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Pennsylvania Middle School Association Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-0258 www.pmsaweb.org |
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PMSA Newsletter |
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An Official Publication of the Pennsylvania Middle School Association |
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Volume 13, Issue 1 October 2005 |
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An Affiliate of the National Middle School Association |
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Welcome to the beginning of what promises to be an exciting year for Pennsylvania Middle School Association members. As the National Middle School Conference in Philadelphia rapidly approaches, it has become clear that organizing a successful conference requires the same commitment to teaming that is the hallmark of an exemplary middle school. For the past eighteen months, Gail Heinemeyer and Chas Cognato, co-chairs for this premier event, have worked with a dedicated group of educators to support NMSA in planning this professional development opportunity. It has been my privilege to be a part of this dynamic team. As I begin my presidency, I am reflecting upon the theme of our upcoming state conference, “TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More”. Successful teams create a powerful dynamic, which can overcome any obstacle. As an affiliate of the National Middle School Association, PMSA is part of a network of middle level educators from across the world. With the common goal of serving adolescents, representatives of the affiliates come together at the annual affiliate leadership summit in July to network and share ideas. We experience teaming at its highest level as the NMSA “team” provides us with leadership and direction. The passion and enthusiasm at the affiliate retreat is then transmitted back to the executive state board. Working with our state board, the regional boards are involved in the committee work that moves PMSA forward in promoting best practices for middle level students. The strength of effective teaming becomes evident in the work that is done by every state and |
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regional board member. All of these teams are able to communicate effectively, using the strengths and expertise of those involved to better serve our members. This framework enables us to clearly focus on the most important team of all, the students that we teach. Take time to celebrate the successes of your teams and your students. October, the Month of the Young Adolescent, is the time to enlighten our communities about the truly magnificent attributes of the young adolescents that we work with every day. Visit the NMSA website to see what others have done to commemorate MOYA and please document your activities and send them to me at lappanod@mhs-pa.org. I will share your ideas on our website and send them to NMSA to show how we acknowledge the strengths of young adolescents in Pennsylvania. I hope to see you at least twice this year. You’ll find all of the members of the PMSA team in Philadelphia for the NMSA annual conference and again in State College for our state conference. Best wishes to each of you as your team takes the field this school year.
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If you haven’t registered yet and need information about the conference, it is possible to get to the NMSA website via the link on our website, pmsaweb.org. You can also go to nmsa.org directly. Even if you have registered, visit the website to get all of the details about the conference. It’s an opportunity to look over the brochure and plan how to maximize your time at this event. |
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A Message from PMSA President: Debbie Lappano |
