PASC News Volume 36Issue 3

November 2011

Congratulations to the follow-ing students who were recently named as USSY scholarship finalists. On Saturday, Novem-ber 19, 2011, these students were interviewed and took a government and constitution-based current events exam. The Department of Education hosted these students and their parents for a luncheon at the State Capitol as part of this

special day in Harrisburg:• Mariam Ahmad, Altoona HS• Zachary Cole, Hershey HS• John Connolly, Riverview HS• Issac Cornell, Ligonier Valley

HS• Dylan Eiger, North Penn HS• Aliza Furneaux, Lackawanna

Trial HS• Theodore Kolva, Wyomissing

Jr.-Sr. HS• Benjamin Marasco, Washing-

Regional Rep Schools

Elected for 2012–13

ton HS• Shannon Robison, Ringgold

HS• Sarah Rudasill New Oxford

HS

All school nominees for the U.S. Senate Youth Scholar-ship will be invited to attend the PASC Student Summit in Harrisburg on February 23, 2012 with representatives from high schools across the state.

U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Finalists Named

During caucus meetings on Friday, November 11, schools were elected to be the new Regional Rep schools. A student from each one of these schools will be selected to serve a two-year term on the PASC Executive Board which begins on January 1, 2012.

The following schools were elected:

Region C: Everett HS

Region F: Bishop McDevitt HS (Wyncote)

Region G: TBA

The following Regional Representatives will begin the second year of their terms in January 2012:

Region A: Troy Davis, Ford City HS

Region B: Caroline Steliotes, Quaker

Valley HS

Region D: Mallory Mokay, North Pocono HS

Region E: Bonaire Berry, New Oxford HS

In other Executive Board news from the con-ference, a change in Article 4 Section 2 of the PASC Constitution was approved by the vote of member schools in attendance at the state conference. The change will add the position of Alumni Coordinator to the list of ex- officio members of the PASC Executive Board. Pres-ently, Allyssa Rommel serves in that position. She is at West Chester University. Alumni Partners met for lunch during the conference and an Alumni Partners Steering Committee will continue to meet electronically, through confer-ence calls, and in small groups meetings over the next year.

Members of the PASC Executive Board traveled to St. Louis last summer for the STAR Leaders Conference.

InsIde ThIs Issue

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

•PASC Executive Board Posi-tions Open

Dale Hawley Award Winners Announced ........................... 2

Jim Finnemeyer Named 2011 Winner of Linda Greb Award .................................... 2

PASC Advisers of the Year Selected ................................. 3

•Lisa Bernet Named Middle Level Advisor of the Year

•Aniko Walker Named High School Advisor of the Year

Middle Level Reps to Be Chosen ................................. 3

National Council of Excel-lence Applications Due in February ................................ 4

PASC Has Hoodies for Sale ................................... 4

Thanks to Altoona for a Great Conference! .............. 5

PASC News • November 2011 • www.pasc.net2

News & NotesPASC Executive Board Positions OpenThere are several 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 2012, the terms of Middle Level Coordinator and Web Site Coordinator expire and the positions become open. The job descriptions for these posi-tions can be found at www.pasc.net or a copy can be obtained by emailing pascinfo@aol.com. In each case an application and resume will be due from each candidate by Wednesday, February 15. Interviews will be conducted on Friday, March 2 prior to the beginning of the PASC Executive Board meeting in New Castle. In brief, the duties of each position are listed below:

Middle Level Coordinator:

1. Communicate with junior highs/middle schools/interme-diate schools.

2. Act as a liaison between those schools and the PASC Board.

3. Produce a junior high/middle school/intermediate school column for each PASC newsletter.

4. Promote Blue (grade 7–9) Summer Leadership Work-shops.

5. Serve as a consultant and advisor to the two student middle level representatives and their advisors on the Executive Board

6. Attend meetings of the Executive Board in January, March/April, August. Attend the state conference as a member of the Executive Board. Work with PASC Executive Board members regarding programs and opportunities provided to middle level students and their advisors.

Web Site Coordinator:

1. Serve as the clearinghouse for all documents that are to be posted on the website.

2. Check website to verify that items are posted in a timely manner and to remove outdated information.

3. Post additional articles to the website on current PASC and leadership topics.

4. Attend meetings of the Executive Board in January, March/April, August and at the state conference as an ex-officio member of the board. Work with PASC Executive Board members on the posting of state, district, and regional information.

5. Maintain current online resources used by PASC, which may include training the Executive Board, staying current on new technology, and acting as a technology resource to the Executive Board.

Jim Finnemeyer Named 2011 Winner of Linda Greb Award At the Saturday closing general

session of the state conference, Jim Finnemeyer was named as the 2011 winner of the Linda Greb Award. Jim served in 1972 on the staff of the PASC Junior High Workshop at Shippensurg University before serving as the co-director of the NASC Lead-ership Training Workshops from 1975–1981. In 1982 and 1983, Jim directed an NASC Advisor’s Workshop at Temple University. In 1987, he was named as the National Association of Workshop Director’s Workshop Director of the Year. From 1976 to 2011, Jim directed PASC workshops for high school students at various sites across the state. He most recently directed the Grove City Gold workshop and announced his retirement from the workshop program in August. In his role as PASC Executive Director, Jim will continue to shape the PASC Workshop programs in his work with the PASC workshop directors, staff, and Executive Board members.

