​Happy 2020, Area 9 Neighbors! 

The New Year (and upcoming New Semester!) are great times to re-establish community in your classes and in your schools.

Check out these resources
From Character Strong, three lesson plans about community building
From We Are Teachers, this article with 12 ways to build community in a classroom

Upcoming Deadlines:
February 1: WSLA Certificate
The Washington Student Leadership Adviser Certification deadline is quickly approaching. If you have ever found yourself needing reasons to keep your program, expand your program or lend some professional credibility to your leadership program, this is a great way to do it.

To apply, you need 150 hours earned in three of the six categories. More information here


February 1: WACA Registration price increase

Don't forget that we have a price increase in registration costs after February 1! Get your PO going today! We can't WAIT to see you at WACA 2020!


Date
Registration Fee
Pre-Conference Fee

Oct 1, 2019 – Feb 1, 2020
$350 (+ group discount)
$50

Feb 2, 2020 – Mar 1, 2020
$375
$50

Mar 2, 2020 – Conference Start
$425
$50
 
Are you looking for other ways to recognize events in January or February?


January is...
National School Board Appreciation Month -- get ideas here
It's OK to be Different Month -- get ideas here
International Creativity Month -- with all the fires in Australia, why not organize a "Knit-In"? Get patterns for animal rescue here


January 9: National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day -- wear blue to appreciate your SROs!
January 14: Ratification Day (Treaty of Paris)
January 16: Appreciate a Dragon Day
January 19: National Popcorn Day
January 21: Dr. Martin Luther King Day, National Hugging Day -- consider an MLK Day ON as a service opportunity for students
January 24: National Clashing Clothes Day


February is...
Black History Month
Heart Health Awareness Month
National Children's Dental Health Month


February 2: Groundhog Day
February 7: National Bubble Gum Day
February 11: National Make a Friend Day, White Tshirt Day -- wouldn't it be cool to combine the two? Would be a unique spirit day!
February 14: Valentine's Day
February 15: Susan B Anthony Day
February 17: Random Acts of Kindness Day
February 20: National Love Your Pet Day -- ask staff for a photo of their pet, post in your commons or main gathering place and have students guess which pet belongs to which staff member
February 24: National Tortilla Chip Day -- partner with your cafeteria for a Nacho Lunch special


Please feel free to forward this email onto anyone who would benefit from it -- activities directors, athletic directions, ASB advisors, class advisors, administration...


Any questions, ideas or concerns? Please email me back!


Cheers,




Amy Stapleton
She / Her / Hers
Activities Coordinator
Leadership Teacher
Spanish Teacher
360-458-7777

​Happy Wednesday WACA Area 9 Folks - 
 
WACA is almost here and that means it is time for The Greatest Show on Earth!  The conference begins Wednesday, March 13th!  One week from today!!! 
Here are some last-minute details…

 
If you are a presenter, THANK YOU for your time and talent.

Friday of the conference is school colors day.  Show your school pride on Friday.   
We will be having “give-aways” at the last Area Meeting on Friday.  If you would like to bring items, this is how it works. You can choose to participate in one, or both baskets.  You will get a ticket for each basket you participate in.  Something fun to wrap-up our week together.  Please don’t feel like you have to participate.
 
Our give away baskets are:
CHOCOLATE/CANDY/GOODIES/YUMMINESS!
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
 
If you have any questions or comments please email me.
 
I'm excited to see you NEXT WEEK!
 
Thanks,
Jen Nelson
Area 9 Rep  
Olympia High School  

​Hello WACA Area 9,
 
We are just three weeks away from The Greatest Show On Earth, our 2019 state WACA conference.  
 
1. It is not too late to sign up for the conference.  You will not regret it! www.wacaonline.org
 
2. We need 12 more people to present at Meet the Pros. This is a chance to present a short lesson that you do or an activity you want to highlight.  It is low-key.  You sit around a table with people who want to hear about your project.  Would you consider signing up for a Meet the Pros session? 
Here is the link.  http://www.wacaonline.org/presenter-application.html
 
3. I wanted you all to know that the Area 9 Rep is up for reelection, and I will not be running again.  It has been a great experience…Please consider joining the WACA Board. If you’re interested, please feel free to send me an email with any questions you have.
 
That's all for now.  Have a great week!
 
Jen

​Hello everyone!
 
We recently had our Winter Board meeting at the Convention Center in Kennewick, and we’re gearing up for another great conference.  I have several items to share with you… too many to put into a single email.  So, I’ll send just a few items for now and get more info out later!
 
