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  • School Celebration Newsletter | November 2023 Edition

    Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell, Principal, Loowit High School and Kelso Virtual Academy (K-12), Kelso School District
    Oct 31, 2023
    As you can probably tell I LOVE to celebrate and show appreciation for people in my life. I believe passionately it is critical to have a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving. November is the perfect month to spend time thinking of the things or people that make you smile. Thank YOU for supporting me by reading this newsletter and sending me your pictures or email about how you are implementing the ideas.
  • "We Won an Emmy!" Celebrating the Habibs and Observing Disability Employment Awareness Month

    Ashley Barker, Inclusion Director & Next Level Leaders Program Lead, AWSP
    Oct 09, 2023
    School leaders, what if one of your students said, “We won an Emmy!”? Our ultimate goal as inclusive educational leaders is to have all of our students achieve at high levels. For Samuel Habib, an Emmy was never his end goal; he set out to document his life story so others can see the daily struggle, perseverance, and payoff for our students with disabilities when they are encouraged, supported, included, and advocated for. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, I encourage each of us to learn more about Samuel and your own staff and students with disabilities' journey. As you identify the barriers your students and staff face in your school and district, think about how you and other school leaders can use your privilege, title, and opportunity to remove some of those barriers. What can I (we) do to support and advocate for students and staff with disabilities? How can I (we) elevate their story of perseverance to pave the way and model for others?
  • AWSP & WASA's Strategic Collaboration

    Dr. Scott Seaman, Executive Director, AWSP
    Oct 06, 2023
    Back in June, we gathered a small cadre of principals, superintendents, and staff members from AWSP and WASA to begin to identify short-term and long-term solutions to the leadership crisis in our state. We must do something to reverse the course of high turnover rates, small candidate pools, and decreased job satisfaction. While the focus of this committee is starting with easing the pressure on principals, it is much larger in scale. It’s about the entire leadership pipeline in our K12 educational system. If we want great future superintendents, we must cultivate and support future and current school leaders.
  • School Celebration Newsletter | October 2023 Edition

    Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell, Principal, Loowit High School and Kelso Virtual Academy (K-12), Kelso School District
    Sep 25, 2023
    There are so many wonderful things I associate with October. The change of leaves, the final harvest from our garden, my son's birthday, and Friday night lights, just to name a few. October is when the school year becomes real for our staff and students. The novelty of the start has worn off, and it's fast and furious every day for our team. It is a month when you must do something to celebrate your staff. This month's newsletter is loaded with a ton of ideas to help you achieve this. Check out the details of October 4, as it is becoming one of my favorite days of the year, but then again, anything to do with tacos makes my heart happy. I also want to challenge YOU to put something on the calendar this month that will bring you joy. Maybe it will be coffee with a friend, a spa treatment, or going out for dessert with your partner. Do something intentional this month to bring joy to your heart. I believe in you!
  • DOH Update on New Vape Products

    Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
    Sep 18, 2023
    The Washington State Department of Health sent me a couple of pieces of information to pass along to our school leaders across the state. Unfortunately, many of you middle-level and high school leaders might already be aware of these.
  • AI for Me, AI for You, AI for Teachers and Students, Too

    David Morrill, Communications & Technology Director, AWSP
    Sep 15, 2023
    After a crazy few years of school leadership through a pandemic and its immediate recovery, the vibe we're getting for this back to school season is simply "normal." That was the report at least from the vast majority of our AWSP Board Executive Committee check-in we had the other day. What's not normal is the way AI has infiltrated so much of our lives, especially for those of us in education. I've got a few things to share with you to help navigate through these undiscovered waters.
  • Way to Staff Well-being Workshops for 2023-2024

    Jackie Vizzare, Workforce Health Consultant Strategic Customer Engagement, Kaiser Permanente
    Sep 14, 2023
    Kaiser Permanente is proud to offer Way to Staff Well-being Workshops for the 2023-24 school year. These workshops are designed for all teachers, staff, and administrators in Washington to learn how a proactive approach to staff well-being can help schools thrive.
  • Washington State Civic Observances and Future Voter Program for Students

    Roz Thompson, Government Relations and Advocacy Director, AWSP
    Sep 13, 2023
    As we dive into September, there are lots of changes in the air. A new school year, a new season, pumpkin spiced drinks, and Constitution and Citizenship Day!  State law requires the study of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Washington state as a prerequisite for graduation from public and private high schools. Additionally, federal law enacted in December 2004 states: "Each educational institution that receives federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution..." to commemorate the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. If this day falls on a weekend (like it does this year), then the day can be observed the week before or after.
  • The Weight of Hope

    Dr. Scott Seaman, Executive Director, AWSP
    Sep 08, 2023
    Even though my morning routine always includes a good sunrise run, today was different. It wasn’t just any morning. It was the first day of school. As I made my way through neighborhoods and cross streets to meet my daily mileage and stress-release goals, I passed an elementary school, middle school, and high school. Cutting through the campuses of each building brought a flood of feelings and emotions that contributed to my pace.
  • From the AWSP President: Be a Lighthouse

    Dave Riddle, 2023-24 AWSP Board President, LaVenture Middle School Principal, Mt. Vernon School District
    Sep 08, 2023
    Fall has always been my favorite season of the year – it’s the warm days and the cool nights, the smell of a wood fire, turning leaves, the excitement of a new school year, and the start of football season. What I appreciate about fall more than anything, though, is the particular quality of light that comes with the shortening of the day. I can’t exactly describe that light, but it is somehow different: a little softer, a little less intense, a little less direct. Maybe it seems more special because there is progressively less and less of it as we move through autumn.

Like to Write?

We're always looking for guest contributions. If you have a passion to write and things to share, email David about a guest post or a role as a recurring guest blogger. 


For More Information 

David Morrill | Communications & Technology Director | (800) 562-6100

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