The award is named in memory of Linda S. Greb, who served on many workshop staffs and passed away in 2003 while serving as the director of the Advanced Gold workshop. It is given annually to a workshop staff member for outstanding service to PASC.

Dale Hawley Award Winners NamedEach year, the National Association of Student Councils provides

each state association with five awards named for the former Executive Director of NASC, Dale Hawley. Pennsylvania has an-nually given these awards to one student in each of our Gold and Blue Summer Leadership Workshops. The students are selected by the respective workshop staffs as outstanding delegates during the workshop programs in July and August.

The Dale Hawley Awards were announced at the State Confer-ence on October 8th. The winners are:

Grove City Blue: Trey Quealy, Norwin HS

Lebanon Valley Blue: Lindsay Heck, Tunkhannock MS

Grove City Gold: Nick Bailey, Waynesboro HS

Susquehanna Gold: Katie Marino, North Penn HS

Advanced Gold: Erica Ligenza, Mulhenberg HS

PASC News • November 2011 • www.pasc.net 3

High school advisors selected by their districts as Advisors of the Year also were recognized in Altoona. Receiving the Linda Greb Advisor of the Year Award was Aniko Walker of Villa Maria Academy in Erie.

Aniko Walker, who was previously named as the 1999 PASC Advisor of the Year, is an individual who epitomizes the traits of an excellent advisor who leads by example and from the heart. She is a person students and staff can rely upon when a job needs to be done or advice is needed.

Whether the council is doing service projects like collecting for Thanksgiving dinners, adopting a family, or promoting a school that understands the importance of building respect and tolerance for others, Mrs. Walker guides students to make the right choices and to learn thorough the consequences of their decisions and actions in school and in life. PRIDE in school and in the self-worth of individuals is a hallmark of the work of this Villa Maria student council. Whether that is shown through pep rallies, or showcases of talent, or lip-sync

contests, a positive school atmosphere is always part of the stu-

Middle level advisors selected by their districts as Advisors of the Year were recognized at the state conference earlier this month. From this group, LIsa Bernet of Fleetwood Middle School was chosen as 2011 PASC Advisor of the Year.

Lisa has been an advisor for 11 years and is active with PASC at the district level, serving on the dis-trict board and as a co-host to the district confer-ences in 2000 and 2004. Her students consistently attend PASC conferences and summer leadership workshops and she is always willing to lead round-tables that provide new ideas to other advisors.

Her principal wrote: “Mrs. Bernet not only teaches our students to be good school citizens, but how to be good, well-mannered young adults who should set a good example for their peers.”

PASC Advisors of the Year SelectedLisa Bernet Named Middle Level Advisor of the Year

Aniko Walker Named High School Advisor of the Year

Fleetwood Middle School student council serves the school by conducting tours at the beginning of each school year, providing ice cream sundae parties to recognize Students of the Month, and recognizing birthdays of students and staff. Council members reach out to the community by collecting holiday food boxes for a local food bank. This past year, students assembled ornaments and distributed them to be given away at local banks at Christmas. Each spring the council holds A Super Dance to raise funds to be given to the needy of the community, last year raising more than $2,000.

Congratulations and best wishes to Lisa as her application is now submitted for consideration for

additional regional and national recognition.

dent council’s goals.

At Villa, leadership development is always encouraged through both school lock-ins, as well as through strong encouragement for students to attend PASC workshops and to create student-led workshops at district and state conferences.

Aniko is an individual who faces challenges head on, works to adapt to change in her school, and consistently encourages other schools and their advisors to become involved with PASC programs and activities. She served for 15 years on the PASC Advanced Gold workshop staff, has been a PASC District Director, and has been the advisor at Villa

Maria Academy for the past 21 years.

This PASC High School Advisor of the Year Award is named for the former Mars High School advisor and PASC Executive Board member who passed away in 2003 after a courageous battle with cancer. Aniko was a great friend of Linda Greb and she epitomizes Linda’s ideals. We congratulate Aniko as our 2011 High School Advisor of the Year and wish her well as she is now to be consid-ered for regional and national recognition.

2012 Middle Level Representatives and Advisors to Be ChosenInterviews of teams of a

seventh grader and an advisor from PASC member middle schools will be held in the next

two weeks. The appointment of two student and advisor teams to serve as the Middle Level Representatives on the PASC

Executive Board from January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013. will be made by December 1 by PASC Executive Director,

Jim Finnemeyer in consultation with Middle Level Coordina-tor, Amy Kauffman.

