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  Washington activity coordinators association

WACA Update

1/24/2017

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​WHAT’S UP, PIERCE COUNTY?

It is good to be talking to you again… or, to be talking at all again! This last week, I was struck with an awful flu - and yes, before you ask, I got my flu shot this year! Even though I was laid up, I was fortunate to be able to meet with our WACA board last weekend. The wheels are moving quickly now! Expect a few more messages in the coming weeks as we share more details leading up to the conference.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS:
Some of you have planned ahead and have already reserved a room in our block at the Vancouver Hilton! That is fantastic, but we also need you to make sure to register for the conference itself. Our block is filling up quickly; if you have reserved a room but have NOT registered for the conference by February 1st, your hotel reservation will be cancelled. If you have registered for the conference AND reserved a hotel room, you are all set! Thank you!

If you are staying with us at the Vancouver Hilton, we have 100 reserved parking spots. They will cost $6 a night, which is the reduced conference rate. There is also parking near the Hilton (across the street) for $8.00 per day. We encourage you to carpool with others from the area or take Amtrak down to the conference (there is a stop right in Vancouver, as well as one in Portland; it’s a beautiful ride!).

In addition to the Hilton, we also have rooms available at the Comfort Inn, which is just a 5 minute drive from the conference. The rooms at this newly remodeled hotel are priced at $107 per night and they provide a free continental breakfast. So you can have a free first breakfast before you show up for second breakfast at the conference after your long 5-minute drive :)

REGISTRATION AND THE WACA WEBSITE:
Remember that registration is all online at our WACA website! If you are going to pay with a credit card, please have it ready when you register. You will be asked to enter the card number when you register.
Also, if you notice any technical issues on the WACA website, please let our technology expert Ryan Healy know! You can email him at ryan_healy@ycs.wednet.edu.

PRESENTING:
I know great things are happening in your schools, and this is an excellent opportunity to share those with your colleagues! We have several from Area 3 signed up, but we always looking for more great presenters! We have two lovely presentation formats for you to choose from: a short “Meet the Pros” session (10 minute presentation repeated several times with a small group), or a longer 50-minute presentation (will present once). Think about the great things you and your students do and what you might share with others, then sign up to present. The presenter application is also live on the website!

PRE-CONFERENCE:
Our speakers plan for the registration numbers we provide them, so we would like to encourage you to show up for the session you signed up for at registration. We have four amazing pre-conference sessions lined up, and we want to make sure each of our speakers have accurate numbers.

DIETARY NEEDS:
If you are need us to provide for your vegetarian, gluten-free, or other special diet, please let me know so we can do our best to accommodate those of you with specific needs.

WACA BOOKSTORE:
Do you have books, tools, manipulatives, etc. that you find especially useful in your classroom? We’re always open to suggestions of what to stock in our WACA store and would love to stock up on items that have worked for you! Let me know if you have any suggestions. We will also have some pretty great Leadership swag available for purchase in the store as well.

Phew! That is it for now - thank you for all you do, and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have! Can't wait to see you all at WACA 2017!
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Hey

12/1/2016

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What up, Area 3? Happy December! Can you believe that we're on the calendar's last page already? This is my unofficial "Christmas card" to you - I hope the length of the missive doesn't detract from my enthusiasm to wish you a wonderful holiday season :)

The holidays are always a time for celebration, and there is great reason to celebrate on the WACA front as well: as of yesterday, we have people registered for the conference (March 15-17 in Vancouver, WA)! We usually don't hit that number until January! Not only that, 26 of those 100 are from Pierce County. Across the state, we have the largest number of delegates registered so far! Rock on! I love the enthusiasm. If you are planning to register but haven't yet, you can do so right here! One of the biggest reasons I love WACA is the opportunity to learn from those right in this region, and that opportunity gets more meaningful as we add more delegates with great ideas.

Also: we are on the lookout for presenters for the conference! We would love for you to consider sharing your expertise in a 50-minute session or a 10-minute "Meet the Pros" session. Area 3 has traditionally been very well-represented in our presenters, and for good reason! We are a powerhouse of an area, and I want to encourage you to share some of your powerful programs and ideas with others from across the state. These sessions are among the many highlights of WACA, and it's all because of your enthusiasm for our work of building a culture in our schools.

