|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expands to second site at Century College!
|
|
You asked – we listened! Success Beyond the Classroom’s STEMLink5 program has expanded to two sites!
This spring, SBC brings 5th grade students an exceptional STEM opportunity in collaboration with academic and industry leaders. Offering not one but two dates/locations for 5th graders to mix it up in college labs with college faculty and other STEM professionals, SBC ‘s program exposes students to science, technology, engineering and math through active and inquiry based learning techniques.
May 13, 2016 at Normandale Community College, Bloomington - SOLD OUT
May 19, 2016 at Century College, White Bear Lake, SPACE AVAILABLE!
Register today!
View last year’s session descriptions
Designed to bring STEM careers to life, students at STEMLink5 hear a keynote and take part in three hands-on breakout sessions allowing them to explore a variety of STEM disciplines. Each activity/session links to real-life STEM careers and allows students to explore both the characteristics and demand of various STEM-related fields. This experience could be the catalyst that sparks your students’ lifelong exploration of science, technology, engineering and math!
Feedback from teachers and students who attended in May 2015.
To learn more about STEMLink5, please contact Kelly Ascheman at 612-638-1555.
|
|
|
December 2015
Vol. 23, No. 2
edNews is a quarterly publication of Metro ECSU.
Additional Metro ECSU publications include the Composite Calendar for all Metro Districts and the Annual Class Size Study.
|
|
|
|
Metro ECSU Executive Director: Julie Frame
julie.frame@metroecsu.org
612-638-1508
Metro ECSU
2 Pine Tree Drive, Suite 101
Arden Hills, MN 55112
612-638-1500
www.metroecsu.org
edNews Editor: Colleen Feller
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Metro ECSU recognized for providing outstanding professional development for educational interpreters
|
|
The Metro ECSU was the proud recipient of Organization of the Year by the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID). The award was given for over 15 years of workshops for educational interpreters.
The MN Regional Low Incidence Project - Region 11 (formerly known as Metro SPLISE Project) at Metro ECSU, formed a Share Shop of interpreter mentors to coach pre-certified interpreters to pass a National test over 15 years ago. The Share Shop group is responsible for suggesting topics and presenters to refine and develop the skills of the educational interpreters. They meet three times a year at Metro ECSU to update each other on resources and techniques to mentor interpreters in school districts and discuss trends and issues that affect interpreters’ testing.
This professional development has expanded to a full day event before school starts followed by three to four after-school workshops from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A light supper is offered with registration at 4:15 p.m. which encourages the interpreters to come early and network with interpreters from other districts. Since Metro ECSU's move to Arden Hills with the new large training room, registration has grown to include those from neighboring cities such as St. Cloud, Elk River and Faribault.
The nomination letter stated: “Kathy (Pittelko), Ingrid (Aasan) and Dolly (Carr) are who we deal with the most and they go above and beyond in providing from 4-6 workshops a year focused on educational interpreter needs.”
Kathy, Dolly, and Ingrid are honored recipients of the award and consider it as a “job well done” as they work to provide access to curriculum to students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
|
|
| | Interpreters Patty Gordon, Melissa Barg, and Phyllis Genest-Stein are pictured here with Kathy Pittelko, who accepted the Organization of the Year Award on behalf of Metro ECSU. These interpreter mentors are 3 of those who gather as a Share Shop to strategize and share resources for mentoring pre-certified interpreters. They also plan workshops to further the educational interpreter skills. |
| | Metro ECSU to offer ALICE certification training
|
|  |
Metro ECSU is offering ALICE certification training January 6-7, 2016.
This train-the-trainer program is a two-day class on active shooter response management. Attendees will range from local school officials to neighboring law enforcement and area businesses. The location of the training will be the Roseville Lutheran Church in Roseville, MN.
"ALICE training made us rethink our safety procedures and processes regarding lockdown and intruder events," said Bob Laney, Superintendent, St. Anthony-New Brighton School District.
"Thanks to the training, we are better able to give our staff the tools to improve their chances of protecting our students and surviving an incident."
ALICE—Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate—is a set of proactive strategies that moves beyond lockdown and increases the chance of survival during a violent intruder event. ALICE is supported by more than 1,800 law enforcement agencies around the country and complies with the new standard of care recently developed by the Federal Department of Education, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.)
District administrators, school administrators, law enforcement, and public administrators won’t want to miss this training.
Registration link: http://www.metroecsu.org/registration/events
Please contact Susan Frame at 612-638-1543 with questions.
|
| | Registration open for March 5, 2016 conference for paraprofessionals
|
|  |
Metro ECSU and Normandale Community College are proud to present the 11th Annual Winning Strategies Conference. This year’s keynote speaker, Deb West, Autism Resource Specialist at Wayzata Public Schools, will present on "Igniting Greatness," focusing on how we all have the power to ignite our own greatness and the greatness of our co-workers and students.
