You may have seen on the news or heard elsewhere that the report from the Governor's Task Force on K-12 STEM Education was released in January. We were pleased to see the recommendations of the task force aligned with the NCES initiatives underway as a part of the funding from the Math Science Partnership for Transforming STEM Instruction in North Country Classrooms. Our professional development components are built upon the Next Generation Science Standards, and adoption of NGSS is one of the eight recommendations of the task force. The report recommends that districts develop a plan that outlines their vision for STEM. NCES and the advisory team for the grant project are in the design stage for rolling out support to school and district teams to develop their strategy for STEM implementation. Also included in the recommendations are activities to support girls in STEM and an emphasis on coding (logic and programming skills), both of which NCES has pending grant applications to support.
Of course a major factor in how quickly STEM education is more robustly integrated into classrooms has to do with local leadership and resources. NCES, and its main partner in this work, WMSI, are very enthusiastic about the progress the North Country will make in STEM due to the number of eager educators we are already working with. The two photos below are of the educators participating in the Transforming STEM Instruction in North Country Classrooms project. The interest in the program was so high that we doubled-up the sessions and have two groups meeting monthly. We consider our participants as leaders in their respective schools and hence refer to them as STEM Resource Partners.
STEM Resource Partners
(L-R front): Lucie Kinney, Chelsea Petereit, Katlyn Lowe, Isabelle Kleinschrodt, Patti Dugan-Henriksen, Keri Wade, Kevin Briere, Peggy Horton, Lisa Morse, (2nd row) Elke Carr, Steve Hoyt, Jennifer Downs, Joy Steward, Gerri St. Gelais, Leslie Houghton (hidden), Sarah Clemmitt, Ervin Connary, Michael Thompson, Sandy Kent (instructor), (back row) David Earlywine, Caroline Carr, Samantha Whitson, Chuck Patterson, and Bill Church (instructor). Missing from photo: Nicholas Rue.
(L-R front): Katherine Landry, Megan Merchant, Jennifer Corrigan, Brenda Gagne, Bill Church (instructor), Deborah Dionne, (middle) Steve Roberts (instructor), Teri Cote, Louise Doucette, Nancy Marchand, Ann Guilmette, April Cartwright, (back) Chris Eaton, Paul Benoit, Karin Anderson, Jennifer Bouchard, Kerry Sheehan, and Sandy Kent (instructor). Missing from photo: Jeff Bergeron and Kelly Jewell.
I am looking forward to sharing our progress and reporting on the ways our STEM Resource Partners are impacting STEM education in North Country schools.
Lori Langlois
Executive Director
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North Country Workplace Education
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Principals, school counselors, CTE Directors, ELO coordinators and others who may potentially be involved with internship opportunities in North Country schools are invited to learn about the North Country Workplace Education Program (NCWEP). NCWEP serves Littleton, Lisbon and Profile schools. Bob Butson, Program Director, and Michael McKeever, Intern Coordinator at Lisbon Regional School, will share their insights after several years of experience working with these schools and over 50 businesses to provide on-the-job skills and competencies to students. This will take place at NCES following the North Country principals' meeting as part of the NC CIA session on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 from 10:30 - 11:30. There is no charge to attend. Please RSVP by email lisa@ncedservices.org or calling 603-466-5437.
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Supervision for Higher Achievement
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New Hampshire school districts are required to implement the professional education standards as defined in the Professional Education Requirements (Ed 505.07). Many districts have recently revised or adopted new models for their educator evaluation system. An important step in this process is coming to a more uniform understanding as a district of what evidence and practices represent the desired characteristics of each domain.
This professional development offering is for principals and those in supervisory positions who are responsible for evaluating educators.
Instructors: Ken Williams and Dr. Kathleen Sciarappa
Dates:
Initial training: Friday, March 6, 2015
Follow-up training: Friday April 10, 2015
Time: 9:00 to 3:00
Location: NCES, 300 Gorham Hill Road, Gorham, NH
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BizGen Entrepreneurial Pitch Competition for High School Students
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BizGen is an entrepreneurial pitch competition for high school students. Teams develop ideas with coaches and mentors and pitch them to successful entrepreneurs and innovators. First, second and third place winners receive funding to help make their ideas a reality. All teams come out ahead taking with them the experience of developing a business idea, refining it, and presenting it. They will make connections that will help them grow their ideas – or perhaps future ones. Most importantly they’ll get a view of how it’s done and gain confidence that they can do it too.
- Register by March 1, 2015
- One-page abstract due April 1, 2015
- Outline of pitch due May 23, 2015
- Competition May 30, 2015 University of New Hampshire, Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics
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Enhancing Classroom Skills for Scientific Practice through Real World Investigations
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Are you interested in developing your skills to support students as science practitioners? A series of workshops is being offered to support K-12 teachers in developing the understanding and skills necessary for implementing the Science and Engineering Practices as listed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Teachers are being asked to develop STEM skills in their students to prepare them to be college and career ready. These same skills are also emphasized in the NGSS and NH Frameworks with the reasoning that to be truly scientifically literate, students must learn disciplinary content in the context of science and engineering practices. These professional development workshops are designed to strengthen science inquiry skills by engaging teachers in the process of scientific investigation and data analysis.