REGISTRATION: If you haven’t yet registered for the conference, please do so!  We have a great line-up of speakers and events.  Of course, all that you need to know is outlined on our website: wacaonline.org.  The conference registration is there.
·         Note:  There is a spot on the registration form, to make special meal requests.  Be sure to fill out this section, and the banquet folks will try to help out as much as possible.
 
HOTEL ROOMS: If you haven’t registered for a hotel room, that info is also on the website.  The rooms are filling up pretty quickly (we’re hearing reports), which means that we should have a big conference this year!  Yeah!
·         Note:  If you have registered for a hotel room, but haven’t yet registered for the conference, please do that soon.  After February 1st, we need to have conference registrations matched with each room registration.  If not, they will start contacting people and releasing those rooms to other delegates who need them.  (This happened last year too.)
 
ADVISOR CERTIFICATION: On the website, notice that there is an advisor certification menu.  Please consider applying.  We had 37 advisors apply last year, and have added more than a dozen this year so far.  You can apply anytime, but if you want your certification recognized at the conference, you’ll need to complete the application by February 1st.  The certification sure is nice when working with TPEP, National Board certification, or just being recognized for the amazing work that you do!
 
PARTNERS: Our partner coordinator Jen Durham is always looking for conference partners.  If you have a local vendor that you really like, or a product that you use frequently, let me know and I’ll pass the info on to Jen.  She will contact that person/s, and see if they’re interested in being one of our Partners.
 
PRESENTERS: Hey, Area 9, how about presenting a session at the conference?  Could you present an idea at our Meet the Pros session (a short/10-minute presentation that you repeat several times as delegates “rotate” to you)?  Do you have a longer presentation that could occupy a 50-minute session?  Please, please consider presenting.  We are always looking for presenters for ASB Law and sessions focused on our bookkeepers.  But delegates have been asking about topics like:  how to transition from summer leadership camp to school; how to partner with administrators to promote school culture, how to creatively repeat programs like Character Strong. The application to present will be found on wacaonline.org!
 
Okay, that’s enough for now! Please let me know if you have questions and, as always, please let me know if you are no longer involved with activities and whose name I should add in your place.
 
Have a wonderful week…Happy Friday Eve!
 
Jen Nelson
Area 9 Rep

​Hello Area 9!
  
I hope your Wednesday is going incredibly well, especially as it’s so beautiful outside.  I am currently rebuilding my contact list for Area 9, so if I’ve forgotten someone, or you asked to be removed, please let me know and I will make it happen.
 
As you begin your march toward the end of the calendar year, and you usher in the holidays, I have a few more WACA items to send your way:
 
Our program coordinator, Tammy Caldwell, just sent the board a reminder message:   Start thinking about presenters for the WACA Conference in March!
· Our conference theme this year is Come One, Come All to the Greatest Show on Earth. Each year, we have several rounds of 50-minute presentations.  We also have a couple of rounds of 10-minute Meet the Pros.  The 50 minute sessions allow us to go into depth on a topic or program or activity.  The Meet the Pros sessions are usually a nice summary, or a “snapshot” of our topic. 
· As we think about the activities at our school, they seem to fall into the categories of Personal Growth, Event Planning, and Culture Building… kind of a three-ring circus of activities!  What do you do at school that fits into one or more of these three-rings?  Present it!  What do you do at your school that you are proud of?  Many of us are familiar with TPEP evaluations.  How does your activity match up with one or more of the 8 TPEP elements?  Your WACA colleagues would be interested (… and so would your administrators).  Present it!
· It doesn’t need to seem earth-shaking!  For example, fundraising activities you do in your building, assignments you use in leadership class, strategies on how to better recognize groups in your building.  Again, nothing earth-shaking; but if a few people leave the sessions with an idea or two they want to use, then the session is a success!  I have no doubt each of you have something to offer so please challenge yourself to present this year.
· The Presenter applications are available on the website. http://www.wacaonline.org/
· As always, if you have an idea or question that you want to discuss, please email me. 
 
Registration for the 2019 conference is OPEN, so go online and register today!  All right, that’s enough for now.  I’ll send some more information after our January Board Meeting. 
Have a wonderful holiday...Take care of yourselves.
 
Thanks,
Jen Nelson
Area 9 Rep.    

​Hello Area 9 Leadership Friends!
My name is Jen Nelson and I teach at Olympia High School.  I am the Area 9 representative for WACA (Washington Activities Coordinators Association).  I hope that this note finds you happy and healthy.  As usual, my first task at the beginning of the year is to ask, “Am I talking to the right person?”  Are you the activities/leadership person?  If so, great.  If not, could you please forward me contact info for the correct person?  And if you know someone in a neighboring school who should be getting this email but is not, I’d love some help with their contact info as well.  Thanks!
 
The WACA board had our WACA Fall Board Meeting on Sept 22-23 in Spokane.   We covered A LOT of material at the Board Meeting.  Here goes:
 
1)       The Board uses the Fall Meeting to check out possible sites for our conference.  Since there have been several changes in the Spokane area, we decided it was time to visit again.  We have to find a site that will accommodate our many break-out sessions, our big vendor area, our large-group sessions, and our housing needs (for about 350 people).  And we try to be fiscally responsible – so we know that if we book a certain number of rooms (room block) and order a certain volume of food (banquet minimums), we can get our conference areas at no/low cost.  Make sense so far?  Well, we found ourselves involved in a “Three Bears” story at our Fall Meeting.  Many places were “too small” – they didn’t have enough meeting space or vendor space.  Some places were “too big” – like the Davenport Grand Hotel, where we were staying; they had enough space, but we can’t meet room blocks and banquet minimums that are large enough to offset the conference costs.  So, the Spokane venues weren’t the answer at this time, and we continue to look for “just right”.  
 
2)      Don’t forget that WACA sponsors an Advisor Certification program.  Details may be found on our website wacaonline.org.  The application is being simplified for this year.  If you haven’t already applied, I would recommend it.   Deadline for applications for this cycle (certificates handed out at the March 2019 annual meeting) is February 1st.
3)      Back to the WACA Conference:  Each March at the conference, we present our Hall of Fame awards.  We need some input from you, so would you please consider going online atwacaonline.org, and nominating a colleague?  Details are on the website, and the deadline is December 1st of 2018.
4)      Mark your calendars for the WACA conference March 13-15 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.  Registration is open at http://www.wacaonline.org/conference-2019.html
 
Okay, that’s enough for now.  I’ll send another email note in about a month.  Until then, have a fantastic Fall season. 
 
Thanks,
Jen Nelson
WACA Area 9 Rep

​Hello all,


Well, we are only a few days away from the WACA conference.  The schedule is in place, the speakers are ready, the entertainment has been arranged, and the class sessions are full.  I’m looking forward to seeing you all.  
 
Some final details to your conference planning:
 
#1:  Attire -  The conference is very casual; jeans and a t-shirt usually work very well.  Since our theme is Tune in to Leadership, how about bringing a concert/music shirt to wear on Thursday, but not a necessity.  Don't spend extra money...unless you want to do some shopping.  =0)  Friday, we try to show off our school colors, so find some spirit gear from your school.  Some people like to dress a bit nicer for the Thursday evening awards banquet, but that is very optional.
 
#2:  Clock Hours -  Recall that 10 clock hours are available at the close of the conference.  The sign-in will be quick, but please plan for a few minutes to complete that task.
 
#3:  Area Meetings -  I am looking to having a chance to see everyone, hang out and share resources and ideas at our area meetings.  Looking forward to some great networking!
 
All right, that should do until we see each other this Wednesday.  Please let me know what questions you have.
See you soon!


Jen Nelson
WACA Area 9 Rep
Yelm Middle School

Hello Area 9...WACA is only a month away!  I hope you are as excited as I am for this year's conference.
 
I have three quick conference items for you:
First, Barnes and Noble is managing our Resource Room this year.  That means that 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 have set up a special code for us (bookfair ID is 12325999), that is 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 same price as during the conference (but only from March 15-20).  
Second, we still have a couple of spots to fill for our conference Meet the Pros session.  Meet the Pros is really nice, because it is just a 10 minute chat (actually less, when you consider discussion and questions!)  You have something cool at your school… so present it!  All delegates that present at Meet the Pros get a copy of all Meet the Pro presenter handouts!!  Wow!   
 So…
Share one of the amazing things that is happening at your school!
The presenter application is really easy to find on the website (wacaonline.org). 
Get your application in TODAY!  
Last thing...our conference theme is "Tune into Leadership."  Along that vein, you have the opportunity to request songs to be played at the conference.  Follow think link to make your requests. 
https://tinyurl.com/WACArequests 
 
Happy Friday!
​

Happy New Semester Area 9!
Are you ready for a March break?  Don't forget to register for WACA 2018...Tune into Leadership!

