WACA 2013 Breakout Sessions with Descriptions
Click here for a copy of the 2013 WACA Conference Program.
Principal Evaluation 2.0
Joe Fenbert, AWSP Student Leadership
Close the Gap. Create a Culture. Ensure Safety. Last year in this class we explored the language of the new principal evaluation leadership framework as it related to the work of student leaders. This year, we will continue the conversation as well as look at real-school examples of how principals and student leaders are partnering to create successful schools.
ASB Secretaries Hot Topics
Sue Fisk, Colville High School
Are you a bookkeeper or secretary in charge of management of ASB funds? Do you sometimes get frustrated or challenged in your role? Would you like to connect with others who do your job, and learn their tricks of the trade? If the answer is yes, then this session is for you. At this roundtable discussion we will look at the hot topics of ASB bookkeeping and examine creative ways at resolving some of the issues associated with them. Bring your questions and be prepared to share your great ideas with others.
Orange and Blue Starts with You
Deb Hay & Sheri Story, Graham Kapowsin High School
Update on Graham Kapowsin High School’s Orange and Blue Starts With You Campaign. This program of promoting Acceptance, Tolerance, and Respect started as a response to several tragedies affecting our community. We created a day filled with activities designed to help heal our school, change our school culture, and inspire more positive attitudes amongst students and staff. Participants in this session will learn about how we created our own student-driven Challenge Day, how we’ve adapted the day based on lessons learned in the last three years, and how you may develop your own activities.
Ideas for How to Organize Your Leadership Class
Johanna Phillips, Shorecrest High School
Get ideas about how to create a class framework to motivate students to take ownership and accountability for leadership class duties. Students create their own job descriptions and evaluations and work in teams to plan, execute, and assess larger events. As teacher, you monitor and support your students. Everything you need to set up this framework next year!
High School ASB Election Forum
Vince Ivelia, Snohomish High School
Come find out a new and creative way to hold your ASB Elections that will involve your students and staff. This format will also hold your candidates accountable to importance of their responsibilities and give them mentors for their new assignments. In addition, as voting and time of elections vary amongst schools, we will share our individual constitution procedures.
Flip This Program
Meghan Fagerberg, Heath Booth & Eric Stanczyk, Washington High School
Over the last 7 years Washington High School’s leadership program has undergone a makeover. It has changed from a leadership class where the popular kids made posters, to a program of students dedicated to impacting their school and the lives of their peers. The program has developed into one that meets the specific needs of Washington High School. At this session we will lead you through the steps that we took to develop WHS Leadership from a class to a campus wide program. Come ready to work and take the first steps towards expanding your program into one that fits the needs of your students, your campus and your community. There will be snacks.
New Dances to Mix and Mingle
Lana Yenne, Yelm Middle School
Learn some new dances to mix and mingle. Use these as great energizers for any situation.
Staff Buy-In: One Advisor’s Guide
Ryan Healy, Ridgeline Middle School
This session will feature tips and suggestions for getting your staff on your side. Included: suggestions for working with administrators, teachers, support staff and custodians. Hear what has worked (and what hasn't) at our school.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Ruth Anderson, Meeker Middle School
Schools that encourage, honor and act on the ideas and concerns of the students who attend them are more likely to be successful. During this session, you will discover how the Raising Student Voice and Participation (RSVP) program and other initiatives have helped make student voices heard at Meeker Middle School. Exciting changes have been the result.
Sustainable Student Recognition
Sarah Mulkey & Guy Simpson, Ridgeline Middle School
Building upon the success of the Ridgeline Middle School Golden Ticket student recognition
program, RMS advisors have built a sustainable once a week student recognition program that has helped develop school culture, promote a positive environment, change perceptions of others, and break down stereotypes. This session will review the Golden Ticket program presented at WACA in 2012, and the supplemental Every Monday Matters based program that supports
PBIS and RTI models. Materials provided.
The Butterfly Circus
Tim Turner, Richland High School
This session will introduce you to "The Butterfly Circus," an award-winning short film you can use in your leadership class (or any class) to teach and discuss leadership lessons about acceptance, self-worth, the need to belong, and dignity. This beautiful film will inspire you and your students.