The Science Process
Dates: Friday, February 6 & Saturday, February 7, 2015
Using Real Data in the Classroom: Part 1
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Using Real Data in the Classroom: Part 2
Friday, April 10, 2015
Session time, 8:30 to 3:30. For more information, visit the NCES website.
Instructors: Dr. Sarah Turtle, Plymouth State University and Jackie Wilson, Hubbard Brook Research Foundation
Cost: Free to NH educators. Light breakfast refreshment and lunch provided.
Graduate credit: Optional Plymouth State University graduate credit will be offered (for a fee) to those who participate in all three workshops (4 full days).
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Media Literacy for Safe and Healthy Choices
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A FREE media literacy curriculum training is being made possible through a grant from the NH Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, with support from the NH Department of Education, NH Association of School Principals, NH School Counselor Association, the NH Pediatric Society and the US Attorney for NH.
Through this statewide initiative, Media Power Youth, a NH based non-profit and expert in media literacy, will provide curricula and training at no cost to upper elementary teachers and school professionals interested in implementing the program in their schools. All educators completing training will receive professional development hours and a copy of the curriculum.*
Participants will gain:
- An understanding of the basic principles of media literacy
- An understanding of the influence of media relating to multiple health topics (violence, aggression, and bullying, tobacco/alcohol use, and nutrition and healthy food choices).
- Familiarity with the logistics and content of the “Media Literacy for Safe and Healthy Choices” curriculum
- Skills to integrate lessons into classroom time and across content areas
- An understanding of how to empower youth to lead safe lives through smart use of media through classroom art and media projects
- Skills to encourage personal, organizational, and community efforts to promote media literacy education and smart media consumption/use
Who: NH Upper Elementary Teachers (grades 4, 5 & 6) and other school professionals
Date: March 16, 2015, full day, exact time TBD.
Location: NCES
Cost: Free
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Workshop series for North Country School Principals
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This series of free workshops for principals is sponsored and presented by Primex. The sessions are scheduled to follow the monthly NC Principals and NCCIA meetings at NCES. Lunch will be provided. Registration is encouraged and appreciated.
Performance Evaluation and Documentation: February 11, 2015, 11:30 - 2:00
Property and Liability Risk Management, Coverage, and Claims: March 19, 11:30 - 2:00
Workers' Compensation Risk Management, Coverage and Claims: April 16, 11:30 - 2:00
Human Resources 101: May 21, 11:30 - 1:30
To register, email Jen Leger, Primex Education & Training Program Assistant at jleger@nhprimex.org.
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NH Geographic Alliance seeks North Country representative for Steering Committee
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As NHGA begins its 2014-2015 grant cycle, they are gearing up for activities including education outreach, networking with other geography education stakeholders, expanding membership, and more. The NHGA Steering Committee is comprised of members who represent many facets of education including teachers, administrators, students, state department representatives, and community members. At this time NHGA is seeking Steering Committee membership from the North Country to represent this region of NH and help NHGA to stay connected with North Country educators!
The steering committee meets quarterly for either an evening dinner meeting or weekend lunch meeting. The spring meeting is in Keene in conjunction with the state Geography Bee, and the fall one is wherever the GeoWeek kickoff event is held. The other two are usually in Concord.
NHGA is an organization funded by National Geographic Society (NGS) with the mission of engendering awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the fundamental importance of Geography, its spatial perspectives, and its vital relationship to our lives. The Alliance is based at Keene State College and coordinated by Dr. Lara Bryant, Geography Department. NHGA has more than a 20 year history of offering professional development opportunities to NH educators, working on the development and piloting of tools to align geography standards with the Common Core, and networking with state and national representatives to raise awareness of its mission and its potential to advance the environment and economy. Please see the NHGA website for more information at http://www.nhga.net/.
Please contact Lara Bryant or Jessica Bigaj at nhga@keene.edu or 603-358-2428 with questions about Steering Committee membership and/or to express your interest.
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From Our Partners at the AANNH
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Registration fee is only $25!
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Call for Presenters - 15th Annual Title I Conference
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This year's conference is scheduled for Thursday evening, April 16, 2015 at White Mountains Regional High School. Proposals for presentations are being accepted until February 13th.
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Do you have news to share with the educational community in the North Country? Send us your announcements and stories to be included in this newsletter. We want to share and highlight the many great events, learning opportunities (students and teachers), and other positive happenings in our schools and communities.
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STEM in Your School
The 7th annual conference of the Local Education Support Center Network (LESCN) will take place on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Church Landing, Meredith, NH. The keynote speaker will be Yvonne M. Spicer Ed.D DTE, Vice President of Advocacy & Educational Partnerships for the National Center for Technological Literacy® at the Museum of Science Boston.