Just a quick note:
Laurel Robillard, WACA Board President, sent out the following update regarding our conference hotels.  Looks like there a some rooms left for reserving!  I’ve added the contact phone numbers, if that is how you want to contact them.  But you can also find them online.  Please note the address of the Red Lion; there are two of them in the Kennewick area.
February 9th is the reservation deadline...after that rooms not reserved (with names) will be released to the public...we are getting the group rate...
Springhill Suites        (509) 820-3026

• $139/night
• 8 rooms just opened up

Hilton Garden Inn    (509) 735-4600

• $129/night
• 11 rooms left

Red Lion        (509) 396-9979 602 N Young St

• $129/night
• 22 rooms left

A couple more quick items for you:

•  Clock Hours:  10 clock hours are available for attending the instructional sessions of the conference.  These are FREE (yep!), and they are available at the end of the conference AFTER THE CLOSING SESSION.  No, I’m not using all caps to “yell” at you.  I’m using them to emphasize when they are available – we have to maintain the integrity of our offerings, so they are not available before the closing of the conference.  So please, plan for this time.  We too are planning; we know that things were a bit slow last year, and we are planning on streamlining the process and offering MULTIPLE pick-up stations.
• WACA Board:  We have elections this year for the following positions:  President-Elect, Middle-Level Rep, Secretary, and Even # Area Reps (Areas 2, 4, 6, and 8). We also have an appointed position up for selection this year:  the Partner Coordinator.  If you are interested in any of these positions, check out the info (and application) on the website.
• Lastly, please consider presenting.  You are the secret sauce for this conference.  What you do really does help other people improve their programs.  Go to wacaonline.org to sign up to present.  Thanks!

Please let me know what questions you have!

Thanks,
Jen Nelson

Hello Area 9!
 
I hope you all had a great weekend!
 
We recently had our Winter Board meeting at the Convention Center in Kennewick, and we’re gearing up for another great conference.  There are a lot of items to share with you… too many to put into a single email.  So I’ll send just a few items at a time, hopefully all well-timed.  Here goes!
 
If you haven’t yet registered for the conference, please do so!  We have a great line-up of speakers and events.  Of course, all that you need to know is outlined on our website:  wacaonline.org.  The conference registration is there.
·              Note:  There is a spot on the registration form, to make special meal requests.  Be sure to fill out this section, and the banquet folks will try to help out as much as possible.
·              If you haven’t registered for a hotel room, that info is also on the website.  The rooms are filling up pretty quickly (we’re hearing reports), which means that we should have a big conference this year!  Yeah!
·              Note:  If you have registered for a hotel room, but haven’t yet registered for the conference, please do that soon.  After February 1st, we need to have conference registrations matched with each room registration.  If not, they will start contacting people and releasing those rooms to other delegates who need them.  (This happened last year too).
·              Also note:  If your room was reserved by a bookkeeper or secretary or someone else who was reserving several rooms for a group, be sure that there is more than the just the bookkeeper’s name on each room.  For example, at RHS, Kari will reserve rooms for Tim, John, and Jim.  If “Kari” is the only name on the registration, that would be bad (see above note).  If she adds each of our names, that will verify that there are three people attending the conference, each with a conference registration and hotel registration.  Make sense?  Let me know if you need clarification.

On the website, notice that there is an advisor certification menu.  Please consider applying.  We had 37 advisors apply last year, and have added more than a dozen this year so far.  You can apply anytime, but if you want your certification recognized at the conference, you’ll need to complete the application by February 1st.  The certification sure is nice when working with TPEP, National Board certification, or just being recognized for the amazing work that you do!
 
Our partner coordinator Jen Durham is always looking for conference partners.  If you have a local vendor that you really like, or a product that you use frequently, let me know and I’ll pass the info on to Jen.  She will contact that person/s, and see if they’re interested in being one of our Partners.
 
Presenters!  Hey, Area 9, how about presenting a session at the conference?  Could you present an idea at our Meet the Pros session (a short/10-minute presentation that you repeat several times as delegates “rotate” to you)?  Do you have a longer presentation that could occupy a 50 minute session?  Please, please consider presenting.  We are always looking for presenters for ASB Law and sessions focused on our bookkeepers.  But delegates have been asking about topics like:  how to transition from summer leadership camp to home school; how to partner with administrators to promote school culture, how to creatively repeat programs like Character Strong.  One of our area delegates is looking for a session on curriculum instruction/leadership lessons.  Can you help?  And remember:  we all take ideas, and “tweak” them.  We don’t think much of it, but those tweaks are what make them so valuable, and so important to share with others.  And hey, that application to present will be found on… yep, you guessed it, wacaonline.org!
 
Okay, that’s enough for now!  Read this email, complete a couple of the tasks, and have a great week!
 
See you soon!


Jen Nelson
WACA Area 9 Representative
Yelm Middle School