Once all of your Council members join the Wiggio group you set up, you can quickly distribute and collect information as well as collaborate. You can organize information and provide continuity from year to year. You can also create subgroups of members and have the ability to send out different messages to freshmen than you do seniors in Council. To get started, check out some of the videos at http://www. youtube.com/user/WiggioProductions and then visit http:// wiggio.com to set up your own group and start inviting members.
PASC News • November 2010 • www.pasc.net
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Continued from page 1
this year.
also be communicated to the leadership of the state House of Representative and state Senate.
We ask that advisors not limit the selection to Student Council leaders, but to also recruit interested students from National Honor Society, class government, and through direct contact with your school’s Social Studies department. We hope that students in your school will be interested in attending this challenging and unique educational opportunity in one of the most impressive settings in America, the Pennsylvania Capitol. Transportation can be provided by you, another faculty member, or a parent.
An application form and essay topics are available in the electronic version of this newsletter or on the PASC website. Student delegates are asked to submit proposals for resolutions at the time of application. We look forward to bringing approximately 150–200 senior high school students together on Thursday, February 24, 2011 for this program, with a snowdate of Thursday, March 10, 2011. We have also invited the school nominees of the 2011 United States Senate Youth Scholarship Program. Additionally, we would encourage PASC member school advisors to select up to three high school students and an alternate (whom we will invite if space allows). These students should be interested in the political process and particularly interested in the five topics that have been selected for debate
If you have any questions about this opportunity for your high school students, please do not hesitate to email us at PASCInfo@aol.com or call Executive Director Jim Finnemeyer at 215-280-9299. Please have your school’s applications postmarked by WEDNESDAY, January 19, 2011. Mail to PASC STUDENT SUMMIT 224 Oak Park Road Hatfield, PA 19440.
Fundraising Made Easy By Annette Swartz, Colonial MS aswartz@colonialsd.org Follow these simple rules to make your fundraisers successful: 1. Identify the purpose of the sale 2. Identify your target market 3. Get student group input as to what should be sold 4. Make contact with companies that sell products 5. Set price and sale dates 6. Decide on home sales, lunch sales, and/or game time sales 7. Advertise—announcements, PowerPoints, handouts, etc. 8. Send around representatives to remind students of the sale. If you’re looking for a good fundraiser, try one of these ideas, which have been successful at the middle school level: Entertainment books Dances/Activity Nights Cookie dough Soft pretzel sales Auntie Anne’s Pretzel’s Dunkin Donuts Cheesecakes Rita’s Water Ice Wrapping paper Valentine’s Day cards and candy Thanksgiving/Holiday pies Chocolate roses 4
PASC News • November 2010 • www.pasc.net
PASC Student Summit in Harrisburg February 24, 2011 Tentative Schedule 8:15–8:45 Registration at the East Wing of the State Capitol Building 9:00–9:15 Opening Session in the House of Representative’s Chamber
Welcome: Jim Finnemeyer, PASC Executive Director
Review of Plans and Expectations for the Day
9:30–10:15 General Work Session
Students will be divided into groups based on their interest in the five major topic issues facing Pennsylvania’s youth.
A facilitator will lead a group of 30–35 students in a discussion of their topic. Students will be asked to present their resolutions to the group.
10:15–10:30 Break 11:00–11:45 Resolution Writing
Each of the four groups will select up to three student resolutions and divide into that number of sub-groups. Each committee will prepare one or more resolutions to be presented to all delegates during the afternoon General Session.
The committee will select two or more spokespersons to make General Session presentations.
11:45–12:45 Lunch on your own/ Free time at the State Capitol Complex 1:00–4:30 General Session on the Floor of the House of Representatives
Each committee will present resolutions to the general body. Delegates and committee spokespersons will engage in a comment period and debate on the resolutions during a 30-minute block of time.
At the end of 30 minutes the delegates will vote to support or to reject each resolution presented on that topic.
The same process above will be used to reach student opinion on each of the four major topic areas: Education, Energy & Environment, Health Choices, Higher Education, and Jobs
4:30–5:00 Closing Session
Presentation of Student Opinions to a representative of the Governor’s Office and State Legislature
Final Remarks and Evaluation
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 215-280-9299 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 Jillian Roeske Mountain View HS RR 1, Box 339 Kingsley, PA 18826 PASC President-Elect Mariam Ahmad Altoona Area HS 1400 7th Avenue Altoona, PA 16602 PASC News Editor Lyn Fiscus Leadership Logistics PASC Email: PASCInfo@aol.com PASC Website: www.pasc.net
Minute to Win It Games By Jeff Kuzniez Looking for new pep rally ideas, activities to use at class competition events, lunchtime competitions, a lock-in, student versus faculty programs, or just for fun? Jeff has compiled ideas that he demonstrated with advisors during the PASC state conference roundtables in Scranton. n Back Flip
Supplies: 12 pencils Set pencils on the table in groups of two with erasers facing the same way. Pick up two pencils, place them on the back of the hand, then flip them in the air and catch them. Repeat until all pencils are caught. n Noodling Around
Supplies: 6 pieces of penne 1 piece of spaghetti 1 small table Set pencils on the table in groups of two with erasers facing the same way. Pick up two pencils, place them on the back of the hand, then flip them in the air and catch them. Repeat
until all pencils are caught. n Loner
Supplies: 1 pencil 20 marbles The contestant is given 20 marbles to knock over one standing pencil. The contestant will roll one marble at a time while lying on their stomach. n This Blows
Supplies: 15 plastic cups 1 balloon The contestant will repeatedly blow up a balloon and then blow the air out to propel the cups off of the table. n Stack Attack
Supplies: 36 plastic cups Contestant uses 36 plastic cups to build a triangle-shaped structure. Once completed, contestants must remove hands from the structure completely and then proceed to stack all cups into a single stack. n Nut Stacker
Supplies: 1 chopstick 8-10 hexagon nuts Contestants must create one
stack of large metal nuts by sliding them off a chopstick without touching them with their hands. n Caddy Stack
Supplies: 3 golf balls Contestant is given 3 golf balls. The balls must be stacked (same brand helps) vertically and they must stay upright for 3 seconds without failing. n Face the Cookie
Supplies: Oreo cookies Contestants, using only their faces, must move 3 Oreo cookies individually from their forehead to their mouth. n Rapid Fire
Supplies: 6 empty soda cans Rubber bands foul line Set up 6 cans in a pyramid on the table and a foul line 8 feet away. Shoot one rubber band at a time at the pyramid until all cans are cleared from the table. For more “Minute to Win It” ideas go to http://www.nbc. com/minute-to-win-it/howto/ Jeff Kuzniez (jkusniez@boyertownasd.org) is student council advisor at Boyertown HS.
