I hope this newsletter finds everyone off to a great start to the school year. NCES had a great summer with both great programming and exciting news. We also have several new administrators to welcome in the region.
Program Highlights
Our summer programs included two NISL school leadership sessions, one in July with Dr. Andrew Chen focused on science and the other in August with Dr. Carla Dearman for ELA.
In an activity designed to engage participants in an instructional scientific inquiry process of developing a conceptual understanding through engagement with phenomena and providing evidence-based explanations, Courtney Vashaw, with Kim Wheelock looking on, tests a reaction of unknown substances.
In August, Dr. Carla Dearman spent two days with the group focused on reading and writing.
In August, NCES hosted a Pitsco and National Instruments sponsored workshop offered by White Mountain Science, Inc (WMSI) called Engineering and Rapid Prototyping in the Classroom.
Gorham Middle High School educators Jennifer Corrigan and Keri Wade working with WMSI Director Bill Church at the Engineering and Rapid Prototyping workshop in August. After designing towers, the structures, rigged with accelerometers, were put to the test with simulated earthquakes.
STEM Funding News
Our exciting news this summer was learning that North Country schools will benefit from a $225,250 Math Science Partnership grant from the NH Department of Education. Awarded through the Gorham Randolph Shelburne Cooperative School District, the project represents a partnership of NCES, WMSI, and the science department of Plymouth State University. The project,Transforming STEM Instruction in North Country Classrooms, will get underway in October with a monthly evening series for educators with a focus in engineering design. Interested teachers, see more details in the article below. The project will also provide school-based professional development on the Next Generation Science Standards and how to integrate STEM activities in the classroom.
Welcome to New Administrators
This year we find several changes in leadership throughout the region. Some are new faces but many represent advancements from the local ranks. Congratulations to all. We wish you the very best in your new positions and look forward to working with you in the coming year.
Superintendents
Don LaPlante, SAU 23
David Bickford, SAU 84
Special Education Administrators
Martha Miller, SAU 3
Brent Holt, SAU 36
Kelly Mask, SAU 68
Principals
Mark Fiorentino, Colebrook Academy
Jennifer Mathieu, Stewartstown Community School
Christopher Blair, Edward Fenn Elementary
Dave Backler, Gorham Middle High School
Gerri St. Gelais, Milan Village School
Bernice Burroughts, Bath Village School
Debra Norwood, Piermont Village School
Robert Scott, Groveton Elementary School
Erin Silver, Stark Village School
Joanne Melanson, Littleton High School
I'm sure there are also new assistant principals, but we have not caught up with all those changes yet. We certainly wish you the best too.
Lori Langlois
Executive Director
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STEM Series: Engineering Design in the Classroom
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As part of the Transforming STEM Instruction in the North Country Classrooms project, NCES will be offering an 8 session monthly evening series in Gorham. The sessions will run from 4:00 to 8:00 with a working dinner provided. The series will take place at NCES with the possibility of some evenings being hosted at Gorham Middle High School.
Outline of themes in this project-based, hands-on, minds-on series:
I) Physics concepts and skills and their relation to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and structural engineering.
II) Earth and Life science concepts and their relation to civil and environmental engineering.
III) Model, predict, observe, iterate — engineering “control theory” and vibrational analysis.
IV) Design opportunities in any science classroom — experimental design: how engineering fits in with good science.
V) Product design opportunities in classrooms and school/community collaborations: rapid prototyping and the new think-tank in town.
The content will be geared more towards upper elementary, middle and high school grades, but all interested NH teachers are welcome regardless of their experience with STEM education.
Based on the initial interest in response to the announcement that was made to principals this summer, the project partners anticipate the need to offer to two series in parallel. If you are interested in participating, please help us determine if this is indeed the case by completing an interest questionnaire.
Group A - Tentative Dates*
Wed, October 15
Wed, November 5
Wed, December 10
Wed, January 7
Wed, February 4
Wed, March 4
Wed, April 1
Wed, May 6
Group B- Tentative Dates*
Wed, October 22
Thurs, November 6
Thurs, December 11
Thurs, January 8
Thurs, February 5
Thurs, March 5
Thurs, April 2
Thurs, May 7
*Note: Dates/groupings are subject to change. Depending on grade-level of participants, we may mix groups on a occasion. If you are interested in participating, please hold all dates for now.
This will be a free series for NH educators (including non-public school teachers). There will be optional graduate credit available for a fee.
Interested in participating? Please complete this short questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/STEMNorth Understand this does not serve as registration. We can only accommodate about 20 people per group. If the interest is higher then that, we will have to come up with a selection process. You will be notified as soon as possible. Please respond with interest by September 24.
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North Country PerformancePLUS Data Users' Conference on October 10th
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On Friday, October 10, 2014, NCES will host the NH Department of Education's P+ Training Team at Berlin Middle School for a day-long data conference. Staff from SAUs 3, 7, 35 & 68 should be hearing soon from their administration about the registration process. In the event there are any seats left for this conference, registration for other SAUs will be available on October 1 & 2.
