Farewell to Retiring Teachers and Class of 2014

You may leave the Casady corridors, but you will never leave the corridors of our hearts

YAC FEDEX TIME Minutes

YAC FedEx Time with Cory King

Participants: Jessica, Sidney, Aubrey, Miranda, Johnny.  Ananya sent information. Turner and Hunter RSVP but did not attend.  No reply from past YAC chairs and/or other YAC or YLOKCasady members. Two e-mail invitations were sent

Updated 5/30/2014
 

Jessica G., Sidney J., Taylor B., Aubrey H., Miranda T., and Johnny L., met from 10:00 to noon on May 27 @ the Casady Harper Wing to share  ideas about YAC's mission, vision, purpose, goals, objectives, and hurdles to overcome aiming to enhance the goal of getting YAC back on track in 2014-2015. 

The FedEx Time was facilitated by Ms. Cory King, Human Resources Manager of American Energy Partners, L.P.  and is on the board of You are special, a non-profit created by her mother, Rebuilding Together, and Medical Missions to Honduras.

 

Miranda T. selected Gigi's cupcakes ($39) and drinks ($10) for the meeting.  She also selected the thank you gift for Mrs. King ($10).  A box of Mrs. King's favorite chocolates was delivered by Johnny at the end of the meeting.  Miranda also helped select a retirement card for departing teachers and a coffee/tea and chocolate maker for the Tea Time or Coffee Break with service-learning; the new name of the s-l reflective time.  YAC and service-learning covered the cost of meals for 4 volunteer musicians at a faculty retirement party as a token of gratitude for May's Teacher Appreciation Week  The cost of the meals for the 4 musicians was $80.

Minutes and pictures by Mrs. Clay for YAC E-Board members to fully participate in the meeting.

Introduction Ice Breaker

The group shared personal sanctuary, what they value most in their family, what they personally give to the community, and what makes each person who they are.  Icebreaker activity came from YLOKC Communication and Project Management training.

Strategic Planning

Mrs. King provided a reflective handout aimed to finding where YAC is, where YAC wants to be, what hurdles YAC needs to overcome to get to the results YAC wants, and how will YAC measure their results.  For example:

Success or Failure:
Diaper Driver: Over 21,000 diapers by two UD student bodies combined. One Day Activity. Incentive: Service Hours.   This project will be connected to Gales next year.  This is what we want...other organizations to do service!!!  No hours incentive for service learning next year, but possible points for Gales.

Food Drive: Low involvement  from UD.  No incentive!, YAC students involved at all levels: 10 per day of drive. Food Bank donation drive end result lower than in previous year.  Possible solution for the UD:  Money drive instead of can drive for UD, but with some learning component or it runs the risk of not being approved by administration and/or Mrs. Clay. 

Strategic Planning: Brainstorming

Mission What you do? For Whom?	- Connect through service. Work on E-Board, YAC. Help, literally any where I can. Travel, OC/Boston -Unite a community (Casady) through service - Make a difference in the community(Casady/OKC). Awareness of community involvement -Help the community through acts of service.  Connect the Casady community. -Connect Casady Community through service -Peace at the Heart of service People of all ages as daily entrepreneurs of peace and social justice, leaders of today not tomorrow.
Goals Key areas of strategic goals which, if met, fulfill the mission	-To Perfect grant writing/fundraising.  Network everywhere I go.  Connect with already established business. Notify, specify, execute.  Annual big activity -For everyone to come together to help a bigger cause -Raise money. Get People out helping in the community.  Get people to take interest in charity connections -Bring school together to help the community.  Make a difference. -Plan activities for school year. Pick an organization to focus on. Get people more involved -Connect youth  and adults to service opportunities and resources where they can do experiential learning and enhance academic and life skills in real life settings.  Connect youth and adults to service learning stages, best practices, and national  standards as  resource sfor enhancing 21st century skills.  Facilitate direction of positive energy,  passions to be the change we want to see through projects of the  mind, actions of the heart where recipients and providers of service reflect, connect, and act..   Empower understanding that through reciprocal giving we learn, grow and transform into global citizens who hold in our daily interactions the hope for peace one day
Objectives Specific, measurable, achievable relevant, temporal	-Connect organizations (Profit/non-profit).  Write more grants. Have a TIDE Conference in OKC-UCO. 2 activities a month. Service Opp. Calendar. Connect to STUCO  To -Build a stronger community -Specify an focus on certain charities. Fundraisers -Weekly meeting -Plan activities for school year. Pick an organization to focus on. Get more people involved. -Empower youth/faculty voice and choice initiatives of servant leadership with resources, and implementation of service learning national standards for best practices
Guiding Principles Values of the organization   We believe	- Togetherness of group.  Separate unique ideas -Together we fight -We believe in service, love, faith fullness -Youth in Action in the Community -We can make a difference - Global Peace begins in the classroom and the homes. If we change our I to WE peace one day has a chance.  Give, Grow, Transform
Critical Success Factors   Nouns with conditions i.e. Effective Change Agents	-Go Getting students. Leaders with Drive -Working effectively as a group -Effective outreaches. Servants. Facilitators of Change -? -? -Entrepreneurs of Peace and Social Change.  School to Work. Transforming experimental learning. Secret Agents of Compassion. Engineers of a compassionate world. Peace one day  Builders
Barriers (Obstacles, Challenges)	-$, people/volunteers, drive -Administration -Money issues-low funds. Time commitments -Money. Consistent group. Schedule -High school students motivation -Time, culture of the school keeping "experiential learning" as a log priority. Small budget and no time in the regular school schedule for meaningful time to be spent in the community.  YAC commitment and challenges in prioritizing YAC activities during school year.  If on schedule, Other clubs , faculty, administration, chapel  prioritizing their activities over regular scheduled YAC activities,  Lack of proactive outspoken leadership from the s-l director of the value of the program at all levels.  Get other clubs to  have strategic planning
Action Plan Overcoming Barriers and Achieving Results	- Grants. Network, make service-learning fun -to get administration behind our projects -Meetings. Planning -Plan well. Spread word more efficiently -Find fun ways to get more people involved.  Pick something that most people will care about -Fight personal fears to improve communication at all levels.  Improve English skills during the summer. Learn how to play the guitar, how to do video editing, and how to draw to bring the message through a diversity of mediums.  Connect personal passion to a need in the community and become an example of best practices.  Have a full calendar on the main calendar.  Promote great focus and organization of YAC activities based on a summer strategic planning for the full year
Deliverables How we'll know we're successful?	-Conference -When people start wanting to come to meetings and events -Producing money (donations). Smiles -Completing projects -When we have several activities planned that the school community shows interest in - When service is an intrinsic positive relationship value we hold dear, not just an avenue  to promote personal agendas (popularity, power, social agency, college resume building),requirement completion -which are unexpected results of being the agents of the change we want to see. When we prioritize time, money and commitment to Education of the Heart, because education of the mind and body without education of the heart is no education at all. When volunteerism is valued but service learning is treasured and the community will suffer if the were to disappear.  When we are proud of Peace Week and being Agents of Compassion

 

Conclusions of the Meeting

More structured YAC for greater buy in the culture of the school   

How?

Focused  Organization

Theme of the year: Children

-Full calendar  connected to National Days of service on School Calendar by August

-Change the date of meetings, Fridays have too many conflicts

- YAC E- Board: Over e-mail we discussed the structure of E-YAC Board.  "Regarding another item provided as YAC improvement,  Could you place the E-YAC Board proposal as a second agenda item for the June meeting?.  I know Jessica, Taylor and Sidney welcome YAC in their schedules next year, but I have not heard from the rest of the students in the proposed slate and there are non-senior YAC chairs who, if given the opportunity, might welcome facilitating or co-facilitating the proposed positions.   Also, How will we be designating YAC chairs next year and connecting them to the YAC E-Board? and How are we going to handle that some students on the E-Board didn't fully participate or do their jobs to the full potential? There should be a team approach in the answer of these questions because whatever the decision is, consequences have to be reinforced by the E-board as a team.  

Full E-Board must attend the YAC invitational in August.  If you are interested in recruiting new E-Board members for your class, please do so in the months of June and July.   E-board members have to have a personal project to facilitate and their conduct as project chairs is guided by the description of duties and project management responsibilities sent at the end of the school year.  See them at http://casadyacleads.blogspot.com/2014/05/last-yac-meeting-of-year-friday-may-9-b.html which has the expectation of timely e-mail responses. So far we have the following YAC Chairs

Class of 2015: Senior YAC E-Board Co-Chairs
Jessica G.-ICS Diaper Drive, Gales President, YAC E-board Co-Chair
Sidney J.-Project on Food Waste, Founding member of YLOKC, YAC E-Board Co-Chair
Taylor B.  YAC E-Board Treasurer, YLOKC member, no project provided yet.

Class of  2016: Junior YAC E-Board Chairs 
Aubrey H.- Children's Hospital, YAC E-board composition project

Class of 2017: Sophomore YAC E-Board Chairs
Ananya B., Somos, Peace Week, Now and Then, YLOKC Planning Committee
Johnny L. Peace Week, YAC Guide to Student Life, STEM?, YLOKC-TIDE? 
Miranda T., Peace Week, Children's Hospital Dance Marathon?, YAC freshmen transition team?

Class of 2018: Freshmen YAC E-Board Chairs
Kira S. (Will not attend June 18 meeting)

Other students who have expressed interest via e-mail 
Turner Waddell:  Will not be a YAC Chair but is part of  Peace Week Team
Hunter Stack: Expressed interest, but has not follow-up, YLOKC member

Engaging Meetings
 

-Well planned meetings with goal, purpose, objective, and activities.  Not just get them to a meeting.  Members will prioritize YAC because of service hours, food, and for social and personal reasons.  YAC leadership needs to involve them in activities with purpose to keep their interest.  Meetings have to be well planned, not just come and go with whatever is in mind at the time. Time is a valuable commodity that must be respected as such.  The well planned calendar and perhaps regular monthly tea time E-board meetings "to see the month ahead "will be helpful. 
Food for Thought:  Should YAC charge a fee to belong since we provide food for all meetings or Fall Fest funds will take care of this YAC expense?

Improved Communication
 

-Calendar of events on main calendar by early August with defined Why, How and Who is responsible for doing what. Miss Infantino manages the school calendar.  Copies of calendar requests need to be sent to Mrs. Clay and Coach T.

Dates placed on School Calendar at the May Calendar Meeting
 a. Peace Week 9/11(National Day of Service)-9/21(International Day of Peace) Projects and process facilitated by Peace Team.  Spanish I Class will have projects in the curriculum. Requested chapel time in all divisions from Father Blizzard.  Faculty-team working on this week:  Father Blizzard, Mrs. Clay, Mr. Crofton, Mrs. Robertson, Father Youmans, Mrs. France, Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. Alexander, Mr. Bush, Mr. Lopez, Mrs. Sharp, Mrs. Czerwinski, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Hubber . Peace Teen Team: Miranda T., Johnny L., Ananya B., Cathy Z., Claire D., and Turner W.

b. Hunger Week: 10/31-11/7 Students Against Hunger-Casady Cans Do Food Drive. Facilitated by YAC E-Board. UD: October 31-November 6 (SPC is on Friday). Other Divisions May have a Friday collection with non SPC YAC helping early morning collection.  Faculty team for this week: Mrs. Clay, Mr. Crofton, Mrs. May, Father Youmans, Mrs. France, Mrs. Sharp.  The project  needs more can costumes.  We should have three cans in each division, including UD!  Hope to have the football team and cheerleaders make a pro drive video??  Will love to have collaboration with Gales and STUCO!

c. MLK Day: National Day of Service.1/19  YAC E-Board facilitated project, default s-l program location: Food Bank

c. National Volunteer Week 4/12-4/16  Presidential/Congressional Awards, Ice Cream Volunteer Fair at Wing, YAC Ice Cream Social for Award Winners and graduating seniors.  Facilitating Team:  Mrs. Clay, Mr. Crofton and interested YAC chairs and members. Global Youth Service Days: 4/17-4/18:  Possible weekend for dance marathon at Children's Hospital or OKC Kids Korral. Default Service Learning Program Project: Food Bank Volunteering Days

d. Teacher Appreciation Week; New Project: Possible collaboration with all clubs. Service Learning Celebration and Demonstration of Learning through service: "Sobremesa Banquet"  May 7, 2015, Wing, 7:00 PM
 

-Monthly calendar banners at each building to remind people of YAC activities
 

-Weekly STUCO announcements in chapel of only ONE YAC activity.  Mrs. Milligan manages the DA.  Copies of DA requests need to be sent to Mrs. Clay and coach T. and must be approved by YAC Board
 

-YAC Guide to Student Life at Casady School.  The Activities Fair is more about the food than the clubs.
 

-In addition to blog news, Mrs. Clay and YAC E-Board need to communicate via push page a couple of times a year with parents and faculty: YAC/S-L/YLOKC

SUGGESTIONS FOR ENHANCED COMMUNICATION

a.  YAC Grade level meetings facilitated by YAC E-Board Grade Chairs

b. Introduction of YAC at beginning of year @ chapel by Mrs. Clay
c. Service-Learning Tea Time on YAC meeting days, Once a month required for for YAC E-Board- Anyone interested!  Service hours offered for investigating information and for reflecting projects during tea time.  S-L purchased a coffee/tea/chocolate machine for that purpose.  $125.

