I imagine most people are anxious to wrap up the school year and start enjoying summer break now that warmer weather has finally arrived. It seems hard to believe it's the end of the school year, but they say time flies when you are having fun. I thought I would take this opportunity to share a few of the fun highlights from NCES this year.
North Country High School Scholars
North Country Education Services and the North Country School Administrators Association recognized 29 outstanding students and scholars from the 12 northern-most NH high schools on May 20th at White Mountains Regional High School. This year’s ceremony marked the 10th year the two organizations have come together to celebrate the accomplishments of the region’s students.
This is the only regional event of its kind that we are aware of. The ceremony recognizes each schools’ valedictorian and salutatorian as well as an outstanding student from each of the region's Career & Technical Education (CTE) centers. We are really proud of the schools and students in the region. Hearing about the opportunities our students have had, the work ethic they clearly displayed throughout their high school years, and learning about their future aspirations makes it a special event to be a part of. The students (and family support systems) deserve the accolades. The North Country Scholars Recognition Ceremony has become a great tradition.
Front Row: Emily French, Valedictorian, Woodsville High School, Leanza Hunt, Salutatorian Profile High School, Morgan Austin, Valedictorian Profile High School, Jessica Kennett, Valedictorian Colebrook Academy, Austin Steward, Salutatorian Colebrook Academy, Abigail Bronson, Salutatorian, Lisbon Regional High School, Erin Proctor, Valedictorian, Lisbon Regional High School. Middle Row: Jessica Schanlaber, Valedictorian, White Mountains Regional High School, Julia Kamins, Salutatorian, White Mountains Regional High School, Baileigh Stillings, Outstanding CTE Student, White Mountains Regional High School, Benjamin Adair, Outstanding CTE Student, Colebrook Academy, Amanda Daine, Outstanding CTE Student, Littleton High School, Grace Cote, Valedictorian, Littleton High School. Third Row: Daniel Nash, Outstanding CTE Student, Kennett High School, Pierce “PJ” Benson, Salutatorian, Kennett High School, Alyssa Blodgett, Valedictorian, Groveton High School; Sean Rainville, Salutatorian, Groveton High School, Nicholas Walsh, Salutatorian, Littleton High School, Megan Mayers, Valedictorian, Gorham High School, Emily Grone, Salutatorian, Gorham High School. Back Row: Devin Rodrigue, Valedictorian, Pittsburg High School, Kirby Judd, Salutatorian, Pittsburg High School, Pearce Bourassa, Salutatorian, Lin-Wood High School, Eunice Bartlett, Valedictorian, Lin-Wood High School, Dustin Moore, Valedictorian, Berlin High School, Christopher Lamphere, Salutatorian, Berlin High School, Levi Arsenault, Outstanding CTE Student, Berlin High School. Missing: Benjamin Zimmer, Valedictorian, Kennett High School and Laura Rutherford, Salutatorian, Woodville High School
Transforming STEM Instruction in North Country Classrooms
As part of the Math Science Partnership project, NCES, WMSI & PSU partnered on a grant managed through the Gorham School District to work with teachers throughout the region on STEM integration. Forty educators, who we call our STEM Resource Partners, met monthly for engineering focus professional development. Some of those educators, along with a handful of others, participated in a four-day course on inquiry and investigations. A smaller group will meet this summer along with high school students for a 3 day project to design, build and test prototypes for a fall launch of high altitude balloons. It's been rewarding to see the growth over the year and to be working with teachers who are eager keep learning.
Fiscal Sponsorships
White Mountain Science Inc
One organizations that NCES was able to assist this was White Mountain Science, Inc (WMSI, pronounced like "whimsy"). While WMSI was in the process of obtaining its 501c3 status as a nonprofit, NCES was able to serve as their fiscal sponsor. This enabled WMSI to utilize start-up donations and get underway with its mission. We are pleased to report WMSI was officially established as a nonprofit earlier this year. WMSI has been our lead partner in the STEM project and worked with NCES on a few other pending grant proposals. We envision a strong ongoing relationship with WMSI and we are excited to have this extraordinary resource in the North Country. Read more about WMSI in this recent newspaper article or visit whitemountainscience.org
North of the 44th
The second group that NCES is working with as a fiscal sponsor is for a project called North of the 44th. The work of this "movement" aligns well with two of NCES strategic priorities, impacting the region and building reputation of both the organization and education in the region. It therefore made sense for NCES to manage a small grant on behalf of this group. I happen to be one of the founding members of the North of the 44th initiative. I recently had the chance to share the purpose behind this work with several principals and school counselors. Educators will play a key role in moving this forward, so stay tuned for updates next year. In the meantime, check out the North of the 44th website or Facebook page to learn more about pledging to help SHAPE the region.
National Institute for School Leadership
In February, Cohort II wrapped up its 26-days in the NISL Executive Development Program.
We are thrilled to report that It looks promising that a third cohort will kick-off in September.
North Country Middle School Film Festival
We were pleased to host the fifth annual "Celebrate What's Right" film festival. Eight schools participated and it was a fantastic morning highlighting their films on the big screen at the Rialto Theatre.
NCES Strategic Plan
The final highlight to share with you from this year is our strategic planning work. Several individuals from board members, staff, principals, and special education directors joined in on the process of developing a plan to move the organization forward over the next five years. Our strategic priorities are:
 Impact our region: We believe that quality education has the power to impact the vitality of the entire region. This includes the futures of our students, the strength of the economy and the overall quality of life for all who reside in the region.
 Be responsible to our stakeholders: We take seriously our commitment to our stakeholders and value their commitment to NCES. We strive to understand the needs of our direct beneficiaries, maintain the fiscal health of the organization, and deepen the relationships we have with all stakeholders.
 Build our reputation: We understand that reputation matters. We want to be known statewide as a provider of the highest quality services and educational leadership. Likewise, the reputation of education in the region is integral to community and economic development. We are committed to helping schools provide rich educational experiences for all learners and promoting those successes.
We are excited about the refocusing of our work and eager to network and collaborate with educators, businesses, and communities to enhance the educational opportunities in the North Country for all students.
I wish everyone a relaxing and rejuvenating summer.
Lori Langlois
Executive Director
lori@ncedservices.org
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Dr. David Pook Returns, CCSS Writing K-12
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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.
Learn more about Dr. David Pooks background at Achieve the Core.
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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Rural School Educator Institutes
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Presented by the National Writing Project in New Hampshire and the NH Math Impact Center, these free week-long institutes will support teachers in the implementation of the Common Core standards, the design of effective performance assessments, the development of students' critical thinking skills, and support them in the use of writing in all content areas to promote deeper understanding and encourage reflection.
Participants will receive a $500 participation stipend for each institute they attend.
English/Language Arts (includes Writing in the Content Areas):
- For teachers of all subjects, grades k-5, up to 20 participants
July 27 - 31, 9:00-3:00
- For teachers in all subjects except math, grades 6-12, up to 20 participants
July 20 - 24, 9:00-3:00
Mathematics:
- For teachers of all subjects grades k-6, up to 20 participants
August 10 – August 14, 2015 from 9:00 to 3:00
- For math teachers grades 7 – 12 teachers, up to 10 participants
August 17 – August 21, 2015 from 9:0 to 3:00
All sessions will be held at NCES, Gorham, NH. Refreshments and lunch provided.
Registration via Plymouth State University. Contact Meg Petersen for more information at megp@mail.plymouth.edu. This project is pending approval of the SAHE grant.
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Discounted Workshops at SERESC
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NCES, in partnership with SERESC, is pleased to announce that we are able to offer discounted rates for NCES consortium schools for select workshops. To receive the discounted rate, you must register via NCES by SERESC's early bird registration date. For the workshops listed below, that date is June 10th.
Check out these three upcoming workshops with Shannon Harken.
 No Reader Left Behind: K-12
(Focus on Tier II and Tier III)
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 from 9:00 - 3:30
Location: SERESC, Bedford, NH
Teachers face the daily challenge of improving reading skills in ALL students. We will spend the day "digging deeper" into the essential skills necessary in providing high quality instruction. Participants will be given explicit examples of how to use data to identify students' instructional needs and match that to a practical, reasonable, and doable instructional response. Tools and instructional strategies will be provided and modeled to assist participants in feeling confident that they can meet the needs of every student.
This workshop is appropriate for anyone supporting or teaching K-2 students to read, including: administrators, instructional coaches, general education teachers, reading support teachers (Title One), and special education teachers. Please join us for this learning opportunity so that we will leave no reader behind!
Improving Outcomes for All Students with High Quality Instructional Practices, K-12
Date:Thursday, June 25, 2015
Location: SERESC, Bedford, NH
Teachers face the daily challenge of improving reading skills in ALL students. Participants will spend the day dissecting, analyzing, and learning how to implement high quality instruction practices that are practical, reasonable, and doable within any classroom. "The teacher's influence on student achievement scores is 20 times greater than any other variable, including class size and student poverty." (Fallon, 2003).
