PASC News - November 2012

PASC News Inside This Issue PASC Advisers of the Year Selected.................................. 2 • R.J. Long Named Middle Level Advisor of the Year • Nancy Brady Named High School Advisor of the Year News & Notes...................... 3 • Middle Level Reps and Advisors Chosen • Seeking Host School for 2014 State Conference Dale Hawley Award Winners Announced............................ 3 Romayne Swartzel Named 2011 Winner of Linda Greb Award..................................... 3 Thanks to Laurel and Union for a Great Conference!..... 4 2012 PASC Mock Presidential Election................................... 5 Student Voice and Civic Engagement................................ 6

U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named Congratulations to the following students who were recently named as United States Senate Youth Scholarship finalists.

On Saturday, November 17, 2012, each of these students was interviewed and took a government and constitutionbased current events exam.

The Department of Education hosted these students and their parents for a luncheon at the State Capitol as part of this special day in Harrisburg. Two state winners and two alternates were selected. PASC will announce them in December’s

Volume 37 Issue 3 November 2012

Finalists for the U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship were named earlier this month after a day of interviews and exams in Harrisburg.

PASC NEWS. The finalists are:

Sarah Rudasill, New Oxford HS, District 8

Samuel Becker, Gateway HS, District 3

Cody Stubbs, York Catholic HS, District 8

Dylan Brown, Delaware Valley HS, District 9

Mary Szurgot, Governor Mifflin HS, District 13

Sarah Ebner Interboro HS, District 11

Nicholas Wachter, Northampton HS, District 10

Savannah Fritz GreencastleAntrim HS, District 8

All school nominees for the U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship will be invited to attend the PASC Student Summit in Harrisburg on February 21, 2013, along with other representatives from high schools across the state.

Ryan Pepito, Conwell-Egan HS, District 12 Eric Rodrigo Wilson, HSWest Lawn, District 13 Megan Rosenberger, Saint Joseph HS, District 3

2013–2014 Regional Rep Schools Elected During caucus meetings on Friday, November 11, schools were elected to be the new Regional Rep schools. A student from each one of these schools will be selected to serve a two-year term on the PASC Executive Board which begins on January 1, 2013.

The following schools were elected: Region A: TBA Region B:

Norwin HS

Region D:

Cowanesque Valley HS

Region E:

Halifax HS

The following Regional Representatives will begin the second year of their terms in January 2013: Region C:

Mitchell Koval, Everett HS

Region F:

Maura Gouak, Bishop McDevitt HS (Wyncote)

Region G:

Elizabeth Bina, Bangor HS

PASC Advisors of the Year Selected R.J. Long Named Middle Level Advisor of the Year Middle level advisors selected by their districts as Advisors of the Year were recognized at the state conference earlier this month. From this group, R.J. Long of Quaker Valley MSwas chosen as 2012 PASC Middle Level Advisor of the Year. He has been an advisor for eight years and is active with PASC at the district and state level. R.J. has served as the District 3 Director and on PASC Summer Workshops for the past 12 years starting at the Gold, Advanced Gold, and now on the Grove City Blue staff. In 2009, he received the Linda Greb Outstanding Workshop Staff Member Award.

His principal wrote: “Our advisor attracts students of all different backgrounds to become involved in student government. He or she believes that all students can lead through service and that service for school is a practice that will equip students with a lifelong service mindset.” Quaker Valley Middle School student council

serves the school by sponsoring a schoolwide carnival, seasonal spirit assemblies, monthly dances, holiday hall decorating, a talent show, a Fun Run for Fitness, and Quarterly Incentive Days that recognize student achievement in meeting incentive criteria. In addition, the council promotes service projects including food pantry drives, soldier supply drives, and Salvation Army Holiday gifts.

R. J. is an individual who is dedicated to students and is tireless in his efforts to promote Student Council. He develops leadership skills in his students and provides the students with a role model that we all can be proud to follow. His student council president said, “Anyone in Mr. Long’s presence will stand a little straighter, think a little harder, and be a lot nicer.”

Congratulations and best wishes to R.J. as his application will now be submitted for additional regional and national recognition.

Nancy Brady Named High School Advisor of the Year High school advisors selected by their districts as Advisors of the Year were also recognized in New Castle. Receiving the Linda Greb Advisor of the Year Award was Nancy Brady of Governor Mifflin HS in Shillington. Nancy, who was previously named as the 1991 PASC Advisor of the Year, epitomizes Linda Greb and her ideals.

Nancy Brady has been a middle school advisor for 27 years and a high school advisor for 13 years, for much of the past decade advising both extremely active councils. Nancy epitomizes the traits of an excellent advisor who leads by example and from the heart. Both students and staff can rely upon her when a job needs to be done or advice is needed.

