Morning Announcements: June 2019

Start Planning Early

Did you know that LEAD DC and LEAD Chicago experienced record sold-out attendance this year? The popularity of these events continues to rise, and the value in bolstering leadership skills, networking with peers, and experiencing targeted training opportunities cannot be overstated. Because of the overwhelming demand for these events, NASSP will hold two LEAD Conferences in Washington, D.C., for the 2019–20 academic year: one November 15–17, 2019, and the other January 31–February 2, 2020. Details can be found at www.leadconferences.org/future. Need to make the case to your principal, administrator, and/or school board for registration approval? Use resources at www.leadconferences.org/toolkit to lay out a budget and outline the benefits of attending.

Youth Volunteers Honored

Ten youth volunteers were named as national honorees in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards at a special recognition event held May 4–7. The national winners were chosen from 102 state honorees (one middle level and one high school student from every state and the District of Columbia). All honorees came together to share experiences, meet top youth volunteers from other countries, tour the monuments, and attend an awards ceremony. The program, sponsored by Prudential Financial and NASSP, honors students in grades 5–12 who make meaningful contributions through volunteer services. Read their stories at https://spirit.prudential.com.

Recognizing Student Achievements

Congratulations to the recipients of NHS, NJHS, and NatStuCo award programs in 2019! The NHS Scholarship program awarded $2 million among 600 distinguished seniors. The NJHS Outstanding Achievement Awards honored 500 recipients each with $500 in a college savings account. The NHS and NJHS Outstanding Service Project recognized five NHS and five NJHS projects that made a significant impact through service. The National Councils of Excellence Award recognized almost 300 middle level and high school student councils that consistently provide quality leadership activities and service to their schools. To learn more about the award programs, see the lists of winners, and get inspiration for future projects, visit the NHS, NJHS, and NatStuCo websites.

You Asked, We Listened!

To provide you with the most relevant and timely content while allowing you to devote more time to your students, Advise will now be mailed on a quarterly basis beginning in the 2019–20 academic year. Keep an eye out for the fall 2019 issue coming to your mailbox in September!

Your Feedback Wanted

It’s that time of year! Maintain your affiliation with the national office in order to continue supporting your students’ growth. Visit www.nhs.us/renew, www.njhs.us/renew, and www.NatStuCo.org/renew by June 30 to renew online and keep your membership current. Both principals and advisers now have the ability to renew your chapter or council online. Please be sure to coordinate with each other in this process.

Also, take some time to respond to the annual year-end adviser report! This information about your council’s or chapter’s activities this past year provides invaluable data to help the national office enrich the student experience. The deadline to submit is June 30.

Supporting New Advisers

Passing the torch? If you will be transitioning adviser duties to a colleague, follow these tips to help the process go smoothly:

• Notify the national office using the Adviser Change Form on the website. This will help ensure our database is up to date, providing the new adviser with the monthly newsletter and other important communications.
• Update the officer and member contact lists.
• Plan a retreat or set a date for members to meet the incoming adviser.
• Review the year’s activities and propose new ones for the coming year.
• Point the incoming adviser toward the Adviser Resource Center on the NHS, NJHS, and NatStuCo websites.

Also, make sure your successor knows about the Adviser Online Community at https://community.nassp.org. This is a great place to ask questions, share ideas with peers, and hear advice from veteran advisers.

Dates to Remember

June

July

Application process opens for the Outstanding Service Project Awards

August

Application process opens for the National Council of Excellence Awards