november 2012 hands-on leadership - oascoasc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oasc-nov-2012.pdf ·...

First off, I want to applaud all of the

student leaders in Oregon (and those

around the U.S.) who want to do fund-

raising for something other than new

uniforms, class activities, or other

school-related issues. It seems to me that too much of my time

is spent on school spirit activities and school-related fundrais-

ing. I am not complaining, but I am just stating my perception

of what goes on regularly with my school; or should I say used

to regularly go on at my school – Gervais High School,

Gervais, Oregon.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who

can do him absolutely no good."

~Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

In the last few years, I’d say three or four years, my student

leaders have started to focus their “big” fundraising activities

on affecting their local community. Gervais has a history of

being very supportive of Kids Making Miracles and the Doern-

becher Children’s Hospital and will continue to do so, but the

students wanted to focus down to an even more local level.

Continued on page 2

November 2012

O A S C 707 13th Street SE, Suite 100

Salem, Oregon 97301

503-480-7206

Hands-On Leadership

Important Dates

November 2-4: OASC SEC Retreat and Board Meeting (Seaside) November 4-5: Fall High School Conference (Seaside)

January 12-13: OASC SEC Retreat and Board Meeting (Salem) February 16-18: Winter Energizer (Beaverton, Valley Catholic HS)

In this issue . . .

Activities Alliance, OASC Program Director, pg 3

“Looking to the Future,” SEC President, pg 4

“Break or Make the CAMEL’s Back” with Leif Olsen, pg 5

Leadership Lessons, Board Chair, pg 6

News Around OR, pp 7-9 Meet the Speaker, pg 10 Community Service

Opportunity, pg 11 Leadership Advisors Tips:

“Canned Food Drives,” pp 12-13

Lesson Plan: “Train Tracks,” pg 14

Katee Weisser President

Oregon City HS, Oregon City

Trysten Kelly At-Large Representative

North Valley HS, Grants Pass

Sommer Kirk At-Large Representative Redmond HS, Redmond

Branden Bailey Northwest Region

Scappoose HS, Scappoose

Annie Beaver Central Representative

Bend HS, Bend

Max Denning Metro Representative Parkrose HS, Portland

Leif Olsen Mid-West Representative

Central HS, Independence

Marvin Ransom IV Southern Representative

Grants Pass HS, Grants Pass

Kelsi Spratling Eastern Representative

Pendleton HS, Pendleton

Krista Jansen Mid-Level Representative Conestoga MS, Beaverton

Madison Rounsaville Mid-Level Representative

South MS, Grants Pass

Student Executive Council

Heather Ransom Board Chair

South MS, Grants Pass

Sue Dowty Conestoga MS, Beaverton

Amo Estrada Echo Jr/Sr HS, Echo

Maegan Mackelvie Redmond HS, Redmond

Patrick Mackelvie Alumni

Bob Martin Gervais HS, Gervais

Stacy Michaelson Alumni

Kerrie Savage McMinnville HS, McMinnville

Aurora Taylor Sherwood HS, Sherwood

Jeff Witt Central HS, Independence HS

OASC Board Members OASC Program Director: Sara Nilles

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~Aesop

Leadership/Activities: Think Globally,

Act Locally

Bob Martin Board Member

Gervais HS, Gervais

Hands-On Leadership November 2012

Continued from page 1, “Looking to the Future” by Sara Marks, Past OASC Board Member, Sandstone Middle School

We started moving from wanting to change THE WORLD, to changing our little piece of the world – Gervais, OR.

When GHS did its cancer awareness focus, we chose to partner with 4Him 2Day (4him2day.org) – a mid-Willamette Valley foundation that works with families who have been touched by pediatric cancer. 4Him is local and is a group that would work with any of our families that could be struck by this horrible illness. We don’t discount the value of the Komen Foundation, Livestrong, or Stand Up 2 Cancer, but we wanted to keep the money we raised in our area where there was a greater chance that our families could benefit. GHS students understand the benefit of raising these funds, but they also have the opportunity to connect with the leaders of 4Him and see first-hand the good their efforts are producing.

