M20120305

** (3-5-12)  **
 * SUECON Planning Committee **


 * __Date & Place of Meeting__ : Monday, March 5, 2012, Woodward Building, Room 101, 11:30 to 12:30. **


 * __Those Attending__ : Charlie, Cody, Dale, Ian, Jane, Michelle, Randy, Summer, Terri Howell, Tony R, Tyler. **


 * __March 2012 UCET:__ **
 * 1. St. George committee members that attended were Charlie and Cody. **


 * 2. There were about a dozen attending from WCSD, including Derek Larson, one of our new volunteers. **


 * __Registration__ : **
 * 1. __Online registration__ : Registration is now open up to anyone anywhere. **

**__** ** 3. Expected 2012 Attendance:  ** **__**
 * 2. So far we have 199 people registered, all from within WCSD, partly because of Cody’s emails to all and the COW reward that the school with the highest percentage of certified teachers attending. **
 * Our registration will be cut off at 950 and is expected to be full.
 * We will watch the seating in the auditorium and may allow an extra 100 to sign up onsite.


 * 4. Our committee members are not to register themselves online, or they would have to pay the $15 fee. Cody will enter our names into the system instead. **
 * 5. PayPal has been a fantastic way to accept payments. If we used it for SUU payments, we would need to charge an extra dollar, so $16 instead of $15. **


 * __Checking In and Getting Badges__ : **


 * 1. After attendees, vendors, and presenters check in at the kiosk in the entry, their badges will be printed, but to pick them up, they must show photo ID. Is that listed on their online signup form? **
 * 2. Will there be a backup system in case we have some kind of failures that day? **
 * 3. Registration desk will be Dale, Summer, and Ken again. **


 * __Keynote Speakers__ : **


 * 1. There will be two this year, but we haven’t decided yet which days to assign. **
 * a. Google: Jaime Casap wants to come, will do it for free, and would like to bring others with him to present. It was suggested that we keep the auditorium in almost constant use with “All Things Google.” How many different presentations might Jaime and coworker be willing to do? **
 * 2. Everyone enjoyed hearing Rushton Hurley, President, NextVista.org, who spoke at March UCET. He connects well with the teachers because he is a former classroom teacher, principal, and college instructor who works to make learning more engaging, with a focus on helping students start strong with any topic they study. Next Vista's central project is a free, online library of teacher- and student-made short videos for learners everywhere. He will charge $4000, but he will give 3-4 breakout sessions and probably hang around the conference both days. **


 * __Working with Presenters__ : **


 * 1. The “call for presenters” went out and Cody has an online signup form similar to last year. It asks them to submit any materials they want posted by September 30th. **
 * 2. Only the labs will have teacher computers, so we need to be very clear about not providing laptops or allowing special requests like downloads to computers. (Last year some presenters wanted to use Silverlight.) We will remind them to bring their own connectors. The MAC dongles for NGA connection cost about $30 and tend to disappear easily. We could buy some and have them on hand to sell, but not loan. **
 * 3. Emails about presenters will come to Jane again this year. **
 * 4. Presenters can sign up to present sessions from 1-3 hours, but no longer than three. **
 * 5. Presenters will be given a gift box with water, snacks, etc. **


 * __UELMA Conference:__ **
 * 1. Terri Howell is the new rep from their board. **


 * 2. They do not want UELMA classes to be just one day. They want them spread out over both days. **
 * 3. UELMA will line up the authors and pays for them. **
 * 4. Holocaust survivor, Stephen Nasser, would love to come again, audiences love him, and he doesn’t require payment. **


 * __Programs - Advertising and Printing:__ **


 * 1. Printing the programs. It was suggested we use a school like Dixie High graphic arts, but their equipment does not make the project as cost-effective as using Alpha-Graphics because they print in a roll rather than page by page. **
 * 2. Michelle will sign up some advertisers for pages in our program booklet to help cover those costs. Alpha-Graphics printed them last year, we will use them again this year and they requested advertising space next time. **
 * 3. Michelle asked how much it costs to print the booklets, so she could decide a cheaper price to get more advertisers on board with less expense per company because our audience is not particularly large. Charlie will get her last year’s price from Scott Nowling. **


