Thanks to Dana Parker (Clovis USD) and Helen Hill (Limestone DSB) for sending more photos.

The Alamo cookie was a hit! Other photos are from the Council Advisory Board appreciation dinner.

A giant thank you to everyone for another great conference. We’re so happy we could welcome such a wonderful group to San Antonio for our 25th SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit. Your participation made our conference one of the best EVER.

I’d like to give a special shout out to our fantastic guest presenters for their thoughtful presentations:

• Peter Ianniello, New York City PS
• Pam Kennedy, York Region
• Sandy Edwards, Grant Wood AEA
• Karen “KC” Crawford, Topeka PS
• Renee Harper, New York City PS
• Danny DeGuire, Northside ISD

Also, special thanks to our Council Advisory Board – especially Gina Elliot, North East; Patricia Berry, OCM BOCES; Pam Kennedy, York Region; and Jackie Jones, Grand Island. Our Advisory Board is instrumental in developing the agenda and setting the tone of the conference.

I will share post-conference survey results soon, but in the meantime, I wanted to post some photos you’ve been sending of the event. Keep ‘em coming!

If you were unable to attend the 2013 event, not to worry! There’s another conference next year. Look for that information early this summer.

Adiós,  –Shelley

A very special thank you to our good friends at Level 3 for their generous contribution to our 2013 SFE Solutions Summit. Their commitment to our event provided us with additional door prizes for conference participants. This year, Level 3 donated a Samsung digital camera and a Nook Simple Touch, plus two great gift baskets. Four lucky winners left with some great swag. Thanks again, Level 3.

Happy New Year! My how time flies. Just two months until the 25th annual SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit. We are busy, busy, busy working on presentations for the event. Soon, I’ll be blogging about what you can expect to learn in each session.

In the meantime, early conference registration ends tomorrow! That’s right, January 11 is the last day to save your district $100.  Beginning January 12, the registration fee increases to $500 per person.

Looking for great reasons to attend our annual conference? Check out two of my earlier blog entries:

Top 10 Reasons for Attending

More reasons to attend the 2013 Solutions Summit

Hasta la próxima…

Take a quick moment to answer the following questions:

• Was SmartFindExpress already in your district when you were selected to manage it?
• Have you been working with SmartFindExpress for a while, but feel you could use a refresher in certain areas?
• Can you say for certain that you know everything SmartFindExpress can do for your district?
• Do you have questions about a particular feature or features?
• Would you like the opportunity to speak with other SmartFindExpress clients?
• Are you new to SmartFindExpress? Is your district?
• Could you use some quality one-on-one time with a SmartFindExpress expert?

If you answered YES to one – or more – of the above questions you should definitely make plans to attend the 2013 SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit, March 6-8, in San Antonio, Texas. We’ll show you how to get the most from your district’s SmartFindExpress system. We’ve got an agenda packed with spectacularly informative sessions.

Treat yourself and register for this year’s event. You deserve it. Your district deserves it too. Save money by taking advantage of early registration. Save even more when you register three or more people from your district.

We love all our clients. You have graciously supported us in times of need (thinking back to Hurricane Charley and the three other storms in 2004 that wrecked havoc in Central Florida).

Please, for all of our clients affected by Hurricane Sandy: be safe. Let us know if there’s anything you need; our team is just a phone call away.

Here are 10 great reasons you can’t afford to miss this year’s event:

1. Search rules, priority lists, and call patterns: An entire day of breakout sessions devoted to the heart and soul of SmartFindExpress.
2. Learn from – and share with – your peers in our all new discussion groups.
3. Uninterrupted quality time – for as long as you need – with SmartFindExpress experts; you can find us in the Solutions Spot, our cyber cafe.
4. Client presentations; this year you’ll hear from six clients regarding a variety of topics.
5. Learn all about the absence approval process.
6. Help us celebrate our 25 year anniversary; we wouldn’t be here without you!
7. Learn how to do it yourself in SmartFindExpress; breakout sessions that highlight basic importing, basic exporting, as well as creating, saving, and scheduling reports.
8. See Josh Bowers in a kilt, um, I mean, meet the eSchool Solutions team; just wondering if you’re paying attention (last year’s attendees will get the reference to Josh and his kilt).
9. Explore the River Walk, a San Antonio landmark.
10. SmartFindExpress product updates; all the latest information.