If you are interested, please go to http://www.wacaonline.org/presenter-application.html and submit a description of your workshop. We already have several from Pierce County, and we would love to have more! As I've already mentioned, I know there's a ton of talent in our Area, and I would love to see it on display this spring!

Finally, I just want to send a word of encouragement to you as you rock these last two weeks before the break. I know that as wonderful as it is, holiday programming can seem onerous on top of all our normal responsibilities. We feel like we're going 100 miles an hour, like a Christmas turkey with its head cut off, and it's easy to be overwhelmed and lose sight of what makes the season magical. Sometimes we need to take a step back and enjoy the moment; drink a cup of cocoa, laugh with our students, whistle a Christmas song, drive through an especially festive neighborhood. If you need help pausing, then I'd encourage you to take this opportunity to at least take 3:10 and enjoy a timeless Christmas tune. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into making this winter a wonderland for your students! I can almost feel the snow falling now...


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and see you next year in Vancouver!
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Registration is Open!!

10/5/2016

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That's right, ladies and gentlemen - the day is here!

Click here to register for WACA 2017!

The prices are all listed on the site - there is a discount if you register 4 or more in a group. You also will have the opportunity to choose to register for a preconference session. Contrary to my last email, there are actually four preconference sessions this year! Full descriptions of 1-3 are available on our website, as well as in my previous email. All of these sessions are going to be fantastic - I am just emphasizing Session 4 since it wasn't in my last message to you :) 

SESSION 1: Topics in ASB Funding and Finance, Presented by Martin E. Fortin, Jr., AWSP
SESSION 2: Study Session: Looking at Leadership, Presented by Susan Fortin, AWSL Director & Joe Fenbert, AWSL Curriculum & Communications
SESSION 3: Keeping Character Development in Focus With Your Advanced Hands-On Leadership Class, Presented By John Norlin - Director of Student Leadership and Community Involvement K-12 Sumner School District (shout out to Area 3!)

New! SESSION 4: ENGAGE: Creating Culture that Works, Presented by Scott Backovich, Motivational Speaker

"What if I told you that school spirit doesn’t have to be loud or crazy? What if the purpose of dances, rallies, and assemblies wasn’t to gain massive attendance, but to establish something even greater? Most importantly, what if I told you that the entire process of building a positive and inclusive community in your school could be boiled down to ONE system?

​"Get in fast! In this session, we will cover student engagement as a hands-on model, backed by data and proven in schools all across the country. Want to know how the best schools in America are formed? Come in and learn the model for yourself!"

Once you register, I will be excited to see your faces at WACA this spring! Enjoy your week!
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Fall Update

9/26/2016

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WHAT UP AREA 3?

Holy moly, what a beautiful day in Pierce County! I hope you’re off to an equally beautiful beginning to your school year. The WACA board recently convened to work on planning the 2017 conference, and there are a few pieces of conference news that we’d love to share with you.

The big news is that registration for WACA 2017 opens next week! That’s right you early birds, you will be able to register at wacaonline.org one week from today - Monday, October 3!
  • This year’s conference is March 15-17 at the Hilton in Vancouver, WA. That’s right - back on the west side!
  • When you fill out the registration form, you will notice vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free meal options. Please mark your selection accurately as you will be provided with the meals you selected at the conference.


A couple more conference details:
PRE-CON:
When you register for the conference, don’t forget to sign up for a pre-conference session! For just a small additional registration cost ($45), you will have the opportunity to attend one of three amazing pre-con sessions, and lunch will also be provided. Options are:
  • SESSION 1: ASB Finance Up Close, presented by Marty Fortin, AWSP
    Marty Fortin is considered one of the foremost experts on ASB law at best practices for schools in the state of Washington. He will bring his extensive knowledge and experience to this pre-conference offering. Click on the link on the WACA website for a brief synopsis of the topics to be covered.
  • SESSION 2: Leadership Class Lessons & Resources, presented by Susan Fortin and Joe Fenbert, AWSP
    Participate in hands-on activities and lessons that focus on leadership skills for life. Add these lessons to your leadership toolkit to use in class, retreats, after-school programs, advisory programs and more.
  • SESSION 3: Character Strong, presented by John Norlin - Director of Student Leadership and Community Involvement K-12 Sumner School District (Area 3, represent!)
    This session will take you through an example year long plan to intentionally build character and a positive climate throughout your student body, staff, and community! Learn about instructional content, resources, activities, and strategies to make this happen. Bring your calendars, computers, and ideas of what you are doing at your school!