C. Facilitation of a clubs' fair during Freshmen Orientation will be a great way to connect YAC to all clubs, club presidents and club sponsors.  YAC Chairs president of clubs to my knowledge: Jessica G. (Gales), Yogaish K. (Environmental Club), Sidney J. (YAC-YLOKC)

D. Ice Cream Socials/ Service-Learning Open Houses the first week of School featuring YAC projects in the Wing Garden or Student Center facilitated by the YAC chairs of projects.

Interaction with the Casady Community 

a. More UD faculty involvement: Advisory System, One event similar to MD Foster Care Children Party (Investigate if that is no longer part of the MD Calendar).  Connections with Athena Day may also be possible!

b. The purpose does not justify the means.  UD YAC teens from freshmen to seniors are role models for K-8 students.  Watch the message and the

messengers. YAC will not take funding from any questionable sources or denigrate any one to a subhuman condition.  Mrs. Clay feels very strongly about this area.
 

c. Enhanced participation of parents as human capital. ie  Cory has a teen son.
 

d. Demonstration of Learning Banquet in May facilitated by Mrs. Clay:  Guest list: Community organizations, E-board, YAC chairs, President and Congressional Award Winners.  There is no YAC Award (everyone gets service hours), but there should be an official time to recognize and thank time spent in YAC.  Usually community organization recognize sustainable commitment to a need during the awards assembly. This year a Boys Scouts Troop provided $1,250 to Emily Faulkner for her WoHelo, highest Camp Fire Award.

Hurdles to Overcome
1. YAC is not cool. 
"It is like the Peace Corps, the hardest job you will ever love!"
2. Personal (E-board, administration, Mrs. Clay) agendas in conflict with calendar items
Place items in school calendar;courtesy of notification of changes
3. Lack of welcomed collaboration with other student organizations
Develop partnerships for projects
4. Unexpected conflicts
Flexibility without giving up completion of set goals
5. Lack of time to connect to YAC activities from students, teachers, parents
When there is interest, time is prioritized

 

 

 

To Do List

-Calendar of Activities will be the goal of the June 18, 3:00 PM, facilitated by Sidney J. Each grade was assigned an area to investigate

a. Perspective Organizations have to be contacted

b. Organization's need and how YAC can help MUST be investigated

c. Time of the year to be connected to that need has to be brought to 7/18.

d. Interaction focused on building sustainable relationships with fundraising as by product, not main focus.  IE: Somos Project: 3rd grade reading scores improvement program, grant funding possible, if not, in-kind donations!

Identify one key activity/Experience/Project per month.

Key events scheduled in giving month (December/February) or not (everyone is doing it then)

- Johnny L. will create a YAC guide to Student Life/clubs listing compilation.  The guide's first draft is due June 18th. Why? Improve communication  Target Audience: New students, freshmen, and anyone seeking information about YAC and school activities. UPDATE:  Coach McHargue requested YAC to facilitate a clubs fair for f9th graders during freshmen orientation week.  The Clubs fair will provide an opportunity for freshmen to meet the leadership of the clubs and find their mission, vision, purpose and tentative calendar of events. It will also provide the opportunity for the Dean of the Freshmen to be more connected to YAC and help promote it throughout the year to incoming freshmen in the MD.

Suggestions from  Coach McHargue, Dean of Freshmen:
(YAC and Mrs. Clay need to communicate more with Coach.  He can be our biggest cheerleader and has great ideas!)

What is important for the freshmen and new possible YAC members:  Information should be relevant and stated in a fun way.  Suggestion: Profiles of cool YAC recent graduates and how they did it all, example; Chandler Helms, Emily Faulkner . Calendar of a few projects, not the whole year..overwhelming!
Mrs. Clay talked to Coach T. about bringing back the freshmen view book

What is important to sophomores: Maybe not a lot of say in STUCO, YAC is your place to make a difference.  How? Facilitate a project in your area of interest, passion or a subject you want to learn experientially in the community.

YAC Interaction with 8th grade:  Handle Pizza days for the 8th graders and advertise YAC to them before they get to high school.  Do not say YAC which could be interpreted negatively, make sure you spell out what it means  Youth in Action in the Community!