By the end of the day, participants will be able to describe what high quality instructional practices look like, sound like, and feel like within the classroom. Key components will include: quality lesson design, active engagement, formative assessment, and differentiation techniques. This course is for the educator that strives for improving his/her "impact" and/or for administrators and instructional coaches seeking for clarifying the "desired state" of high quality instruction for the building.
No Reader Left Behind: Grades 3-8
(Focus on Tier II and Tier III)
Date: Friday, June 26, 2015
Location: SERESC, Bedford, NH
We will spend the day "digging deeper" into the essential skills necessary in providing high quality instruction. Participants will be given explicit examples of how to use data to identify students' instructional needs and match that to a practical, reasonable, and doable instructional response. Tools and instructional strategies will be provided and modeled to assist participants in feeling confident that they can meet the needs of every student. This course is appropriate for anyone supporting or teaching students in grades 3-8 to read, including: administrators, instructional coaches, general education teachers, reading support teachers (Title One), and special education teachers.
Pricing
These three separate workshops will be held at SERESC, Bedford, NH.
Discounted registrations available for SAUs in the NCES consortium when you register through NCES by June 10th.
NCES full member schools: $100
NCES associate member schools: $115
NCES consortium schools w/o membership: $125
Registration: Online at http://www.ncedservices.org/reg-harken or call 603-466-5437 (between 8:00 - 4:00) or email lisa@ncedservices.org.
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Learning-Focused Mentor Training with Wellman & Lipton
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Consulting, Collaborating and Coaching for Professional Excellence
This seminar explores the important relationship between mentor teachers and the novices they support. Based on a three-phase model of learning, these sessions offer practical tools, specific templates, and technical tips for educators who help others in increasing the effectiveness of their practice.
We will explore a continuum of interaction, from consulting (sharing expertise and providing technical assistance) to collaboration (shared planning and problem solving) to coaching (a non-judgmental interaction which supports reflection and develops professional capacity).
Topics will include:
- defining and developing the mentor/protégé relationship
- development from novice to expert thinking
- shifting from teaching-focused to learning-focused interactions with students
Participants will learn:
- how to apply verbal and non-verbal skills across a continuum of interaction from consulting to coaching to support teacher learning
- methods for providing feedback to improve instructional decision making
- tools and templates for planning, reflecting and problem solving in both one-to-one and small group interactions
Instructors: Bruce Wellman & Laura Lipton
Dates: August 25 & 26, 2015 from 8:00 -3:00
Location: NCES, Gorham
Sponsored by: Berlin School District
If space available after Berlin SD registrations:
NCES will accept registrations on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning on May 21st, but limited to seats available as determined after Berlin’s registration period on June 6th.
Cost for non-SAU 3 staff: $70 (includes meals and the book Mentoring Matters)
Non-SAU 3 staff should register by contacting Lisa Nadeau at NCES, 466-5437 between 8:00 - 4:00 or by emailing lisa@ncedservices.org.
Download brochure
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North Country Champion for Children
Pictured: Pierre Couture, Superintendent of Schools SAU 35, Brandon Minnahan, NHSAA Board Member, Marilyn Booth
Congratulations to Marilyn Booth of Landaff as this year's recipient of the North Country Champion for Children award. In recognizing
Marilyn, Superintendent Pierre Couture said she is an all around wonder woman for the Landaff Blue School as well as the town of Landaff, N.H. He added, "I find Marilyn Booth to be a very special person who has committed countless hours of volunteer service to the Landaff Blue School. She has become the go-to person for any and all tasks that the teachers in this K-3 school are not able to do. Marilyn's energy and dedication in all capacities is incredible. Marilyn does it all for the Blue School and expects nothing in return. With all this evidence, it's clear, Marilyn is a real Champion for Children."
Read more about Marilyn's contributions here
Louise Tillotson Fellows
Congratulations to the three educators who were recently named recipients of the Louise Tillotson Teaching Fellowship. The 2015 recipients are:
- Lorna Holcombe, a reading and math interventionist for K – 5 at Groveton Elementary School in Groveton
- Alicia W. Boire, a business education teacher at Colebrook Academy in Colebrook
- Sandy K. Pouliot, a grade 5 classroom teacher at Hillside Elementary School in Berlin.
Each recipient will receive $10,000 for their extraordinary teaching abilities and commitment to education. Established in 2006, the fellowship program has the dual purpose of retaining good teachers in North Country schools and recognizing excellence in teaching in public schools.
Read more from NHCF press release
Public invited to:
Unguarded: A Conversation with Chris Herren
The Berlin School District and North Country Health Consortium are inviting the public for an inspiring presentation featuring former NBA player Chris Herren. The one hour presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 7:00 PM at the Berlin Middle School Auditorium.
