SkillsUSA Massachusetts Advisor Alerts

2010 Districts Memo

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:35:56 GMT

We have sent out the annual District Conference Update Memo to all chapter advisors.

Notable changes include:

Arrival schedules have been updated – Remember that each district has their own unique schedule
Changes to the dress code for Awards Ceremony; 10% score penalty applied if dress code is not adhered to.

Important state conference qualifying information
As described at the Chapter Advisors’ Kick-Off in September, this is a change due to the six district format. This is the second year the new six-district system is in effect.

At each District Conference, the top three students in each contest area will be awarded District level medals. However, since we have moved to a six-district format, only the top two (gold and silver medalists) will advance to the State Leadership and Skills Conference, except for TeamWorks and Automated Manufacturing. In the Team Works and Automated Manufacturing events, the top one team per District will advance and additional teams will be named later for a maximum of 8 teams at the State Conference.

For more information such as schedules and testing information, please refer to the District Conference Update Memo.

2009 Districts Memo

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:48:18 GMT

We have sent out the annual District Conference Update Memo to all chapter advisors. Since we have moved to a six district format this year, there are some important changes in the memo which will affect competitors.

Important state conference qualifying information
As described at the Chapter Advisors’ Kick-Off in September, this is a change due to the six district format

For more information such as schedules and testing information, please refer to the District Conference Update Memo.

FY09 Edition of Advisor's Handbook Posted

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:49:40 GMT

Fresh off the virtual presses!
Download the 2008-09 edition of the advisor’s handbook (PDF, 2.4MB)

Final details about Advisor's End-of-Year Celebration

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:48:00 GMT

Dear SkillsUSA Massachusetts Advisors,

This is coming to you as a means of providing final details for the 2008 Chapter Advisor’s End-of-Year Celebration and National Conference Planning Meeting.

As per our calendar of events and previous communications, the event is scheduled for Thursday, June 12th at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. And will conclude at 7:30 p.m. This meeting is critical…since this will be the ONLY distribution of plane itineraries, hotel reservation and national conference information. Be certain that you are present.

If your Chapter is not going to the National Conference, we STRONGLY encourage you to attend to celebrate with us another fantastic year for SkillsUSA Massachusetts. This event is always a great time with good food, good friend and good fun!!!

This year, our end-of-year celebration is “Going Green”—with a theme of “Recycle Your Memories” as we look back on a great year and continue our eco-friendly activities.

This means you can attend dressed casual and if you are willing to support the theme of the evening you can wear your best representation of our eco-friendly theme of recycling by wearing organic cotton T-shirts with clever sayings and designs get the message across. There will of course be prizes for the best representation of our theme!!!

We do need to get an accurate head count so…please email Karen Ward at kward@sersd.org to let us know of your Chapter’s attendance and the number who will attend (Chapter Advisors only)

Chapter Advisors End-Of-Year Celebration (June 12, 2008)

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:43:00 GMT

Our annual Chapter Advisor’s End-of-Year celebration and National Conference Planning meeting will be held on Thursday, June 12th at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. And will conclude at 7:30 p.m. This meeting is critical…since this will be the ONLY distribution of plane itineraries, hotel reservation and national conference information. Be certain that you are present.

And if your Chapter is not going to the National Conference, we STRONGLY encourage you to attend to celebrate with us another fantastic year for SkillsUSA Massachusetts. This event is always a great time with good food, good friend and good fun!!! More information will follow!

Critical Updates

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:24:00 GMT

This update is coming to you with very important information regarding the National Leadership and Skills Conference. Please read very carefully!

Registration

Congratulations to all Chapters who had winners which will be traveling with us to Kansas City. The paperwork to register for the National Conference was included with your state conference registration materials. Here is a re-cap of what you need to do and the forms are attached.

First: To register for the conference (nametags, state functions, contest etc) you must have each person (adults and students inclusive of state officers, state officers elect, advisors, administrators, voting delegates, contestants…EVERYONE!!!) complete the NLSC1 form and send them to the state office along with the registration fee of the $130.00 per person. Checks or Pos for this fee must be sent to SkillsUSA Massachusetts, 250 Foundry Street, South Easton, MA 02375.

You must have the forms and fees into our office as soon as possible but no later than May 23rd.

Second: To reserve travel arrangements with our travel agent, National Travel Systems you must use their on-line booking system. The paperwork with costs and instructions was also provided to you with your state conference registration materials. Download travel cost computation form

A few very important notes:

Everyone from your school who is attending must be registered with your school group. Including state officers, state officers elect, delegates and advisors. Note: we do not encourage large groups of parents and other relatives of contestants to be registered with your group as rooming is tight and if we run out of rooms they will be the first to be “bumped”
The final contest updates for this June have been released by the national office. Critical Updates for 2008 SkillsUSA Championships

The deadlines are fast approaching. The Travel Agent must have your completed registration no later than May 23, 2008. Additionally, SkillsUSA Massachusetts must have IN HAND all of your NLSC1 forms for every person from your Chapter who is attending Nationals by May 23, 2008. Download NLSC1 Form

Travel Scholarships

To clarify the students who will be traveling with some sort of travel scholarship, from either business and industry or SkillsUSA Massachusetts, we are providing the following list:

Please read carefully – Please notify the travel agent when submitting your travel forms of the scholarship. We have also provided a list to the travel agent so the appropriate amount can be deducted from your bill.

