PASC News Volume 37Issue 7

March 2013

continued on page 3

PASC will sponsor three principal-advisor-student lead-er (PAL) programs this fall. The conferences aim to provide an opportunity for principals, advisors, and student leaders to share ideas, to set goals, and to begin a working relation-ship for the new school year. The program will provide time for participants to interact as school teams as well as separate opportunities for principals, advisors, and students to meet

in small group breakout ses-sions.

Locations: Each site is within 120 miles of all PASC member schools. PAL Confer-ences are scheduled to be held in 2013 at:• Tuesday, September 24—

Crowne Plaza Hotel in Reading

• Wednesday, September 25—Susquehanna University

in Selinsgrove• Thursday, September 26—

Pluma Conference Center in Irwin

Our featured presenter and fa-cilitator will be Terri Johnson, executive director of the Mis-souri Association of Student Councils. Terri has presented numerous programs across the

PASC To Create Technology Task Force

Principals, advisors, and student leaders have an opportunity to work as a team to develop plans for the school year at the Principal-Advisor-Leaders (PAL) Conference held in the fall.

Principal-Advisor -Leaders (PAL) Conferences Planned for Fall

continued on page 3

PASC is seeking four educa-tors and four students who have expertise with communi-cations technology to form a task force to explore a variety of technology options. The goals of the task force are:• To expand the use of technol-

ogy for communication with advisors and student leaders.

• To create technology re-sources to share with advisors and student leaders that will help councils:

• Be better organized• Communicate better with

their members and with the student body

• Increase the use of media for in school and community

access • To create presentations for

conferences and summer workshops on technology related topics

• To create resources to placed on the PASC website or linked to the website

• To consider webinars for use with students and advisors who find it difficult to leave their schools.

Task Force Membership

The task force will be made up of four advisors or teach-ers who may or may not be student council advisors but who have expertise and interest

in the use of communications technology. In addition, PASC the task force will include four underclassmen students who have expertise with commu-nications and technology who would provide a student voice to the task force’s efforts. It is the expressed goal of the PASC Executive Board to reach out to involve non-board members in this volunteer opportunity.

Expectations

The Task Force will be chaired by Kyle Kauffman, advisor South Western HS in York County. Kyle teaches a unit on the use of technology at the PASC Advanced Gold Work-

InsIde ThIs Issue

News & Notes ..................... 2

•Student Finalists for State Board of Education An-nounced

•Membership Coordinator and Treasurer Positions Available on PASC Execu-tive Board

Present a Student-Led Work-shop at the State Conference This Fall ................................ 2

Spring Fundraising Ideas for PASC State Charity: VH1 Save the Music ............................... 4

Mark Your Calendar for a 2012 Summer Camp Experi-ence with PASC .................. 5

Blue Workshop In Eastern

PA Moves to Alvernia University .............................. 5

Prudential Spirit of Commu-

nity Awards Announced ..... 6

Student Summit Proposals to Be Shared With Educational

Leaders ................................. 7

Congratulations to NASC Region 2 Advisors of the Year ........................................ 8

How to Host a Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser ...................... 9

Snow Buddies (No Puppies Involved) ................................ 9

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net2

News & NotesStudent Finalists for State Board of Education AnnouncedThe Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils is pleased

to announce that the following students have been selected as finalists for the State Board of Education Junior Member position. These finalists will be interviewed in Harrisburg on Saturday, April 6, 2013. One sophomore will be selected for this position.

The SBE Selection Committee appreciated the submission of application packets (which included resumes, essays, and recommendations) from each of the excellent candidates from across the Commonwealth. The selected student will join Emily Clark of Seneca Valley HS on the State Board. Emily has served this past year as the Junior Student Member and will become the Senior Student Member at the conclusion of the board’s May 8–9, 2013 meeting in Harrisburg.

Best wishes to the following finalists as they move forward in the selection process to be named as a student non-voting member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.