I know that food drives are always a “big hit” during the holiday season, and the class competitions always fuel battles as to who can bring in the most pounds of food. We started partnering with our local food bank (Sacred Heart Church and the

Marion-Polk Food Share) to target the food needs they were experiencing (proteins, pasta/starches, veggies) and we would set targets for each class, and lately we have been sponsoring coin and dollar drives so the food banks can maximize their purchasing power – they can buy larger quantities with the money we donate. I don’t mention this to tell you we are doing things the right way or the only way, but I encourage your student leaders to find out the needs of your local food banks – meet their needs, and in turn, the students will be meeting the needs of the people in their community.

Gervais is a small community, so finding “local” charities to work with forces us to look to our larger surrounding communities – Salem and Woodburn. Within those cities we are able to find willing partners, and I know that you can all find local partners to work with in the area of fundraising. I know that many of you are already doing great things in your communities – Sparrow Clubs, working with local nursing homes and homeless shelters, helping out families within your schools, aiding food shelters and children’s hospitals. The opportunities to work locally are right there, sometimes all it takes is stopping long enough to look around and see the need in your own towns.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi

FRIENDS OF OASC Make the difference in the lives of Oregon’s youth by

sending a student leader to an OASC summer leadership camp! All contributions are deposited into the COSA Foundation, to be used solely

for camp scholarships— and contributions are tax-deductible!

Please contact OASC Program Director Sara Nilles if you wish to designate the individuals) to receive the scholarship. Otherwise, OASC will select

worthy student leaders from around the state.

February 2011

November 2012 Hands-On Leadership

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

~Buddha

The Alliance for Student Activities

Q: What is the Alliance for Student Activities? A: The Alliance for Student Activities was founded by a group of

educators and trainers who realized the need for a unifying voice

and network to promote the benefits and processes of co-curricular

activities.

Q: What are their goals? A: The Alliance for Student Activities is dedicated to:

Raising the awareness of the value of co-curricular activities (those activities in and around the school community that provide students with the opportunity to learn, develop, and practice the life skills for social

and civic involvement),

Supporting academic achievement by helping establish a safe, positive school climate,

Training educators and student leaders in the processes, philosophies, and procedures that provide the foundation for successfully engaging the larger student population ,

And, partnering with like-minded organizations to promote the value of student activities.

Q: What is the relationship between OASC and the Alliance? A: OASC is a paid member of the Alliance. We are able to pass the benefits onto our members; this includes

website login to many resources, “In Brief” and “The Advocate”. For more information, go to

http://www.alliance4studentactivities.org, and you can even print a FREE Leadership Poster!

Login: C931DA Password: advisor Q: When you say “Student Activities” are you just talking about “Student Council?”

A: NO, it’s so much more than just Student Council/Leadership. We want to promote ALL school sponsored, adult

advised and student driven activities. This includes: Band, Choir, Drama, Arts, Clubs, Athletics, Student Council/

Leadership and more!

Sara Nilles OASC Program

Director

Definitive Guide to Teacher Checklists

If you're a list-maker, be sure to check out this Edutopia blog post by Todd Finley, an associate professor of English,

who spent a few hours combing through education websites to compile this list of the best teacher checklists.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teacher-checklists-definitive-guide-todd-finley


It’s hard to believe that it has almost been a full year since I was getting ready for my

campaign at fall conference. I was nervous, and was not sure what the outcome would be. To-

day, I can say I’m in the exact same position, with a slight twist. I’m nervous, but in a good

way, and I don’t know how the outcome will turn out, but I can say with confidence that I am

ready. I have learned so much throughout this year, about myself, leadership, and independence. I can honestly

say I have grown so much as a person and even though there were times of complete stress, and it felt as if I had

no outside life, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. I have a last piece of advice for all of you, and I hope

it can help you think about your past, present, and future.

For your past, whether good or bad, it has gotten you to where you are today. You may have struggled

then, but this is now. Don’t ever forget it though, because sometimes you must remember in order to keep you

moving forward. Everyone has a struggle they have been through, and as leaders we may take things harder than

others, and you should because you are held to a higher standard. You must learn from your past, and then leave

it there. Leadership is all about growth, and if you aren’t growing, take a look back. I’m sure you will find some-

thing. The world will never stop turning, so don’t get stuck back there.

