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September 2014 Vol. 22 No. 1
edNews is a quarterly publication of Metro ECSU (Metropolitan Educational Cooperative Service Unit)
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Quick links:
Metro ECSU event calendar
Metro ECSU 2 Pine Tree Drive Suite 101 Arden Hills, MN 55112 Main: 612-638-1500 Fax: 612-706-0811
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Creativity Festivals offer 3rd-7th grade students a day exploding with excitement
At Success Beyond the Classroom's unique Creativity Festivals, students can dissect squids, write song lyrics, create 3D books, and explore sustainable food sources...all in one day!
Interactive is the key word to describe this event. Students attend 3 sessions led by professionals in the arts and in STEM fields. Through hands-on experiences, students learn that creative thinking is vital to both the arts and the sciences. This is a day your students will never forget.
Additional session topics include: Hawaiian music, bee keeping, orienteering, logo design/marketing, soul dance, storytelling, digital art, and designing wind turbines
Creativity Festival for grades 5-7
Dates: Dec. 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2014
Location: Science Museum of Minnesota
Early Bird Registration deadline: Oct. 10, 2014
More information
Creativity Festival for grades 3-4
Dates: Jan. 13 and 14, 2015
Location: Ted Mann Concert Hall, U of M
Early Bird Registration deadline: Nov. 14, 2014
More information
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| | May Lee-Yang to keynote/electrify the 25th annual Young Authors Conference
A common writer’s ailment is not being able to get started because you don’t have any idea what to write about. Or finding yourself stuck in the middle of a great story with no idea what will happen next.
Keynote speaker, May Lee-Yang, playwright, poet, prose writer, and performance artist will share tips and tricks for getting into the creative zone, so you can harness the power of inspiration instead of waiting for it to come find you.
Join us on March 19, 2015 or during the week of May 26-29 to learn creative techniques to overcome writer’s block and jumpstart your writing. Attend the keynote and hands-on breakout sessions led by published authors, illustrators, journalists, poets and more for a day full of inspiration and new writing tools and strategies.
More information
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| | YAC 2014 Keynote, May Lee-Yang
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| Success Beyond the Classroom launches new website!
SBC's new website provides easier navigation combined with a lovely design. Check it out today!
www.successbeyond.org
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BRAINIATE with Eric Jensen on October 28 @ TIES
The Metropolitan Principals' Academy (MPA) presents Teaching and Engaging with the Brain in Mind, a workshop by Eric Jensen.
On October 28, Eric Jensen will dig deeper into engagement as the key factor in the academic success of economically disadvantaged students. Jensen will share smart, purposeful engagement strategies that any teacher can use to expand ALL students’ cognitive capacity, increase motivation and effort, and build deep, enduring understanding of content including:
• The (until-now) unwritten rules for engagement that are essential for increasing student achievement,
• How automating engagement in the classroom can help teachers use instructional time more effectively and empower students to take ownership of their learning, and
• Steps you can take to create an exciting yet realistic implementation plan.
Jensen does a fantastic job of modeling each of the strategies he shares. He is extremely knowledgeable about effective teaching and has personal experience working with students from all backgrounds and economic levels. Overall, Jensen focuses on how to get our brains and the brains of our students working at maximum capacity.
This all-day (8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) workshop is intended for education leaders and teacher teams. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from this renowned educational leader. Jensen's workshops always fill fast, so register your team soon. Space is limited. No walk-in registrations.
For more information, please contact Julie Frame at 612-638-1508.
View flyer
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| | Metro ECSU offers support for school leaders implementing new ELL law
Has your district reviewed the new changes in law regarding English Learners? Do you know how to implement those changes? If your school/district needs guidance, sign up for Metro ECSU’s ELL Advocate Leadership Series. This series will help your school/district incorporate district, school, and classroom-level strategies in disciplinary literacy, integrated curriculum alignment, planning/instruction and assessment, as well as student engagement.