ASB Finance-Who’s Job?
Josh Meek, Moses Lake High School
We will focus on the importance of assigning and understanding roles. What is the ASB Advisor responsible for, what are the students responsible for, what is the administrators job, what does the constitution say- all in reference to ASB finance.
Small School Spirit
Amy Stapleton, Harrison Prep High School
Harrison Prep is a small school. 500 students for grades 6-12. Because we're supposed to be the college readiness school for our district, we don't have sports. Not having sports means it's hard to inspire kids, hard to have spirit and to find a point to rally behind. Thus, we have create a program inspired by what the kids are reading, putting the school into teams that span 6-12 and distributing points based on academics, attendance at events and participation at school. This year, it was the "Harrison Games" inspired by the books, the Hunger Games. It has been a huge success and we want to share this idea with the state, to help all the other small schools with programs that are a little bit different.
Cyberbullying: What is your online profile?
Becky Heckinger, Edmonds Woodway High School
Have you ever thought about your students' or your own cyber-profile? What are some things you can do or you can show your students how to do in order to protect yourself from cyber-bullying situations? This workshop is intended to help you help yourself
and your students make safer choices while online.
Grab Life by the Diploma!
Sue Metzler, Mariner High School
This workshop will share how and why Mariner High School created a group to pull in all corners of the school as "Graduation Advisory Board," and the work that the board does to plan activities for our program to combat senioritis and keep students motivated and on track. Handouts will include links to student made videos and programs from activities that we have done in partnership with our College Career Center and the counseling staff. There will also be time for an idea share.
Building Community Through Leadership
Erin Wallace & Shalen Wiech, Nelsen Middle School
We want to share some of the programs we started this year in our ASB and leadership class that were focused on building school community. For example; we do monthly school wide lessons on topics like kindness, goal setting, empathy. We also have had student volunteers saying the Pledge of Allegiance on their own language to celebrate diversity, covered our school in inspirational posters, and put positive notes in all students lockers periodically. Our presentation would cover these strategies, lesson plans, and resources we've used to put it all together.
Wii Dance
Greg Becker, Moses Lake High School
This session will be a description of how to set up a Dance Tournament using the Nintendo Wii Gaming system. This activity is appropriate for all age levels and can be used as a fundraiser or just for fun! (Ibuprofen is not provided by presenter).
Student Mentors
Susie Bennett & Becky Norgard, Selah Junior High School
Come and learn about the incredible influence of student mentors. If changing school climate is high on your "to do" list, mentors are the key. Learn from our successes and challenges as we enter into our sixth year of mentoring at Selah Junior High.
Group-Worthy Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Alicia Hall, Stewart Middle School
In my session, you will learn a hands-on, activity that will get your students thinking outside the box and make their brains hurt. I will show you how to engage ALL students in your class by giving them specific responsibilities in the activity. This activity can be used in leadership situations or gen-ed. I'll provide some materials for you to take back to your site with you. Join me for some fun and lateral thinking!
Spirit From Scratch
Tom Edwards, Carre Potis & Leisha Gedde, Keithley Middle School
How to steal ideas, think outside the box and synthesize to build a cultural revolution on your campus.
Lower Your Stress to Increase Your Success
Hoan Do, Succeeding in the Real World
Being a student activity coordinator can be stressful! Meeting deadlines, working long hours, mentoring student leaders, and balancing work and personal life … the pressures that you face can be overwhelming. Laugh and learn as Hoan Do shares simple, yet profound ways on how you can lower your stress, diffuse frustration, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Advanced ASB Finance Issues
Marty Fortin, AWSP Outdoor Learning Centers
Beyond the basics... First a discussion of the really tricky and complicated ASB issues, then see how many mistakes you can find in a fundraising packet.
“Why aren’t my other classes this fun?” Community in Non-Leadership Classes
Johnny Devine & Emily Wickman, Tacoma Science and Math Institute
Do you wish all your classes felt like leadership class? How can you get that community in every class, regardless of the subject, students, or teacher? In this session we will boil down what we do as leadership teachers to the key components that can be applied by any teacher, in any subject, regardless of their leadership background. See how leadership has been applied to science and choir and be ready to share your own experiences.