Research to bring to next meeting:  Google and call volunteer, outreach or human resources coordinator.  If time allows, visit the organization

Theme: Children

Seniors: Sidney, Jessica, Taylor: Health (Children's Hospital, Bethany Children's Center, OKC Kids Korral)  Safety and Well Being (YMCA, YWCA, ICS, Boys and Girls Club)

Juniors: Aubrey: Self-esteem (You are Special; Dress for Success: Clothing, Opportunities, Cleats for Kids, Special Care, Food Bank Back Pack and Kids Cafes programs, Foster Children wishes-Foster children party:  Lower-Upper relationship building: Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, YWCA)
 

Freshmen: Miranda, Johnny, Ananya: Literacy (School partnerships/tutoring/book drives, Metropolitan Library System, Come and Read with Me Program. after School Program at YMCA, Casady School)  Poverty (Food:  Food Bank, Backpack program, Kids Cafes Program, World Neighbors: Hunger Banquet, United Nations: World Food Programme, School Meals, USA free and reduced cost meals for kids during school, breaks, and summers)

 

-The June 18th meeting at 3:00 PM, default location Wing, with an adult supervising the meeting for liability issues 
Agenda
1. YAC Calendar: Facilitated by Sidney and Jessica
2. Tentative Budget for Projects: Facilitated by Taylor
3. E-Board Composition and Constitution: Facilitated by Aubrey
4. YAC Guide to Student Life: Facilitated by Johnny
5. YAC Connections to Peace Week: Facilitated by Ananya and Miranda

Minutes by ____________________
Snacks: Water and chocolates at the S-L office

 At the end of the meeting, YAC should have the calendar below completed with tentative projects to present to administration at the August 18 YAC Invitational @ the Wing: 3 hours with meal provided.  Please decide the time for the August meeting also.

You also should have the E-Board composition questions answered.

Vision: Mission: Purpose: Goal: Objectives:
B	I	N	G	O
MAY    Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage / Older Americans Month   MAY 2, 2015   Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8   S-L CDL "Sobremesa" Banquet May 8	APRIL   Child Abuse Prevention Month*   NYLC NS-DC April 8-11 NVW April 12-18   GYSD April 11-13   Earth Day Wednesday April, 22   Easter Sunday April 5	MARCH   Women's History/ Hug a GI Month       Service, language, science Spring Break in Maldonado, Peru Alternative Spring Break	FEBRUARY   Black History Month   RAK WEEK February 9-15	JANUARY   Human Trafficking Awareness Month*   National Day of Service Monday, 1/19
B	I	N	G	O
DECEMBER     Holiday Volunteering Month?	NOVEMBER   American Indian Heritage Month   Students Against Hunger Casady Cans Do Food Drive 1-7 (SPC-no classes)     Family Volunteer Day November 22	OCTOBER     Make Your Mark Week October 13-17   Make A Difference Day October 24 Helping a Neighborhood   Students Against Hunger Casady Cans Do Food Drive October 31	SEPTEMBER   Hispanic Heritage Month  9/15-10/15   National Day of Service     9/11=9/21 Peace Week 11 days of Global Unity 9/11-9/21	JUNE YAC Calendar EB Composition Meeting 6/18, 3 PM @ Wing or a home   JULY PEACE WEEK MOVIES Mondays, Wing, 10:00 AM   AUGUST SAN FRANCISCO RETREAT 8/ 7-11   PEACE TEAM OPEN HOUSE 8/17 , 3:00-5:00 PM, Wing   YAC E-B Invitational August 18, Wing, Time TBD in June

We all wish for a good life. Some people think all they have to do is to believe in religion. Others think it’s about the achievement of material wealth or social status. But I believe that a “good life” is one we can feel good about because of the way we’re living it. — Shinjo Ito, Founder of the Shinnyo-en Order

Suggestions for summer meetings

- A July meeting to revise the final draft of the YAC guide will be scheduled by Johnny.

- The August YAC Invitational -Meeting, on 8/18 will be a three hour meeting with a working meal at the Casady Wing facilitated by Jessica G. and Sidney J.

Agenda:

a. Items from E-Board and YAC Chairs
Discussion with administration of proposed YAC's direction, calendar, guide  
b. Activities Fair  for freshmen and regular Activities Fair

c. Peace Week 2014: Johnnie L. Ananya B., Miranda T.
d. Fall Fest - Item to sell, activities for children, posters

- Miranda, Johnny and Ananya will schedule Peace Team meeting if at all possible in May. 

- Johnny will schedule Student Life compilation or guide meetings with Mrs. Clay and Mr. McHargue and anyone interested.  Hope sophomores will be interested in helping with the Clubs Fair for freshmen students next August during Freshmen Orientation.  The Clubs Fair will take place in the Garden of the Wing. 

Taylor will schedule Treasury meetings to develop YAC grant proposal form