Jen's Gems - October 2021 - Issue 2

I hope this issue of “Jen’s Gems” finds you enjoying the splendors of fall - crisp mornings and mild afternoons filled with sunshine and the changing colors that signal the changing season!

For me, school days have been filled with helping many students get re-acquainted with the routine of attending daily, in-person school after a year with many different modes of instruction. Evenings have been filled attending Open House, Homecoming, and many NYSO committee meetings, as Chairs and members began their work for our State organization.

On the homefront, my hardy peach tree has yielded a plentiful bounty - this means plenty of peach pie and jam! Thankfully peaches freeze well until I can schedule the time to make these sweet treats!

I hope you enjoyed reading our recent issue of Pi Lights - the business section shared the work of our committees, and it was exciting to read all of the Pride our Chapters are showing as they re-engage in DKG! Please read on for reminders regarding opportunities to apply for Elected Personnel positions and workshops for the Executive Board meeting next April. Highlights of some of our Area Council conferences are also included.

As always, thank you for you commitment to education, and your membership in NYSO DKG!

DKG International is offering a reduced price on yearly ZOOM licenses if 10 are purchased. The cost would be $104.93 per license, a savings of about 30%. Presidents, please complete this quick survey to share your interest in a Chapter ZOOM account. The NYSO Executive Committee appreciates your feedback on this topic!

Dear Chapter Presidents of NYSO DKG,

One of the tasks of the Personnel Committee is to screen candidate applications and letters of recommendation for Elected Personnel. We recognize that all chapters have many members with exceptional and varied talents! As Chapter Presidents, we encourage professional and personal growth within our chapters. Now is the time to recognize the knowledge and talents of our members and support them to step up to a state position!

Our NYSO Treasurer for 12 years, Suzanne Patrick, will be retiring from this position on June 30, 2022. Therefore, the positions of NYSO Treasurer and NYSO Editor will be open for four year terms beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2026.

Do you have a member in mind who may be interested in sharing her expertise and knowledge in one of these positions? Attached are the job responsibilities of NYSO Treasurer and NYSO Editor, as well as the Application Form for Elected Personnel. Please share this information with your members and encourage them to apply.

Please contact me with any questions at (845) 436-7406 or melevy@hvc.rr.com.The Application Form needs to be returned to me by November 15, 2021.

The Personnel Committee is looking forward to receiving applications for both of these NYSO DKG Positions!

Sincerely,

Mary Ellyn Levy

Personnel Committee Chair

Educational Excellence Chair, Rosemary Van Wart (Alpha Pi) would like to remind all members about the opportunity to submit applications to present a workshop at our NYSO Executive Board meeting on April 29-30, 2022 in Syracuse.

One of the tasks of EEC is to select and schedule workshops for the spring and fall Executive Board Meetings/Seminars/Conventions on a wide variety of topics that promote personal and professional growth, including opportunities for current educators to earn CTLE credits. Please consider sharing your leadership skills and engaging educators in programs with “purpose and passion” by applying to be a presenter! Group and individual presentations are encouraged!

Applications can be downloaded or printed using this link, and the deadline to submit your proposal is November 1, 2021. Rosemary will be happy to answer any questions you may have. She can be reached by email at rvw20@optonline.net, or phone 914-248-5397.

It was a pleasure attending two Area Conferences so far this fall! I traveled to Hamburg for the NW/SW Area Conference, “Know Your Carbon Footprint” on September 25th. Co-Chairs Renee Funke, Kappa, and Cindy Reger, Beta Nu, did a fantastic job leading their team in presenting a wonderful program for area members! When the planned speaker was unable to attend in person due to unexpected COVID flight restrictions, these dynamic educators were able to pivot, with Renee using technology to present most of the program, followed by a ZOOM question and answer session with Environmental Specialist, Albert J. Gilewicz, live from Denmark!

We then enjoyed a nice lunch buffet, followed by a basket benefit drawing with proceeds supporting NYSO Scholarships. I was honored to share a few words on the topic of Resilience - an a propo theme for the day!

East Central held a Virtual Conference, “Finding One Voice: Advocacy as Your Contribution to Equity in Education” on October 12th. Immediate Past President, Sue Kenoyer, was the State Representative, and spoke on “Opportunities for Dialogue, Knowledge and Growth,” as well as “Moving Forward with Purpose and Passion.”

The keynote speaker was Dr. Marla Iverson, Director of Leadership Outreach at the University of Rochester. Marla helped further our understanding of key issues in education today and shared strategies about how we can help promote change. I was impacted by her "If you see something good, saying something good," approach to highlighting some of the positives in education, while also emphasizing that the prerequisite to making change is to educate people about the issues.

The North Central Area Council will be holding its conference on October 23rd, “Auburn Equal Rights Heritage.” I’m looking forward to this program and fellowship with members, and will be sure to share highlights in the next issue.