Leadership and Athletics
John Norlin & Jeff Baines, Sumner High School
This session will cover a scope and sequence for the year that intentionally infuses leadership into your athletic teams, individual athletes, parents, and spectators by connecting students, teaching character, recognition, and role modeling.
Diversity Week
Melissa Boswell, Roosevelt High School
Want a week that is the highlight of your school year- even over Homecoming? Diversity week is a time to celebrate your student body, strengthen your school community and gives students a chance to express themselves through classroom activities, lunchtime activities, selling food at lunchtime and an assembly.
Advisor Handbook
Kim Stewart, Mountlake Terrace High School
How many times have coaches and advisors asked you the same questions over and over again? How many times have coaches and advisors made errors in procedure and judgment and then said “I didn’t know” or “you never told me that.” If you have ever thought to yourself “I wish I had all this information in one handy notebook for my coaches and advisers,” then worry no more because Mountlake Terrace has created one and is willing to share.
Reaching Out/Creating a Positive Climate
Tom Spane, Aylen Junior High School
This session will focus on simple ways to reach out to students and the school community at large. From clubs to recognition days, fund-raising drives to 7thGrade Summit, we’ll review some of the things we have used at Aylen Junior High. These projects have been largely successful; you will receive useful ideas to take back to your schools. Hopefully, there will be time for some idea sharing as well.
MLK Day: An Unassembly
Jennifer Bonner & Laura Handy-Nimick, Spanaway Middle School
In this session we will discuss and showcase a student center/created MLK presentation and talk about how you can still celebrate and recognize the day without having an assembly.
Leadership on Tour… No Worries!
John Bittinger, Richland High School
Do you find that stress is “rocking” your world?! Is that anxiety shaking, rattling, and rolling the activities in your life? If so, you need a back-stage pass to stress reduction. We’ll get you as relaxed as if you had just stepped out of a Barry Manilow concert! In this session, we will discuss "good" and "bad" stress, and the impact of stress - also good and bad - in our lives. We will try to identify stressors in life, and we will chat about ways to reduce and to live with stress. Finally, we will investigate techniques to redirect stress, and relaxation strategies. You are certain to leave this session feeling rejuvenated!!
Art of Connecting: How to Motivate, Influence and Relate
Hoan Do, Succeeding in the Real World
Your ability to connect with your student leaders is the key to creating a cohesive team, helping your students to reach their full potential, and achieving your goals. Recognized as the best youth mentor by the International Examiner, Hoan will share: The number one reason that causes disconnect between an advisor & their student leaders, why one method of motivation works for one student but not another, and how to communicate in a way that will connect and get through to every type of student leader.
“FINAO” Failure is not an option!
Mike Smith, Mike Smith Live & Scott Krenz, Jostens
Everyone has a FINAO. What is yours? How to motivate your students to create their FINAO and the goals needed to be a success. Mike and Scott will help you to make it cool and fun for kids to live a goal orientated life. Learn how to be part of the change. Mike will also spend some time answering your questions.
“Like” Me: Social Media and School Culture
Houston Kraft
Student leaders only have so much time to impact others throughout the school day – fleeting minutes before and after classes, during lunch, or as they head home after another day. Every year, you create a battle plan to execute brilliant activities and involve people on campus. But do your students have an understanding of how to create a culture of kindness outside of school? You'll walk away knowing how to use Social Media to build stronger leaders and communities at school. As a bonus, I want to share 4 activities with you and a DVD including "Perspectacles" & our latest video about cyberbullying, "Mirror."
Be the “Big Elephant”
Stu Cabe & Geoff Mclachlan, The Ovation Company
Stu Cabe, with The Ovation Company, is well known in the state of Washington as a keynote presenter, in particular for his story about Big Elephants as role models. Here at WACA, Stu' breakout session showcases this amazing true story of "Big Elephants as role models", using it as a foundation for his middle school anti-bullying program 4Word Momentum. Along with his colleague Geoff Mclachlan, Stu presents this program to schools all over the country, reaching nearly 200,000 students a year. Come spend some time with Stu and Geoff and listen to how simple language around Elephants can invigorate positive conversations on school climate and culture.