Presenters: We need you!
We are always looking for people to share their ideas! You are the people who work with students to make magic happen in your schools; I'd like to encourage you to share a bit of that magic through a 50-minute presentation or a 10-minute “Meet the Pros” session. WACA is successful because of the ideas you bring to the table!
  • This year we are especially hoping to add presentations that might be of interest to administrators and secretaries.
  • If you are interested in presenting, but aren’t sure about a topic, please contact me! I'd love to hear about the cool things you do in your building that you could share with the delegation.

Hall of Fame and Adviser of the Year Nominations:
Hall of Fame and Adviser of the Year nominations are available online now at wacaonline.org! Remember that we count on you for these nominations, so be sure to get yours in by December 1.

A couple last things:
  • As I mentioned last time, the Adviser Certification application is up and ready to go! A number of people have already submitted their applications, and we will award certificates at the conference in March. Contact me or our Certification Coordinator, Tim Turner, with any questions you may have.
  • As always, if there is someone who I should add to the list or if you need to be removed, please let me know.

Thank you very much for your time - make it a great day!
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Welcome back

8/29/2016

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Welcome back, Pierce County! It’s a beautiful day in Area 3!


For those whom I have not yet had the chance to meet, my name is Caleb Knox. I teach leadership and freshman English at Sumner High School, and I am the Area 3 (Pierce County) representative on the Washington Activity Coordinators Association (WACA) board. I will be sending out emails throughout the school year to let you know about important information related to the association, our annual spring conference, and the work we do in student leadership. As I write this, I think I’ve almost recovered from this weekend’s ASB lock-in. We stayed up all night, bonded, casted a vision for the year, played games, listened to loud music, and decorated the building in preparation of students’ arrival on September 7. Tomorrow, teachers are officially back, and we’re off to the races!

We’ll be welcoming our staff and students back soon, but I’d like to officially welcome all of you to the 2016-2017 school year now! I get butterflies in my stomach even typing that - I am so looking forward to all the excitement and challenges that the year will bring. Working in student leadership makes the beginning of the year even more meaningful, as we seek to work alongside our student leaders to create a positive culture for the next 180 school days (and beyond!). I would like to especially welcome all the new ASB advisers, leadership teachers, class advisers, and administrators who will be working in student leadership this year. We are so glad to have you helping students to make their schools places where students want to come to school instead of have to come to school. Buckle up - it’s going to be a great ride!

I’m sure I’ll have more for you after our fall board meeting in a couple of weeks, but for now, just a couple of quick announcements:

  • One of the big things WACA is rolling out this year is the official Washington Student Leadership Adviser certification. We are proud to say that this is up and running, and we plan to award the first certificates at the conference this spring! This is a great way to celebrate the work we do with an official certificate, as well as validate the efforts of those who are continually working to improve their practice. You can find information about how to apply here. In order to become certified, you will need to report 150 hours within five years (I know, some of you are thinking “I’ll hit 150 hours before Halloween!”). And yes, attending WACA counts! :) You can report experiences from as early as the 2014-15 school year. Questions? Check out the website or email our certification coordinator, Tim Turner.
  • Mark your calendar for WACA 2017: Fishin’ for Ideas! We’ll be meeting this year on March 15-17 at the Vancouver Hilton (heck yes! Back on the west side!). I know it seems a ways off, but we all know the speed of the school year once we really get rolling. If you are thinking about presenting a 50-minute session or a 10-minute “Meet the Pros” session (or if you’d like more info), let me know!
  • Of course, if if there is someone in your building who is isn’t receiving these emails and should be, please let me know their name and position and I’ll be happy to add them to the list! Additionally, if you would like to be removed from the mailing list, I can do that for you as well.