Service and citizenship is a hallmark of the Governor Mifflin HS student council. Projects such as making 60 Christmas wreaths for a national cemetery, holding book drives, making blankets, raising $3,000 in support of our PASC Ivory Park Project in South Africa, and raising more than $100,000 though Mini-thons in the past four years for the Four Diamonds Fund for pediatric cancer patients, have been unique and outstanding efforts. At Governor Mifflin, whether the council is serving as host for Freshman Orientation and Welcome Back to School Activities, making sure each of the school’s 1,350 students get birthday cards, holding coffee houses, or sponsoring leadership recognition banquets, the council is constantly raising the spirit and involvement in their school and 2

PASC News • November 2012 • www.pasc.net

community.

Nancy has a long history of leadership training, service, and support of student activities. In 1990, Governor Mifflin MS was named by President George H. W. Bush as his 280th Point of Light for the “Special Kids, Special Friends” Project. Nancy has served for 22 years as the District 13 Director and in that capacity is a member of the PASC Executive Board. She serves as the adult co-chair of the State Conference committee. Nancy was instrumental in developing a detailed planning booklet to guide schools wishing to host state conferences. She was the host advisor for the 1998 state conference and championed one of PASC’s most successful state projects: raising funds statewide and then working with Habitat for Humanity to disperse thousands of dollars across our state for local projects.

The Governor Mifflin student council played a significant role in building a Habitat House in the city of Reading.

Nancy served on PASC summer leadership workshop staffs from 1995–2005. In 2005, she was honored with the first “Linda Greb Award” for her excellence as a workshop staff member. She has served as a facilitator for sessions at the annual PASC-sponsored “Student Issues Capitol Summit” in Harrisburg. Her commitment to fostering a “student voice” can also be seen in her service since 2008 as one of four adults on a joint adult-student committee which annually continued on page 2

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

The Dale Hawley Awards were announced at the State Conference on November 2. The winners are: Grove City Blue:

Dan Lebovit, Ingomar MS

Lebanon Valley Blue: Jacob Furneaux, Lackawanna Trail Jr.-Sr.HS Grove City Gold:

2013 Middle Level Reps and Advisors Chosen Through an interview process during the state conference in New Castle, two teams, each consisting of a seventh grader and an advisor, were chosen to serve on the PASC Executive Board from January 1, 2013 through January 31, 2014.

Congratuations to: • Joey Moyer and advisor Lisa Bernet of Fleetwood MS (District 13) • Noah Pollio and advisor RoseAnn Fulena of Union MS (District 2)

Riley George, Penncrest HS

Susquehanna Gold: Sean Raymond, Hatboro-Horsham HS Advanced Gold:

News & Notes

Graeme Nelson, Red Lion HS

Romayne Swartzel Named Winner of Linda Greb Award At the Saturday closing general session of the state conference, Romayne Schwartzel was named as the 2012 winner of the Linda Greb Award.

If you were to ask any of the delegates to summer workshop to describe Romayne Schwartzel, they would say things like: She is so encouraging. She is funny and really enjoys life. We love her work at Advanced Gold on stress management and self esteem. You really learn a lot about yourself and how to handle problems in a positive way. She does fun things in her mentor group and really makes you feel that you are special.

At every advisor program over the past decade, she has played an active role as a presenter, providing outstanding advice on stress relief for advisors. She has staffed at Advanced Gold for 14 years and always says that it is the best week of her life.

The award is named in memory of Linda S. Greb, who served on many workshop staffs and passed away in 2003 while serving as the director of the Advanced Gold workshop. It is given annually to a workshop staff member for outstanding service to PASC. Congratulations, Romayne!

Seeking Host School for 2014 PASC State Conference The process begins now to select the host for the fall conference in 2014. Student Council advisors and student leaders who are interested in bidding to host this conference should contact PASC Executive Director Jim Finnemeyer at PASCInfo@aol.com or call 215-280-9299 for a packet of materials that explains the bidding process to host the conference and a host school planning booklet.

Schools interested in hosting the state conference in 2014 should notify PASC by December 15th. Official letters of invitation from advisors, student council president, principal, and superintendent of schools must be received by PASC no later than January 1, 2013. Schools that bid are invited to make presentations to the PASC Executive Board at a meeting on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at Altoona Area High School. The PASC Executive Board will make a decision that day.

HS Advisor of Year

(cont’d from pg 3) selects a student member to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. Nancy is truly dedicated to student councils at all levels.

This PASC High School Advisor of the Year Award is named for the former Mars High School advisor and PASC Executive Board member, Linda Greb, who passed away in 2003 after a courageous battle with cancer. Nancy Brady was a great friend of Linda Greb and we congratulate Nancy and wish her well as she is now to be considered for regional and national recognition.

PASC News • November 2012 • www.pasc.net

3

Thank You to Laurel and Union for an Outstanding State Conference The 76th State Conference, co-hosted

by Laurel Junior-Senior High School and Union Middle School and High School, was held at the historic Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Castle. The conference theme: “Ignite: Yourself, Your School and Your Community in Service to Others” was evident in each of the aspects of the conference. Thursday evening’s fireworks show, presented by two of the most noted fireworks companies in the world, was an incredible event at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds. It certainly ignited the delegates’ enthusiasm and the New Castle community, and was the first time these fireworks companies had ever co-produced a show in their 80-year history.

share their knowledge and expertise with the middle level and high school delegates.

