OVATA

One of the many benefits of attending Fall and Summer Conferences is being able to see how the other teacher lives.  And sometimes, that leaves you feeling jealous.

Silverton High School's fantastic new facilities set the backdrop for this year's Fall Conference. Agriculture teachers Scott Towery, Daniel James, and Johnie Ferro rolled out the red carpet, with help from both the Silverton FFA Alumni and the Oregon FFA Alumni for some great professional development in an amazing facility.

With workshops on many different areas of Best Practices, CDEs, and curriculum areas, including presentations by representatives from Miller and Fessler's Nurseries, everyone had the opportunity to leave with some pieces ready to go for their classroom.

See the workshop materials on Horticulture by clicking here.

Thank you Silverton High School, Johnie, Scott, Dan, Silverton FFA Alumni, and Oregon FFA Alumni for hosting a great conference!

You can now register for Fall Conference by going here (under the Professional Development tab).  An invoice will be emailed to you.

See the draft agenda here:  Fall Conference 2011 Agenda (Draft) Updated 9/28/11

Notes from the host:
We are looking forward to hosting the OVATA Fall Conference on Friday, October 14th. For those of you traveling on Thursday or who will be in the area, dinner will be located at the Mt. Angel Sausage Co. and will available from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. The address is 105 South Garfield, Mt. Angel, OR 97362- Please feel free to contact us if you need specific directions.

On Friday please join us in the High School Commons from 7:30am-7:50 for registration, coffee, and pastries. Please avoid parking spaces marked as “Staff Only”. Those of you staying at the Phoenix Inn should expect a 20-30 minute drive to the high school and can take advantage of their continental breakfast as well.

Again, we hope to see all of you later this week. Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions. 

Johnie, Scott and Dan
Silverton Agriculture Department

Hotel:  North Salem/ Phoenix Inn Suites
1590 Weston Ct NE -Salem, OR | P: 503-581-7004

Price is $77.00 a night, includes breakfast. Tell them you are with OVATA to receive that price and you can get either a single or double room. The hotel is about 25 minutes from the high school so please plan accordingly. They are only holding rooms until September 13th - you can still reserve after that but no guarantees.

We've collected the (reprintable) recollections of those who attended the NAAE Convention this past December in Las Vegas.  We hope you find benefit from what they share!

Peter Lindstrom, Roseburg HS
"The most informative and beneficial workshop I attended at the ACTE convention was the Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation workshop that covered planning and implementing a program that meets the USDOL requirements to certify youth under the age of 16 for the operation of tractors and farm machinery.

In a few weeks, another school year will come to a close. As you say goodbye and anticipate a relaxing summer, be sure to set aside some time to reflect and take pride in what you have accomplished. Now is the time to acknowledge your efforts in planning and delivering great lessons, and providing learning opportunities for all students. The list of your successes goes on and on. You deserve the accolades, but we need to give them as well.

An essential aspect of showing appreciation is first to be grateful – and we have a lot of people to thank. Certainly, we need to thank our students for trusting us, for following our leadership in the classroom, and of course for providing us with some laughs and many reasons to be proud. Most of our students have done everything we asked and have performed to the best of their ability. Students deserve a big thank you and a promise of our continued support.

Search out faculty, staff, and administrators who work hard and have gone the extra mile to help you and your students. Our colleagues deserve our thanks for their vital part in our professional career. Many of them laughed with us, felt our frustrations, and acted as our sounding board. Some of them have become important resources as well as valued friends. Do not forget others who have served us, including the cooks, custodians, secretaries, counselors, aides, advisory committee members, FFA Alumni, and other vital members of the school, community and program. Finally, give a heartfelt thank you to your school administrators. They deserve your gratitude and acknowledgement of their hard work and support.

When you show gratitude, you will quickly realize just how many things people do to make your life easier, more productive, and more enjoyable. In addition, you will find that your relationships will grow stronger, people will enjoy you more, they will not forget you, and they will know their contributions have been honored and valued. A sincere “thank you is a powerful tool that will return to you many times.

This is the time to reflect upon what you did right and well. It is a time for celebrating your hard work, efforts, and successes. It is a time to be thankful and to give thanks. Teaching is the profession where dreams are born. Keep the dreams alive for you and your students, and finish strong.

I’ve fought the battle at least five times in the past year, and it ain’t been pretty.

The email comes: “I need to talk to you after school in my office.” I know exactly what my principal wants. It seems that parents are calling in a panic to know why their student has to buy a pig for a welding class. I respond with the same question.

Then the conversation goes round and round, me arguing the merits and the importance of the three circle approach to agricultural education, and my principal vehemently disagreeing. The last time around, he had the memo from Dr. Case, himself sitting on his desk, federal laws integrating FFA and SAE into the curriculum, and he still argued that I cannot make FFA part of “the class.” “Some parents can’t have animals” is inevitably uttered at some point during the conversation.