TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2008

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 - Teachers' Biweekly Messages

It's important that everyone gets the message: graduate from high school and prepare for success in life. That was the theme for this week's kickoff event for Graduation Awareness Week, Sept. 7-13, which featured awards to 10 school districts and 17 high schools with high graduation rates. In addition to the awards ceremony, key leaders representing education associations, community groups, business and industry and the faith-based community signed a Call to Action and pledged to work throughout North Carolina to raise awareness of the importance of high school graduation. A new Web resource, www.ncpublicschools.org/graduate, is available to provide you and your colleagues with information about how North Carolina is doing on graduation and how we can work together to improve this rate. I hope that every educator, regardless of grade level or subject, will begin to consider herself or himself a graduation coach.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. NCDPI Accepting Comments on Proposed Changes to "Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities"
3. Middle School Mathematics Resources
4. K-12 Science Curriculum Units Online
5. Elementary School Conference to be Held in October
6. American Indians in North Carolina
7. 2008-09 Great Salt Water Educational Outreach Program Targets Fourth Graders
8. Annual Litter Sweep Scheduled
9. Grant Supports Mathematics, Science and Technology Projects
10. Poetry Out Loud Competition for High School Students
11. Food Safety Contests for K-6th Graders
12. Work Zone Poster Contest for K-6th Graders

State Board Meeting Highlights

At today's Board meeting, members approved a number of items including the local districts and one charter school that will be piloting the seventh grade writing assessment, the rubric for preservice teachers and the teacher education program approval process, renaming the Hearing Impaired Teacher Licensure Area and changes to the 2007-08 ABCs/AYP results. Highlights of the September State Board meeting will be available online later next week at www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights.

NCDPI Accepting Comments on Proposed Changes to "Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities"

As a reminder, the NCDPI's Exceptional Children Division is accepting comments regarding the Department's proposed amendments to Sections NC1504-2.1(d)(1)(ii) and NC1504-2.9(a) and (b)(3) of Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities pursuant to Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). The amendment to IDEA Part B - North Carolina Policies is available on the Exceptional Children Division's Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ec/. Comments will be accepted through Oct. 9. In making comments, please give the citation for the section(s) to which you are commenting (i.e. NC1504-2.9) and provide comments in the form of a statement. Comments may be submitted via email to NCPolicies2008@dpi.state.nc.us or mailed to: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional Children Division, ATTN: Valerie Herndon or Ira Wolfe, 6356 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6356.

Middle School Mathematics Resources

Resources for 6-8 mathematics now have a new look and a new home, www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/mathematics/middlegrades/. Housed on the Web site are descriptors for each objective, indicators and tasks. The tasks include some of the Classroom Strategies and Blackline Masters previously available as well as some new ones. Unlike before, each task contains several components: a brief description, instructions, materials and/or advanced preparation needed, implementation suggestions, copy-ready student sheets and answer keys when applicable. The available linkage provided allows teachers to view the objective to be taught and link directly to the support documents. Adding additional tasks will be ongoing, so please visit the site weekly for updates. Please note that the resources in the previous format (including Week-by-Week Essentials) are still available at: http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/math/archives/2005/06/grades_68_resou.php. These can also be purchased from publications by going to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/publications/ and search using mathematics, middle, notebook-ready. For more information, please contact Everly Broadway, K-12 Mathematics, 919.807.3838, or by email, ebroadway@dpi.state.nc.us.

K-12 Science Curriculum Units Online

Science teachers should be aware that the draft version of the NCDPI K-12 Science Curriculum Units are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/science/ at no cost. Just scroll to the bottom of the Web page and look under "Selected Links." We welcome your feedback on the field test evaluation form. Feedback will be used to make necessary changes for the final version, which will be released at the National Science Teachers Association Convention to be held this fall in Charlotte. For more information, please contact Edd Dunlap, Science Section Chief, K-12 Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Division, NCDPI, 919.807.3607, or by email, edunlap@dpi.state.nc.us.