Delegates heard presentations by advisors Beth Bronson and R. J. Long on the platform of the U.S. presidential candidates as student prepared to cast votes on Saturday in a PASC Mock Election.

Friday evening provided a time for delegates to enjoy a first-class buffet dinner in the ballroom of the Cathedral followed by separate dances for high school and middle students and an advisor reception. To share a “Taste of New Castle,” community members, faculty, and students from the host schools made 570 dozen cookies, which were served at the dinner and dances.

Saturday morning included seven regional The conference featured three noted caucuses, voting for President of the United leadership and motivational speakers. Each States, a tribute to our joint state charities shared a different message that challenged (collection of funds for flood relief and for and inspired the student and advisor support for the Ivory Park, South Africa delegates. The speakers included Stacey Library Project), the closing speaker, and a Best, Heather Schultz, and Ian Tyson. conference-in-review slide show provided Student-led workshops were held Friday

by Dynmax Digital Productions. morning with the high school students We now turn our sights to Boyertown at Laurel JSHS and the middle school High School in eastern Pennsylvania as students at Union MSHS. They included planning continues for the 77th PASC some workshops conducted by members of State Conference, November 14-16, 2013. the PASC Alumni Partners who came from Stay tuned for details later this winter. their colleges and places of employment to View more state conference photos at http://dynamx.smugmug.com/Events/PASC-2012-State-Conference See your advisor for the password.

4

PASC News • November 2012 • www.pasc.net

2012 PASC Mock Presidential Election PASC had an exciting Mock Election on Saturday, November 3, at the State Conference.

On Friday afternoon, middle and high school delegates received an educational experience about the two candidates, their views, and how the Electoral College is used to elect the President.

We created a “PASC Electoral College” that allowed the Electoral College process to come to life for the students. Each PASC District was assigned a number of electoral votes based on the number of PASC member schools within each

District. For every five PASC member schools a district has, that district would receive one electoral vote. The chart below shows how many electoral votes each district had.

At the caucus on Saturday morning, students and advisors received ballots and cast their votes for the candidate of their choice. Middle school students, high school students, and advisors each received a different color ballot so that trends could be tracked about which candidate each age group chose.

Barack Obama

Mitt Romney During the final general session on Saturday, a culminating presentation occurred where the election results from each district were shown one at a time. Cheers occurred as the winners of each region’s electoral votes were announced.

In the end, Barack Obama won the PASC Mock Election, receiving 63 electoral votes to Mitt Romney’s 30. In the graphic to the left, you can see that Mitt Romney won Regions A and E (in red), and Barack Obama won Regions B, C, D, F, and G (in blue).

Overall, we hope that this Mock Election process helped both students and advisors to better understand the electoral process and why it is so important to become engaged, informed citizens in our democracy.

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 Kristina Riggans Union MSHS 2106 Camden Avenue New Castle, PA 16101 PASC President-Elect Danielle Croner Boyertown High School 120 N. Monroe Street Boyertown, PA 19512 PASC News Editor Lyn Fiscus Leadership Logistics PASC Email: PASCInfo@aol.com PASC Website: www.pasc.net

PASC News • November 2012 • www.pasc.net

5

Student Voice & Civic Engagement Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils 15th Annual Student Summit in Harrisburg

PASC is inviting Pennsylvania high schools to send four students to Harrisburg on Thursday, February 21, 2013 for a Student Summit on 21st Century Education with a focus on the following four topics: • • • •

Academic Accountability Equitable School Funding Teacher Evaluation & Professional Development Curricular & Co-Curricular Design in the Educational Process

These students should be interested in the political process and particularly interested in the four topics. The selection of the four students does not need to be limited to Student Council leaders but could include interested students from National Honor Society, class government, and your school’s Social Studies department.

The Summit process is designed around six components: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Research on four specific educational issues prior to the Summit Development of proposals prior to Summit and then initial collaborative synthesis during the Summit Presentation and student debate on proposals during the Summit Refinement of proposals to incorporate ideas generated through debate and discussion Presentation of proposals to state-level education entities by selected participants Student participants would also be encouraged to make presentations to their local School Boards.

The entire program will take place within the capitol building in Harrisburg. There is no cost to the students or to the faculty sponsor or parent who accompany students to Harrisburg other than the cost of lunch which is on your own at the many options around the Captiol.

Applications will be available at PASC.net on December 1 and due by January 15, 2013.

As part of the application process, students will need to research one of the four focus topics and write a brief 200 word essay describing an issue that deserves greater attention or new perspective. This essay will serve as the foundation for a proposal that each student will develop prior to the Summit. Students should begin considering their focus topic and essay prior to the application window.

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 Jim Finnemeyer at 215-280-9299.

6

PASC News • November 2012 • www.pasc.net