Nicholas Kalams Pennridge HS

Lauren Mellott Chambersburg HS

Kevin Myers Governor Mifflin HS

Omobolanie Odusoga Penn Wood HS

Justin Reynolds Pennridge HS

Danielle Somerville North Penn HS

Membership Coordinator and Treasurer Positions Available on PASC Executive BoardThere are two ex officio positions on the PASC Executive

Board that are vital to the success of the organization. Each position has a three year term.

In 2013, the terms of Membership Coordinator and Trea-surer expire and the positions will be open. The Job Descrip-tions for these positions can be found at www.pasc.net or a copy can be obtained by contacting pascinfo@aol.com. In each case, an application and resume will be due from a candidate by Friday, June 14. Interviews will be conducted on Friday, August 2, as a part of the PASC Executive Board meeting at Halifax HS.

In brief, the duties of each position are listed in a continua-tion of this article on page 3.

Present a Student-Led Workshop at the State Conference This Fall By: Courtney Black and Julie Gehret, Workshops Committee Chairs

Feel the Rhythm of Leader-ship! Boyertown is buzzing with excitement about the 2013 State Conference! In preparation for the conference, the workshops committee has been working to improve the efficiency and organi-zation of the sign-up process. In the past, workshops were graded by hand. In order to decrease the time it takes to grade each workshop, the committee cre-ated an online process. Student delegates can find the link to the workshop application upload under the workshop tab at http://pasc2013.org/.

This new process is not only less of a hassle for you, but it is much more environmentally friendly as well! By going online, packets no longer need to be mailed. Instead, they can be uploaded directly to the 2013 State Conference website. When applying, make sure that you have your personal information (school, cell phone number, and email address), your partner’s information, and your advisor’s email handy. From there, applicants will upload a sample of the packet (the information to be distributed to the delegates at the conference), the justification/reasons for doing the workshop, and a list of the items needed to perform the workshop. For more detailed information on the guidelines and requirements for the workshops and justifications, make sure to check out the rubric on the conference website: www.pasc2013.org.

Both the samples of the packet and the justification must be uploaded to the website. Make sure to upload each item as two different documents! Workshop committee personnel will then download this information and score it.

The opening date for uploading workshops applications is Wednesday, May 1. Anyone interested in submitting a workshop must do so online between then and no later than Friday, August 9. Once your workshop is submitted, your advisor will receive an advisor sign-off email. Advisors are still required to sign off on workshops, however instead of sending the sign-off sheet in by mail advisors now sign off via email. Make sure that your advisor is aware of your application so he or she can respond promptly. Workshops without advisor sign-offs WILL NOT BE ACCEPT-ED. By August 19, all applications will be scored and the work-shops will be chosen. Delegates and their advisors will be notified with a confirmation email on the 19.

Boyertown is thrilled to host the 2013 PASC State Conference! We cannot wait to see you there!

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net 3

In brief, the duties of each position are listed below:

Treasurer Position

The responsibilities include:1. Being authorized to sign

checks as well as the Execu-tive and Assistant Executive Director.

2. Paying all association bills.3. Keeping receipts and all

financial records.4. Recommending to the

Executive Board placement of funds for best available savings.

5. Creating financial report for each Executive Board meeting ( January, March, August).

6. Distributing percentage of membership dues to District Associations in March.

7. Providing all financial records and documentation to Executive Board for annual internal or external audit of previous year’s accounts.

8. Working with Workshop Registrar for the account-ing and deposit of workshop funds.

9. Maintaining a record of all accounts in the name of PASC, including its work-shop accounts and district accounts. Include accounting for these records as part of the Financial report at the January Executive Board meeting.

10. Preparing nonprofit ac-count tax returns for the Internal Revenue Service

by May 1 and maintaining non-profit association tax exemption documents.

