Weekly Update - June 22, 2009

June 22, 2009

VHSL Weekly Update, June 22, 2009

“A teacher affects eternity:  they can never tell where their influence stops.”

                                                                               -- Henry Adams

ATTENTION: Principals, athletic/activities directors, superintendents, guidance counselors, scholastic bowl coaches, debate coaches, publications advisers, scholastic bowl coaches

Weekly Update, distributed at the beginning of each week, contains current League news and information on website updates (www.vhsl.org), with links that will provide you with immediate access.  Please forward this message to each of the coaches or activity advisers to whom this information pertains.

Claudia Dodson VHSL Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award winners announced 

This year’s winners are: Booker T. Washington, Deep Creek, First Colonial, George Mason, Grafton, Grassfield, Great Bridge, Hickory, Kempsville, Landstown, Middlesex, Oscar Smith, Princess Anne, Tallwood, Western Branch, West Point and York.

Congratulations to these outstanding schools!

VHSL program inserts sent to schools

In an effort to build greater awareness of the Virginia High School League and VHSL programs, we e-mailed each school inserts to use in your game programs and other school publications. 

To fulfill this awareness initiative as part of our overall strategic plan, we’re asking for your cooperation.  We sent two camera ready inserts:

• VHSL insert.
• VHSL Foundation insert.

In addition, you may use your own photo.  If you choose to use your own photo, please e-mail a vertical jpg to Mike McCall (mmccall@vhsl.org).  Your photo will be inserted and a PDF will be sent back to you for use in your game program and/or other school publications.

If you do use the insert(s), please send a copy of the program and/or publication to the VHSL office

Regional journalism workshops to visit four cities in September

VHSL continues to offer you the most amazing educational opportunities in partnership with Jostens.  The top names in scholastic journalism will be coming to a city near you this fall to teach a variety of courses in newspaper, magazine and yearbook publishing.  Join Bobby Hawthorne, Betsy Rau, John Cutsinger, Mark Murray, Gary Lundgren and others at this exciting event in Chesapeake (9/21 at Chesapeake Conference Center), Richmond (9/22 at Greater Richmond Convention Center), Roanoke (9/23 at Holiday Inn Tanglewood) and Springfield (9/24 at Waterford at Springfield).  Save the dates, and stay tuned for more information! 

2009 Championship Journalism Workshop

Save the date!  Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1 for the 2009 Championship Journalism Workshop!  Plan to join your peers across the commonwealth for the state’s premiere scholastic journalism training event!  Many speakers have committed to appearing and presenting exciting new sessions, and you too are invited to submit an Instructor’s Proposal Form (http://www.vhsl.org/files/pubseval-speaker-proposal.pdf) and help students and advisers across the state with advertising, building a curriculum, caption writing, using fonts and color, illustrating, photography or some other aspect of publications in which you excel.  Innovative, interactive sessions with fun, catchy titles will ensure maximum attendance to your session.  Proposals may be sent to Lisa Giles (lgiles@vhsl.org) and will be accepted through the late summer; however, those received by August 1 will be given priority consideration.  Stay tuned for more information!

Team travel reimbursement

For schools participating in state championship events that qualify for team travel reimbursement, please remember that the school must submit a properly completed Request For State Championship Team Travel Reimbursement form in order to receive their reimbursement.  The form is on pages B18 and B19 in the Appendix section of VHSL’s Financial Policies and Procedures manual.  This publication is available on-line.  After completing the form you may attach it to an email to Denise Marshall (dmarshall@vhsl.org) or Jim Garman (jgarman@vhsl.org), fax it (fax number 434-977-5943), or mail it to either Denise or Jim at the VHSL office located at 1642 State Farm Blvd., Charlottesville, VA 22911.  With the accounting year ending for schools and the VHSL on June 30, time is of the essence in getting the requests in and processed before the year closes.

District/region year-end audits

VHSL’s CPA firm has provided us a list of districts and regions to be audited this year.  Jenn Lyster with Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates will be contacting each district and region treasurer to schedule their respective audit.  Jenn’s email address at Robinson, Farmer, Cox is jlyster@rfca.com  and her telephone number is (434) 973-8314 should you want to contact her.