Present day. Ask yourself these questions, “Did I make someone smile today?” “Have I

smiled today?” “What am I doing right now in my life to benefit everyone around me?” I believe

these questions are some of the most important questions we forget about, and as leaders, we

should be able to answer these everyday. If an answer is no, then change it. You are living right

now, and this is your life and time for change. You can do whatever you want. You are faced with

many challenges and choices that people don’t really care or make a big deal about. What people will care about

is the outcome. You are always going to be looked to as a role model and held to a higher standard. It is the com-

mitment we make. Take advantage of it, ask yourself those questions, and live for now.

The future is something we think about everyday. It is inevitable. We think about tomorrow, next week,

even 10 years down the road. Right now, I can tell you your future goals and hopes will not happen if you don’t do

what you have to do right now in your present to achieve them. Today is what leads you to tomorrow. When peo-

ple say don’t stress about the future, I have to laugh at this, because I am working everyday trying to reach my

goals of my future. It is what helps me make my decisions, keeps me on track, and reminds me that there is a rea-

son to be alive on this earth. If you don’t have goals, I suggest you make some because it will give some direction

of where you are going. Most importantly, be excited about the future! We are blessed to be alive and healthy, we

need to take advantage of that and realize we can do whatever we want if we set our minds to it.

I hope that you all can take something from this, because it is what I have learned serving as your OASC

State President. It’s been a crazy ride, and I can’t wait for fall conference! I will be seeing you all there, we have

some amazing candidates running and I wish them all the best of luck! Theme- OHANA!

Looking to the Future

Katee Weisser SEC President

A Note from Your SEC President . . .

“Believe you can and you're halfway there.” ~Theodore Roosevelt


Homecoming Week is a stressful week. Sometimes we view the year in leadership as a desert wasteland. We need new ideas and endurance to motivate our teams. Sometimes, it is the straw that breaks or makes the CAMEL’s back (you will find out the acronym in a bit). To find the oasis, you have to contend with not only events, but planning, cleaning up, assemblies, and

teachers being irritated with the assemblies taking up “learning time.”

I am going to tell you that Homecoming Week can be a success. Students need a pep talk at the beginning of the year! You, as a student leader, need very good ideas, and inspired student team, and an individual drive to make it the best school spirit week ever. To find out

what makes students tick in different areas of our state, I talked to two schools with very different demographics; South Salem High School, a massive school in south Salem, and Central Linn High School, located in rural Browns-ville. Both had interesting things to say when I asked them about what their school did for Homecoming Week and what really worked.

Central Linn’s Oliver Meyr enthusiastically told me about how his school really went over the top for this crazy week to inspire school spirit. “Well, we had an assembly made up of games with only the homecoming court. They did embarrassing things like having a soda chugging contest (but you put a sock over the top and make them drink through that, not sure if that was completely legal) and eat disgusting sandwiches with stuff like ketchup, chocolate sauce, toothpaste and such on it. Probably the best though, was a game of twister where we poured ketchup on red, mustard on yellow, relish on green, and mayo on blue.” He went on to delineate that it felt like everyone was really on the same team. Wow. Talk about an oasis…

On a larger scale, South Salem’s Sarah Neilson reported that the South Salem High School got festive with the Wizard of Oz theme. “We put pumpkins and corn in the hallways, and most of the hallways reeked of corn. It was awful -- but so funny. Another fun thing we did for our theme of The Wizard Of Oz, was have six-year olds dress up as munchkins and come out from under the bleachers during our homecoming game. It really freaked some kids out. Of course we had spirit week and our toga day was also quite a success-- seniors got to dress up like their favorite Greek Senate member.” Sounds like students forming a community!

I guess the point is that the season is festive and fun. Homecoming is a time for coming together. School leaders are in charge or are given the opportunity of bringing the student body together; our fellow students want to be part of a larger community. As leaders, we often feel responsible for the outcome of a school activity. The truth is that Homecoming is a given. Kids rally behind the team. Each class wants to support the idea that they are bringing something to the table for the school, that they have something to offer. This is prime leadership territory, and this is where you come in. You have the capacity to lead students to a new sense of pride-- A unique opportunity for the upcoming school year.