Membership Coordinator Position

The Membership Coordina-tor has specific tasks to be completed each month from August through July. These ongoing tasks include:1. Sending invoices to member

schools with follow up notices to schools whose dues are unpaid

2. Preparing membership reports by district for the Executive Board

3. Printing labels for District Directors’ mailings to mem-ber and nonmember schools as requested.

4. Sending out new member-ship certificates with materi-als about conferences and PASC programs.

5. Sending the New Advisor Handbook to new advisors.

6. Depositing funds from dues into the PASC account and preparing financial reports on dues for the Executive Board.

7. Attending three board meet-ings per year ( January, March, August) and serving on the Membership and Outreach Committee and one addi-tional standing committee as assigned.

8. Assisting the District Direc-tors and Regional Repre-sentatives with membership recruitment.

PASC Executive Board Positions Available (cont’d from page 3)

nation for student leaders and educators. She will be bringing with her an array of books, leadership games, activities, and other resources that will be available for purchase or order.

Your school is invited to bring an administrator, advisor(s), and four student leaders as a team to this one-day PAL con-ference. In addition, a second set of student leaders and an

advisor from another school leadership organization (class government or NHS) l could also attend. This fall, join other schools in your area to experi-ence this nationally recognized leadership program.Time: 8:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Program• Opening Keynote Address by

Terri Johnson• School Team-Building Activi-

ties• Small group sessions for

administrators, advisors, students leaders

• Luncheon and visit to the Resource Extravaganza

• School team sessions

Cost: Includes a continental breakfast, buffet lunch, and conference materials. Register

early and save $5 per person. • Early Bird postmark dead-

line (with or without names) is August 1—$45 per person

• Regular deadline is Septem-ber 15—$50 per person

Registration materials will be posted on www.pasc.net and emailed to advisors by April 15. Look for more program details in the April issue of PASC News.

shop and wrote a series of articles for PASC News in 2010. These articles are found on the PASC website under Resources. Under Kyle’s leadership, the Task Force will be formed by mid-April. The members will communicate electronically. The members will be asked to meet one time at Halifax HS (20 miles north of Har-risburg) on Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3. (PASC will pay for travel and lodging for this meeting.)

Additional work of the Task Force will again be done electroni-cally after that meeting. It is the goal for the Task Force to report to the PASC Board on August 3 and to complete their recommen-

dations prior to the PASC Board meeting in January 2014.

How to Volunteer

Please send an email expressing interest in serving on the Task Force to PASCInfo@aol.com by April 10, 2013. In that email, provide your name, school, and contact information. Write 250 words or less sharing your interest in serving and providing specif-ics regarding your experience and/or expertise that you would bring to this PASC Task Force.

PASC To Create Technology Task Force (cont’d from page 1)

PAL Conferences Planned for Fall (cont’d from page 1)

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net4

PASC NEWS is published monthly during

the school year. To submit

announcements, articles, or corrections for newsletters, please email the Executive Director or Assistant Ex-ecutive Director. Articles or information from PASC NEWS may be reproduced for use, with appropriate credit.

Executive DirectorJim FinnemeyerNorth Penn HS1340 Valley Forge RoadLansdale, PA 19446215-280-9299215-855-0632 (Fax)Finnemeyer@aol.comPASCInfo@aol.com

Assistant Executive DirectorKathy Ann Coll174 Link AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15237412-366-5744Kcoll1@comcast.net

PASC PresidentDanielle CronerBoyertown High School120 N. Monroe StreetBoyertown, PA 19512

PASC President-ElectCourtney DetwilerAltoona Area High School 1415 6th Street Altoona, PA. 16602

PASC News EditorLyn FiscusLeadership Logistics

PASC Email:PASCInfo@aol.com

PASC Website:www.pasc.net

The PASC 2013 state charity, VH1 Save The Music, is a nonprofit organization dedi-cated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America’s public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete educa-tion. More than 15 years in existence, it is their renewed commitment to donate one hundred million dollars’ worth of new musical instruments to schools in need to ensure that an even greater number of stu-dents receive a comprehensive music education over the next 10 years! For more informa-tion on the good work of the Foundation, please visit: www.vh1savethemusic.com.