Keeping the list to 10 wasn’t easy. Keep following our blog for more great reasons to attend the 2013 SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit in San Antonio. We can’t wait to see you there!

Tradition dictates we kick off the Solutions Summit with a general session. Why? Because it gives us a chance to welcome you and to introduce you to the eSchool Solutions team. This year will be no different (because everyone knows you don’t mess with tradition).

Tom Smith, our debonair host, will kick things off as only he can. Brett Fadeley, the head cheese, um, I mean our CEO, will share what’s been happening at eSchool Solutions during the last 12 months. Then, Lorri Glover, SmartFindExpress Product Manager Extraordinaire, will show you all of the great things we’ve been working on since we saw you last – and what you can expect moving forward. Finally, our client presenters will share absence management best practices; a great way for you to learn from your peers.

Here’s what Oeklen Kenol, from New York City Schools, had to say at the end of last year’s general session – in Philadelphia.

Join us for the 2013 SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit in San Antonio. We guarantee you’ll learn something you can take back and put to work in your district! Register today!

We know you love hearing from your peers. That’s why we’re always happy to include as many client presentations and client-led discussions as we possibly can at every Solutions Summit. We’re really excited that – so far – the following clients have agreed to participate at the 2013 conference in San Antonio:

• Pamela Kennedy, York Region District School Board (ON), is leading a discussion-based breakout session designed to get your creative juices flowing as you consider other uses for SmartFindExpress. Sign up for Thinking Outside the Box.
• Peter Ianniello, New York City Schools (NY), will present during the general session about two important topics: professional development for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, as well as social networking policies. Peter’s sessions are always informative!
• Kathy Anderson, Hewlett Woodmere Public Schools (NY), will share the novel approach her district uses to manage teacher absences districtwide. Kathy will be presenting during the general session on day two of the conference.
• Karen “KC” Crawford, Topeka Public Schools (KS), is going to share substitute orientation the Topeka way. We know you’ll find some helpful hints for improving your district’s substitute orientation program.
• Sandy Edwards, Grant Wood Area Education Agency (IA), will be providing comic relief as she looks back at the last 25 years with SmartFindExpress. Apparently she wasn’t able to follow her own advice and “just say no” when I called to see if she’d be willing to present at this year’s event.
• Dr. Danny DeGuire, Northside Independent School District, will be sharing some great tips in his presentation: Making the SFE Announcement Page Work for You. We are happy to welcome Dr. DeGuire back to the general session. (Btw, Northside ISD is located in San Antonio. I’m sure Danny will be happy to provide suggestions for things to do in the area!)

Wow! And those are just the presenters we know about. There could be others. We have the best clients. Ever. <3

Just ask anyone who’s attended a SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit and they’ll tell you they take away several ideas they plan to implement when they return to their district. Some of the new information comes from the eSchool Solutions team, other ideas come from peer sharing and networking. Each year, we give our attendees the opportunity to present during our general session.

At the 2012 conference in Philadelphia, Roz Cornelius from Columbus City Schools shared her secrets for maximizing substitutes in her district. Roz provided the group with several ideas for communicating with substitutes and teachers.

As an added bonus, Roz shared a secret dance she does when she and her team are in need of a snow day. (Hey, sometimes you just need a break from all those crazy help desk calls.) The group loved Roz’s dance and she left with quite a fan base.  I was able to convince Roz and her groupies to perform the Snow Dance during one of our breaks.

Roz’s Snow Dance is just one of the cool things you missed if you weren’t able to attend last year’s event. Don’t let that happen this year! Join us in San Antonio, March 6-8, 2013, for our 25th annual SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit. You won’t be disappointed.

P.S. Roz – are you planning to present at this year’s conference?! I think your fan club is looking forward to seeing you. No pressure. *wink*