Show the World Your Students Have Character!
The Josephson Institute’s CHARACTER COUNTS! initiative encourages young people to develop values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. This October 19–23, get your members and school involved with National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week. Visit www.charactercounts.org to learn more and report what you did to celebrate this year.
Leadership Lessons Learned at Freedom Academy
Veterans Day is November 11, and 100 Utah high school students were afforded an inside look at the services and aid our soldiers provide this country. For one week last August, Camp Williams and the Utah National Guard hosted the 54th annual Freedom Academy—a weeklong military-style leadership training camp. Students awoke at 5:00 a.m. for physical training with a drill sergeant and participated in many motivational and squad-building activities. A student at Payson High School in Payson, UT, said of the event, “It gave me a whole new respect for what our soldiers do for us, and what these men and women do to keep us safe. Freedom isn’t free.”
Tell us Your Homecoming Stories
From bonfires to fashion shows to spirit week activities, student groups across the country annually strive to make homecoming unforgettable. What did your chapter or council do this year? Submit your homecoming activity—or any of your other projects—to the National Student Project Database by visitingwww.nhs.us/projects, www.njhs.us/projects, or www.nasc.us/projects.
Who Doesn’t Love Free?
As an adviser, you work hard. While sometimes the job may seem a bit overwhelming, a visit to www.passionforsavings.com/free-stuff-for-teachers can make life a little easier. This website offers a comprehensive list of free and discounted items and resources just for teachers. In addition, explore the site for coupons and a list of retailers that offer teacher discounts.
Research Suggests Afterschool Programs Are Key to Success
The Afterschool Alliance, an afterschool awareness program established in 2000, has compiled tons of research in its report titled “Evaluations Backgrounder: A Summary of Formal Evaluations of Afterschool Programs’ Impact on Academics, Behavior, Safety, and Family Life (2015).” The research suggests afterschool programs create important advantages for students, not only in terms of academics, but also regarding safety, discipline, attendance, and more.
For example, teachers of students participating in the Wisconsin 21st Century Community Learning Centers’ afterschool programs reported more than two-thirds of students improved class participation, 60 percent saw improvements in student motivation to learn, and 55 percent improved their behavior in class. Teachers also reported that 48 percent of students improved in volunteering for extra credit or responsibility. To download the full report, visit www.afterschoolalliance.org/documents/Evaluation_Backgrounder.pdf.
Be Awarded for Your Outstanding Service
The Outstanding Service Project (OSP) awards recognize NHS and NJHS chapters that have made significant service contributions at the local level. Each project submitted for this award is judged based on their goals and organization, service impact, involvement, and the quality and clarity of the group’s written summary. Applications for the award will be available on November 1 at www.nhs.us/osp and www.njhs.us/osp. The deadline is January 25, 2016.
Dates to Remember
October
National Principals Month
National Bullying Prevention Month
October 16: Early bird registration deadline for LEAD Conference: Phoenix, AZ
October 30: Registration deadline for LEAD Conference: Phoenix, AZ
October 31: National Principals Month video contest entry deadline
November
November 1: Outstanding Service Project award applications available online
November 3: Prudential Spirit of Community Awards deadline (www.nassp.org/spirit)
November 13–15: LEAD Conference: Phoenix, AZ
Principals Month Video Contest Deadline Approaching
October is National Principals Month, and time is running out for your school to enter the video contest. It’s time to get creative and make a short video (three minutes or less) telling the world what your principal means to you, your school, and your community.
The winning school will receive a $200 Best Buy gift card (and, of course, eternal YouTube glory). The deadline for video submissions is October 31, 2015. Visit www.principalsmonth.org/contest to learn more and enter.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams