PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2005

JANUARY 20, 2005

There is still time to complete the online survey regarding options for implementing the new High School Exit Standards Framework that have been approved by the State Board of Education. The survey is online in English at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB223Z4QK9EC4 and in Spanish at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB223ZXDQRP95 . If you or your staff members have not had an opportunity take this survey and provide input on the new standards framework, please encourage them to do so. Regards, Tricia Willoughby

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. Input Sought on Technical Assistance Needs to Implement NCLB
2. Child Restraint System Requirements
3. LEA Policy for Nursing Services Available for Comment
4. Schools Thanked for Survey Participation
5. High School Network Conference to be Held this Month
6. Administrative Leadership Workshop/Retreat Scheduled for February
7. Holocaust Workshop for Teachers
8. Training for VHS, Inc., Site Coordinators
9. Advanced Placement Forum Scheduled for March
10. First State Suicide Prevention Conference Scheduled
11. NC DPI Arts Education Newsletter Online
12. UNC-TV's ED Channel Features Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Educators
13. Fulbright Teacher Exchange Hosting Opportunity
14. Scholarship/Grant Opportunities Available in Culinary Arts Field
15. Additional Grant Opportunities

Input Sought on Technical Assistance Needs to Implement NCLB

The U.S. Department of Education has established 10 Regional Advisory Committees (RAC) to strengthen the capacity of state and local education agencies to improve schools in their region. The Southeast Regional Advisory Committee is charged with conducting an assessment of technical assistance needs of states, districts, schools and other education stakeholders in the region. Each RAC will submit a report to the Secretary of Education by March 2005. The recommendations from these reports will be used by the US DOE to establish funding priorities for 20 new technical assistance centers. The US DOE would like your comments and input regarding technical assistance needs of educators to implement No Child Left Behind goals. You can register your comments online at http://www.rac-ed.org by clicking on Public Forum under the Region 1-Southeast link. By registering you will automatically receive E-bulletins that provide updates on regional information and notification of regional events. If you do not wish to register but would still like to provide input, please email your comments to rac@cna.org and write in the subject header "Southeast Comments." Comments must be received by Feb. 18. For more information, please contact Southeast Region Advisory Committee member Curtis Bynum, Compensatory Education, NC DPI, 919/807-3957, or by email, cbynum@dpi.state.nc.us.

Child Restraint System Requirements

Principals are reminded of the new child restraint system requirements that became effective Jan. 1. Amended N.C.G.S.§20-137.1 provides that a child less than eight years of age and less than 80 pounds in weight shall be properly secured in a child passenger restraint system. If no seating position equipped with a lap and shoulder belt to properly secure the weight-appropriate child passenger restraint system is available, a child less than eight and between 40 and 80 pounds may be restrained by a properly fitted lap belt only.

LEA Policy for Nursing Services Available for Comment

The NC Department of Health and Human Services Division of Medical Assistance has notified DPI staff that the local school system policy for Nursing Services is available on the Web for comment at http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dma/mp/proposedmp.htm by clicking on the appropriate link. Please note that only the section on nursing services is open for comments. For more information, please contact Diann Irwin, Behavioral Support Services, DPI, 919/807-3298, or by email, dirwin@dpi.state.nc.us.

Schools Thanked for Survey Participation

The Professional Teaching Standards Commission would like to thank and congratulate local schools' staff for their participation in the 2004 Teacher Working Conditions Survey. A number of schools had participation rates of 40 percent or more. Schools with a 40 percent response rate or better have individual reports available for review. System surveys are available online at http://twc.learnnc.org/ by clicking on the appropriate link. The Commission looks forward to even greater participation when the survey is administered again in the spring of 2006. For more information, please contact Eleanor Goettee, NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission, 919/807-3424, or by email, egoettee@dpi.state.nc.us.

High School Network Conference to be Held this Month

It's not too late to register for the 5th Annual Conference of the North Carolina High School Network to be held Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, RTP. For additional information, including registration, please go online to http://www.nchighschoolnetwork.com or call Marilyn Palmer, Division of School Improvement, NC DPI, 919/807-3935, or by email, mpalmer@dpi.state.nc.us.

Administrative Leadership Workshop/Retreat Scheduled for February

NCAE's Principals/Administrators Division is sponsoring its 2nd Annual Administrative Leadership Workshop/Retreat on Feb. 18-19 at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Wrightsville Beach. There is a registration fee of $100 for members and $175 for non-members. The registration deadline has been extended to Feb. 3. Additional information, including registration and schedule of events, is available on NCAE's Web site at http://www.ncae.org by clicking on the Principals Division Workshop/Retreat link under News and Ongoing Activities. For more information, please contact Mary Colavito, NCAE Principals/Administrators Division, 832-3000 ext. 209, or by email, mary.colavito@ncae.org.

Holocaust Workshops for Teachers

Three, one-day, multi-county Holocaust workshops have been scheduled for middle and high school social studies and English teachers. Presenting at the workshops will be Dr. Karl Schleunes, a historian and Holocaust scholar, and Gizella Abramson, a Holocaust survivor of the Majdanek death camp. Participants will receive a copy of "The Holocaust: a North Carolina Teacher's Resource," a guide for teaching about the Holocaust at the middle and high school levels. Substitute pay is provided for teachers attending, but space is limited and teachers are encouraged to make early contact with Linda Scher, Workshop Coordinator. Workshop dates and locations are as follows: Fayetteville, Cumberland County, Feb. 21; Louisburg, Franklin County, March 21; and Burnsville, Yancey County, April 12. For additional information, including registration, please email Holocaust Teacher Workshop Coordinator Linda Scher at Brisket234@aol.com.