As leaders, we already know that each of our schools face challenges. However, our experiences through OASC have taught us that challenges can be overcome through C.A.M.E.L.; Communication, Activation, Motivation, Emotion, and Listening. Sorry for the acronym, but I am unapologetic about the meaning. We have the power and the skills to motivate our fellow students and it is an exciting prospect for our future. Not just the future of or schools, the future of our communities.

Leif Olsen Mid-West Representative

Central HS, Independence

Break or Make the CAMEL’s Back

“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones,

then you never will change the outcome.”

~Michael Jordan


Twenty-four leadership class teachers gathered in Monmouth on the WOU campus this past summer for the first Summer Advisor Leadership Institute, sponsored by OASC. Over the course of four days,

participants learned about various aspects of teaching leadership, including suggested curriculum areas, building a syllabus, structure of the class, experiential lessons, processing, evaluation, assess-ment, grading and resources. We shared our own lesson plans, created new lessons in small groups,

and critiqued each other as we presented our original lessons. Check out our lessons . . .

“Three-Way Telephone” Curriculum Unit: Communication, Objectives: To recognize the benefits and limitations of different communication styles.

“Shaping Leaders” Curriculum Unit: Leadership, Objectives: To identify the differences between autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles.

“Follow the Yellow Brick Road” Curriculum Unit: Organization/Project Planning, Objective: To break large tasks into manageable steps.

“Guess Who?” Curriculum Unit: Meeting Skills, Objectives: To demonstrate how verbal and nonver-bal communication can affect the productivity of meetings (and beyond).

“Pennant Race” Curriculum Unit: Group Dynamics, Objective: Students will be able to recognize and describe the benefits of working as a team versus working as an individual.

“Two Sides of Me Quilt” Curriculum Unit: Responsible Citizenship or Self Esteem, Objective: To demonstrate a respect for individual differences and ethical behavior; to act with integrity.

“Train Tracks” Curriculum Unit: Goal Setting, Objectives: To develop an action plan to achieve goals; to differentiate between short-term and long-term goals.

“Steps to Solutions” Curriculum Unit: Problem Solving & Decision Making, Objective: To develop a step-by-step process to work toward accomplishing desired solutions to problems.

For complete lesson plans, go to: http://leadershipteacher.webnode.com/leadership-class-teacher-academy/.

Lessons from the

Summer Advisor Leadership Institute

From the Desk of Your OASC Board Chair . . .

Heather Ransom OASC Board Chair


News from Around Oregon . . . From Trysten Kelly, At-Large Representative: OASC Leaders, welcome the last few months of 2012. As the year

progresses and months fly by, don’t let the many opportunities that high school brings with it pass you by as well. Take a chance and do what scares you. Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”. Wise words of wisdom right there, if you ask me.

With the holiday seasons approaching, it is a perfect time to look beyond yourself and focus on helping others. November is the perfect time to do a canned food drive for your local food bank! Many students nationwide are oblivious to the percentage of people in their very own communities whom utilize the local food banks. There seems to be an increased need around the holidays, and what better way to help out than do I food drive at school? Make it a completion amongst classes, or even grades. If you are looking for canned food drive ideas, contact Tualatin High School for some great ones! OASC, it is always a pleasure writing for you, and if you ever have any questions feel free to contact me at [email protected].

From Sommer Kirk, At-Large Representative: Hello OASC, welcome to November, a time for food, fall conference, foot-

ball, and giving thanks. As leaders, we are all put in positions where we get the chance to inspire those around us. Whether its the way you lead by example, your compassion, your kindness, your ever present smile and positive out-look, I promise you someone somewhere is looking up to you and your behavior, whether they make their appreciation known or not.

As a leader, try to recognize those people who inspired you to be the person you are today. Send them a letter, a kind note, an email, whatever way you prefer to communicate, and tell this person you are thankful for them. At your school start a "pay it forward" campaign, in which you encourage all students to thank those who have inspired them, or thank those who have made a difference in their high school or middle school career.