Joe Fenbert, AWSP Student Leadership
Close the Gap. Create a Culture. Ensure Safety. Last year in this class we explored the language of the new principal evaluation leadership framework as it related to the work of student leaders. This year, we will continue the conversation as well as look at real-school examples of how principals and student leaders are partnering to create successful schools.
ASB Secretaries Hot Topics
Sue Fisk, Colville High School
Are you a bookkeeper or secretary in charge of management of ASB funds? Do you sometimes get frustrated or challenged in your role? Would you like to connect with others who do your job, and learn their tricks of the trade? If the answer is yes, then this session is for you. At this roundtable discussion we will look at the hot topics of ASB bookkeeping and examine creative ways at resolving some of the issues associated with them. Bring your questions and be prepared to share your great ideas with others.
Orange and Blue Starts with You
Deb Hay & Sheri Story, Graham Kapowsin High School
Update on Graham Kapowsin High School’s Orange and Blue Starts With You Campaign. This program of promoting Acceptance, Tolerance, and Respect started as a response to several tragedies affecting our community. We created a day filled with activities designed to help heal our school, change our school culture, and inspire more positive attitudes amongst students and staff. Participants in this session will learn about how we created our own student-driven Challenge Day, how we’ve adapted the day based on lessons learned in the last three years, and how you may develop your own activities.
Ideas for How to Organize Your Leadership Class
Johanna Phillips, Shorecrest High School
Get ideas about how to create a class framework to motivate students to take ownership and accountability for leadership class duties. Students create their own job descriptions and evaluations and work in teams to plan, execute, and assess larger events. As teacher, you monitor and support your students. Everything you need to set up this framework next year!
High School ASB Election Forum
Vince Ivelia, Snohomish High School
Come find out a new and creative way to hold your ASB Elections that will involve your students and staff. This format will also hold your candidates accountable to importance of their responsibilities and give them mentors for their new assignments. In addition, as voting and time of elections vary amongst schools, we will share our individual constitution procedures.
Flip This Program
Meghan Fagerberg, Heath Booth & Eric Stanczyk, Washington High School
Over the last 7 years Washington High School’s leadership program has undergone a makeover. It has changed from a leadership class where the popular kids made posters, to a program of students dedicated to impacting their school and the lives of their peers. The program has developed into one that meets the specific needs of Washington High School. At this session we will lead you through the steps that we took to develop WHS Leadership from a class to a campus wide program. Come ready to work and take the first steps towards expanding your program into one that fits the needs of your students, your campus and your community. There will be snacks.
New Dances to Mix and Mingle
Lana Yenne, Yelm Middle School
Learn some new dances to mix and mingle. Use these as great energizers for any situation.
Staff Buy-In: One Advisor’s Guide
Ryan Healy, Ridgeline Middle School
This session will feature tips and suggestions for getting your staff on your side. Included: suggestions for working with administrators, teachers, support staff and custodians. Hear what has worked (and what hasn't) at our school.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Ruth Anderson, Meeker Middle School
Schools that encourage, honor and act on the ideas and concerns of the students who attend them are more likely to be successful. During this session, you will discover how the Raising Student Voice and Participation (RSVP) program and other initiatives have helped make student voices heard at Meeker Middle School. Exciting changes have been the result.
Sustainable Student Recognition
Sarah Mulkey & Guy Simpson, Ridgeline Middle School
Building upon the success of the Ridgeline Middle School Golden Ticket student recognition
program, RMS advisors have built a sustainable once a week student recognition program that has helped develop school culture, promote a positive environment, change perceptions of others, and break down stereotypes. This session will review the Golden Ticket program presented at WACA in 2012, and the supplemental Every Monday Matters based program that supports
PBIS and RTI models. Materials provided.
The Butterfly Circus
Tim Turner, Richland High School
This session will introduce you to "The Butterfly Circus," an award-winning short film you can use in your leadership class (or any class) to teach and discuss leadership lessons about acceptance, self-worth, the need to belong, and dignity. This beautiful film will inspire you and your students.
ASB Finance-Who’s Job?
