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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.
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Caroline Brumfield, Graphic Design and Marketing Manager, AWSP
Sep 06, 2023
Today is Calendar Awareness Day. No, you won’t find Calendar Awareness Day highlighted on your actual calendar. (Yes, that means we made it up.) But whatever day you’re reading this, we hope to make you more aware of four important calendar resources for school leaders.
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Dr. Scott Seaman, Executive Director, AWSP
Sep 05, 2023
Welcome back to what is already shaping up to be an incredible school year. At AWSP, we’ve had a busy summer continuing to “Shine the Light” on our most robust advocacy campaign ever. The role principals and assistant principals play in the system is critical. We won’t rest until everyone is paying attention to your needs as school leaders across the state. From working conditions, to due process, to more protections, to compensation, to respectful contracts, to respect in general, and to more support, we are shining the light on you.
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Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell, Principal, Loowit High School and Kelso Virtual Academy (K-12), Kelso School District
Aug 28, 2023
September is a critical month to keep yourself reminded of the goals you set this summer. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating healthy most of the time? Are you getting exercise and taking timeouts from electronics? It is so important for all educators to make time this month and do something to charge their batteries. I want to challenge you to make a musical playlist for yourself to listen to on your drive home to help reset your mind from work to family time. What will be your go-to song?
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Jill Patnode, Senior Community Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente of Washington
Aug 28, 2023
Ensuring children have health insurance coverage to keep them safe and healthy is critical. About half of the nation’s children are covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). However, students across the country who rely on this coverage for health insurance right now risk losing it due to the ending of the public health emergency. Schools can play a key role in ensuring that doesn’t happen.
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Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
Aug 25, 2023
Each year, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation awards two high school juniors or seniors from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia with an all-expense-paid, week-long tour of Washington, DC, and a $10,000 scholarship as part of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). In Washington state, AWSP administers the program in conjunction with AWSL. Please encourage students to apply if they are qualified to submit an application!
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Roz Thompson | AWSP Government Relations and Advocacy Director & Jill Patnode | Kaiser Permanente
Aug 14, 2023
School employees that are mentally healthy are our most valuable resource for creating safe and supportive learning environments. Creating a culture of health and well-being is critical at this time.
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Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell, Principal, Loowit High School and Kelso Virtual Academy (K-12), Kelso School District
Aug 14, 2023
Happy New School Year, friends!! I have been honored over the last several months to have met so many principals throughout our country. To those of you joining this newsletter after the NASSP #Ignite Conference in Denver--Welcome!!! If you are a regular subscriber, thank you for continuing to be a part of my work!! Most of us are just beginning our school year this August, and it is my hope you will find this School Celebration Newsletter Edition helpful as you begin to plan. I have included a list of some of my favorite August days along with simple suggestions for celebrations that you can EASILY incorporate into the beginning of the school year. I wish you a successful start this new year. Be well, and as always, let me know how I can support your educational journey. Cindy
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Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
Aug 07, 2023
House Bill 1426 passed in 2021 and it requires that administrators who renew their administrator certificate on or after July 1, 2023 must complete a five-hour Government-to-Government Relationships Training. Administrators also need to complete 10 clock hours related to leadership standards and 10 clock hours related to equity before renewing their certificates.
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David Morrill, Communications & Technology Director, AWSP
Jul 31, 2023
The Association of Washington School Principals is honored to present AWSP member and friend Carlos Gonzalez as the second-ever Annalee Braley Membership Award winner. Carlos is the principal at McFarland Middle School in the Othello School District. The Annalee Braley Membership Award was created in 2022 to honor the memory of former AWSP Membership Coordinator Annalee Braley, who passed away tragically and unexpectedly in September 2021. Annalee started at AWSP when she was just 19 years old and was about to cross over to 32 years of service at AWSP in various roles. Annalee was one of the biggest reasons AWSP has the strongest membership in the country year after year.