We are halfway through the 2021-2022 school year and while we are still stuck behind Zoom screens some of the time, this year has given us more opportunity to safely see our friends, family, students, and colleagues. The WACAC Executive Board has been working hard to create rich and varied professional development experiences and resources and support for our members. I want to take a moment to thank all of the Executive Board chairs, staff, and delegates, as well as the committee members working behind the scenes to keep this train moving forward. I know so many of you are working behind the scenes to sustain the programming we do as an organization and I want to acknowledge that work and thank you for volunteering your talents and time.
We are excited about some of the events we have coming up this year. Cafecito con Colegios is kicking off some webinars starting in February. We also have a virtual Share, Learn, and Connect in February, followed by SLCs planned at Chapman University and Santa Clara University in March. Our GRAC Legislative Conference will be virtual again this year, so please mark your calendars for March 14-16. We can’t wait to see you in person at our spring college fairs in April! We will have fairs at Santa Clara Convention Center, Templeton High School, and Scripps Ranch High School.
And, of course, we have our first in-person conference since 2019 happening in Long Beach from April 12-14! We are very excited to see all of your faces and connect in ways we haven’t been able to do in a few years. Check out the details on the conference here and we will “Come Together” in April!
You can see all of the dates of our upcoming events here.
As we plan for some amazing virtual, hybrid, and in-person events this year, we will be sure to follow any local, state and federal guidelines and requirements regarding health and safety. We will also inform you of any COVID-related protocols and changes as needed.
We know the last few months have brought with them the warmth of many holidays, but they may have also been filled with stress over early application decisions, first semester finals, and the surge of the omicron variant. We realize while the new year can typically feel restorative, this year it may be bringing with it the stress of illness and exhaustion.
The past few years we have seen our members evolve with the ever-changing landscape of education and support students each day while dealing with their own personal stressors of this ongoing pandemic. The last thing we all needed was a tough end to 2021 and a difficult start to 2022. We see you. We see you still helping students and working hard but please make sure you also rest. As always, thank you for what you do. Every day.
Warmly,
Breanne Boyle, WACAC President