Regional Development Organizations
Last month I had a chance to attend Northern Community Investment Corp.'s 40th anniversary celebration in Lancaster, NH. Similar to the impetus for creating NCES, but with an economic development focus, the leaders of the Northeast Kingdom and the North Country recognized that together they form a natural region sharing common interests and challenges. In 1975 a non-profit community development financial institution was formed to manage resources that would develop business and enrich communities in the region. The well attended reception, including Governor Maggie Hassan, highlighted many of the projects that have come to fruition through support from NCIC. It has served as a means for directing more than $145 million toward employment opportunities and leveraged an additional $352 million. This has impacted more than 2,000 businesses, creating 5,600 jobs and retaining over 13,000 jobs.
The NCIC banner caught my attention while I was at the event. Vibrant communities, stronger business, more jobs. A great vision for the region. However, it struck me that there is another piece to this puzzle. Education. I could not help but to picture "Great Schools" as the thread connecting these three elements. Would you not agree?
Business and Education Partnerships
Michael McKeever (pictured), Internship Coordinator at Lisbon Regional School, and Robert Butson, Program Director for the North Country Workplace Education Program, recently presented at NCES on the history and development of the internship program at Lisbon Regional School. They shared how the program has grown over the past ten years. There are currently 21 students with internships in 12 different career pathways at 15 locations. About 40 businesses have been a part of the program since it began. NCWEP also includes Littleton and Profile High Schools. Mike and Bob are very willing to speak to other groups who may be interested in replicating NCWEP for their region. They have many insights from the process they use to place students into internships, to how competencies are developed for each placement, to how students can earn college credit through their placements. You can learn more about NCWEP at northcountryworkplace.com.
Connection Between Workforce and Early Childhood?
In January, one the segments featured on WMUR's NH Business with Fred Kocher was an interview with the President of the NH Endowment for Health, Steve Rowe. He spoke on the connection between early childhood care and education and its impact on the future workforce. It was an interesting segment and can be found here if you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOyD6ynXISA. Steve Rowe also contributed a summary article that emphasizes many of the same points called, Investing in the NH's Workforce: The Earlier, the Better.
Arts in Early Learning
Speaking of early childhood education, there is a fantastic opportunity for early-childhood educators (pre-K to grade 2), preschool and child-care administrators, care providers, parents, grandparents, librarians, and teaching artists taking place in Berlin on Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 8:30 - 1:30. The conference is called, Experiment and Explore! Using the arts for early experiences in how the world works. Sponsored by the The Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire and VSA New Hampshire as part of their ongoing Arts in Inclusive Learning collaboration through the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the conference will provide creative ways to use the arts in setting the foundations for science, technology, engineering and math in early childhood settings. For more information or to register, click here.
Door Prize Donations Sought
Later this month, NCES will host the 5th annual North Country Middle School Film Festival at the Rialto Theater in Lancaster, NH. This year's competition includes 8 schools ranging from Monroe to Pittsburg, NH. We have entries from 32 student teams who created two minute videos for the theme, Celebrate What's Right! The theme was chosen to encourage students to highlight the assets of their school, community, town or the region. To align with the theme, we are seeking door prizes that relate to the great adventures, eateries, retail outlets, and activities available in the North Country. Students are invited to attend with family members. Our attendance was approximately 150 people last year and we expect the same for this year's festival. If you are affiliated with an organization or business that is an asset to our region and could donate a door prize, please contact me by March 20th in order to include the donation in the program booklet.
STEM in North Country Schools
As part of our regional efforts to integrate STEM instruction in North Country classrooms, NCES is hosting a 4-day course titled, Enhancing Classroom Skills for Scientific Practice through Real World Investigations. Co-taught by Dr. Sarah Turtle of Plymouth State University and Jacqueline Wilson of Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, 18 educators are participating in this hands-on course. The first part of the course included participants gathering data, performing analysis, and reporting their findings with charts and graphs. Taking advantage of the abundance on hand throughout the region, snow samples were strategically collected and then tested for pH and conductivity.
Front: Isabelle Kleinschrodt, Lisa Morse, Katherine Landry, Elizabeth Beaulieu, Brenda Gagne, Jackie Wilson (instructor). Middle: Deborah Dionne, Karin Anderson, April Cartwright, Nancy Marchand, Louise Doucette, Mary Snowman, Kerry Sheehan. Back: Matt Kristoff, Steve Torrey, Kelly Jewell, David Atkinson, Chuck Patterson, and Sarah Turtle (instructor).
Lori Langlois
Executive Director
lori@ncedservices.org
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Dr. David Pook Returns, CCSS Writing
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This workshop offers teachers and administrators alike insights into how the Common Core Writing Standards were designed and how to make them come alive in K-12 classrooms. The morning will concentrate on the close connection between the reading and writing standards, and how to generate text dependent writing tasks based on the standards. The afternoon session will delve more deeply into the different types of writing called for by the standards to grasp their similarities and differences, and learn more about how to assess writing using the standards—and how writing will be assessed on Next Generation assessments like Smarter Balanced. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in best practices around generating CCSS aligned writing instruction and assessment, and attendees will receive timely constructive feedback about how to proceed with the opportunities and challenges that stem from adopting and implementing the Common Core Writing Standards. Applicable for K-12.
Date: Friday, June 5, 2015 from 8:30 - 3:30 Location: NCES Cost: Staff from full member schools $125, associate member schools $145, all others $175. Registration: Register online at http://www.ncedservices.org/pook-writing or call 603-466-5437 (between 8:00 - 4:00) or email lisa@ncedservices.org. |
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Supervision for Higher Achievement
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There are a handful of seats remaining in the two-part workshop on teacher evaluation. Many districts have recently revised or adopted new models for their educator evaluation system in response to the professional education standards as defined in the Professional Education Requirements (Ed 505.07). 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, and this will be a key element of this professional development offering for principals and those in supervisory positions who are responsible for evaluating educators.
Instructors: Ken Williams and Dr. Kathleen Sciarappa
Dates: Friday, March 6, 2015 and Friday April 10, 2015
Time: 9:00 to 3:00
Location: NCES, 300 Gorham Hill Road, Gorham, NH
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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, 8:30 - 4:30
Location: NCES
Cost: Free
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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.
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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March 21st Writing Conference
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An exciting low cost (only $25!) opportunity through a collaboration between SAU 9 and the Arts Alliance of Northern NH.
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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 Education: Raising Expectations & Increasing Outcomes
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.
Piermont Village School Classroom Successful with DonorsChoose.org Campaign
Ms. Sandell utilized DonorsChoose.org to ask for donors to support the purchase of solar robot kits for her 5th and 6th graders. The $523 was raised in just one day.
Earth Science Educators
Looking for content and/or professional development in Earth Science? The Northeastern Geological Society of America next section meeting will be at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel & Resort on March 23-25, 2015.
Artist Residencies: Arts Opportunities for North Country Schools
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.
Applications for high schools to join cohort III are being accepted for this project that supports at risk students with post-secondary transition. Learn more
Report from the Governor's Task Force on K-12 STEM Education
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.
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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