The ELL Advocate Leadership Series includes a copy of the book, Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner, by Maria G. Dove, Andrea Honigsfeld and Audrey Cohan.
This is a four-part series: 10/30/14, 12/11/14, 1/15/15, and 3/16/15. Meetings will take place from 9:00 a.m. to noon at Metro ECSU (Arden Hills).
Register today!
For more information, please contact Julie Krohn at 612-638-1522.
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| | Charter School Leaders: do you need a part-time EL Coordinator? Metro ECSU can help!
We know charter schools need experienced EL coordinators but may not need a full-time person. An experienced, high-quality, part-time EL person can be hard to find. We have an easy and cost effective solution.
Our EL Specialist can be YOUR EL Coordinator. A Metro ECSU contracted EL Coordinator can provide ongoing performance evaluations, programming set up, audit support should you need it, on-site support and more. Want to learn more? Please contact Julie Frame at 612-638-1508.
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| | ParaPro Assessment Examination now available at Metro ECSU
Metro ECSU, through a joint venture with Educational Testing Service (ETS), is pleased to be named as an administration and exam site for the ParaPro Assessment Examination.
General Information
The ParaPro Examination has been approved for use in Minnesota as a way for general and special education paraprofessionals, management assistants, and pupil support assistants to fulfill Title I certification requirements.
Advantages to using this value-added service through Metro ECSU
- Save valuable staff time
- Flexible exam scheduling
- Access to a computer with pre-loaded exam software
- Conveniently located metro exam site
Exam Administration Fee: $80.00
To learn more about the exam process or to schedule an exam date and time, please contact
Sandy Giancola at 612-638-1502.
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| | Families support each other at weekend retreat for students with disabilities
This past June, some teens with physical or visual impairments came together at the MN State Academy for the Blind in Faribault to talk about their future -- what they envisioned for themselves in the years ahead, and what it would take to achieve those dreams. Parents came too -- to talk about how they could support their children’s dreams.
The discussions among the teens, parents and professional facilitators (Physical/Health Disabilities or Blind/Visually Impaired teachers) who led the weekend event were sometimes difficult and occasionally scary, but there was also a sense of relief and comfort knowing that they were not alone; that their journey would be in the company of others who came before them or alongside them.
Other weekend activities included a resource fair that brought together over 15 vendors from a variety of community agencies; individualized transition planning with the facilitators, and frequent opportunities to just hang and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Students, parents and facilitators came away from the weekend with the message that everyone has the need and the right to believe in their dreams and to seek the skills and personal connections to make them happen.
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Powerful personal journeys
Friday night brought together some adults who shared their own personal journey with the teens and parents, hoping that it would provide insight and motivation for the years ahead. All of their stories had overtones of encouragement, excitement, and energy that clearly connected with the teens giving them the sense that through self-empowerment, many things are possible.
Nick Misgen, who just completed his freshman year at the University of Minnesota, shared how his diagnosis of muscular dystrophy and using an electric wheelchair since the age of 8 has not slowed down his desire to graduate with a degree in Economics.
Linda Wolford, who works as the Manager of the U of M Student Services at the Disability Resource Center, has not let a lifelong congenital disability slow her down, as she continues to assist other adults with disabilities to meet their goal of graduating from college and reaching career goals.
Sue Lindgren, who is blind, has been active in the disability community for 10 years after obtaining her college degrees in Women’s Studies and Counseling/Psychology and currently works as an Access Consultant at the U of M as well.
Megan Bening is a junior at MN State University Mankato, a member of a disability rights advocacy committee at the University, and happens to be blind.
Funding for this event was provided by the MN Department of Education, and the MN Low Incidence Projects, a grant program made possible through funding from the MN Dept. of Education. Additional support was provided by the MN State Academy for the Blind, MN Vocational Rehabilitation Services, & the State Services for the Blind.