More information
North Country School Counselors
Pictured: (front) JoLee Hovarth - Lancaster, Jessica Russ - Berlin High, Heather Holt - Milan, Jennifer Lyon - Brown School, (middle) Anne Mason - Whitefield, Caitlin Joubert - Littleton, Lynda True-Carter - Edward Fenn, Betsy Quay - Berlin Middle School, Wendy Reardon - Hillside, Carrie Glover - Stratford, Nick Nelsen - Lin-Wood/NHHC, Paula Frank - Profile, Cynthia Mills - Colebrook Academy, (back) Mary Coleman - Lisbon, Laurie Rathman - Lisbon, Dawn Pettit (Pittsburg), Sean O'Brien - Profile/NCHC, Drew Brown - NCHC, and Joe Shea - Littleton High School.
On May 22nd, school counselors from throughtout the region gathered at White Mountains Community College. North Country Health Consortium staff Sean O'Brien, Nick Nelson and Drew Brown kicked off the meeting with a "playnote" - a combination presentation mixed with various activities to use with groups. The meeting was organized by Toni Berube of NHHEAF and Paula Frank of Profile School. For more information contact pfran@profile.k12.nh.us
Pathways for Boys:
Finding Involvement in
Out-of-School Activities
A conversation for families, boys, teachers, program staff, and community members with North Country Listens, the Coos Youth Study teams, and the Outdoor Pathways Coalition to discuss boys' involvement in out-of-school activities.
Colebrook
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Tillotson Center
14 Carriage Lane
Colebrook, NH 03576
Berlin
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
ELC Outdoors
26 Exchange Street
Berlin, NH 03570
More information and registration
TechWomen Ambassadors Week
The NH High Tech Council’s TechWomen/
TechGirls committee is planning to host TechWomen Ambassadors Week for 9th grade girls for the North Country Schools. The theme is “Inspiring Girls to Explore STEM Careers”. This one-day, two-hour event will take place in each region of the state during the week of November 16th, 2015. TechWomen Ambassadors representing various high tech industry sectors including aerospace, robotics, biotech, computing, engineering, green tech and more will participate in the events offering their expertise and demonstrations. If your high school has an interest in participating, please contact Carol Miller, committee chair at 603-271-2591 or email Carol at carol.miller@dred.nh.gov
GIS & GPS Training for Teachers
Check out the great teacher-focused training on GIS & GPS is available in NH this summer! Not only are the courses free, stipends are also available (see details on each institute webpage).
Topics range from basic GIS concepts, mapping with smartphones, applying GIS to watersheds, how to best use online GIS, and incorporating geospatial technologies into your classroom.
The first of the offerings is taking place in the North Country at Stratford School on June 24-26th.
PSU School Law AD5700 Offered at NCES in July
Federal and state laws that apply to school systems, educational programs, and personnel will be discussed. Also covered will be the legal prerogatives available to the administrator and local boards of education. Consideration of constitutional, statutory, and case-law foundations of education systems, and the school administrator's role will be discussed. Prerequisite: AD 5010 or EP 7020.
Dates: July 7, 10, 14 & 17, 2015 from 8:00 - 4:00.
Learn more
Manufacturing Week 2015
The Department of Education, and its partners, NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership, NH Division of Economic Development, and NH Community College System, have organized NH Manufacturing Week for October 5-9, 2015. Register your school now to participate in manufacturing plant tours.
Learn more
PD from the Cohen Center
Interested in workshops designed to give educators the tools and perspectives needed to communicate the history and meaning of the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights issues? Check out the professional development offerings from the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
WMSI Summer Camps for Students
Check out the various summer camp opportunities available to students being held at WMSI in Bethlehem.
July 6 -10
Robot Camp (New robotic Challenges for 2015!). For students entering grades 3 - 6
July 13 - 17
Maker Camp (New design Projects for 2015). For students entering grades 4 - 7
July 20 - 25
Robot Design Studio (New Tools and New design Challenges for 2015). For students entering grades 6 - 9
August 10 - 14
Inventors Camp for Girls (Change the World with your Ideas!). For students entering grades 6 - 9
August 17 - 21
High School Robotics (Totally Next Level!). For students entering grades 9-12
North Country Jobs in Education
Visit TeachNorth.org for education related jobs in the North Country.
Coos Networks
Coös NetWorks supports people of the region, the cultural and natural resources, future community and economic development of the region. This network is comprised of people who share a common passion for the greater Coös Region. If you're one of those people, please consider joining today.
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 Information
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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