 * __Advertising on Website, etc__ : **


 * 1. Cody has made a great commercial that was shown at March UCET, then will be posted on our website. (The next day he sent this out to the ALL email list within the district.) **
 * 2. Outside of the district, we are inviting all schools in the county, including Tuacahn, Vista, and George Washington. **
 * 3. Cody will call Clark County to let teachers in Las Vegas know they are invited. **
 * 4. Cody and Charlie will start advertising more throughout the state. It started with UCET, now Charlie will let the regional administrators know. Jim Johnson of Iron County was very impressed and will do what he can to encourage attendance from his area. **
 * 5. There will be a banner on the district homepage, but each school could add some kind of advertising to their homepage as well. **
 * 6. It was suggested that we go present to the Chamber of Commerce, but it would cost $3000 to present because you buy their lunch. It may also cost to be added to their webpage. **
 * 7. Cody will ask the mayor if an ad can go on the city’s webpage. **


 * __SUU Credit__ : **


 * 1. Charlie will submit proposal to SUU this week for credit. **
 * 2. We want to set up more tables at the end of the day on Saturday and have more people available to take the forms, so people don’t complain about having to wait in line. **
 * 3. Payment options: **
 * a. We can remind attendees to bring a check on Saturday. **
 * b. We can tell attendees that their form does not need to be submitted on Saturday. They can mail it later. **
 * c. We could provide Square attachment to iPads, so that Ramona could accept credit cards as well. It would go through Zion’s Bank, so cost them an extra $3. Or if we went through PayPal, it would cost an extra dollar. **


 * __Volunteers__ : **


 * 1. In addition to DHHS service group and ROTC, someone suggested their student council. Ian will talk to advisor, Sharon May, about that. **
 * 2. Jane sent to Jeanette a list of 14 lab aides that might be interested in getting paid to work. Some of these lab aides have now become Title I Successmaker Lab Aides, but Charlie thinks they could still work with us for this. We need to figure out what is the total number of lab aides Jeanette can use, then decide from there. **
 * 3. Remember again this year to make sure there are chairs for them to sit in in the hallways; the ones at UCET had to stand the whole time! **


 * __Prizes__ : **
 * 1. Prizes may be given out only at the end of the day on Saturday. **


 * 2. There will be a way to have people check in on Saturday with only their own ticket, to keep the integrity of the give-away for those who attended the entire conference. We may use a barcode scanner. **
 * 3. UCET had a trivia question related to a prize, so we might consider doing that. **


 * __Vendors__ : **


 * 1. __Signups__ : We have three vendors signed up so far. **
 * 2. __Vendor area__ : We are going to buy partitions for about $5000 that can be used year after year, and rent out to other district activities when we aren’t using them. It was going to cost $3000 to make the special information kiosk with PVC pipes and black drapes between them, so this option is better. The vendor fees will help cover these costs this year, but then it will be free year after year. (Note that UCET spends more like $16,000 a year for J. P Display to set up their vendor area.) **
 * 3. __Commons area__ : The same five non-profits (UCET, UELMA, KUED, SUU, Southwest Behavior Clinic) and two authors will be allowed to have free tables in the commons area. **
 * 4. Google will get a booth in the vendor area. They don’t usually do that but they will bring a team to man the booth. **


 * __“Un”-conference in the media center__ : There was not one at the March UCET conference, so Jane will write to Mitch Jorgensen to find out why not. We will also ask if he is still willing to be the facilitator all day long. **


 * __Facilities__ : **
 * 1. DHHS is pleased to have us return. **


 * 2. Ian will be the liaison for the school facility issues. Ian noted that the school is gearing up for more students this year, so some things might be improving. **
 * 3. Richard is willing to be a custodian again, and we will have Sherman from Little Valley as well. **


