Help These Students Teach Their Peers to Just Drive!

SGHS Drives Without Distractions!

Submitted by SGHS FCCLA

In December, Ste. Genevieve FCCLA applied for a $200 NOYS mini-grant to start a traffic safety project.  In late February, we were notified that our project was one of the 20 finalists and we were receiving an additional $1,000 to continue our work. The students wanted to have a fun way to remind their peers to reduce distracted driving, beginning with t-shirts and seatbelt buckle belts.

From there, we built a project that included visits to the third grade classes from Vince & Larry, the crash test dummies. Vince & Larry asked third graders what things they could do to help reduce distractions in a vehicle and also asked the children to write letters to the high school students to help them understand how important it is for them to drive safely.

Working with the media class, we sponsored a video contest to create a video that to demonstrate methods of reducing distracted driving. After screening out those violating copyright laws, we had 11 semi-finalist videos. A committee narrowed this to seven videos that were placed on the school website for viewing and online voting.

Just Drive! If you walked the halls of Ste. Genevieve High School during our traffic safety week this is all you would see and hear.  We conducted a preliminary seatbelt check and students who were buckled up coming to school received a prize ticket. Each prize ticket was turned in for a lanyard reading "Just Drive". We used the tickets later in the week to draw for attendance prizes at our assembly.

Finally, we held a school wide assembly where additional t-shirts were launched to the audience (a big hit!) and tickets were drawn for the additional shirts and seatbelt buckle belts. Some winners of these prizes competed in the tricycle challenge. The participants all raced from one end of the gym to another on tricycles--one while eating a sandwich, one while drinking a bottle of water, one while texting, one while wearing drunk goggles (from the local police dept.) and another without any distractions. The driver with no distractions was the winner.

Also at the assembly, we showed the top three winning videos and awarded giant checks to the winners.  The winner of the contest received 100 dollars. A sheriff also came and talked to the juniors and seniors during this time about traffic safety. The sheriff also brought a seatbelt convincer which showed the students the impact of a 5mph crash. Overall this experience really convinced a lot of people to drive without distractions.

SGHS Students Need Your Vote!

 

Through May 21, online voting is taking place at www.actoutloud.org to determine which of the 20 project finalists will receive $10,000 from the Allstate Foundation.  SGHS needs you to help them make it to the very top!  You can vote daily, once per email address.  Good luck Ste. Genevieve High School!

 

It's a Social Media Revolution....

"gossip_bench" by ercwttmn on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricoslounge/ / CC BY 2.0

"Why all the fuss about social media and FCCLA?  Don't they know that in most high schools, social media tools are blocked on computers or banned completely?  Haven't they seen the reports about cyberbullying and social media?  Why would anyone advocate for FCCLA chapters and teachers to use these tools at school?"  (Not sure these two ladies in the photo would be talking about that...but that photo was just too good not to use!)

Yes, I've read those reports.  I know about the devastating impact of cyberbullying.  I know this blog is probably blocked in your school, as is our FCCLA YouTube channel, our Twitter feed, and our Missouri FCCLA Facebook page.  Some schools not only allow these tools at school, but they use them as part of classroom instruction.  (See this article on Sean Nash's classroom at Benton High School in St. Joseph, Missouri.  You can also check out two examples of how they use classroom Nings - Marine Biology and Principles of Biology. 

In July, I'll be co-presenting a workshop on social media for FCCLA chapters at the National Leadership Conference in Chicago.  I'm going to guess that there will be the naysayers in the crowd.  That's fine.  But others will want to learn about how to use social media to build support for the FCCLA chapter and the family and consumer sciences program.  They will want to know how to approach school administrators regarding this topic.  They'll want to know what we've done, what lessons we've learned.  They want to know how social media will help build stronger relationships within their own community. 

We don't have all of the answers.  We don't even know all of the questions! But we know we need to address the issue.  Keep those questions coming in to me - or let me know what policies your school has when it comes to use of social networks for student organizations (FCCLA or others).   

Social Media isn't a fad.  It's not going away.  We'd better figure out what we're going to do with it - because our students, parents, and others are going to talk about our brand - FCCLA and family and consumer sciences education - with or without us.  I prefer "with." 