Listed below are some fun-draising ideas brainstormed by members of the PASC Executive Board at their March meeting. Your Student Council can create or adapt these ideas to raise funds as a council, in cooperation with music and fine arts students and faculty members in your school, or by working with organizations in the elementary schools or middle schools of your district.n Set up a table and advertise

the Save the Music charity and collect donations at band, jazz band and choir concerts or any other school music programs this spring.

n Talk with churches and local bands about collecting dona-tions to “Save the Music” in schools.

n Hold a band concert using a teacher band and a student band. All money raised with

the entry fee will go toward donations. Two bands will give each band a break.

n Use county or district band concerts as advertising op-portunities.

n Encourage choirs, bands, and orchestras in all of the schools of your school district to collect donations at spring concerts.

n Get a local band to hold a free concert at a local venue. Have collection bins. Leech-burg HS raised $500 at $5 a ticket for a concert with ten local bands.

n Hold School Riff-Offs and collect donations at the event.

n Hold an open-mic night and collect donations.

n Hold a “Dancing with the Stars” (Teachers) program and use the profit from tickets and donations for “Save the Music.”

n Hold a Battle of the Bands and use the profit from tickets plus donations for “Save the Music.”

n Hold a High School Idol program—or a Teacher Idol event—and use the profit from tickets plus donations.

n Hold a talent or variety show.

n Hold a “Think You Can Dance” Competition.

n Hold a “coffeehouse” night with poetry reading, songs, and instruments and use the profit plus donations.

n Hold a karaoke night; charge to attend and collect dona-tions.

n Ask the school to collect a dollar or two at spring con-certs with the proceeds going

to “Save the Music.”n Set up a food booth at

concerts or set up a “Save the Music” booth to collect donations.

n Local school choirs perform individually and as a total group for an evening of enter-tainment—just done at New Castle HS to collect dona-tions for “Save the Music.”

n Organize a singing telegram program at school. Charge $1 for “telegrams” to recognize birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays.

n Work with the drama department, choir, or band and hold a dinner before the school play or spring concerts. Use the profit from the din-ner for “Save the Music” and collect donations.

n Hold a teacher contest. Col-lect money in buckets. The teacher with the most money collected sings the Alma Mater in an assembly or over the intercom.

Send the funds collected this spring and next fall to PASC State Charity c/o Boyertown HS Student Council, 120 North Monroe Street, Boyer-town, PA 19512

Spring Fundraising Ideas for PASC State Charity: VH1 Save the Music

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net 5

The 2013 Summer Leadership Workshop brochures and applications were mailed by March 9 to all student council advisors. Please email PASCInfo@aol.com if you did not receive that mailing. The application, frequently asked question sheet, sample daily schedule, and curriculum benchmarks can also be found on the PASC website. The Blue and Gold brochures are also posted at www.pasc.net. Share these dates with underclass members of your student council, class governments, NHS, and other student organizations so that they may plan now for a week of learning, fun, and personal growth this summer.

Blue workshops are for middle level students in grades 7–9 while Gold workshops are for high school students in grades 9–12 (2013–2014 school year). Costs listed below include registration, room, and meals. Please note the following dates and locations and begin planning now for students to attend in July.

Costs & Deadlines: Early Bird Regular (May 10th) ( June 7th)

Blue (Grades 7–9)

Grove City College July 14–18 $345 $370

Alvernia University July 28–Aug 1 $345 $370

Gold (Grades 9–12)

Grove City College July 7–12 $375 $400

Susquehanna University July 28–Aug 2 $375 $400

Advanced Gold (Grades 11–12)

University of Pittsburgh/Johnstown July 14–20 $495 $520

Workshop Scholarships Available Many of the PASC District Associations have scholarships available to attend a Blue or Gold PASC

Summer Leadership Workshop. Now is the time to contact YOUR District Director to see what is available in your area or go to www.pasc.net and check out scholarship information on your District Association’s page. Don’t delay, deadlines are fast approaching in many districts.

