April 
National Student Leadership Week:
April 18 - 24, 2004
April 18 - 24, 2004
Assembly Planning Checklist
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National Student Leadership Week offers you the opportunity to recognize your outstanding leaders for their contributions to the school and community.
il 22, 
Last Friday in the Month 
April Trivia: 
Good planning is essential to keeping the interest of an audience. Use the following checklist to aid in organizing your assembly program for National Student Leadership Week or any other assembly!
Planning
- Determine purpose or theme of assembly.
- Obtain approval from moderator and principal.
- Set date for program that does not conflict with test dates and other school activities. Place date on master calendar.
- Establish a time limit for the program.
- Get all contracts signed.
- Decide how the program will be financed. Make sure any checks needed will be written and available on the day of the assembly.
- Determine stage and lighting needs.
- Select a master of ceremonies.
- Determine needed supplies and equipment and designate people to be responsible for obtaining them.
- Determine who will attend. (Will it be appropriate for all grades?)
- Determine location of the program and necessary seating arrangements. If your school uses desks that come with removable seats, often times it works to have what is called BYOC (Bring your own Chair). Each grade then files in and uses their desk chairs as seating. This way not one class has to be dismissed early to set-up or clean-up. It is also a great idea, because the seats are height appropriate making the 8th grade chairs higher off the ground than the 5th grade chairs... everyone will be see!
- Develop a detailed description of the entire program including the people involved, timelines, etc.
- Write a script.
- Start a publicity campaign using school newspaper, announcements, posters, etc.
- Develop a printed program, if desired.
- Develop guidelines for student behavior during the presentation.
- Develop a plan for adequate supervision.
- Keep the faculty informed of what is planned and who is involved with the program.
- Establish a clean-up committee.
- Rehearse the program.
- Develop evaluation form.
Day of Assembly
- Double check to make sure everyone understands the order of the assembly and their responsibilities-stage crew, master of ceremonies, and performers.
- Set up any audiovisual equipment at least one hour in advance to make sure it works.
- Make arrangements for guests to be met by a host.
- Check with appropriate person regarding the bell schedule.
- Get checks to pay for special contracts.
- Make sure printed programs are available.
- Make use of school television system or public address system to review expectations for student behavior before the program.
After Assembly
- Make sure host takes care of guest after the assembly.
- Clean up after the program and return all audiovisual equipment.
- Thank everyone involved-personally and in writing.
- Conduct evaluation.
- Make a folder for the assembly, including copies of agenda, script, and evaluations for next year's committee.
Theme Day: “Hangman Contest”
Often times, Principals require a "theme" to be added to the monthly Free Dress Day. It has been found that more students are likely to "follow the rules" if they are going along with a theme.
At a high school in Connecticut the student council decided that rather than just announcing their upcoming "Hawaiian Theme Day," they would arouse students' curiosity.
In late February members created a bulletin board that simply stated "March 21st Is Coming." The project was kept secret while vague, "secret" committee meetings were publicly announced. Adolescent curiosity took over from there and soon the whole school was asking and talking about March 21st.
Taking advantage the common game, "Hangman," the students at this school decided to play "Theme Day Hangman Contest" during the first week of March. Ten words, represented by blank spaces, were placed on the March 21st bulletin board .
A few letters were placed in the blanks every couple of days, which started to spell the words. Announcements indicated that the 10 words all were related to a secret theme day and that any students submitting an entry form correctly listing these words would be entered into a drawing for prizes to be awarded on March 21st at a planned assembly program.
Earlier correct answers would be given more chances in the prize drawing on a sliding scale according to date submitted.The contest was an excellent publicity tool for the project.
The whole school continued to buzz with this project for quite a while. Alliances were formed and words were traded and guarded ferociously. No long announcements were made, no posters had to be put up, and almost 100% of the student body actively participated.
By the end of the second week of the contest, more than 75% of the student body had determined the theme and had at least three entries in the grand prize drawing. Grand prizes included a 13" color television, a DVD player, and a $50 gift certificate to a local mall.