 * __Food:__ **
 * 1. Saturday lunch will be salads from Durango’s. **
 * 2. The advantage to buying our snacks at Costco is that we can take extra back. **
 * 3. Is ten gallons of Starbucks coffee enough for Saturday morning? **


 * __Housing for attendees__ : **


 * 1. Michelle lined up three motels that will block out 20 rooms for our attendees: Best Western Abby Inn, LaQuinta, and Windgate. **
 * 2. Michelle decided not to go with Casablanca in Mesquite since their rate wasn’t good, they wanted a minimum number, and they wanted us to pay for rooms whether they are used or not. **


 * __Local Activities for Visitors__ : **


 * 1. Cody said we can all make suggestions to be added to the page called “St. George Information.” So far it has links to City of St. George, Zion National Park, and Tuacahn websites. **
 * 2. Michelle suggested a link to a video commercial for Zion National Park. **


 * __Committee Openings__ : **


 * 1. UELMA representative. Summer continues to attend for registration desk, but Terri Howell from Snow Canyon Middle School is on the board and has been assigned as the official rep for this year. **
 * 2. Derek Larson from Little Valley Elementary cannot come to meetings during the school day but will help during the conference. **
 * 3. Glen Andersen of Red Mountain Elementary would like to help but also cannot leave the classroom to attend meetings during the school day. **


 * __Video Recordings:__ **
 * 1. UEN and Charice will do some again. **
 * 2. Derek Larson is going to help out with this. **

**__** 4. Cody will contact newspapers and local TV for them to take photos and video as well. **__**
 * 3. We will use our own cameras for taping the keynotes and streaming it into overflow theaters. **


 * 5. If you want to see photos from last year, go to the SUECON website and click on “event photos” at the top left. **


 * __Group Assignments__ : **


 * 1. Cody said we can all make suggestions to be added to the page called “St. George Information.” So far it has links to City of St. George, Zion National Park, and Tuacahn websites. **


 * __Individual Assignments__ : **


 * __Charlie:__ **
 * 1. Submit proposal to SUU this week for credit. **
 * 2. Contact Jaime Casap to see what size team he will bring and how many presentations they would like to do in the auditorium. **
 * 3. Ask Scott how much it cost to print the programs last year at Alpha-Graphics and let Michelle know to help her plan. **
 * 4. Advertise throughout the state. **


 * __Cody:__ **
 * 1. How will we remind WCSD employees to bring photo ID? Was it mentioned on their registration page? **
 * 2. Call Clark County and other schools invited to attend. **
 * 3. Add banner to district page. **
 * 4. Ask the mayor if an ad can go on the city’s webpage. **
 * 5. Cody will contact newspapers and local TV when the time is right. **


 * __Jane:__ **
 * 1. Tell Jeanette about change in lab aides and what her highest need will be for paid lab aides so we know whether to make the offer to any of the five new lab aides soon to be hired. **
 * 2. Remind Jeanette of the need for chairs in the hallways during the conference for our helpers. **
 * 3. Contact Mitchell Jorgenson from UEN to facilitate the “un-conference” in the media center. **


 * __Ian:__ **
 * 1. Talk to advisor, Sharon May, about using their student council. **
 * 2. Ask Richard if he wants a second custodian. Sherman from Little Valley is a possibility. **


 * __Michelle:__ **
 * 1. Sign up some advertisers for pages in our program booklet to help cover those costs. **

**__** 1. Line up two authors when the time is right. **__**
 * __Terri Howell:__ **


 * __Next Meetings:__ With some of our committee having to travel to the library media PLC at the new training lab the first Tuesday of every month, can we coordinate our meetings with theirs? If so, this is what our schedule would look like: May 1st, June 5th, July 3rd, August 7th, September 4th, October 2nd. **


 * __Next Meeting__ will be on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., room 101, Woodward Building. **