Underclassmen: Mark Your Calendar for a2013 Summer Camp Experience with PASC

We’ve made a move! PASC Blue workshop is happy to announce that we have moved our eastern site to Alvernia University beginning this summer. Alvernia University

is located in a secure, residen-tial area outside of Reading in historic Berks County. The small, unique campus pro-vides students the possibility to experience college campus

life while engaging in memo-rable leadership opportuni-ties. This campus is the ideal setting to facilitate our middle school students to grow and to develop skills that will

benefit their student coun-cil, school, and community. Alvernia University is excited to host PASC Blue Workshop from July 28–August

Blue Workshop In Eastern PA Moves to Alvernia University

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net6

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards AnnouncedStudents from Mechanicsburg earn $1,000 awards, engraved medallions, and a trip to the nation’s capital. Honors also bestowed on youth volunteers from Maple Glen, Villanova, Ligonier, Lower Gwynedd, Bala Cynwyd, Moscow, Harrisburg, and Wexford.Adam Breneman, Cedar

Cliff HS senior, and Devon Rodriguez-Cayro, an eigth grader at Mechanicsburg MS, were named Pennsylvania’s top two youth volunteers for 2013 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. PASC annually promotes this awards program in our September is-sue of PASC NEWS. As state honorees, Adam and Devon will each receive $1,000 and will attend a national awards program in Washington, DC, in early May.

Adam launched a fundraising effort called “Catch the Cure” and designed a website to solicit donations. To promote the site, he used social media, reached out to news media contacts, and sent emails to friends. He also sold Catch the Cure T-shirts and bracelets in his community, spoke to local football teams and civic organizations, and arranged to have a football game at Cedar Cliff HS declared Catch the Cure Night. Thousands of dollars were raised that night alone. Adam’s initial goal was to raise $20,000, but by the end of October, his charity had collected more than $150,000 for Project ALS, which recruits doctors and researchers to find the cure for ALS.

Devon raised more than $12,00 as an eighth grader for homeless pets by participating in the Harrisburg Humane Society’s annual river plunge known as the “Penguin Plunge,” She began her own fundraising

page of the Humane Society’s website to solicit dona-tions in advance of jumping into the icy Susquehanna River. Then she started making and selling a variety of treats to students and teachers at Mechan-icsburg Middle School and at craft shows while dressed as a penguin to draw attention to her fundraising mission. The money she raised has helped the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area add onto its building and pay for animal care. “You need to find your passion and volunteer for what you believe in,” says Devon.

Distinguished Finalists In addition, eight other Penn-

sylvania students were named as Distinguished Finalists for their service activities.

n Julie Badassamo, a junior at Upper Dublin HS, has knitted 280 hats and sold them through a website she cre-ated called “Hats for Homes,” making more than $2,800 to support the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue. Julie also knits with residents at a local nursing home and created a knitting club at her school.

n Abriana Bernstein, a junior at Harriton HS, has helped to raise $10,000 for the construc-tion of a high school in Darfur as president of the club “Gems Not Genocide” (GNG). She began her efforts in seventh grade after watching a docu-mentary about genocide. Her club has 100 active members

and raises awareness and money for the organiza-

tion Darfur Peace and Devel-opment.

n Catherine Clements, a senior at Ligonier Valley HS worked with the Girl Scouts to design a playground at the Darlington Baseball Fields after writing and receiving a grant of $8,000 to support equip-ment and installation. She also organized an Easter Egg Hunt and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility.

n Calista Frederick-Jaskie-wicz, a junior at the Pennsyl-vania Cyber Charter School founded “Origami Salami Alpha and Folding for Good,” an organization that enhances science and technology lessons through the art of origami folding. Calista oversees seven chapters of the organization across the country, has pub-lished an online course, and conducts folding for the elderly and students with attention disorders.