Josh Meek, Moses Lake High School
We will focus on the importance of assigning and understanding roles. What is the ASB Advisor responsible for, what are the students responsible for, what is the administrators job, what does the constitution say- all in reference to ASB finance.
Small School Spirit
Amy Stapleton, Harrison Prep High School
Harrison Prep is a small school. 500 students for grades 6-12. Because we're supposed to be the college readiness school for our district, we don't have sports. Not having sports means it's hard to inspire kids, hard to have spirit and to find a point to rally behind. Thus, we have create a program inspired by what the kids are reading, putting the school into teams that span 6-12 and distributing points based on academics, attendance at events and participation at school. This year, it was the "Harrison Games" inspired by the books, the Hunger Games. It has been a huge success and we want to share this idea with the state, to help all the other small schools with programs that are a little bit different.
Cyberbullying: What is your online profile?
Becky Heckinger, Edmonds Woodway High School
Have you ever thought about your students' or your own cyber-profile? What are some things you can do or you can show your students how to do in order to protect yourself from cyber-bullying situations? This workshop is intended to help you help yourself
and your students make safer choices while online.
Grab Life by the Diploma!
Sue Metzler, Mariner High School
This workshop will share how and why Mariner High School created a group to pull in all corners of the school as "Graduation Advisory Board," and the work that the board does to plan activities for our program to combat senioritis and keep students motivated and on track. Handouts will include links to student made videos and programs from activities that we have done in partnership with our College Career Center and the counseling staff. There will also be time for an idea share.
Building Community Through Leadership
Erin Wallace & Shalen Wiech, Nelsen Middle School
We want to share some of the programs we started this year in our ASB and leadership class that were focused on building school community. For example; we do monthly school wide lessons on topics like kindness, goal setting, empathy. We also have had student volunteers saying the Pledge of Allegiance on their own language to celebrate diversity, covered our school in inspirational posters, and put positive notes in all students lockers periodically. Our presentation would cover these strategies, lesson plans, and resources we've used to put it all together.
Wii Dance
Greg Becker, Moses Lake High School
This session will be a description of how to set up a Dance Tournament using the Nintendo Wii Gaming system. This activity is appropriate for all age levels and can be used as a fundraiser or just for fun! (Ibuprofen is not provided by presenter).
Student Mentors
Susie Bennett & Becky Norgard, Selah Junior High School
Come and learn about the incredible influence of student mentors. If changing school climate is high on your "to do" list, mentors are the key. Learn from our successes and challenges as we enter into our sixth year of mentoring at Selah Junior High.
Group-Worthy Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Alicia Hall, Stewart Middle School
In my session, you will learn a hands-on, activity that will get your students thinking outside the box and make their brains hurt. I will show you how to engage ALL students in your class by giving them specific responsibilities in the activity. This activity can be used in leadership situations or gen-ed. I'll provide some materials for you to take back to your site with you. Join me for some fun and lateral thinking!
Spirit From Scratch
Tom Edwards, Carre Potis & Leisha Gedde, Keithley Middle School
How to steal ideas, think outside the box and synthesize to build a cultural revolution on your campus.
Lower Your Stress to Increase Your Success
Hoan Do, Succeeding in the Real World
Being a student activity coordinator can be stressful! Meeting deadlines, working long hours, mentoring student leaders, and balancing work and personal life … the pressures that you face can be overwhelming. Laugh and learn as Hoan Do shares simple, yet profound ways on how you can lower your stress, diffuse frustration, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Advanced ASB Finance Issues
Marty Fortin, AWSP Outdoor Learning Centers
Beyond the basics... First a discussion of the really tricky and complicated ASB issues, then see how many mistakes you can find in a fundraising packet.
“Why aren’t my other classes this fun?” Community in Non-Leadership Classes
Johnny Devine & Emily Wickman, Tacoma Science and Math Institute
Do you wish all your classes felt like leadership class? How can you get that community in every class, regardless of the subject, students, or teacher? In this session we will boil down what we do as leadership teachers to the key components that can be applied by any teacher, in any subject, regardless of their leadership background. See how leadership has been applied to science and choir and be ready to share your own experiences.
