Pacific Area Advisory Council meets. Dr. Nancy Bresell, Director, DoDDS Pacific, met with Area Advisory Council (AAC) members on December 10-11, 2001. Topics covered included the Community Strategic Plan, school improvement, standards-based schools, and educational initiatives; full day kindergarten; facilities repair and maintenance; budget; extracurricular activities; and personnel initiatives. The Council is comprised of Pacific military command representatives, parents, students, civic organization leaders, educators, administrators, and members of the Director's Office.

Conference focuses on leadership and standards-based education. The theme of the annual DoDDS Pacific Principals' Conference, held in Tokyo, Japan, was: Making a Difference: Leading a Standards-based School. From December 3-7, 2001, over 100 principals and invited guests examined the research and heard from a variety of presenters about implementing system-wide standards to positively impact student achievement. The purpose of the conference was to articulate how the strategic plan, school improvement, and supervision go hand in hand with standards-based education. Participation of our military partners at the conference was outstanding and included an address by MajGen Gary H. Hughey, Deputy Commander, US Forces, Japan. Also in attendance were members of the Pacific Theater Education Council, service organization school liaisons, and the USFJ-J1 and USFK-J1.

Students talk with national media at recent Pacific-wide assembly. In mid-November, over 150 students from DoD Pacific and international schools participated in the annual Far East Journalism Conference held at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo. Students heard from media professionals to include Ms. Amy Bickers, Tokyo-based Correspondent, Voice of America; Mr. Barry Petersen, Tokyo-based CBS Correspondent; and Ms. Jessica Smith, Tokyo Bureau Chief for the Marketplace. The conference provided students with opportunities to exchange ideas, apply skills learned in various sessions, and work with top-notch yearbook and newspaper advisors from the U.S. Students participated in daily yearbook and newspaper challenges including writing to deadline; news, feature, editorial, and sports writing; and photography.

School Advisory Committee (SAC) training provided by DoDDS Pacific. Over 157 newly elected chairpersons, educators, and parents received SAC training in Japan, Korea, and Okinawa Districts in the fall of 2001. Training focused on DoD Instruction 1342.15 and encompassed roles and responsibilities of SAC members, chain of command, SAC goals and objectives, Community Strategic Plan, school improvement, effective meetings, and end-of -year summary reports. Discussion related to scenarios commonly addressed by advisory committees as well as ways to increase community involvement in the SAC process.

DoDEA Superintendent of the year selected. The current district superintendent of DoDDS Kaiserslautern District, has been selected as the DoDEA 2002 Superintendent of the Year. He has been the superintendent of Kaiserslautern District since February 1999. He previously held the position of assistant superintendent in DoDDS Okinawa District.

Camp Butler student enters national competition. A Kubasaki High School tenth-grader, was selected as the Okinawa District first-place winner for the VFW-Voice of Democracy National Audio Essay Competition. His essay and audiocassette tape will be elevated to the national competition level. The competition fosters patriotism and gives high school students the opportunity to voice their opinion and address their responsibility to our country. National judging is held in Washington, D.C.; scholarships total more than $139,500.

Students respond to nation's 9-1-1 tragedy with acts of kindness. Some examples of good deeds from schools around the Pacific: