If you haven't registered for WACA, it is not too late...the conference doesn't start until next Wednesday!!  You have one whole week !!!  Log on to www.wacaonline.org to get all of the conference registration information and forms (including hotel registration info).

Just a tad bit of information prior to next week...

We had to cancel the Hanford Nuclear Reactor Tour (pre-conference session).  There were not enough delegates signed up, so we didn’t meet their minimum group size.  There are other pre-conference sessions to attend.

A huge bonus of this conference is that Robert Fulghum is coming to speak to us after the banquet on Thursday.  He will also have some of his books available for purchase.  Barnes and Noble is handling the sale.  They want you to have the following information.

Barnes and Noble is handling the sale of Fulghum's books. 

• First, a percentage of the sales will come back to the WACA organization. 

• Second, because the conference is an educator’s conference, the Barnes and Noble educator discount is immediately applied to all sales at the convention.

• Third, if you are not signed up for the educator discount at other times, they will sign you up at the conference, if you wish.

• Finally, if you wish to purchase Fulghum books with a school PO, Barnes and Noble is comfortable with the process.  Wendy Lilly, the Communications Manager at the local Barnes and Noble says that all you need is the Barnes and Noble Institutional Account #  (that your school has).  If you’re not sure, check with your school.  Or Wendy says that you can contact her (crm2879@bn.com), and she will be glad to check the number for you. 

Don't forget that we will have some great give-aways during our area meetings...including my all-time favorite,The Chocolate Basket!  If you would like to participate, bring a package of your favorite chocolate.  We’ll put it in a basket and draw a winner at our last area meeting. 

Clock hours will be available at the conference.  Pre-conference sessions are 3 hours, and the rest of the conference is 10 hours.  Clock hours are available on Friday morning of the conference, through CISPUS and Martin Fortin!

Truly, this is the conference that I look forward to EVERY year.  You will walk away with great ideas, new inspiration, and a re-energized attitude that will take you through the end of the school year.   I look forward to seeing all of you next week...even you Greg Becker!  :)

Make it a great day!

Stacia

Hi Folks!

As your Area 5 Representative and WACA Board Member, I am so excited to let you know that our annual Washington Activity Coordinators Association Conference is right around the corner. 

WACA 2014 -- HELP! (Beatles theme) will take place in Kennewick this year at the Three Rivers Convention Center.  The dates are March 12-14.  If you haven't registered, you can do so now at www.wacaonline.org.  Our website has been update and is super user friendly.  You are only two clicks away from registering...make sure you do this!!

This year’s conference promises to bring new and exciting ideas for you to take back to your schools.  We have a great facility, lots of eating establishments nearby (including a couple Starbucks!), new ideas and presentations, and some cool surprises.

This year, the WACA conference will have a yearbook!  Every delegate that attends the conference will receive a complimentary yearbook!  Fun!   Balfour Yearbooks and their Representative, Kerri Smead, from Renton, will be attending and providing this awesome bonus for us!  Balfour will take photos of the delegates, speakers and breakout sessions, activities, and so on.  Yearbooks will then be delivered to you at your respective schools.  All of us should have better hair now than we did in our HS yearbook!

The WACA Social:  In past years, at the end of the awards banquet, we’ve had some entertainment prior to the official start of the social.  Well, this year we have a special speaker – Mr. Robert Fulghum.  If you’re familiar with the name, you’re already jumping up and down.  If you’re not sure, he’s the author of the book “All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten” (He has a number of books to his name, all great reads, all filled with inspiration, humor, and down-home wisdom.)  So be prepared for an hour of warmth and laughter after dinner on Thursday.  The social will follow our speaker.

We have a neat pre-conference offering this year, specific to the Tri-Cities area.  President Tim Turner thought it would be great to offer a Hanford site tour!  He has arranged for a tour of the historic B-Reactor.  The tour starts early – Wednesday morning at around 8am; we’ll ride out to the site and have a grand tour, and have lunch on the return trip… about 4 hours all in all.  It’s at the regular pre-conference fee.  One condition though – the tour is based on a minimum number of attendees (but has a maximum of 40).  So, if you’re interested, be sure to sign up.  The deadline for reserving your spot is February 15th.

Meals:  If you’re doing a pre-con, lunch on Wednesday is included.  Dinner on Wednesday is “on your own”.  (If you want suggestions for dining in the area, check out the ”conference location” bullet on the conference 2014 menu of the website).  Thursday, all of your meals are taken care of.  On Friday, breakfast is provided, and we’ll close the conference and send you off with a “box lunch”.

Lodging:  The Hilton Garden is already full, but the Red Lion has lots of room.  And there are a variety of other hotels in the immediate area.  Check out the website for a list, and for contact information.

Attire:  Casual attire is the conference norm.  Some folks dress up a bit for the Awards Banquet on Thursday.  And everyone wears school colors on Friday (wear your favorite school shirt/sweatshirt).

Elections:  During the conference, we will also be holding elections for the positions of President-Elect, the Middle-Level Representative, and our even Area Representative.  In addition, we’ll take applications for two appointed positions, the Program Coordinator and the Treasurer.  Check out the website for position descriptions.

 Past-President Kari Bradley is organizing the Resource Table this year.  She wants me to remind you that she will have lots of books and other items to peruse/purchase this year.  So file those POs, warm up those P-cards, dust off those checkbooks, and get ready to haul away some great resources.

In our area meetings, we always have give-aways/drawings.  This year we are going to start something new and fun shared with me by some of the other area representatives.  Who doesn’t like chocolate?  If you’d like to participate in ourChocolate Basket, just bring some of your favorite chocolate.  When you drop it in the basket, you will be eligible for the drawing.  We’ll draw a winner on Friday.  I’ll have some other surprises and drawings as well…

There will be a variety of presenters sharing throughout the conference.  Dig out your favorite leadership lesson or share what your school is doing to increase school climate…BE A PRESENTER!  Let me know if you’re interested in presenting, or if you know someone who does something really neat that THEY should share.  Check out the website for Session Presenters application, or again, just let me know.

I am so excited for WACA!  This has been my all-time favorite conference for over 10 years!  I always walk away feeling as though I can take what I have learned and turn around and use it in my school the next week.  The energy level of the attendees is so incredible.  It is truly an inspiring and rejuvenating conference…well worth your time and money!  COME JOIN THE FUN PEOPLE AT WACA!!

If you have any questions, please let me know…I’m here to serve you!

Make it a great day!

Stacia