November 13, 2018
2018 MEMSPA Annual Conference | December 5-7, 2018
Keynotes from Sean Covey , Kim Campbell & Jimmy Casas !
LEAD Positive
Amie McCaw, Professional Development Chair
Hello, Michigan Principals!

It’s hard to believe but twenty-five percent of our school year has passed. Daylight saving’s time brings shorter days and our exposure to sun rays will be decreasing with each day. It may be a time when it is difficult to find inspiration and a positive spirit. The great news is, our annual MEMSPA Annual Conference is just a month away!
This year’s conference will help you find your positive spirit and inspire you to lead positive. In fact, this year’s conference, LEAD Positive; Connect. Collaborate. Create. is sure to give you applicable, timely strategies to take back to your district and help you grow as a positive leader.
Our annual MEMSPA conference is scheduled for December 5th-7th and will take place at the beautiful Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City. This year’s Conference Committee has worked to create a conference that promises to bring three days of Connecting current best practices in education to your own school. The conference will help you Collaborate with fellow principals from across the state in elementary and middle-level schools and create lifetime learning partners and friendships. The positive spirit gained from the conference often comes from the high levels of Creativity that is shared amongst educators during those three days.
Spotlight on Innovation 2.0
The most effective way that principals can promote an innovative mindset is to develop professional learning networks and be knowledgeable and effective users of technology both low tech and high tech! The Spotlight on Innovation 2.0 event, taking place on Thursday, December 6 from 12:00 pm-3pm at the entry to the Exhibit Hall, is the place for principals to develop their own learning networks, and keep up with the latest educational tech tools!
 
The theme this year is focused on making faculty/staff meetings more engaging, participative, inspiring, and motivating! Some of the dynamic sessions planned for Spotlight on Innovation 2.0 are:
  • Maker Spaces
  • Coding Robotics
  • Fishbowl, Speed-Dating, Field Trip Meeting, Rising Tide, Huddles
  • Social Media to Engage Families & Community
  • Twitter Challenge
  • Flipgrid
  • Goosechase
  • Use of Green Screens to create announcements
  • 3-d printing
  • Canva

Be sure to visit Spotlight on Innovation 2.0, located in the Lobby near the Exhibit Hall, and learn from other tech-savvy attendees!
NAESP OUTSTANDING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
MEMSPA is proud to support the NAESP National Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year Award Program. A program to honor elementary and middle school assistant principals. Assistant principals serve in Michigan elementary and middle schools day in and day out supporting students, families, staff, and leaders instilling pride through vision and hard work. Many of these assistant principals are learning and leading to become tomorrow’s LEAD principals.

To nominate an Outstanding Assistant Principal, Click Here . The MEMSPA nomination Deadline is Feb. 28th . Our Michigan winner will be selected early March. This person will receive FREE registration to the MEMSPA Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) and be recognized in front of peers at the SLI event. NAESP awards each winner with FREE NAESP Annual Conference registration and honors at the conference as well. Make sure to recognize those who dedicate their life to Leading Learning!
A Principal's 4,800-Mile Road Trip to Visit Other Schools. What Did He Learn?
Article Originally Featured on EdWeek.org
When Eric Cardwell led the Michigan Elementary School Principals Association, one of the best things about that position was being able see other principals in action in their schools.
So, when Cardwell became president of the national association this summer, he took that mindset with him and decided to go on a national road trip to talk to principals about their challenges and successes.

Two and a half weeks. Forty-eight hundred miles. Rural, suburban, and urban schools. From Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Warner Robins, Ga.. From a district with 265 students to one with 165,000 students.

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