Ten years ago at this time, I was starting my first of two years as a resident assistant at Whitworth University in Spokane. On the last day of RA training, our dean of students, Dick Mandeville, told us this story:
“When our children were young, we decided that we would take them to Walt Disney World in Florida. We wanted to keep it a secret, but as we went through the process of making arrangements, they eventually caught wind of what we were planning. For months, Garrett and Chelsea were asking us, ‘is today the day? Are we going to see Mickey today?’. My wife Judy and I had to keep telling them, ‘no, not today, but soon!’ We had fun telling them all of the stories about the characters they would see and the magic of Disney World.

“Then, finally, the day arrived. We woke the kids up early and drove to the airport. The kids were so excited to see that we got to ride the plane decorated with Disney characters. We landed in Orlando and took the kids to the restroom. When Judy and Chelsea came out, Judy had a huge smile on her face. I had to ask, ‘what happened?’ Judy explained that when Chelsea saw the toilet flush automatically, she couldn’t contain herself and yelled, ‘the magic is beginning!’”

The magic of student leadership is beginning for us, ladies and gentlemen! Have a fantastic beginning to your school year, and I will look forward to talking to you soon. Make it a great day! (I know you will)
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Hey Guys

4/25/2016

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Good afternoon, Area 3!

I have to start with a proud dad moment - our little dude, Robin, is turning 1 next Tuesday. Holy moly! It is amazing to look back over the past year and think about everything that has happened. Not just for my family and me, but for all of us. A lot happens in a school year - thank you for all you have done this year to make amazing things happen for our students here in Pierce County.

This is an exciting time - there are only 9 weeks left in our school year (and probably less for most of you)! I am already starting to mourn the year that has passed, but of course, it's not over yet, and this is also a time to start getting excited about the future.

On that note, it's that time of the year when some buildings begin making plans for next fall. If you know that you are moving out of your role in student leadership and you do not want to receive these messages, please let me know. 
Related: If you know who will be taking over your role in the leadership program at your building, I would love to add them to the list!

Secondly, I have had a number of people ask for information about John Norlin's adviser trainings. His preconference session at WACA was packed, but we are fortunate that we don't have to leave Pierce County for the full training! There are two dates coming up: One this Saturday, April 30, and one on Saturday, August 13. I wholeheartedly recommend coming to one of these dates; it is a fantastic training whether you're entering your first or your thirtieth year in student leadership. The registration form is attached to this message, and there are still spots available for this Saturday! Please contact me or John (john_norlin@sumnersd.org) if you have any questions.
​
 Advisor Training Reg. Form 2016 - Spring and Su...
​
Finally, if you have any questions, concerns or want to give feedback for the board to discuss as we start initial planning for WACA 2017 (March 15-17 in Vancouver), I'd love to connect!

Enjoy this time - we'll talk soon!
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WACA 16 Wrap UP

3/21/2016

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What’s up, Pierce County?

I hope you had a great first week back at school after the conference. The ideas and conversations at WACA are always a great energizer for me. In fact, I’ve already taught a lesson that I learned from an Area 3 presenter! I truly enjoyed getting to meet a number of you face-to-face. In our post-conference board meeting, I said that seeing old friends and building new relationships was my highlight, and I meant it! Area 3 is really a stellar group of individuals. I’m glad you’re on my team :)

Anyway! I have a couple of quick notes for you here. Some will be more relevant to you if you attended the conference, but I believe there is some good stuff for you even if you didn’t.

Conference survey
If you attended the conference, please fill out the delegate survey at this link. Secondly, if you have any specific feedback or suggestions that you’d like me to share with the board, feel free to let me know!

Idea Share
Here is the summary of our area idea share topics: Speakers, local vendors, resources/books/apps, school climate boosters, assembly games/lunchtime activities, service projects, fundraisers, and this year’s successes.

Sumner events
We have two events coming up in our area that we’d love to have you be a part of. First of all, I had a number of people come up to me during the conference and ask for more information about John Norlin’s servant-leadership adviser training. He has two dates coming up: April 30 and August 20-21 at Sumner High School.
Secondly, for all you high school advisers, there is still space available for the high school Servus servant-leadership conference for students on Friday, April 22 (featuring Doug Baldwin and Tony Ventrella)! The registration forms for both of these events are attached to this email.