Breakout session topics will include: behavior strategies, social skills/cooperation, independence, mental health, conflict mediation, topics specific to categorical disabilities ,as well as literacy, math, and technology strategies to support teacher instruction.
The fee is $15, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Register today!
View flyer.
Questions? Please contact Colleen Feller at 612-638-1511.
This initiative is made possible in part with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education using Federal funding CFDA 84.027A, Special Education - Grants to States. This conference does not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education or the state Department of Education; endorsement by the federal or state government should not be assumed.
|
|
| Also for paraprofessionals...you can take the Praxis ParaPro Assessment Exam at Metro ECSU
Metro ECSU serves as an exam center for the Praxis ParaPro Assessment Exam. This value-added service offers schools and districts an efficient way to comply with the employment guidelines for classroom paraprofessionals established under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002.
Metro ECSU has administered over 150 exams to practicing and prospective paras. Exam appointments are scheduled on an individual basis, Monday through Friday during normal business hours, to offer flexibility to those needing to take the exam. The exam fee is $85.
Contact Sandy Giancola at 612-638-1502 or sandy.giancola@metroecsu.org
|
| | SBC's student programs are in full swing!
|
|
|
| | Success Beyond the Classroom is well in the 2015-16 season of amazing student programs! Exciting program updates are described below. |
| March Young Authors Conference registration deadline approaching
SBC will present its first Young Authors Conference of 2016 on March 17. Take advantage of the "Early Bird" ticket price and register by December 18, 2015. Students in grades 4-8 are invited to attend.
The theme of the 2016 Young Authors Conference, Why Write?, offers young writers an opportunity to think deeply about what compels them and others throughout the ages to express themselves using the written word.
Joe Horton, powerful performing artist and rapper, will keynote March YAC. Horton is a professor of Songwriting and Composition at McNally Smith College of Music and holds and MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University.
View flyer
Register for March YAC.
|
| | | Creativity Festival 5-7
During the first week in December, nearly 1,000 students headed to the Science Museum for our Creativity Festival for grades 5-7. Students spent the day learning about STEM concepts and artist techniques at the ultimate STEAM event! This year’s interactive sessions included: Personal Storytelling, Be a Veterinarian, Origami Shibori with Bengala Mud Dye, Squid Dissection, MATH + ART, CSI: Nature, 3D Printing, App Building, and Choreography. |
| | | Creativity Festival 3-4
On January 12 and 13, SBC presents a sold-out Creativity Festival for grades 3-4 at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota. Over 1,200 students will attend sessions about toy design, Bengala dye, veterinary science, rocket technology, Indonesian music, Gelli art, and urban climates. |
| | Future City Competition
Also in January -- the Minnesota Regional Future City Competition heads to Dunwoody College of Technology. On January 23, over 40 teams of 6th-8th graders will pitch a city of their own design to local engineering professionals. The winning team wins a trip to Washington DC to try to take it all at the National Future City Competition. This year’s theme is “Waste Not, Want Not.” Best of luck to all Metro area Future City Teams! For more info about this national engineering challenge, follow @FCCMN on Twitter and Instagram. |
| | | Applications for SW-PBIS Cohort 12 now available
|
| SW-PBIS
(School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) is a
framework or approach for assisting school personnel in adopting and
organizing evidence-based behavioral interventions into an integrated
continuum that enhances academic and social behavior outcomes for all
students.
The first SW-PBIS training in Minnesota was offered to schools
in 2005. As of August 2015, 543 Minnesota schools are in training or
have completed the two-year cohort training. The Minnesota SW-PBIS
initiative now includes 27% of Minnesota schools, which impacts over
247,000 students, or 29.5% of MN students.
The
PBIS State Leadership Team annually selects the Minnesota schools
who will take part in the 2-year SW-PBIS Implementation training.
Regional Implementation Projects coordinates training and supports
implementation in the Northern, Southern and Metro areas of the state.
Applications for the upcoming 2016-2018 Cohort 12 are now available
online: http://www.pbismn.org/GSapplication.html
Selection
for school teams to participate in Cohort 12 (Summer 2016-Spring 2018)
is based on complete and accurate information provided in the
application. A strong emphasis will be placed on evidence of data system
that informs behavioral practice; administrative support and
participation; and demonstration of staff buy-in/informed consent. The
Summer, Fall and Spring training dates for all regions are included in
the application document.
Please e-mail the completed application to
MDE.PBIS@state.mn.us no later than 2:00 p.m. on January 13, 2016. Only
electronic submissions are accepted.
Contact Lauren Sparr at 612-638-1534 with questions.
|
| | Metro ECSU wishes you a joyful and restful holiday season!
|
|
|
|