Some Helpful Leadership Books The following good ideas for Christmas gifts for advisors or student leaders were compiled by Andy Costanzo, Director of Student Activities at Interboro HS for an advisor roundtable at the PASC 2010 State Conference. On Becoming A Leader by Warren Bennis The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
Leadership Is an Art and Leadership Jazz both by Max DePree Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, et. al. Leadership 101, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The 5 Dysfunctions of Teams by John C. Maxwell Not Quite What I was Planning—Six Word Memoirs…
edited by Smith Magazine Great Games to Play with Groups by Frank Harris, Fearon Teacher Aids ISBN 0-8224-3379-6 Nice Bike by Mark Scharenbroich, Echo Bay Publishing Dream by Susan Bosak (children’s book) Yay You! by Susan Boynton (children’s book)
PASC News • November 2010 • www.pasc.net
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Support Our Veterans – Document Their Story! The Veterans History Project began for the purpose of documenting the lives of American WWII Veterans. Later, the project was expanded to any veteran on active duty or who has served in any branch of the Armed Services in any era. Your mission is to interview a veteran, present their narrative in a multimedia presentation, and share it. Students and youth groups throughout the United States have contributed significantly to the Veterans History Project. We encourage participation of students 10th grade and above. Indicating the school or group on the required forms with interview submissions will ensure proper credit in the database. n Appropriate grade levels: grades 10–12 and higher. Lower grades require significantly more guidance and supervision. n We want oral histories that tell more than the dates and places of service: wartime veterans and civilians have extensive stories to share. n We also accept original letters, diaries, and photographs with the recorded interview. n Familiarize students with interviewing: • Study and report on the Experiencing War web site • Work with the school librarian or media specialist • Practice interviewing • Assign readings and view videos such as Saving Private Ryan or We Were Soldiers to provoke group discussion • Background resources are suggested on this page. n Interviews should be at least 30 minutes long. n Help your students or members structure their interviews: • Background and entry into the service • Training • Wartime service and experiences • End of service and life afterwards A sample interview from a youth participant is available online. n Adapt our sample questions and ask others as the interview unfolds. Do not interrupt or rush through questions. n If transcribing an interview, check the spelling of unfamiliar terms and place names. A sample interview transcript from a youth participant is available online. n Teachers should review the quality of each submission prior to shipping to the Library of Congress. n All forms must be fully completed including the Biographical Data Form and Audio and Video Recording Log Form. Samples of Audio and Video Recording Logs from youth participants are available online. PASC News • November 2010 • www.pasc.net 6
n The Interviewer Release Form must be signed by a parent or
guardian if the interviewer is under 18. Visit these sites for details, forms, guidelines, links to resources, and examples: http://elco-veterans-history-project.wikispaces.com History Channel: http://www.history.com/topics/take-a-vet (under contents) For specific information, contact: Jon Bickel (jbickel@elcosd.org), ELCO HS project coordinator, or Dorothy Noll (dnoll@elcosd. org), ELCO HS project technology coordinator.
Community Events and Other Ways to Gather Veterans’ Narratives The Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project is committed to honoring veterans and collecting their stories. Commemorative dates can provide opportunities throughout the year to plan activities to honor veterans, spotlight your organization, and build the Veterans History Project collection of stories of veterans and others who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars, and the Iraq-Afghanistan conflicts. Below are some ideas as to how you can engage your community to participate in the Project. Everyday ideas on how you can record veterans’ stories • Interview veterans at your next family reunion. • Interview mothers, fathers, and grandparents on their days of honor. • Gather wartime love letters, photo collections, memoirs, and journals. • Interview military spouses on their day of honor. • Visit retirement communities, senior centers and/or VA hospitals and conduct interviews. Special ways to honor veterans • Create an honor roll of all the veterans from your town and display it in the Town Hall. • Conduct a Hometown Veterans Census and publish the list in your local paper and create a poster for distribution. • Organize speakers in observance of various commemoration months and days. • Host a USO-theme concert and invite veterans and their families. • Link your Web site to the Veterans History Project Web site to spotlight participants from your community.