TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2004

AUGUST 26, 2004

Next week I will mark the end of my service as State Superintendent of Public Instruction as my family moves to Mississippi where my wife, Hope, will begin her service as a Bishop in the United Methodist Church. It is bittersweet for both of us to leave our home state, and yet we are excited about the future. I have been proud to serve with you during a time when your efforts changed North Carolina from a state whose schools trailed the nation to a state whose schools now draw the praise of the nation. Best wishes as you continue to assure all children excellent learning opportunities.

Regards,
Mike Ward

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board to Meet
2. Greetings from 2004-05 NC Teacher of the Year
3. Educators Receive ING Unsung Hero Award
4. Early Childhood Education Survey
5. Aug. 13 Edition of NC WISE Newsletter Online
6. Registration Closed for Elementary Conference
7. Migrant Education Conference Scheduled for September
8. Mathematics Teleconferences Target Middle School Teachers
9. Great Salt Water American Indian Heritage and Veterans Pow Wow
10. High School Students Encouraged to Participate in School Bus Safety Speech Contest
11. “Living in our World” on the Web
12. LEARN NC's August Update Online
13. Visitor Center Relocates

State Board to Meet

The State Board of Education will meet next Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 1-2, in the K.E. White Graduate Center, Elizabeth City State University, 1704 Weeksville Road, Elizabeth City. Following Wednesday's Issue Session, which focuses on high school redesign and innovation, Board members will attend the Project R3 Conference until lunch. Following lunch, the Board will pick up its regular agenda, which includes action on the North Carolina Early Learning Standards, corrections to the 2003-04 ABCs/AYP results and the policy on teacher assignment in local school systems receiving disadvantaged student supplemental funding. Discussion items include high school exit standards, criteria for honors courses, and the annual Teacher Turnover report. To view the full agenda, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/ and click on the appropriate link. As a reminder, the monthly State Board of Education meetings are now being audio streamed for those who can't attend. To listen to the sessions, please go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/ and scroll to the Live Audio Stream links.

Greetings from the 2004-05 NC Teacher of the Year

The beginning of a new school year is always exciting! I like to see the yellow buses coming out of the parking lot for the first time. I love to see the children, all dressed up in their favorite outfits and wearing nice shoes and carrying new book bags. Students are excited and wondering about their new teachers and classmates. They are all looking forward to another great new year. Are we ready for the challenge? We have chosen the most challenging and rewarding profession. Everyday we instruct your students, guide them, coach them, discipline them, and inspire them to fulfill their potential! There is no money to pay the satisfaction of knowing that you have made a difference in someone's life. You have done something that matters! Let's begin each day with a smile. We can help our students achieve. We can mold lives. Don't ever give up. Together we can accomplish great things! Lizbeth Alfaro 2004-05 NC Teacher of the Year.

Educators Receive ING Unsung Hero Award

Four North Carolina educators were recently recognized by ING as Unsung Heroes for pioneering new methods and techniques that improve student learning. Congratulations to Lizbeth Alfaro, North Carolina's 2004-05 Teacher of the Year and a teacher at Lyle Creek Elementary School (Catawba County Schools); Sylvia Caldwell, principal, Pauline Jones Elementary (Cumberland County Schools); Kewanna Cigales, teacher, Northside High School (Onslow County Schools); and Bobbie Lequire, teacher, C.G. Credle Elementary School, (Granville County Schools) for receiving this award. Each received $2,000, which they will use to fund the project outlined in their award applications. Applications for next year's Unsung Heroes awards program are now being accepted through April 30, 2005. To receive an application, please contact Scholarship America at 800.537.4180. Winners will be announced in the fall 2005.

Early Childhood Education Survey

DPI's Early Childhood Section is in the process of revising the NC Guide for the Early Years. Please take a moment to answer six questions included in an online survey at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2QCEJHDW7 Your thoughts and suggestions will help us better meet the needs of early childhood educators across the state. Please respond no later than Oct. 1. Questions regarding the survey may be directed to Amy Smith, Children's Trust Fund Consultant, 919.807.3852.

Aug. 13 Edition of NC WISE Newsletter Online

Check out the Aug. 13 edition of NC WISE's newsletter, "Word to the Wise, and learn more about:

what's ahead for the NC WISE project now that is has been given the green light for Wave 1 Deployment; the changes in the new Teacher Assistant Module (TAM) release; and the eSIS Data Conversion Assistance Module (EDCAM) and how will it make the process easier for schools to convert data from SIMS to NC WISE. To view the newsletter, please go online to http://www.ncwise.org/library_NCWISE.html#NCWISEPresentations and click on the link for Aug. 13 under "Newsletter." To learn more about NC WISE, please visit http://www.ncwise.org.

Registration Closed for Elementary Conference

Registration is closed for the First Annual Elementary Conference scheduled for Oct. 11-12 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Research Triangle Park. If you have any questions regarding your registration, please contact Tracey Greggs, English Language Arts and Social Studies, NC DPI, 919.807.3836, or by email, tgreggs@dpi.state.nc.us.

Migrant Education Conference Scheduled for September

The fourth annual Migrant Education Conference will be held Sept. 9-10 at the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center, Durham. Over 30 workshops on the provision of services to migrant and English language learners and their families will be held for all levels of staff. There is a $35 registration fee. For more information, including registration, please contact Paula Langill, Compensatory Education, DPI, 919.807.3812, or by email, plangill@dpi.state.nc.us.

Mathematics Teleconferences Target Middle School Teachers

In order to facilitate the understanding of probability as covered in the revised Mathematics Standard Course of Study that is being implemented this school year, the DPI mathematics staff has scheduled a series of six, two-hour interactive teleconferences for teachers, supervisors and principals. These sessions will be available at eight sites and will be taught by Dr. George Bright, Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Facilitators will be present at each teleconference site. Participants should have a copy of NCTM's Navigating Through Probability in Grades 6-8 for use as a resource during these sessions. Upon completion of these teleconference sessions, each participant will be awarded a certificate of attendance. Teleconferences, which will be held on Wednesdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m., are scheduled for Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Dec. 1, Jan. 19, Feb. 16, and March 16. Locations are as follows: A.L. Brown High School (Kannapolis), NC A&T University (Greensboro), Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (Asheville), Northeastern High School (Elizabeth City), NC Department of Public Instruction (Raleigh), Southeastern Community College (Whiteville), ECU Medical Center/Eastern AHEC (Greenville), and Wilkes Central High School (Wilkesboro). All teleconferences will be taped and copies will be available for purchase from the DPIs Publications Section. For further information or questions call Linda Patch at 919.807.3841 or by email, lpatch@dpi.state.nc.us.

Great Salt Water American Indian Heritage and Veterans Pow Wow

The Coastal Carolina Indian Center is sponsoring the Great Salt Water American Indian Heritage and Veterans Pow Wow, Nov. 5-7, at the Onslow County Fairgrounds/American Legion Building, Jacksonville. An educational field day has been planned for Friday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, including a teaching primer, please go online to http://www.coastalcarolinaindians.com/ and click on "School Day Event Info." Bus reservations need to be made by Sept. 15. Questions also may be directed to the Coastal Carolina Indian Center&Association at 252.354.5905 or 252.622.1908.

High School Students Encouraged to Participate in School Bus Safety Speech Contest

DPI Transportation Services, the Governor's Highway Safety Program and the NC Pupil Transportation Association are sponsoring a School Bus Safety Speech Contest for high school students. The state winner receives $600 with regional/national winners receiving more. Application forms are due Sept. 2. Speeches must be faxed to NC DPI by Sept. 13. Additional information is available online at http://www.ncbussafety.org or by contacting NC DPI Transportation Services at 919.807.3570.

"Living in Our World" on the Web

The newly revised Teacher's Edition of North Carolina State University's "Living in Our World" social studies textbook series for grades 4-7 is now available online, free of charge. The "Living in Our World" Web site located at http://www.chass.ncsu.edu/livinginourworld/ offers units of the Teacher's Editions from grades 4-7, as well as maps, black line masters, chapter worksheets and assessments, ELL worksheets, and graphic organizers. Also included are guidelines for seminars, a comprehensive list of North Carolina cultural resources, and essays on geography and government. All materials are available for downloading and printing free of charge. The classroom activities offered on the Web site conform to the latest goals and objectives for the NC Standard Course of Study for social studies and feature character education, civics, and global connections. Most of the activities are integrated with language arts, math and science components. Many offer suggestions for adaptations in working with students learning English. North Carolina classroom teachers created all the activities. For more information, contact Regina Higgins 919.515.9063; regina_higgins@ncsu.edu; or James Clark 919.515.4145; jim_clark@ncsu.edu.

LEARN NC's August Update Online

LEARN NC's August update offers educators an education glossary that helps them use the ideas behind the terms, "rapid recovery" online courses for middle and high school students; articles on teaching "Math for Multiple Intelligences," a new series on hands-on environmental science for elementary teachers, and a rubric for assigning and evaluating multimedia presentations. Check out these articles and more by going online to http://www.learnnc.org and clicking on the appropriate link.

Visitor Center Relocates

Teachers are reminded that the North Carolina Visitor Center in downtown Raleigh has left its Blount Street location and relocated to the lobby of the N.C. Museum of History. Please spread the word to your peers regarding this location change. For more information or to schedule a tour, educators can call toll-free 866.724.8687, or locally, 919.807.7950.