I have some people I'd like to thank . . . firstly students and staff of OASC, thank you for believing in me, thank you for letting me represent you, and thank you for not making too much fun of me when I tripped in my foot high Lady Gaga heels. Thank you for being a constant light in my life, thank you for letting me meet some of the most inspirational students in the entire state, thank you for letting me be a part of something unique, special, unforgettable, and one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you for being you, each and every one of you is special and important to OASC. Secondly, I'd like to thank all of my summer camp SC's and JC's (you all know who you are). You all have shaped me into the person I am today, and I look up to all of you, with admiration and the utmost respect. Thirdly I'd like to thank Sara Nilles, Heather Ransom, and Maegan MacKelvie. Thank you for always being encouraging, thank you for all the laughs, thank you for the hugs and understanding, thank you for being my inspiration, and thank you all for being my second mom(s).

There are a billion more people I need to thank, and I'm sure once you sit down and think about it you will have many people to thank too, so I wish you good luck, and I thank you. From Annie Beaver, Central Representative: As the air is cooling down and football fans everywhere freeze in the

stands, it gets harder to do good tailgaters, and pep-rallies. Here are some wonderful tips to create a warm and spirited tailgater. To keep all your fans warm, seclude and area of the parking lot that is roped off, back up trucks and blare the tunes! This loud music will draw people in. Then put fire pits or a huge bonfire right in the center to create some heat. Also serve warm things to eat and drink such as, chili and hot chocolate.

Staying warm is nice and all, but where’s the spirit? Have face painting on the tailgate, fun games and if the games is away have a car decorating station with window paint, balloons and streamers. This idea is really good for all the older kids who drive to the game, they can all pull in with awesomely decorated cars!

Last but not least have a car smash! Here’s what you do, talk to a local auto dump place and ask if they would donate a car for you to smash. Then paint it with the opposing team’s colors, bring sledge hammers, then let the kids at it! This event gets people really pumped and is a ton of fun! Try some of these things out! Also if you have any other tailgating ideas I’d love to here them, email me at, [email protected]. Have a great year everyone! From Brandon Bailey, Northwest Representative: Hey, my OASC people! I hope all of you are

having a good time in school! This month I have something special for us from Clatskanie's very own Tyler George. He told me all about their first ever hallway dance... Sounds pretty cool right? It gets better as the admission fee is paid in canned food! What a way to get people excited to give! This event takes place in November and this is their first time they are trying this, so I will be sure to find the outcome! Thanks everyone who is reading this . . .

have a great Fall Conference and follow me on twitter "@brandenb71.” Thank you all! Have a great month!


From Max Denning, Metro Representative: Hello OASC! Fall Conference is right around the corner and so are the play-offs for fall sports! As we all know, students can get a little crazy at sporting events, and improving sportsmanship is an

important component of having a success-ful crowd. This can also help us improve the reputation of your school and the relationship between two rival schools. A friendly rivalry is the best type. The first step in improving sportsmanship in your school is by leading by example. This may include maybe having a friendly meet-up with the other school's leadership class before hand. The next step is having a strict set of rules, for your crowd. I know it can seem like a damper on the party for your fans but it can make sure that your crowd is respectful and peaceful. Lastly, trad-ing a shared spirit stick or anything like that with the other crowd is another way to improve relations. From Leif Olsen, Mid-West Representative: Being a

leader means stepping out of your comfort zone. This entails going to the events that you try so hard to rile people up about. This means going to the football games and cheer-ing as loud as you can. I

put on a really bad mesh jersey with a team number on it, my sister’s leggings, and some 1980s tennis shoes for a football game. I am a SuperFan. Those crazy guys that run out in extreme outfits and cheer for the team. I am laughed at. I am going to tell you a secret about the people who laugh at you and me. Underneath the Nike swoosh and the Air Jordans is a person who secretly wants to be you. That is right. But he or she can’t. They are too afraid of what the crowd will say and how his friends will react. The thing about his friends? They all have the same feeling. The great thing is that you are you and you can be who you want to be without the lim-its of what others put on you. You need to yell extra-loud at the games and smile extra-big to make up for the people who think that negativity will make them fit in. It is all just a fa-çade to make others like them. Do not try to fit in. It will only bring you discomfort. Show school spirit, yell really loud, and be prepared to influence others—leaders always do.

