February 14th, 2018

WHAT UP AREA 3?  Hope all is well in your corner of Pierce County! I have three quick conference items for you:

1. Barnes and Noble is managing our Resource Room this year! That means they will provide the books and supplies for us. One of the advantages of using them, is that they are available during the conference, and beyond. They set up a special code for us (bookfair ID is 12325999) that will be active from March 15-20. So if you don’t pick up an item during the conference, you can go to the local B & N store or online and get that item for the conference price (but only from March 15-20). Rad!
   
2. Our conference theme this year is “Tune in to Leadership,” and we want to have great music flowing throughout the convention center all week! If you have any requests for our DJs, fill out the brief Google Form here: https://tinyurl.com/WACArequests
   
3. Finally, we still have spots to fill for our Meet the Pros sessions at the conference. Meet the Pros is really nice, because it is just a 10 minute chat around a table. I know you have something cool at your school, so bring it! If you've never presented before, this is a great place to start! A thematic example: this year we sent out a Google Form to all our students for song requests. Then, we loaded those songs into a playlist on an ASB-owned device so we can play them through a bluetooth speaker at lunch on Fridays. We’ve had amazing success, and it’s a lot of fun. This is the kind of thing that can be great for Meet the Pros! So…
   
   • Do you have a novel way to recognize/celebrate students (monthly birthday calendar? Their face in a cut-out star taped to the cafeteria wall?)
     
   • Do you have a cool alternative to decorating with butcher paper?
     
   • What cool technology are you using in class? Do you have an app or tech tip you use for ASB?
     
   • Do you hold a leadership retreat or lock-in? What does that look like?
     
   • Do you have a great MLK/Black History month assembly?
     

You may be saying, “C’mon, Knox! That’s old stuff. At my school, we do…” Exactly. However you finish that sentence, that could be your Meet The Pros presentation! Area 3 always represents well - I know Pierce County is full of rock stars making amazing things happen in schools. If you’re ready to dive in, the presenter application is right here! http://www.wacaonline.org/presenters.html
Okay! Happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow (I know some schools work with their choir to deliver “val-o-grams” and sing through the hallways. It’s really cool, creates a wonderful climate, and highlights the music program. Hey… that sounds like a Meet the Pros topic!), and I'll look forward to talking to you soon!
Embrace the day, people! And as always, please let me know if you have any questions (especially about presenting!). Talk to you soon!


--
Caleb Knox
NBCT, Leadership and Freshman English
Sumner High School