I've shown this video before, but today on Twitter just saw a new version has been released recently.  Hope you enjoy Social Media Revolution 2 - and just insert FCCLA or the name of your school, or program, when it references businesses or brands.  Hope it gets you thinking!

Status Update: Social Media for FCCLA Chapters

Web 2.0 Watercolor Social Media Icons by mfinleydesigns on Flickr

This summer at the 2010 National FCCLA Leadership Conference in Chicago, Savanna Day (State VP of Public Relations) and state advisor Christine Hollingsworth will be presenting a workshop on how FCCLA chapters can use social media. 

As we plan our workshop, what kinds of issues do you think chapters need to know?  We want to make the workshop both informative and interactive.  We have some ideas, but we're very interested in what you want to know about using tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs, etc. to publicize and interact with members. 

Please post your comments below, or even e-mail mofccla@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Leaders at Work - Two Missouri Winners!

Twelve FCCLA members have been announced as Leaders as Work award winners.  Two Missouri FCCLA members were included in this recognition.  Leaders at Work recognizes FCCLA members who create projects to strengthen leadership skills on the job.  Youth learn leadership skills in specific career units and create Leaders at Work projects to accomplish personal goals in one of six career units related to Family and Consumer Sciences education:

 

■Early Childhood, Education, and Services

■Food Production and Services

■Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation

■Housing, Interiors, and Furnishings

■Textiles and Apparel

■Family and Consumer Sciences Education



Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation

Ashley Yount, West Platte High School, set a goal to increase her job skills by zoning in on how she communicates with the customers at the Snow Creek Ski Resort in Weston, MO. Ashley worked to increase her customer service skills by making eye contact, being friendly, and working hard to provide good service. She learned about communication skills through her FCCLA STAR Event project, which she received a state silver medal.  Ashley’s employer was impressed with her performance and stated that Ashley is a fast learner and often trains other employees to do the jobs that she has mastered.

 

Ashley realizes the importance of strong communication skills, because she has to work twice as hard as other teens her age to understand the world around her. Ashley has a hearing impairment, which requires her to have a cochlear implant and use an interpreter with sign language during her high school classes. For Ashley to take a job in the community and overcome her disability is a credit to herself as well as her employer. In addition to her excellence on the job, Ashley continues to educate others about having a hearing impairment and teaches her peers sign language after school.

 

 

Food Production and Services Winner

Jordon Schilly, a senior at Ste. Genevieve High School, applied her culinary arts skills in an entrepreneurial setting to earn her Leaders at Work recognition.  Jordon has offered take-out lunches to faculty members at her school. Her project included much more than food preparation, as she created the menus, determined and controlled costs, and managed her time and resources to deliver a quality product to her customers.

 

Jordon has served as a chapter FCCLA officer for two years, and has competed at the state level for two years in STAR Events, FCCLA's competitive events. Her career plans include earning her degree from Sullivan University and opening her own restaurant.

 

 

 

Congratulations to Ashley and Jordon!

Chapter Spotlight: Greenfield FCCLA

Submitted by Andrea Mason, 2010-11 State Vice President of STAR Events

Transform Yourself into a Leader

The Greenfield FCCLA Chapter has been busy this 2009-2010 school year with various activities and events with our focus being on the FCCLA Dig-It project. If they reach their goal of $1500 they will be rewarded with a giant banana split for all Greenfield Chapter members. Last month they mailed in a check to the Children’s Miracle Network of $1150.00. Two activities their chapter has already completed are: Pie the Teacher in the Face- They sold tickets during homecoming week for three teachers to have a student pie them in the face. Haunted School-The Greenfield Chapter members raised $878.00 on Halloween night scaring people that went through the Greenfield High School.

Another activity coming up that the Greenfield FCCLA Chapter will raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network is “FCCLA Staying up all Night, to Help Kids Fight.” The members will be in the high school from 7 pm to 7 am with games and activities to keep busy. Greenfield has had fun with the different activities for the Children’s Miracle Network this year and is ready for more next year.