Dear CASCWA Members, Community Partners, and Friends,

Thank you for visiting the CASCWA website today! The Southern Section is finalizing preparations for this year's annual State Conference. We are excited about the presenters and keynote speakers we will hear during this beautiful time of year in Southern California.

This year's conference uses the SoCal theme "Catch the Wave of Student Success" as we jointly work to improve attendance, help at-promise students, address legal issues, improve school safety, and promote a positive school climate. We look forward to a welcome address from the Orange County Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean and a keynote message from Erin Gruwell, author of the Freedom Writers. We will also recognize the winners of the California Dept of Education's "Model SARB Awards."

CASCWA is pleased to partner with SchoolStatus and RaaWee K12, as their support significantly improved our organization. Additionally, we are fortunate to have additional sponsors at the State Conference, including: 7 Mindsets, ACSA, CalOptima Health, Dora Dome Law, Epoch Education, Espindola Consulting, Everyday Labs, LA COE, MooZoom, PowerSchool, S4, Schools First Credit Union. Sown to Grow, Valdez Educational Services, BARK, Ripple Effects, and Woodcraft Rangers. Please be sure to visit our sponsors during the conference to learn more about the valuable services they provide.

We sold out early this year and expect a full house at the Delta Marriott Hotel in Garden Grove. The hotel is conveniently located just a mile from Disneyland and about 10 miles from the beach, so feel free to come early and stay late if you can!

We are excited to announce that we will soon give our website a facelift. Our goal is to create a space where you can find information about training opportunities, updates on legislation, and connections with resources and experts in the field of Student Services. We also encourage you to keep an eye out for our digital newsletter, Intercom, which will be delivered to your inbox.

Our organization relies on the group's energy, so please connect with other members and board representatives. To help facilitate this, the four CASCWA sections/regions host mixers and training sessions for you to attend, so come out and join us!

See you at the conference!

Rick Riegel

CASCWA State President