The districts and regions that will be audited this year are:

Districts:  Western Valley, Blue Ridge, Massanutten, Seminole, Southern Valley, Piedmont, River Ridge, Southwest, Hohoheegee, Mountain Empire, Pioneer, Three Rivers, Black Diamond, Clinch Mountain, Cumberland and Lonesome Pine

Regions: Region III, Region IV, Region C and Region D

League seeks Scholastic Bowl commissioner and tournament director

The Virginia High School League is seeking letters of interest for Scholastic Bowl Commissioner and/or Tournament Director.  Please share the attached information with people you think may be interested in serving the Scholastic Bowl community in either or both capacities.  Questions may be directed to Lisa Giles.

District/region treasurers and bookkeepers

With the end of VHSL’s fiscal year on June 30, please remember that each district and region treasurer or bookkeeper needs to email a copy of QuickBooks standard year-end Profit and Loss Statement and QuickBooks standard Balance Sheet for June 30 for their district/region to Denise Marshall (dmarshall@vhsl.org) or Jim Garman (jgarman@vhsl.org) by Friday, July 17, 2009.  Please remember to follow-up the emailed reports by mailing a hard copy of the reports with the treasurer’s financial certification to Denise or Jim at the VHSL office at 1642 State Farm Blvd, Charlottesville, VA 22911 within three (3) days after emailing the reports.  They can be reached at (434) 977-8475 should you have any questions.

Region treasurers are reminded to submit region event reports for spring sports to the VHSL office by June 30 if possible.

Opportunity for VHSL schools to earn up to $10,000

VHSL corporate partner Allstate Insurance helps to underwrite many of the costs of state-level programs. They have also initiated a new fundraiser which can directly benefit your school.  For every auto insurance quote written between now and December 1, 2009, Allstate Insurance will donate $5 (up to $10,000) to your school.  See the attachment for step-by-step instructions, and begin securing your quotes now. Allstate Cash For Quotes»

New athletic director workshop scheduled

The VIAAA will conduct a New Athletic Directors Workshop at the Virginia High School League office on July 29 and 30.  This workshop, directed by Kevin Adams and staffed by multiple individuals with years of experience, has drawn much praise for its depth and value to past attendees.  To obtain more information about this opportunity visit the VIAAA website www.viaaa.org or contact Kevin Adams, CAA at John Marshall High School kadams@richmond.k12.va.us.

VIAAA sponsoring summer institute

The Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (VIAAA) is sponsoring a professional development summer leadership institute.  A total of 16 classes will be offered over a two day period, July 15 and July 16 in Charlottesville.  The course topics address many current issues facing high school and middle school administrators.   The courses offered are also part of the requirements for athletic administrators to become certified at the RAA, CAA, or CMAA levels.  Don't miss this meaningful staff development opportunity. 

For complete details and course descriptions, follow this link:  http://www.viaaa.org/index.cfm?action=pages&id=196

Record Book updates needed

The VHSL Book of Records, 14th Edition is being updated to include 2008-09 champions and independent submissions.  To access the record book, go to http://www.vhsl.org/files/pub-vhsl-recordbook-jan08.pdf .  The record book is updated twice a year, at the conclusion of the fall season in December and at the conclusion of the spring season in June.  Schools may submit applications for recognition with corresponding documentation at any time.  This application may be found on the last two pages of the record book.  Any questions may be directed to Mike McCall at 434-977-8475.

Team and individual photos from VHSL championship teams requested

VHSL member schools that had a state champion team or individual for the 2008-09 school year are requested to submit a photo of your champion(s) for inclusion in our end-of-the-year publication, The Leaguer.  Electronic photos are preferable and should be emailed to Mike McCall at mmccall@vhsl.org for inclusion in the 2008-09 edition of The Leaguer as soon as possible.   Please be sure to submit a quality photo of at least 300 pixels per inch.