Leadership and Athletics
John Norlin & Jeff Baines, Sumner High School
This session will cover a scope and sequence for the year that intentionally infuses leadership into your athletic teams, individual athletes, parents, and spectators by connecting students, teaching character, recognition, and role modeling.
Diversity Week
Melissa Boswell, Roosevelt High School
Want a week that is the highlight of your school year- even over Homecoming? Diversity week is a time to celebrate your student body, strengthen your school community and gives students a chance to express themselves through classroom activities, lunchtime activities, selling food at lunchtime and an assembly.
Advisor Handbook
Kim Stewart, Mountlake Terrace High School
How many times have coaches and advisors asked you the same questions over and over again? How many times have coaches and advisors made errors in procedure and judgment and then said “I didn’t know” or “you never told me that.” If you have ever thought to yourself “I wish I had all this information in one handy notebook for my coaches and advisers,” then worry no more because Mountlake Terrace has created one and is willing to share.
Reaching Out/Creating a Positive Climate
Tom Spane, Aylen Junior High School
This session will focus on simple ways to reach out to students and the school community at large. From clubs to recognition days, fund-raising drives to 7thGrade Summit, we’ll review some of the things we have used at Aylen Junior High. These projects have been largely successful; you will receive useful ideas to take back to your schools. Hopefully, there will be time for some idea sharing as well.
MLK Day: An Unassembly
Jennifer Bonner & Laura Handy-Nimick, Spanaway Middle School
In this session we will discuss and showcase a student center/created MLK presentation and talk about how you can still celebrate and recognize the day without having an assembly.
Leadership on Tour… No Worries!
John Bittinger, Richland High School
Do you find that stress is “rocking” your world?! Is that anxiety shaking, rattling, and rolling the activities in your life? If so, you need a back-stage pass to stress reduction. We’ll get you as relaxed as if you had just stepped out of a Barry Manilow concert! In this session, we will discuss "good" and "bad" stress, and the impact of stress - also good and bad - in our lives. We will try to identify stressors in life, and we will chat about ways to reduce and to live with stress. Finally, we will investigate techniques to redirect stress, and relaxation strategies. You are certain to leave this session feeling rejuvenated!!
Art of Connecting: How to Motivate, Influence and Relate
Hoan Do, Succeeding in the Real World
Your ability to connect with your student leaders is the key to creating a cohesive team, helping your students to reach their full potential, and achieving your goals. Recognized as the best youth mentor by the International Examiner, Hoan will share: The number one reason that causes disconnect between an advisor & their student leaders, why one method of motivation works for one student but not another, and how to communicate in a way that will connect and get through to every type of student leader.
“FINAO” Failure is not an option!
Mike Smith, Mike Smith Live & Scott Krenz, Jostens
Everyone has a FINAO. What is yours? How to motivate your students to create their FINAO and the goals needed to be a success. Mike and Scott will help you to make it cool and fun for kids to live a goal orientated life. Learn how to be part of the change. Mike will also spend some time answering your questions.
“Like” Me: Social Media and School Culture
Houston Kraft
Student leaders only have so much time to impact others throughout the school day – fleeting minutes before and after classes, during lunch, or as they head home after another day. Every year, you create a battle plan to execute brilliant activities and involve people on campus. But do your students have an understanding of how to create a culture of kindness outside of school? You'll walk away knowing how to use Social Media to build stronger leaders and communities at school. As a bonus, I want to share 4 activities with you and a DVD including "Perspectacles" & our latest video about cyberbullying, "Mirror."
Be the “Big Elephant”
Stu Cabe & Geoff Mclachlan, The Ovation Company
Stu Cabe, with The Ovation Company, is well known in the state of Washington as a keynote presenter, in particular for his story about Big Elephants as role models. Here at WACA, Stu' breakout session showcases this amazing true story of "Big Elephants as role models", using it as a foundation for his middle school anti-bullying program 4Word Momentum. Along with his colleague Geoff Mclachlan, Stu presents this program to schools all over the country, reaching nearly 200,000 students a year. Come spend some time with Stu and Geoff and listen to how simple language around Elephants can invigorate positive conversations on school climate and culture.