Elementary School Conference to be Held in October

Register now for the Fifth Annual NC Elementary School Conference, "Leading the Way: Preparing Learners for the 21st Century," to be held Oct. 26-28 at the Raleigh Convention Center. This year's event includes exceptional preconference sessions and welcomes Harry Wong as the keynote speaker. Information and registration can be found online at www.ncelementary.org. The deadline for the conference hotel rate is Sept. 26. Click on the conference flyer link for hotel information.

American Indians in North Carolina

Refresh your knowledge of American Indian history and create a lesson plan you can use in your classroom this Thanksgiving. Explore the experiences of American Indians in North Carolina from the period before European colonization through the present, including a look at primary sources and present-day controversies. This 8-week online course begins Oct. 7, is worth 3 CEUs, and costs $225. For more information or to register, please go online to www.learnnc.org/courses/current/amerindnc_10_08_Walbert.

2008-09 Great Salt Water Educational Outreach Program Targets Fourth Graders

The Coastal Carolina Indian Center & Association is sponsoring the 2008-09 Great Salt Water Educational Outreach Program. This is a unique enrichment opportunity for fourth grade teachers and their students. Upon request, staff from the Center will visit schools and individual classrooms so that students can examine a variety of artifacts, ask questions and learn more about some of the fun and thrilling facts of North Carolina Indian history. For more information regarding how to participate in this program, please go online to http://www.coastalcarolinaindians.com/news/071808_EducationalOutreach.htm

Annual Litter Sweep Scheduled

The N.C. Department of Transportation is sponsoring its annual Litter Sweep cleanup Sept. 20-Oct. 4. In support of this event, Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed Sept. 20-Oct. 4 as "Litter Sweep" in North Carolina and encourages all citizens to take an active role in making their communities cleaner and more beautiful. Teachers may want to use this event to highlight the importance of recycling and environmental responsibility with students. For more information, please contact Helen Landi, Office of Beautification Programs, 919.715.3188.

Grant Supports Mathematics, Science and Technology Projects

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is partnering with DonorsChoose.org to promote mathematics, science and technology projects in North Carolina public schools. A grant for $25,000 has been made available to support mathematics, science and technology projects, with priority given to hands-on, inquiry-based proposals, submitted from Title I schools. If you have an innovative mathematics, science or technology project, please submit your proposal today at www.DonorsChoose.org. Proposals must be submitted by Sept. 30 for consideration.

Poetry Out Loud Competition for High School Students

All North Carolina high schools are invited to participate in the 2008-09 Poetry Out Loud national recitation competition. The contest occurs first at the classroom level with winners advancing to school, district, state and national levels. In 2008, Poetry Out Loud awarded over $100,000 in prizes to students and schools at the state and national levels. If your school or district wants to participate, please review the information and fill out the application form at www.ncarts.org (link under Headlines). The form must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. No late applications will be accepted. For more information, please contact Linda Bamford, NC Arts Council, 919.807.6502, or linda.bamford@ncmail.net.

Food Safety Contests for K-6th Graders

September is National Food Safety Month and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is sponsoring two contests for K-6 graders to help bring attention to the importance of food safety. Kindergarten through second graders can participate in a coloring contest and third through sixth graders can participate in an essay contest. All participants will be given prizes with grand prizewinners chosen from each participating school. Prizes will include pencils, magnets, thermometers, and State Fair tickets. Grand prizewinners will be displayed at the NC State Fair. Complete contest information is available online at www.ncfoodsafety.com. The deadline to submit entries for both contests is Oct. 6. You may submit your entries to Wendy Campbell, NCDA&CS Food & Drug Protection, 1070 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1070 or by email, wendy.campbell@ncagr.gov.

Work Zone Poster Contest for K-6th Graders

The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation is sponsoring a poster contest, "Life Behind the Cones and Barrels – How Roadway Workers Keep America Moving," for kindergarten through sixth graders to draw attention to safety in the work zone. Students are invited to submit their impressions of the daily life of America's roadway workers. First through third place prizes in the amounts of $300, $100, and $50 will be awarded with a matching cash prize awarded to the school. Contest rules and requirements are available online at www.atssa.comby clicking on "The Foundation" link at the top. Posters will be accepted through March 15, 2009 with winners being announced in early May 2009.

 

If you'd like to review past Teachers' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/teachersarchive/.