Thank you so much for a great conference! I can’t wait for WACA 2017: Gone Fishin’ for Great Ideas! Mark your calendars for March 15-17 in Vancouver - back on the west side! What whaaaat!

Enjoy your Spring Break! Looking forward to talking to you soon.
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Survey Link

3/21/2016

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so close!

3/6/2016

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Hellooooooo, Pierce County!

As we draw ever-closer to tip-off for WACA 2016, I've attached the full conference program and the list of what will be available in the store for your planning. I've also attached a short conference-specific packing checklist - of course, all this stuff is optional, but I would encourage you to dive in! Area 3 is full of all-stars :)

So soon! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions in these last couple of days leading up to the conference. Drive safely, and we'll see you in Kennewick!

Caleb Knox
Leadership and Freshman English Teacher
Sumner High School
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waca in 10 days!!!

2/29/2016

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What up Area 3?

Can you believe that we’ll be coming together at WACA next week? Holy moly! This is one of the highlights of my year (not to mention the best professional development and networking I could imagine!). I can’t wait to descend upon the Tri-Cities and see all of your beautiful faces.

Conference Details:  The conference schedule is live on wacaonline.org! Any day now, the program will be complete and uploaded to the website as well.  I always like to pick my sessions early in order to maximize my time at the conference.

Registration: It is not too late to register for the conference, lodging, or to present. We are still especially in need of people to present for Meet the Pros and Book the Pros! These short sit-down sessions are a great way to dip your toes into the waters of presenting at WACA. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the rookie of the year!

Goodie Baskets: We always have great giveaways in our area meetings, and this year will be no exception! We will create two types of baskets: a chocolate basket and a sweet/savory basket! If you would like to participate, please bring your favorite snack or treat. You are not obligated to contribute, but if you do, you get a chance to be the big winner! It is always a fun way for us to celebrate one another.

Spirit T-shirts: Do you have a super-cool school or team t-shirt design to share? Bring one to our area meetings, and we’ll create a gallery that we can take pictures of and glean inspiration from! (then at the end of the week, if you would like to exchange shirts, that is up to you!)

Speaking of clothing: During the conference, we often try and dress to the theme (it’s our opportunity for an advisers-only Spirit Week!)
Wednesday: Welcome to WACA - come in whatever you would like!
Thursday: Wear a team jersey or any sort of sports attire for our theme: “For the Love of the Game”.
Thursday evening: For the Hall of Fame Banquet, some like to dress up a little nicer. Feel free to just spiff up your sports attire if you'd like!
Friday: Represent your school with spirit gear!

ALSO! To complement the theme we are doing a fun “Throwback Thursday” activity. Feel free to bring any sports pics from your younger years as an athlete or fan that we can put on display. We will have cardstock templates to attach your photos to and a place to write a little something for other delegates to enjoy. If you’d like to complete this ahead of time and bring it along with you, I’ve attached the Publisher template. If you would rather, you could also bring a digital copy that we can post on our digital tagboard during the conference.

I’ll go first :) I went to Glencoe High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. We were the Crimson Tide, so here’s a picture of me as our mascot, Captain Crimson:




CHECK YOU OUT! We have about 45 people registered so far! Wow! Check out the schools that are already represented. If you someone is missing, please give them a nudge toward registration - it’s not too late!


  • Aylen Junior High
  • Cougar Mountain Middle School
  • Curtis Junior High
  • Eatonville Middle School
  • Ferrucci Junior High
  • Franklin Pierce High School
  • Giaudrone Middle School
  • Kalles Junior High
  • Keithley Middle School
  • Key Peninsula Middle School
  • Lakeridge Middle School
  • Meeker Elementary
  • Meeker Middle School
  • Mount Tahoma High School
  • Mountain View Middle School
  • Orting Middle School
  • Stahl Junior High
  • Sumner High School
  • Washington High School
  • Washington Virtual Academies
  • White River High School
  • Wilson High School

Last but, not least
Remember, if you know someone that should be receiving this email but is not, please let me know! I would love to add them. Or, if you no longer want to receive these emails, let me know that too!


See you so soon! Perhaps we can create an 10-step handshake together.
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    Area 3 Rep.

    Caleb Knox
    Stahl JHS

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