PASC News • November 2011 • 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 PresidentMariam Ahmad Altoona Area HS 1400 7th Avenue Altoona, PA 16602

PASC President-ElectSavanna HovisLaurel JSHS2497 Harlansburg RoadNew Castle, PA 16101

PASC News EditorLyn FiscusLeadership Logistics

PASC Email:PASCInfo@aol.com

PASC Website:www.pasc.net

National Council of Excellence Applications Due in FebruaryWith two months remaining in 2011, it is time

for YOUR student council members to organize information on projects, minutes and agendas of meetings, and other information that can be used to support the council’s application to NASC as a National Council of Excellence for 2011.

Many PASC member councils have done many outstanding things since January 1, 2011. Although it takes time to complete the NASC application, the process of doing it allows student leaders and advisors to reflect on all that they have done and to create a portfolio that reflects a positive view of their organization and their school. When the members of the council find a gap in projects not completed, the application provides a renewed incentive to move the project forward in the next two months, or to put it on the top of the council’s priority list for 2012.

Each of the schools that were named as Coun-cils of Excellence for 2010 would urge your council to make that effort. Each found the work putting the application packet together to be challenging, but worthwhile. It created a renewed focus on who they were and what they sought to accomplish in their school.

Details on the application process and the appropriate forms can be found at www.nasc.us. The application, based on the council’s ac-complishments for calendar year 2011, is due to

NASC on February 15, 2012.

At the recent state con-ference in Altoona, the following schools were recognized as NASC Councils of Excellence in 2010. Do not hesitate to contact advisors from these schools for advice on completing the ap-plication:

• Boyertown High School, advisor: Jeff Kusniez ( jkusniez@boyertownasd.org)

• Downingtown East High School, advisor: Julie Kostecki ( jkostecki@dasd.org)

• Garnet Valley High School, advisor: Kim Greigo-Boruch (griegok@garnetval-leyschools.com)

• Interboro High School, advisor: Andy Costanzo (costanab@interbrosd.org)

• North Allegheny High School, advisor: Patti Dzambo (pdzambo@gmail.com)

• Pennridge High School, advisor: Mike White (mwhite @pennridge.org)

• Pocono Mountain West High School, advi-sor: Neil McGovern (nmcgovern@pmsd,org) and Jen Paul ( jpaul@pmsd.org)

A PASC hoodie designed by Destiny Orchowski, former Region D Representative, is now available and being offered to advisors and students at a great price.

It is a good heavy-weight hoodie in Black with “PASC” printed in Hot Pink, Neon Green, Neon Blue, or Neon Yellow. (See picture) If you would like to order one, the cost is $18 plus $4 for ship-ping; sizes available are small

PASC Has Hoodies for Salethrough 3XL.

Fill out the order form found at www.pasc.net and mail it with payment (check payable to PASC) to Kathy Coll, 174 Link Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Hoodies will be mailed to the school address so several can be ordered on one form.

Orders are due by January 1, 2012 and will be shipped by January 15, 2012.

Questions: Contact Kathy Coll at Kcoll1@comcast.net

Hoodies only $18

plus shipping

PASC News • November 2011 • www.pasc.net 5

Thank You to Altoona for an Outstanding State Conference

The 75th State Conference hosted by Altoona Junior High School and Altoona Senior High School was an historic event in our organization’s history. PASC was founded in 1932 by five schools in the state under the leadership of Altoona High School advisor Harold Pegg. The first state conference was held in Altoona in 1934. Subsequently, Altoona High School hosted conferences in 1948, 1986 (50th), and 1992. David Aboud has served as the host advisor for each of the three recent Altoona conferences. “With A Little Help From My Friends” was the theme. Through the program, incredible school-wide decora-tions, and entertainment the Beatles theme was always in evidence.

The conference featured three noted leadership and motivational speakers. Each shared a different message that challenged and inspired the student and advisor delegates. The speakers included nationally known Mark Scharenbroich, Mark Brown, and Mike Smith. Student-led workshops were held Friday morning and included some conducted by members of the PASC Alumni Partners, who came from their colleges and places of employment to share their knowledge and expertise with the middle level and high school delegates. PASC business was conducted over lunch-

time at seven regional caucuses.

Friday afternoon provided an opportunity to hear from three PASC Alumni who are also Altoona graduates. Shelly (House-man) Mowchan, 1986 State President, now a high school teacher in Virginia; Nikki (Fanelli) Yost, 1992 State President, now working in the Human Relations Depart-ment for a Fortune 500 Company; and Brian Kamoie, 1988 United State Senate Youth Scholarship Winner, who is now a Senior Director for Preparedness Policy for the National Security Staff member based in the White House. Each shared the unique experiences they had as high school student leaders and how those experi-ences have made an impact on their lives and vocations. They made us all “PASC PROUD!”

Friday evening provided a time for del-egates to enjoy a first-class buffet dinner at the Blair County Convention center followed by separate dances for high school and middle students and an advisor recep-tion.

We now turn our sights to New Castle in western Pennsylvania as planning continues for the 76th PASC State Conference, No-vember 1–3, 2012. Stay tuned for details later this winter.