From Marvin Ransom IV, Southern Representative: Hey, all you OASC people out there! Hope you are having a

tremendous November. I just love this time . . . the leaves are changing, the temperature’s dropping, and best of all, that one week between fall and winter sports is coming. To my school that means just one thing . . . a leadership lock-in! Everyone in the class loves the lock-ins! They are such a blast - you get to be with friends, eat all the food you want, work on you leadership skills, and best of all, run amuck in the school at night!

Our lock-in is always so much fun. We go to the gym and play dodge ball, ninja, and other fun games. We then head to the cafeteria where we do . . . what else but eat and eat and eat some more. Then there are always cool leader-ship lessons like learning styles, leadership qualities, and more. After all that though is when the fun really begins. We unlock a bunch of random teacher’s rooms and run all around the school playing, flashlight tag, sardines, and yes, even hide and seek. We do offer an area where you can sleep, but you’re at a lock in . . . so come on now! It is one of the highly anticipated events in my class because it is always such a blast, and the nice part is it’s very easy and convenient to do.

If you in the southern region, your school does something interesting or cool, and you want it to be put in the news-letter, then feel free to hit me up at [email protected]. Hope all of you have a wonderful November and to see all of your smiling faces at Fall Conference!

More from Your SEC . . .


From Kelsi Spratling, Eastern Representative: Hello OASC! Is everyone ready for Fall Conference?! I am!! This fall Baker High School, “Go Bulldogs!,” has some awesome projects going on like The Dress Express, the Shoe Box Recycling campaign and they’re hosting the 4th annual Challenge Day!

The Dress Project is a committee of sophomore girls who collect Homecoming and Prom dresses from their students and community then rent them to girls who may not be able to afford a new dress every dance or just want to save money. They charge $10 to rent the dress and they are accepting and asking for donations which will then be used to

purchase more dresses especially in sizes that they are short on and return the dresses after the dance. If the dress isn't returned in the form it was rented out in, then an additional fee is charged. After the dresses are used they are taken to a local dry cleaners, who is donating their services, where they are then washed. This year they rented out 15 dresses and they are continually asking for more dresses. This is a great project for the Leadership organization, public relations and the peer involvement.

A new activity at Baker High School this year is the Shoe Box Recycling campaign where they take boxes sent to them from the Shoe Box Campaign and fill them with shoes donated to them from the community and the students, and every 15 boxes they send them to the Shoe Box Recycling headquarters. The high school makes $.50 per pound which is $500 per 25 boxes. The money they then use the money to improve and update things on and around their school. They also hope to have two drives and donate the money, they raise to charity. In their first three weeks they have three boxes full.

Baker's Challenge Day is a way to focus on ending the bullying that goes on in their school and community and to focus on unity. This year to extend the day they put together a group of students to have follow up activities to remind the stu-dents that we all need to understand and respect one each others differences. They take a whole day and meet somewhere off campus and have 1 adult per 4 students. Over all goals of the program are to increase personal power and self esteem, to shift dangerous peer pressure to positive peer support and to eliminate the acceptability of teasing, violence and all forms of op-pression. They have seen positive results! Sounds like some great programs if you ask me!

From Krista Jansen, Mid-Level Representative: Happy November Oregon leaders! November is one of my favorite months; we’re back into the full-swing of school, the leaves are falling, the weather is cooling down, the holidays are coming, and best of all: Fall Conference is coming up! I cannot wait to see all your fabulous high school students in Seaside real soon. October’s Middle School Regionals were so amazing, thank you to all the schools who participated.

Some middle schools have only a student government, while others also offer leadership classes. If your advisor happens to also teach a leadership class, you probably know how big an impact it can have on the

students taking that class. Only a certain number of qualified students get the opportunity of serving on your student government, but anyone interested in leadership at all can participate in the class. The class is a good building block for students who may be interested in leadership, but unsure about it. In leadership classes I’ve taken, our advisor has taught mainly with books such as Top 20 Teens and Everyday Leadership, teaching the true meaning of leadership beyond planning events and making posters.

