Current Newsletter
Greetings!
As Legislative Chair of NATFACS, it is my goal to be your voice of advocacy for our programs! I am a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher of 6 years, and am just as passionate about the profession as you are! I want to say thank you for the difference you make in our students lives, you are awesome!!
In attending the NATFACS Policy and Planning meeting in Salt Lake City, UT this past April, I learned more about the legislative process and how we can get involved. With this, I encourage each of you to become involved in your local and national legislative processes. A few ideas to help get your local legislators involved are to invite them to visit your classrooms, sponsor a “Legislators Day” where your students showcase your programs, and send them periodic updates on successes and projects.
The biggest advocates for our programs are YOU and your students! Becoming involved and encouraging advocacy projects at the local level are a great way to help ensure the sustainability and future of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) and Career and Technical Education (CTE).When legislators can see the effects our programs and their undeniable impact, they are more equipped to make decisions in favor of CTE. In addition, your membership in your professional organization sends an outward message of your commitment to FACS and CTE.
Membership in ACTE and NATFACS grants you access to a multitude of resources, including advocacy tools and templates. Please visit the ACTE (https://www.acteonline.org/) and NATFACS (http://www.natfacs.org/) websites for more information on how to join and current trends in the field.
Again, I thank you for allowing me to advocate for YOU! I look forward to meeting you at the Career Tech Vision 2013.
Mrs. Jessica Carswell, M.Ed.
NATFACS Legislative Chair
Columbia, SC
NATFACS Spring Newsletter
What an incredible honor it is to serve as NATFACS president for this coming year. We have so many wonderful, talented and amazing people who are a part of our organization. You make serving in this position humbling. Added to the people is the subject matter that we all teach daily.
I recently heard a talk where the speaker told about "bees" in the course of his speech. He shared the fact that during a bee's short lifetime, she only contributes 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey to a hive. For one pound of honey, it takes upwards of 20,000 to 60,000 bees visiting millions of flowers and traveling the equivalent of two times around the world to produce that one pound of honey. Though that 1/12th teaspoon seems insignificant when compared to the total, each bee's part is vital to the life of the hive. The bees depend on each other.
We know that a bee's life is precarious. There are many factors today that affect the life of the bee. As with the bee, our profession is faced with many challenges that weaken our programs. Attacks on Perkins funding, the sequester, the push for college readiness at the cost of elective courses, and the lack of new FACS teachers entering the profession all take their toll.
NATFACS, as a group, must be cohesive. Each of us must do our "1/12th" in our own colony/school.
I have thought of several ideas that may help each of us "do our part".
- Bee passionate about what you teach.
- Bee positive and happy in your work. (Students gravitate to places where they feel good.)
- Bee resourceful and creative in this time of budget cuts.
- Bee adaptable.
- Bee steady and unflappable.
- Bee kind.
- Bee a mentor and influential by inspiring...we teach and guide young people.
- Bee courageous in "standing up" for our profession.
- Bee prepared.
- Bee your best.
- Bee involved in your local, state, and national organizations.
We are all part of the "hive" --Family and Consumer Science Teachers. Our challenges are lighter when we make those efforts to "bee" our best. As we help our students" bee" their best and succeed, our rewards will be sweet.
Rachel H. Gonzalez
President Elect
This area will be updated bi-annually, in the Fall and Spring.
Click the link below to download the current newsletter.
How do you GROW Professionally?
We all set goals for our students every year. When did you
last set a professional goal for yourself? At the beginning
of each school year we are asked to set professional goals
to make us a better teacher. I always write down a goal or
tow and post it somewhere in my office and classroom. Sometimes
I accomplish what I intended, and some years I fall short
for various reasons. Some of my reasons are great excuses
that include: the principal added more responsibilities to
my daily tasks, the students were so excited about learning
they asked for more projects ?, or I got bogged down with
tasks that really wouldn’t make a difference tomorrow.
Take a moment to reflect on your professional development
goals in the past several years. Was it an educational conference
or training you wanted to attend? Did you want to run for
an office but never got around to filling out the papers?
What have you done with new information you received? Did
it get shuffled under a pile of papers or have you grown as
a professional and accomplished the goals you set?
What is your professional goal for this year? Consider making
one goal to become a leader for your state or even for the
national ACTE organization. Just as you want your students
to be leaders in the classroom, the professional organizations
need your leadership skills as well to continue to be a strong
voice for CTE. Everyone benefits, you and your students. You
bring back to the classroom the leadership skills you want
your students to have to be successful in their community,
career and family life.
My challenge to you for the 2012-13 school year, consider
running for a state or national office, or work on a committee.
Step out of your comfort zone, do something wild and crazy,
and help FCS grow as a profession!
Contact:
Charlotte Gray
charlottegray@wentzville.k12.mo.us
NATFACS Nominating Chair
Michelle’s Memo
By Michelle Aldrich, Ph.D.
NATFACS President 2011-2012
What a great time we had in St. Louis right before Thanksgiving!
Just as the holidays reunite us with friends and family ACTE’s
annual conference and NATFACS reunite us with colleagues that
we only get to see a few times of year at NATFACS gatherings,
FCCLA cluster or national meetings, or ProStart competitions.
The hospitality room was reminiscent of the family room at
a family gathering with lots of laughter, great food, and
a chance to reenergize. Our Missouri FACS teachers did an
amazing job of hosting our gathering.
We elected our new president-elect and installed our 2012
officers who will take office on July 1, 2012. While I work
to finish out my year as President I am very excited that
our organization will continue to be in very capable hands
long after my term ends. We also updated our bylaws, awarded
scholarships, and gave awards to our very deserving members.
As we move forward we will be advertising for a new executive
administrative assistant with our own Miss Bettye Brown retiring
after serving our organization for so many years. If you are
interested or know someone who would be interested in serving
in this capacity there is an application on our website. We
will be accepting applications received prior to March 31,
2012.
Mark your calendars now to join us in Atlanta, Georgia next
year November 29-December 1, 2012. We look forward to having
you join us!
Call for NATFACS Best Practices Showcase Presenters
download
Archived Newsletters
2012
NATFACS
Spring 2012 Newsletter
2011
NATFACS
Spring 2011 Newsletter
2010
NATFACS
Spring 2010 Newsletter - 769 KB
NATFACS
Fall 2010 Newsletter
2009
NATFACS
Fall 2009 Newsletter - 112 KB
NATFACS
Spring 2009 Newsletter - 69 KB
2008
NATFACS
Spring 2008 Newsletter - 315 KB
Fall
News & Convention Hightlights 2008 - 160
KB
2007
NATFACS Spring 2007 Newsletter - 1.4 MB
2006
NATFACS
Fall 2006 Newsletter - 7 MB
NATFACS
Spring 2006 Newsletter - 208 KB
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