OASC Newsletter
Ohio Association of Student Councils, March 2017
Winter Retreat - March 11-12, 2017
Winter Retreat will be March 11-12, 2017. Winter Retreat will be held at CAMP WILLSON in BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio! Winter Retreat's theme is Self-Esteem & there is separate programming available for both Middle Level & Senior High students! Registration is open but will close on March 4th, or whenever retreat fills, so click here for more information or to register today!
State Conference - April 27-29, 2017
Join us at Clinton-Massie High School this spring for our 64th Annual State Conference! Below is a list of all the links your school may need for State Conference 2017! Reminder: All forms, registrations & nominations are due by April 1st! (Small Group Workshop Presenter Applications are due Friday, March 25th so presenters can be approved & registered by the April 1st deadline.)
STATE CONFERENCE DOCUMENTS (All documents below can also be found on the State Conference event page on OASC's website)
- State Representative Informational Video
- State Representative Candidate Information Sheet
- State Representative Candidate Application (due April 1st)
- State Conference Information Packet
- State Conference Delegate Registration Form (due April 1st) (ONLY Advisors fill this out)
- State Conference Advisor/Adult Registration Form (due April 1st)
- Honor Council Digital Scrapbook & Slideshow Award Form (due April 1st)
- All-Ohio Student Council Nomination Form (due April 1st)
- Army of Volunteers Award Nomination Form (due April 1st)
- Small Group Workshop Presenter Information
- Small Group Workshop Presenter Application (due March 25th)
Other State Conference Reminders!
State Conference Dress & Attire
State Conference is the Annual Business Meeting for OASC. We ask that all participants dress appropriately, following standard school dress codes. Shorts, sweatpants, pajama pants, torn jeans, halter or tank tops, and similar type dress should not be worn during conference. We expect ALL students to observe the standards of dress, and ask that advisers assist in monitoring your students’ attire.
State Conference Service Project - Toy Drive
Our service project will help those who benefit from our Falcon Pack & Food Pantry Programs. Toys will be distributed during the 2017 holiday season to our Clinton County families. We ask that you bring with you a new or gently used toy to donate to the students in our community. The toys will be dropped off at the display case in the main high school hallway at the start of the conference. Thank you for your participation. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Friday's Banquet & Dance Dress Code
Gentlemen should wear nice pants with collared shirts and ties and women should wear nice dresses/skirts. Again, please observe standard school dress codes. Women – please be mindful of your attire. Dresses must be school dress code appropriate with regards to length &
style. If your dress is not appropriate, you will be provided with alternate clothing.
Three tips to starting a new project
1. Build Relationships
2. Delegate
3. Set deadlines
OASC Alumni Spotlight
Emilee Owens (OASC Delegate & Middle Level Staff 1997-2004)
What was your first OASC event? Super Saturday
What is your favorite OASC song? Annie's Song by John Denver
How did OASC help you get to where you are today? I made true life-long friends at such an early age that have reconnected throughout my life at various times and locations as an adult. Friends I made as a 6th grader from all over the state remain loving, special friends that have such a deep connection through our shared experiences with OASC as not only campers, but staff.
Do you still stay in touch with any OASC friends? Yes! This is the most valuable asset of OASC- the life-long connections! Sarah (Highland) Kindzerske and I reconnected a few years after college when we found ourselves both living in Washington DC. We went through various programs together from 6th grade on and were the same class of Staff-Os.
What other advice do you have for current students? The world is your oyster- and the world needs more positive and engaged leaders. The skills you learn from OASC will prepare you not only for college, but the "real" world that eventually awaits you. The confidence, leadership skills, and friendships you gain from OASC will set you up for great success and personal satisfaction!
Brett Peterman (State Board President '88-'89)
Where do you currently live today? Roswell, Georgia
What was your involvement in OASC? OASC was an integral part of my personal development in high school. Through attending the various workshops, running for and winning a spot on the Executive Board at Circleville's State Conference (State President 1988-89), and serving on Summer Workshop staff, it was a great opportunity to make friends and to develop important leadership skills for myself and in others.
What are some of your favorite OASC memories? I remember fondly getting to travel the state as State President to visit other schools and learn as much as I taught. I learned so much from John Namey and I learned not to pass up an opportunity. I had numerous chances to say "I'll never make new friends" or "No one wants to hear me speak", yet the students encouraged each other and I'm a better person for it.
Emily Trinh (OASC Delegate & Middle Level Staff Member 2009-2014)
Why are you thankful for OASC? The biggest gift OASC has given me are the connections and friendships I made throughout my time there. OASC's delegates and staff members fuse together to cultivate a belonging and accepting environment. Because of this, I was authentically myself with my peers. My newfound friends and I bonded over shared anxieties, and ambitions. We felt seen, heard, and valued. These friends are the ones who challenge me, empower me, and provide me unconditional support. I truly don't know who I would be without them.
How did staffing help prepare you for your future? Facilitating to middle school students has a positive impact on both the staff members, and the delegates. As a staff member, I was motivated to be a strong leader myself because I knew that my work would contribute to developing the next generation of leaders. Thus, I practiced and valued mentoring skills and the idea of “leading by example.” I could directly apply these skills to my positions within my school and community, so my organizations at home were not only benefiting from having a Middle Level Staff Member who was educating the incoming students, but also I myself was becoming a well-rounded leader. I use my communication skills to efficiently & effectively correspond with my managers and peers today. I practice self-awareness and open-mindedness as a Resident Assistant, which has enabled me to cultivate a diverse & inclusive community among my residents. As I apply to internships & part-time jobs, I draw from my staffing experiences to talk about my agility, dependability, & professionalism. Words cannot express how thankful I am to have been a Middle Level Staff Member!
Advisor Spotlight: Angie Dillon, Junior High School Student Council Advisor
What has been your involvement in Student Council and OASC?
I have 45 years of Student Council and OASC to reflect on. I was a Student Council Class Representative when I was in high school at St. Peter's. I remember we would meet before school and I remember that I attended a State Conference. I think is was held in Toledo. We had a Mardi Gras and a Dance where you were matched with someone in the school for a computer-generated date.
Ten years after I graduated from high school, I returned to St. Peter's as a teacher in the elementary school. We had a Civic Club. The high school had a Student Council. At one point the high school hosted a OASC State Conference. I worked in the Book Store making OASC badges to sell. I was impressed with the energy and maturity of the delegates who attended the conference.
Somewhere the elementary Civic Club became a grades 5-8 Student Council and I became a co-advisor with several people through the years. Then it became grades 6-8 and now I am the single advisor for the Junior High Council. So there have been lots of changes through the years.
What do you see as the benefits of OASC/Student Council?
I have always been grateful that OASC offers a sequence of Leadership Training. It makes my job as an advisor so much easier. We try to start the council year with a one day summer workshop to plan the first part of the year. I've seen many students grow in their leadership skills through their involvement in Student Council. They carry it into other clubs they belong to and sports they play. I love that as an advisor. I have to remind myself that that is not always observable until years later when students back and remind me of how Student Council helped them get where they are in life.
Try to do a variety of things so that you have Spirit, Leadership, Service and Fundraising covered. My council has to "earn" a spirit activity (ex. dance) by doing a fundraiser and a service activity first. In March we will be doing Penny Wars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You'll have to play around with a time to meet that works for your council. We've tried after school, during homeroom, during lunch and homeroom. This year we have a 22 minute homeroom time. Needless to say, we've done a lot less this year than in past years when we met for an hour after schoo. Don't give up. Enjoy the kids. Let them help keep you young at heart.
Advice for students?
An observation: The students who are in Student Council are usually the same students who are in Key Club, Art Club, Math Club, playing sports, acting in plays, etc. They want to do it all and consequently do no put their best efforts into most things: A life lesson for all of us.
What OASC Means To Me: Brianna Merklin, Middle Level State Representative
The meaning of OASC is leadership, self-confidence, & friendships.I ran for a board position to help me build life skills that I can use every day. I wanted to build my confidence a d become the strong independent person that I know I can be. Being a part of OASC has taught me leadership skills, while working in group projects. Our projects have allowed me to make new friends that normally I would be quite & shy when in a group setting. I have gained the confidence to speak in front of large groups. I am a member of other organizations and now have confidence to be a part of their committees due to the knowledge and confidence I have gained through OASC. I am looking forward, as I head to high school in the fall, to using the skills I have gained from OASC. I’m grateful for the opportunity given to me to be a part of this wonderful group.
iBELIEVE & OASC Summer Workshops - Registration is NOW OPEN!
SUMMER WORKSHOP REGISTRATION officially opened March 1st! Join us during the summer of 2017 for one of EIGHT Senior High Workshops or TWO Middle Level Workshops being offered!
- June 18th - 22nd, West Liberty University (West Liberty, WV) - Senior High I, II & III
- June 25th - 29th, West Liberty University (West Liberty, WV) & Youngstown State University (Youngstown, OH) - Senior High I, II, III, & Middle Level
- July 9 -13th, Concord University (Athens, West Virginia) & Muskingum University (New Concord, OH) - Senior High I, II, & III
- July 16th - 20th, Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, KY) - Senior High I ONLY, Muskingum University, (New Concord, OH) - Senior High I, II, & III
- July 23rd - 27th, Wright State University (Fairborn, OH) - Senior High I, II, III & Middle Level
Both iBELIEVE & OASC students can register for summer workshops HERE on the iBELIEVE website! We look forward to seeing you this summer!
**Note: Registration is on a "first come, first served" basis. Once a week/program level is full, both iBELIEVE & OASC delegates will need to select a different week. Due to program level size restrictions, we cannot overfill any week or program level of summer workshop.**
Sunday, Jun 18, 2017, 01:00 PM
West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky
Contact Us Today!
Email: OASCoutreach@oasc-oh.org
Website: www.oasc-oh.org
Location: 124 Queens Crossing, Dayton, OH, United States
Phone: (937) 751-8530
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheOASC
Twitter: @OASC