n Meghan Harrison, a senior at Buxmont Christian Edu-cational Institute, has raised more than $20,000 to support Lyme disease education and research through her “Lyme Light Fashion Show,” featuring patients who have the disease and models.

n Julia Kramer-Golinkoff, a senior at Lower Merion HS,

has joined her family to create “Emily’s Entourage,” a non-profit organization that has raised more than $200,000 to support awareness and research for a cure for cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung disease from which her sister Emily suffers.

n Emily Morgan, a senior at North Pocono HS, raised $24,000 and distributed 1,700 books and materials to create six literacy centers at the local Boys and Girls Club, a school for the deaf, homeless shelters, and a women’s resource center. Emily who calls her project “How to Eat a Book,” teaches a free reading course and taught at two summer reading camps.

n Katye Trexler, a senior at Harrisburg’s Bishop McDevitt HS, founded “Katye’s Help-ing Hands” and has donated stuffed animals and blankets to more than 1,500 “hero” chil-dren whose law enforcement and fire fighter parents have been killed in the line of duty. Katye’s father, who is a police chief, raised more than $25,000 thorough individual donations, motorcycle run events, and art auctions to support the project.

PASC recognizes and honors these outstanding community volunteers, and we hope that PASC students and advisors can find inspiration in the proj-ects noted above. The 2014 Prudential Spirit of Commu-nity Award applications will be due in late October 2013. Look for details in the Sep-tember issue of PASC NEWS or contact the Prudential Foun-dation directly at www.spirit.prudential.com.

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net 7

Students who attended the PASC Student Summit on Edu-cational Issues in Harrisburg on February 21 adopted four proposals that will be shared this spring with Pennsylvania’s educational leaders. The propos-als came from essays written in advance of the Summit by the student participants.

During the morning work ses-sion, four student committees worked with volunteer facilita-tors to refocus the essays and to formulate them into specific recommendations that could be discussed during a general ses-sion that afternoon. Following debate and a question and an-swer session on each committee proposal, the student delegates cast their yes/no vote for the written documents. Delegates also submitted additional recom-mendations to the committee for amendments to the proposals.

Following the general session held in the House of Representa-tive’s Chamber, an afternoon work session was held to refine the proposals based on the discussion, votes, and written notes made by the participants. The revised proposals were sent electronically to all participants. They were given one week to revote on the final documents.

A summary of the four documents that were accepted by that vote are found below. The proposal related to community service as a graduation requirement was not adopted. All student delegates were urged to present the proposals and their personal viewpoints on the four educational issues to members of their school adminis-trations and School Boards.

The full proposals that were adopted can be found at www.pasc.net. The following proposals were adopted:

Academic Accountability Committee Proposal: Special Education Standardized Testing• Standardized testing in regard to special education students is in

great need of reform and should be modified. Special education students are held to the same standards as the rest of the student population.

• In the past system of standardized testing (PSSA), there was an alternative test given to individuals who had previously been characterized as learning support, the PSSA-M exam. We pro-pose that an exemption or alternative form of Keystone testing be given to students requiring learning support, who have been proven, in a legitimatized manner, that he or she truly needs this

Student Summit Proposals to Be Shared With Educational Leaders

exception or alternative form of testing. • The State Board of Education should establish guidelines that

will provide for an explanation of who qualifies for an exemption of the Keystone Exam.

Equitable School Funding• We propose a shift of financial responsibility gradually from lo-

cal districts to the state, a system of graduated goals for districts to meet, and consistent auditing to account for spending.

• Per pupil expenditures, including those given to charter schools, with the exception of cyber schools, in districts must meet a given limit comparable to the current state average as of the 2012–2013 school year.