Our eighth grade leadership class truly has contributed to the amount of freshman in our Intro to Leader-ship class this year. If you’re interested in having a leadership class at your school, here are a few tips. Your advisor should teach the class, because they have a background in the topic and a strong passion for it. Secondly, I strongly suggest having students apply for the class because having a class full of students who really want to be there creates a much more positive environment in the class and everyone can get the most out of it. It’s totally worth it to suggest adding a Leadership class in your school as an elective. The school doesn’t need an extra teacher to teach the class or a free room, if your advisor is willing, it’s already set up. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you have any more questions please email me at [email protected]

From Madison Rounsaville, Mid-Level Representative: The 2012 OASC Middle Level Fall Regional workshop

was a very fun and exciting event that many different middle school student leaders got to attend. The theme of the workshop was “Capture the Spirit,” and our presenter was Stu Shaffer. Stu presented two different workshops. He presented “The Traveling Junk Show” and another workshop that showed the middle school leaders how to work together, create team-building skills, communication, and project planning. Stu was a very motivating presenter, and I, along with a few other high school leadership students, were fortunate we got to

spend a day with the middle school students helping and learning at this fun workshop. We all left the workshop with high energy and inspiration to fulfill our jobs as leaders at our own schools.

Something fun or incredible happening at your school? Make sure to let your SEC representative know so it can be recognized here in our newsletter . . . we want to know the great things you’ve been up to in your region and at your school!

Tyler Durman is sought after for his unique ability to connect with audiences of teenagers and audiences of adults. While his personal journey is not the focus of these presentations, it is the source of his desire to offer hope and practical solutions to those he meets. His book Birthday Suit contains a more detailed account of his journey. Tyler has found a way to write short stories that are intensely funny and poignant at the same time. He gives us hippos, nuns and nudity (but thankfully, no nude nuns), while seamlessly interlacing profound moments with themes like forgiveness, redemption, and hope. His voice is fresh, raw, and just pure fun!

For more information about Tyler and his book, Birthday Suit, please visit http://www.bitesizedwisdom.com/


Check it out . . . Looking for a great motivational speaker?

Looking for someone to pump up spirit at your school? Need an

expert to bring your group together? Each month, we’ll focus on a great

speaker . . . We’re working to help you find the perfect fit for you and your school!

Read on!

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day

someone might do the same for you.”

~Princess Diana

This year’s OASC Fall Conference Key Note Speakers . . . Grant Baldwin has made it his personal mission to touch the lives of students, educators, and parents through interactive programs that captivate, innovate, and motivate all of his listeners. By connecting to teenagers on a personal level and discussing relevant, real life issues and skills, Grant will give your students the tools and motivation they need to excel in life. He is also committed to offering presentations for teachers and parents to share ways that motivate our youth through positive encouragement and goal setting. Reality Check, Grant's award-winning guide to conquering life's early obstacles, delivers his critically-acclaimed messages directly into the hands of students all over the world. With an easy to follow style designed to motivate and challenge teenagers and instructors alike, Grant's practical life lessons will redefine the way that students view the world around them.

For more information about Grant and his book, Reality Check, please visit http://grantbaldwin.com/home/.


Community 101 (C101), a program of The Oregon Community Foundation, with major support from the PGE Foundation, is a classroom based program that provides students opportunities to be involved in their communities through grant making and volunteering. It's an innovative collaboration of schools, businesses and charitable organizations. Students acquire the tools to bring about positive change in their communities. Community 101 empowers high school students to work together to learn about community needs, research local nonprofits, and award grants to organizations addressing critical issues such as homelessness, hunger and mental health. The Community 101 Campaign goal was to increase the program's base of community support so OCF can continue to engage our high school students and strengthen our communities. Special thanks and appreciation to the following donors for partnering with OCF to develop the next generation of leaders and givers! C101 in the Classroom Used by teachers in high school classrooms throughout Oregon, C101 lends itself to instructional use in civic engagement, global literacy, critical thinking, public speaking, use of technology, and community involve-ment. Students learn creatively about their community and how to address problems. C101 satisfies the Oregon Department of Education’s new essential skills requirements for an Oregon diploma. Essentials of C101 A class receives a $5,000 allocation for grantmaking in the areas of arts and culture, education, the environment and healthy families. Students identify community needs, decide where to focus, and then implement a grant program. At the end of the term, they present their grant awards. The entire $5,000 allocation goes to the community. Frequently businesses or individual donors sponsor a classroom by providing the $5,000. In this way they can support their local communities and also encourage youth philanthropy and civic engagement. Have Questions? For more information on involving your school in C101, or to support a high school in your community, please contact: Jennesa Datema, Community 101 Coordinator, The Oregon Community Foundation 1221 SW Yamhill St, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97205-2108 503.552.3509 or [email protected]

For more information on how you can help, visit

http://www.oregoncf.org/connect/developing-leaders/community-101/community-101-campaign.