North Country Gala
Friday, January 30, 2015
5:30-7:30 PM
The White Mountain School
Bethlehem, NH, 603-616-7927
Program Sessions (choose one):
‣ Writing Project, Assessment, and the Common Core with Jennifer Carbonneau
‣ Summer Hiking & Writing Camp with Lori Innes & Erin Sweeney
‣ Creating Curriculum-Based Inquiry with Barbara Buckley
Artist Residencies: Arts Opportunities for North Country Schools
 Burlington Taiko
Experience powerful, spellbinding and propulsive sounds of the taiko and learn about Japanese culture and traditions. Programming includes drumming workshops for educators. (February)
Asylum Quartet
Four young, award-winning, conservatory-trained saxophonists perform classical, modern, indie rock, klezmer and world music. Offering band, saxophone, music educator and general music workshops and great assemblies. (March 15-20)
Marvelous Marvin's STEAM Tour
Using theater, circus arts and rhyming text to engage students in science, math and more. Interactive workshops and assemblies, K-6. (April 2015)
Learn more and sign up your school by calling 323-7302 or programs@aannh.org.
Interested in arts related professional development and other arts-related opportunities for students and schools? Be sure to visit the Arts Alliance of Northern NH's website.
Louise Tillotson Teaching Fellowship
The Louise Tillotson Teaching Fellowship program strives to raise public awareness about the value of excellence in education and to retain good teachers in the North Country schools of New Hampshire. This award is made to a select few each year.
Louise Tillotson — a self-made businesswoman, wife of Neil Tillotson (founder of the Tillotson Corporation and former owner of The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel), and resident of Dixville Notch — established the fellowship in 2006.
Each fellow receives a cash award, typically $10,000 to $15,000, to be used at his or her discretion.
Arts in Early Learning Conference
Experiment and Explore! This conference will provide creative ways to use the arts in setting the foundations for science, technology, engineering and math in early childhood settings. For early-childhood educators (pre-K to grade 2), preschool and child-care administrators & care providers, parents, grandparents, librarians, and teaching artists.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
White Mountains Community College
2020 Riverside Dr., Berlin, NH
8:00 a.m. registration, 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m
Approved for professional development hours by Childcare Licensing.
Report from the Governor's Task Force on K-12 STEM Education
NH State Council on the Arts Offering a Free Grant-Writing Workshop for Arts Learning
Friday, February 13, 9:30 - 2:30 pm
The workshop will take place at Plymouth State University's Concord location on 2 Pillsbury Street. The NH State Council on the Arts has a variety of grants available for Academic Year 2015-2016 (FY2016) that support quality Arts in Education and Integrated Arts Learning in both the regular school day and out-of- school educational settings. The workshop, led by Catherine O'Brian, Arts Education and Grants Coordinator, will cover the new electronic grant application system, guidelines, roles of partners, thematic curriculum connections, choice of artists, writing goals and outcomes, evaluation, planning residency schedules and budgets. The workshop is free and open to arts educators, classroom teachers, curriculum coordinators, after school youth leaders, arts administrators, youth development professionals, parents and teaching artists. This will be a lively and interactive workshop. Pre-registration is required, to register contact, Catherine.R.Obrian@dcr.nh.gov.
Seeking Judges
The NH Science and Engineering Expo and science fair will be on Thursday, March 19, 2015 in Concord. NHSEE is still seeking judges. Learn more at http://nhsee.org/
NH Council for Social Studies Conference
Thursday, March 19, 2015 at the New Hampton School.
Keynote: Hans Mundahl
Education Job Opportunities
Visit TeachNorth.org for education related jobs in the North Country.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Concord, NH
NH Teacher of the Year Nominations
Superintendents, principals, teachers, school staff members, teacher organizations, parents, and others interested in New Hampshire schools are encouraged to nominate an outstanding teacher by submitting their request to the New Hampshire Department of Education (NH DOE) by February 17, 2015. Teacher of the Year nomination applications can be downloaded from the DOE Web site at www.education.nh.gov/recognition/toy.htm. Nominees must submit their applications to the NH DOE by March 19, 2015.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
The 2014-2015 nomination period for 7-12 grade mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program is currently open.
Please consider nominating a talented teacher using the PAEMST website today. The 2014-2015 nomination deadline is April 1, 2015, and the application deadline is May 1, 2015. Applications will be available on the PAEMST website on November 1, 2014.
Odysseyware provides online curriculum for grades 3-12, with customizable core, elective and CTE courses, assessment & remediation tools and much more. Odysseyware is ideal as a stand-alone curriculum or for blended learning, credit recovery, RTI, alternative and special education, ESOL, 1:1 and more.
Contact:
North Country Education Services
300 Gorham Hill Road
Gorham, NH 03581
603-466-5437
nces@ncedservices.org
NCES is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
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