Training for VHS, Inc., Site Coordinators

Currently, North Carolina has over 30 high schools participating in the Virtual High School (VHS), Inc. program. Training is now being offered to expand this program. If you would like for your high school to offer the VHS, Inc., catalog of more than 120 courses via the Internet, please appoint a site coordinator who will then participate in free training scheduled to begin March 16. Training site coordinators this spring will allow students to register this spring for courses next fall. The training is conducted online over a four-week period, five hours per week. The deadline to apply for the training is March 4. For more information on VHS, Inc., go to http://www.govhs.org. To apply for the free training, please contact Sue Scott, Instructional Technology, NC DPI, 919/807-3429, or by email, ssscott@dpi.state.nc.us.

Advanced Placement Forum Scheduled for March

An Advanced Placement Forum will be held at the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center on March 8. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the opening session scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Workshops begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. The forum will have interactive session in the following five strands: Administration, Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies. The one-day forum's registration fee is $125 and covers all materials and lunch. For registration information, please go to "Events and Conferences" on the Agency's Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org or contact Wandra Polk, Instructional Services, DPI, 919/807-3816, or by email, wpolk@dpi.state.nc.us.

First State Suicide Prevention Conference Scheduled

The first statewide suicide prevention conference, "Saving Tomorrows Today: Keys to Implementing North Carolina's Plan for Suicide Prevention," will be held March 24-25, at the Sheraton, Chapel Hill. The event is co-sponsored by the Mental Health Association in North Carolina, the North Carolina Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force, and Greensboro AHEC. All educational professionals, including psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses, are encouraged to attend. There is a registration fee of $95 if received prior to March 17 and $110 if received after this date. For more information, including registration, please go online to the Greensboro AHEC's Web site at http://www.gahec.org/Db/details.asp?results=11762

NC DPI Arts Education Newsletter Online

The January 2005 issue of the NC DPI Arts Education Newsletter is available online at http://www.learnnc.org (click on "News and Happenings" and then "Arts Education Newsletter" under dance, music, theatre arts or visual arts education). Highlights of this issue include: NC Honors Course Standards, NC Action Plan for High School Innovation, National Symphony Orchestra American Residency, Events, Resources and Opportunities for Arts Educators, and a Calendar of Events.

UNC-TV's ED Channel Features Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Educators

To assist educators with meeting the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, UNC-TV's digital ED channel will offer professional development programming for K-12 educators, produced by the United Star Distance Learning Consortium (USDLC), beginning in January. This programming, made possible through support by the NC DPI, will include the Achieving Academic Excellence series. To learn more about the programs, visit the Distance Learning Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/distancelearning and click on the News&Announcements link. For additional questions, please contact Linda Walters, USDLC Professional Development Coordinator, NC DPI, 919/807-3497, or by email, lwalters@dpi.state.nc.us.

Fulbright Teacher Exchange Hosting Opportunity

The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program is currently looking for U.S. high schools/districts to host English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers from Morocco for six weeks in March-April 2005. The deadline to express interest is Jan. 24. For more information about the program, including a host application form, please go online to http://www.fulbrightexchanges.org/View/ViewOtherOpps.asp

Scholarship/Grant Opportunities Available in Culinary Arts Field

The North Carolina Restaurant Association's Hospitality Educational Foundation recently announced its 2005-06 scholarship and grant program, which makes available more than $60,000 to 27 deserving students interested in pursuing a career in culinary arts or hospitality management. Grants also are available to educators seeking funds for student, program or faculty development. These grants can be used for a variety of needs including research, equipment or materials for the classroom. Scholarship/grant applications must be submitted by Feb. 28. For more information, including applications, please go online to http://www.ncra.org or call 800/582-8750.

Additional Grant Opportunities

The NEA Foundation's next round of Innovation Grant and Learning&Leadership Grant applications will be reviewed beginning Feb. 1 with award notification by June 15. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date and are available for all subjects, including the arts, literacy, science, and technology. All practicing K-12 public school teachers and education support professionals are eligible to apply. Applications for these grants are accepted on an ongoing, year-round basis. Read about recent projects on the foundation's Web site, then submit your proposal by going online to http://www.neafoundation.org The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is requesting proposals for schoolyard environmental demonstration projects throughout the program region. The region includes five major river basins: the Chowan, Pasquotank, Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico and Neuse. Demonstration project proposals are being solicited from schools, government agencies and nonprofit organizations within each river basin. The projects must address the main sections of the APNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan: water quality, vital habitats, fisheries and stewardship. Projects must address an on-site environmental issue and have an environmental education component. Some existing projects include constructed wetlands at the Pactolus Elementary in Pitt County and Winfall schools in Perquimans County and a stormwater detention area at Bunn High School in Franklin County. With a total of $100,000 available for grants, each of the five river basins may receive up to $20,000. The APNEP Citizen Council will select the projects and determine the funding amounts. Prospective grant recipients are encouraged to partner with others to leverage additional funds. To receive an application and a copy of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, visit the APNEP Web site at http://www.apnep.org or contact Kelly Williams at 919/715-4074 or by email, Kelly.williams@ncmail.net