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Interested in a two-week all-expense paid study tour to Germany?
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The Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) offers the opportunity to do just that! Since 2002, TOP has sought to find the best and most qualified social studies educators and give them the opportunity to experience Modern Germany in the most dramatic way possible: in person.
You can begin your pursuit of this exciting opportunity by attending a FREE professional development session.
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2014
Time:
K-8 Workshop: 8:30 am—12:00 pm
Middle and High School Workshop: 12:30 pm—4:00 pm
Location: NCES
What will you get from this training?
- FREE materials! Copy of TOP’s new instructional guides - Let's Explore Modern Germany and Germany In Focus, as well as, complimentary instructional materials
- Common Core-aligned, Standards-based Social Studies ready-to-use lessons will be demonstrated
- Information about TOP’s all-expenses paid, highly competitive 2015 Study Tour to Germany
Space is limited. Registration ends Friday, October 24.
To Register: http://bit.ly/germanwkshp
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Online Professional Development Library for SAUs 3, 7 & 58 Educators
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Educators from SAU's 3, 7 & 58 now have access to 51 professional development eBooks from ASCD. This was made possible through the Rural School Educator Effectiveness Collaborative funded by SAHE. Contact NCES for the password if it has not been made available to you by your principal or librarian.
NCES plans to add to the collection and make this service available to member schools in the future.
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News from the Arts Alliance of Northern NH
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The Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire is offering a variety of programs and professional development offerings for North Country educators, schools and communities. These include:
- A series of regional residencies, with outstanding visiting artists including poet Verandah Porche (focusing on our connection to place), dancer and spoken-word artist Lida Winfield, Middle Eastern/World Music percussionist Shamou, Burlington Taiko and Asylum Quartet (a group of four young conservatory-trained saxophonists).
- A free workshop for K-12 educators October 21 at the Medallion Opera House in Gorham, offered by the NH Humanities Council and conducted by NH Theatre Project director Genevieve Aichele, demonstrating how teachers in all subject areas can use techniques of applied drama to unleash the power of personal stories and make connections between local, personal stories and the larger stories of history.
- Worth the Drive! Arts as Inspiration for Learning * Teaching * Making * Living, the 2014 statewide Arts Education Partnership conference, presented by the NH State Council on the Arts October 31-November 2 at the Barbara C. Harris Center, Greenfield, NH.
- Arts in Inclusive Learning conferences, workshops, residencies, lectures & demonstrations using a Universal Design for Learning approach.
- A new partnership with the Drerup Art Gallery at Plymouth State University, including student gallery visits and teacher workshops.
AANNH can also customize programs addressing your school or classroom goals through the arts and humanities. Questions? Details? Call 323-7302 or email programs@aannh.org
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Dr. David Pook, ELA CCSS Writer at NCES
David Pook is a high school and college classroom teacher and educational consultant who worked with the Council of Chief State Officers on developing the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts.
NCES is working on date to host Dr. Pook on a workshop where participants will learn:
✓ what activities and assignments participants can build and deploy in “year zero” to ready their students for the challenges posed by Next Generation assessments
✓ how to translate the standards and address the demands of the CCSS while simultaneously preparing for assessments
✓ how to implement a toolkit for crafting text-dependent questions, designing close reading lessons, and generating a variety of writing prompts aligned to the CCSS.
Check the NCES website for the date (tbd at the time of this publication).
Distance Learning Conference
Save the date, October 22, 2014 at the Mountain View Grand. See the October newsletter or check the NCES website soon for details.
North Country Middle School Film Festival
Get those cameras rolling! The theme for this year will again be Celebrate What's Right!
Be creative with the interpretation of the theme. The intention is for the theme to lend itself to any content area while promoting assets. Assets could be people, places, events, products, services, activities, ideas - literally anything that is worth celebrating.
The theme is broad to engage teachers from all content areas to consider having students participate. Films will be due in mid-February with the festival itself taking place in late March.
Media Power Youth Violence Prevention Program
Coming in to NCES in March 2015
For more information
Designing for Deeper Learning: How to Develop Performance Tasks for the Common Core
This free online nine-week course will focus on building educators’ capacity to use, develop, and implement curriculum-embedded performance assessments that fit local contexts. Course activities include evaluating sample performance tasks and developing and implementing a performance task that is aligned with a specific curricular unit and performance outcomes. More information.
SAU 58 Challenges SAUs 7, 35 and 36 in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Superintendent Dr. Carl Ladd led a group of SAU 58 staff in the ALS ice bucket challenge. They accepted the challenge on behalf of Ron Pelchat, a former Groveton High School teacher who is afflicted with the disease.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Guildhall School (VT) principal Cheryl McVetty (left) and Sharal Plumley, Whitefield School assistant principal (right) on the completion of their Masters degree from Antioch University New England in May.
Openings at NCES for the 2014-15 School Year
Posted on SchoolSpring
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Contact:
North Country Education Services
300 Gorham Hill Road
Gorham, NH 03581
ncedservices.org
603-466-5437
nces@ncedservices.org
NCES is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
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