• Pennsylvania should establish a series of progressive goals, based upon the performance of individual districts, which shall be mea-sured by a combination of test scores and graduation rates. Once a school reaches its goal, it will be granted additional funding above and beyond any other necessary subsidy to ensure further success and growth.

• An organization of state officials should be created to act as multiple reporting oversight committees to a central oversight committee. Oversight committees will be responsible for process-ing the audits of the districts in their jurisdiction.

Teacher Evaluation and Professional Development• We believe that teacher evaluations should be divided into three

aspects, each weighted equally. • 50% professional observation• 50% elective data

• 20% local school assesment tools, including student feed-back (less than 5%)

Student leaders present their proposals on the floor of the House of Representatives as part of PASC’s annual Student Summit on Educational Issues.

continued on page 8

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net8

StudentSummitProposalsSenttoElectedOfficials(Continued from page 7)

• 15% school report card• 15% standardized scores for teachers with tested subjects

• When Act 48 was put into effect in 1999, it required that the teachers should continue their education with a broad 180 hours spent on Professional Development every five years. We believe that the 180 hours should include 25 hours spent on general teaching skills, 50 hours dictated by the district based on teacher evaluations, and 105 hours unprescribed.

• We believe that college students should take two rather than one semester of student teaching in preparation for a teaching degree. Presently many student teachers spend 25% of their time teaching, while the rest is spent on observation. By having two semesters, it enables the student teachers to take more part in the teaching aspect.

Co-Curricular Activities• The US Department of Education, National Center for Educa-

tion Statistics stated that involvement in co-curricular activities makes students 14% more likely not to have any unexcused absences, two times more likely to be in the highest 25% of their class, and three times more likely to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. With the fact that every thirty-four seconds someone drops out of high school, it is undeniable that this statistic would decrease with more involvement in co-curricular activities.

• Our first step to solving the issue of keeping co-curriculars in schools is to create a system of allocating co-curricular funds based on three points, which are the amount of participants, revenue, and cost of the activity.

• Our second step to solving the issue of inadequate co-curricular

funding is to have a “commit-tee of funding” in each school district. This committee would consist of advisers to clubs, coaches, and a student representative or representa-tives from each co-curricular. This commit-tee would be in charge of evaluating the school district’s funds for co-curricular programs and activities with input from these groups and mak-ing recommendations to the school board of the school district of how funds for co-curricular activities should be allocated.

• One of the committee’s main objectives would be to make sure as many activities as possible are kept in each school environment. By ensuring that co-curriculars remain in a school environment, Keystone test scores, as well as grade point averages (GPAs) would remain higher.

Share your thoughts on these issues and student proposals by joining the PASC Facebook Group. For a full copy of each of the adopted Student Summit proposals go to www.pasc.net

Student leaders debate their proposals at the PASC Student Summit on Educational Issues.

NASC recently announced that PASC Advisors of the Year R. J. Long, of Quaker Valley MS, and Nancy Brady, of Governor Mifflin HS, have both been named as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Advi-sors of the Year. As regional advisors of the year, they will be recognized at the NASC National Conference at Sunrise Mountain HS on Sunday, June 23 and are now finalists for the national recognition.

The Warren E. Shull Advisor of the Year Award was created in 1989 to honor Mr. Shull who founded the National As-sociation of Student Councils

in 1931 as a high school stu-dent. The Advisor of the Year award was established to recog-nize student council advisors of

exemplary character, leadership, and commitment to young people and their development as student leaders.

NASSP Associate Direc-tor Jeff Sherrill wrote to both R. J. and Nancy that,” Your dedication to the leadership development of our nation’s youth and the many positive contributions you have made as student council advisors are greatly appreciated, not only by your fellow teachers and advisers, but also by the many students whose lives have been guided and improved by your leadership.”

Both R.J. and Nancy Good Luck R.J and Nancy! We wish you well in Las Vegas, where the National Advisors of the Year will be announced.