For your school, consider planning something like this for the end of the year. You could modify the time-line to start the curiosity now and have the "theme-day" take place in May. Consider asking local merchants to donate prizes. Be sure that the prizes are age-appropriate for the entire school. Instead of TV, try to ask for McDonald's gift certificates, or sports equipment.
At a high school in Connecticut the student council decided that rather than just announcing their upcoming "Hawaiian Theme Day," they would arouse students' curiosity.
In late February members created a bulletin board that simply stated "March 21st Is Coming." The project was kept secret while vague, "secret" committee meetings were publicly announced. Adolescent curiosity took over from there and soon the whole school was asking and talking about March 21st.
Taking advantage the common game, "Hangman," the students at this school decided to play "Theme Day Hangman Contest" during the first week of March. Ten words, represented by blank spaces, were placed on the March 21st bulletin board .
A few letters were placed in the blanks every couple of days, which started to spell the words. Announcements indicated that the 10 words all were related to a secret theme day and that any students submitting an entry form correctly listing these words would be entered into a drawing for prizes to be awarded on March 21st at a planned assembly program.Earlier correct answers would be given more chances in the prize drawing on a sliding scale according to date submitted.The contest was an excellent publicity tool for the project.
The whole school continued to buzz with this project for quite a while. Alliances were formed and words were traded and guarded ferociously. No long announcements were made, no posters had to be put up, and almost 100% of the student body actively participated.
By the end of the second week of the contest, more than 75% of the student body had determined the theme and had at least three entries in the grand prize drawing. Grand prizes included a 13" color television, a DVD player, and a $50 gift certificate to a local mall.
For your school, consider planning something like this for the end of the year. You could modify the time-line to start the curiosity now and have the "theme-day" take place in May. Consider asking local merchants to donate prizes. Be sure that the prizes are age-appropriate for the entire school. Instead of TV, try to ask for McDonald's gift certificates, or sports equipment.
Ten Commandments of Motivation
By John K. Trocke
S hare responsibility, remembering that as you take credit for the success, you must also share the failure.
U nderstand that as a leader, you can give authority and allow others to contribute to their own and to your success.
C onstantly remind yourself that only through participation can others make their jobs meaningful.
C ommunicate the why, as well as the what, to insure that understanding and cooperation become a habit.
E valuate accomplishment on the basis of the results achieved rather than on the activities in which one is engaged.
S incerely be humble, knowing that most people would rather succeed than fail at their jobs.
S eek always to set a good example, and through expecting good performance, reap great rewards.
F orce yourself to set goals and priorities for your job so others can build their goals toward these.
U nceasingly seek to be objective, fair, just, and honest in your actions and deeds, realizing the mantle of leadership is yours.
L ight the way for change, knowing that putting yourself in the other person’s shoes is the greatest gift of a leader.
U nderstand that as a leader, you can give authority and allow others to contribute to their own and to your success.
C onstantly remind yourself that only through participation can others make their jobs meaningful.
C ommunicate the why, as well as the what, to insure that understanding and cooperation become a habit.
E valuate accomplishment on the basis of the results achieved rather than on the activities in which one is engaged.
S incerely be humble, knowing that most people would rather succeed than fail at their jobs.
S eek always to set a good example, and through expecting good performance, reap great rewards.
F orce yourself to set goals and priorities for your job so others can build their goals toward these.
U nceasingly seek to be objective, fair, just, and honest in your actions and deeds, realizing the mantle of leadership is yours.
L ight the way for change, knowing that putting yourself in the other person’s shoes is the greatest gift of a leader.
April Activities:- Hold clean-up, paint-up campaign
- Plant trees/paint furniture
- Celebrate April Birthdays
- Bunny Grams
- Lenten Penance Service
- Student Stations of the Cross
- Act our the Holy Week Readings
- Easter Celebrations
- Joke-Telling contest
- Student Speech Contest
- Backwards Day