Want to put together a community service project but not sure where to start. Interested in learning about something you haven’t tried before? Check this one out!


Tips for Leadership Advisors Submitted by Sara Marks, Sandstone Middle School

It’s never too early (or too late) to begin planning for the multitude of activities your Leadership

program will sponsor. Many schools have traditions that encompass their school’s Canned Food

Drive. If you struggle to meet your school’s goal, or community wide goal, or if you just want to

try something new, here are a few suggestions to “Mix Up” the same old canned food drive.

Contact your local food bank/shelter to see what their most needed items are. Have your council create a BINGO form that has those items listed. Challenge each Homeroom to complete as many BINGO forms as possible.

For each day of your collection week/period, create a different theme for collection. For exam-

ple: Monday- Meat Day (all staff and students bring in canned meat/protein products); Tuesday-Italian Day (all staff and students bring in pastas and sauces); etc.

Offer an incentive for students to bring in cans on one of your collection days. Ideas range from

offering a hat day, pajama day, early dismissal to lunch, reduced rate at a dance, etc. Have your Leadership group/ASB kick off the school’s Canned Food Drive by ‘trick-or-treating’

for cans. Be sure to contact your local newspaper so community members know you are com-ing around for a good cause.

Have a “Can Castle” building contest. Each homeroom will create a design/castle with the items their class brought in. The winning class earns a prize (or just bragging rights).

Host your own Civil War battle. Have staff and students donate cans towards the team they hope will win the Civil War game. Challenge your school to fill a certain item (a school bus, classroom, the principal’s office) with the items collected.

Canned Food Drives

“Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”

~Og Mandino


If your staff is only allowed to wear jeans on Friday, offer the incentive that if they bring in a certain number of items on a collection day, they can wear jeans for the entire week.

With most competitions, there is the chance to earn Spirit Points, bragging rights, a tangible prize. What types of fun and creative activities does your school and Leadership program do to promote your school’s canned food drive? Please send ideas and thoughts on your school’s Canned Food Drives, or other activities your school is doing, to your SEC Regional Representative.

Train Tracks

Lesson Plans for Leaders on the Go . . . Busy, but you'd like to try something new? Check out this month’s featured leadership lesson plan.

Hands-On Leadership Page 14 Hands-On Leadership November 2012

Source: Created by: Nate Muñoz, Melissa Klumph, and Mike Verhulst at the first OASC Student Leadership Course Teacher Institute, July 2012

Curriculum Unit: Goal Setting

Objectives: To develop an action plan to achieve goals;

to differentiate between short-term and long-term goals

Materials:

Train track goal sheet for each student

(find this sheet at http://leadershipteacher.webnode.com/leadership-class-teacher-academy/)

Blank calendar for each student

Directions:

1. Have students create a specific long-term goal either for your organization. (Note: Students

should already have been taught how to set goals).

2. Give students a few minutes to brainstorm individually to identify the steps needed to

accomplish the goal.

3. Give students the train track goal sheet. As a group, have students share the steps they came

up with and combine them into one list. Have students write them on their train tracks.

4. Identify “tracks” that need more time and those that can be done quickly.

5. Transfer “tracks” to calendar days to set specific deadlines.

Sample Processing Questions:

• Did other people come up with “tracks” that you didn’t think of?

• Were there similarities on the lists?

• How did you decide where to put each track on the calendar?

• Was everyone heard in the discussion?

• What determined whether the goal was long-term or short-term?

• Is it helpful to have a visual representation such as this train track when working on goals?

Why or why not?

• How can we apply what we learned from this experience to our work as school leaders?

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.”

~Jim Rohn

november 2012 hands-on leadership - oascoasc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oasc-nov-2012.pdf ·...

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