Modesto Silva, Jr., State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with Southeastern Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) (full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)
Lacey Leonard, State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with Shawsheen Valley Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)
Jonathan Root, State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with Diman Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)
Kassandra Bevis, State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with Greater Lowell Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)
Mathias Correa, State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with Montachusett Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)
Jillian Taksery, State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with Tri County Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)
Patience Noah, State Officer – Travel dates: Monday, June 23 – Saturday, June 28, 2008. Travel with JP Keefe Technical High School (bill to SkillsUSA Massachusetts) full travel to be paid by SkillsUSA Massachusetts including registration fee)

Other travel scholarship recipients:

TeamWorks Team: Steve Tello, George D’Amelio, Kaitlin Hogan & Ron Stocker from Shawsheen Valley THS $800.00 should be billed to Massachusetts SkillsUSA.
Entrepreneurship Scholarship Sharoline Galva, Pieter Wallace, Hector Andujar & Erin Cobb from Whittier RVTHS $500.00 should be billed to Massachusetts SkillsUSA.
Graphic Communications Scholarship Alex Thomson from South Shore RVTHS; $250.00 should be billed to Massachusetts SkillsUSA.
Major Appliance Technology Scholarship Chris Shelton from Assabet Valley RVTHS $250.00 should be billed to Massachusetts SkillsUSA.
Precision Machining Technology Scholarship Kyle Brodeur, Diman Reg. THS full travel at Quad rate should be billed to Massachusetts SkillsUSA. (*Does NOT include registration fee)
Pin Design Winner Sarah Lima, Diman Reg. THS full travel at Quad rate including registration fee should be billed to SkillsUSA Massachusetts.

Parking Passes

Parking passes are available for Municipal Auditorium Garage and Cathedral Parking Garage for conference week. The cost will be $55 for Municipal and $45 for Cathedral. Order forms and money (Purchase Orders or Checks) for passes will be collected at the Chapter Advisor’s End-of-Year Celebration on June 12, 2008. Download parking pass form

Final State Conference Information for Advisors

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:10:35 GMT

While a day later than expected, please find the remainder of the information necessary for your Chapter to participate in the 2008 State Leadership and Skills Conference :

The official update memo with lots of very important information about the conference. Please read carefully!!
Contest locations (telling you where every contest is to be located)
Hotel Assignments and Registration Appointment Times
Rules of Courtesy Signoff
Supervision Schedule
EcoPhone Flier

Additionally, we are recommending that you check our news page daily over the next two weeks for additional information and updates.

Finally, please remember all changes to your conference attendance must be complete no later than Friday, April 18^th, 2008. That is this Friday and only two days away. After that date we will only take DROPS. No substitutions will be allowed after Friday and we will NOT allow substitutions on site. SkillsUSA Massachusetts is implementing this new procedure due to safety concerns and the limitations of our insurance binders.

We are looking forward to a GREAT conference. Enjoy your school vacation week. Once you return to school SkillsUSA staff will already be on site at the conference. So we look forward to your arrival on Thursday, May 1, 2008.

Registration Closed for State Conference

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:57:35 GMT

As of noon today, the SkillsUSA office will cease to accept any additional changes to your State Conference registration.

Skill contest competitors not attending at this point will be considered drops and you will be responsible for payment. Any replacements can only be made in leadership, demonstration skill events, general events and delegates and must fit into your existing room block (including gender for room assignments)

The totals owed as of today at noon are final, and you are responsible for your totals as presented. All final changes of any kind must be made no later than Friday, April 18^th^ at 3:00 p.m. After that no changes of any kind will be made (this is a different procedure than in previous years) We will not make changes on site in any contest or delegates—only drops—and you will be responsible for payment for drops in leadership, demonstration skill events, general events and delegates after Friday.

Additionally, changes will not be allowed to room assignments. The students must remain in the rooms assigned due to security reasons, as they must be able to be located in the rooms you have assigned them to in your submitted room lists.

Later today, hotel assignments, registration appointments times and other conference information will be sent. Please be on the look out for it to finalize your arrival and information home to parents.

2008 State Technical Standards Available

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:21:52 GMT

There may be many differing opinions on what the secret formula to success at the SkillsUSA Championships, but one thing is clear: it all involve one important ingredient: the State Technical Standards. The 2008 edition is now available for download

Collision Repair Contest changes - important

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:49:29 GMT

The national organization has made the decision to split the Collision Repair event into two separate events: Collision Repair Technology and Automotive Refinishing. Since this was a last minute decision which was not adequately communicated to state associations, the SkillsUSA Massachusetts Board of Directors has decided on the following course of action to supply contestants to both events at the National level for 2008 …

In Massachusetts there will be only one contest, which will encompass the skills for both Collision Repair Technology and Automotive Refinishing (the contest will be the same as in previous years at the Massachusetts Championships)
District exams will encompass the skills for both Collision Repair Technology and Automotive Refinishing and winners at the District level will be awarded in the standard practice. (top three per District - 12 at states)
At the state competition, the contest will encompass the skills for both Collision Repair Technology and Automotive Refinishing. However the refinishing section will be more in-depth and scoring rubrics will be enhanced for both the Collision Repair and Refinishing portions of the event. At the conclusion of the event, all scores will be tallied and TWO sets of winners will be announced. One for Collision Repair and one for Automotive Refinishing. Massachusetts will be entering two gold medal winners in the national competition one for Collision Repair and one for Automotive Refinishing.

Note: This is a one-year process. In 2009 SkillsUSA Massachusetts will split the events and offer both Collision Repair and Automotive Refinishing in the new format.