Congratulations to NASC Region 2 Advisors of the Year

R. J. Long, student council advisor at Quaker Valley MS

Nancy Brady, student council advisor at Governor Mifflin HS

PASC News • March 2013 • www.pasc.net 9

By Joe Dubinski, advisor at Hanover HS

At Hanover High School (District 9), a chili cook-off contest started a few years ago as a very small chili event. In recent years both soups and chowders have been incorporated and the contest has expanded from a dozen to 20 contestants. In 2013 they are looking toward having even more participation. The event has even grown to include a bake sale and Chinese auction.

Student Council members solicit prizes from area businesses to use as gifts for the winners, and auction prizes as well. It has become a very enjoyable community event, and our kids and contestants love it! Some of our administrators and a few local restaurateurs serve as judges and have come to look forward to the event each year. For the past several years, the Chili Cook-Off has raised more than $1,000. The Student Council voted to donate all of the proceeds this year to the Ashley Food Bank located in the Wilkes-Barre area.

Sample TimelineHere is the timeline we follow when planning

this event:

September: Schedule the event

October: Plan the event with the student council and select an event chair-person

November: Student Council members approach local businesses for donations

Fliers get posted in local businesses

December: Advertise: Fliers, newspaper article and photo, radio and TV station PSAs (Public Service Announce-ments)

Final preparation with maintenance staff for event: any electrical concerns

Junior Student Council commitment for workers/bake sale

Troubleshooting, staffing needs

January: Picture frames for winners’ certificates, designation of prizes for winners and Chinese auction

Thursday, January 3: Deadline to enter a Chili, Chowder, Soup. One entry: $10, Two entries: $18, Three entries: $21

Winners, bake sale finalized, purchase supplies

Sunday, January 13, 2013 noon to 2:00

Celebrity Judging: 11:00 a.m. to Noon

Cost: Adults: $5; Kids (6–12) $3; 5 and under free

Run the event! Have fun! Make lots of money!

How to Host a Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser

By Noah Pollio, Middle Level Representative, Union MS

Living in Pennsylvania, I’m sure all of you know about the less than-picturesque weather we have grown accustomed to. My council embraces this as yet another opportunity to serve the community with a project we call Snow Buddies. It is a wonderful way for us to lend a hand to our friends and neigh-bors. It truly has had a positive impact on our community.

Snow Buddies, in essence, is a service project in which delegates get into buddy groups and compete to see who can shovel the most driveways. We normally give the signature forms out right before winter break, and extend the project well into January and February.

During this time, participat-ing students travel to different houses in their neighborhoods to shovel driveways. When they have completed the work, a member of the household simply has to sign the form. No payment should be accepted by the students! This project is for service, not fundraising.

The signatures are counted at the project’s end, and the bud-dies with the most signatures receive a gift from Student Council. We normally have them split a movie theater gift card amongst themselves. This adds another challenge to the competition. Larger groups will be able to shovel more driveways, but the individual split of the gift card will be significantly slower. However,

no matter how big the prize, every participating student in Snow Buddies will take pride in the fact that they helped their neighbors greatly and spread important values such as citizenship and teamwork throughout the community.

I have found Snow Buddies to be one of our most educa-tional and impactful projects that my council undertakes for many reasons. First, the competition and reward gets our delegates extremely excited to get involved in community service. Also, the physical task itself is one that requires all participants to work together to finish the job at hand. Finally, and most importantly, it teaches our council the value of reaching out and helping

others. We all live in a society in which communities are becoming less and less of, well communities, and it is our mission as student leaders to reverse that trend. Therefore, I find a service project like this to be truly wonderful in creating a virtuous and more compassion-ate ethical background for our generation.

I hope that you agree with this, and that you will con-sider proposing this as a future service project in your councils. Please feel free to contact me at ncp7000@gmail.com if you have any questions about Snow Buddies or the middle level in general, and please tell me about how the project goes if you decide to go through with it.

Snow Buddies (No Puppies Involved)