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Communities of Practice to assist in implementation of teacher development and evaluation plans
Regional Communities of Practice are being formed across the state by Minnesota’s service cooperatives and the Minnesota Department of Education for the purpose of improving implementation of teacher development and evaluation plans.
Metro ECSU invites local member and non-member districts and charter schools to send leadership teams of 2-4 members to the Communities of Practice that will be held at Metro ECSU in Arden Hills. Quarterly meetings will focus on implementing, monitoring, and improving teacher development and evaluation plans.
Leadership teams will have the opportunity to network with other schools and districts through collaborative activities and discussions. Teams will identify an implementation issue related to teacher development and evaluation to work on throughout the year.
Act now. Teams will meet on four dates through the 2014-15 school year: September 24, December 8, February 24, and April 22. Join us for the first meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2014.
Register
View flyer
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New partnership formed between Metro ECSU and Girls in Action
Metro ECSU is providing coordination services to Girls In Action (GIA), an exciting and successful empowerment and character-building program for middle and high school girls.
GIA program goals focus on equity as well as college and career readiness. One hundred percent of the Girls in Action seniors graduated in 2014. GIA provided $8,000 in college scholarships to 7 graduating seniors and 3 alumni currently attending college. Ninety percent of the graduating seniors are now in college!
Founded by Dr. Verna Cornelia Price, GIA has shown a positive impact by increasing academic engagement, graduation rates, and enrollment in higher education and decreasing disruptive/violent behavior and suspensions. The curriculum engages girls in critical thinking and personal empowerment for academic and social success, college and career coaching, community oriented service learning projects, and a variety of cultural experiences.
We
are currently scheduling information sessions for administrators and
educators of metro schools who are interested in the program.
For more information, please contact Susan Frame
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Metro ECSU welcomes two new staff members
Susan Frame is providing support for the Girls In Action program, the Home School Liaison Network, and other programs as needed. She is enthusiastic about her new role in bringing very meaningful and worthwhile programs to educators and students.
Susan comes to Metro ECSU with writing, marketing, and presentation skills she honed by providing services to a variety of fields including non-profit art education organizations, engineering firms, retail situations, charitable organizations, and arts promotions. As an accomplished professional artist, Susan specializes in Japanese Sumi-e. She exhibits internationally, teaches across the country, and has a studio in NE Minneapolis.
You can contact Susan at susan.frame@metroecsu.org
Chris Kaiser is the collegial group facilitator for the Metropolitan Principals' Academy. She will also be involved with the MPA Leadership In-Service Series and facilitating Implications & Applications lunch discussions.
Chris has a passion for guiding people in leadership and professional growth. She comes to Metro ECSU with years of experience teaching leadership in higher education and as an organizational consultant and mediator. Chris holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership, a Certificate in Dispute Resolution, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. She also currently teaches at Bethel University in the Business Management and Organizational Leadership programs.
Chris is very excited to join the Metro ECSU team and to work with great people in the Metropolitan Principals Academy. You can contact Chris at chris.kaiser@metroecsu.org
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| | | 2014 Outstanding Service Award Presented to Carol Bomben
Carol Bomben, Metro ECSU Excecutive Committee member, was presented the Outstanding Service Award at the July Annual Board Conference of the Minnesota Service Cooperatives. Julie Frame, Executive Director of Metro ECSU, shared the following about Carol:
Carol has served as a valued member of Metro ECSU’s Executive Committee for four years. Carol has strong connections with leaders in education, business and politics. She truly believes in the value of cooperative organizations and shared services and uses every opportunity to spread the word about the mission as well as the good work of the service cooperatives.
Carol has an energetic spirit that is contagious, a pervasive positive attitude, and a genuinely warm and welcoming persona that is so important in creating and continuing the culture of our service cooperative!
Metro ECSU is pleased to be among the organizations to benefit from Carol's passion and skills.
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| | "Reach for the Stars" catalog now available
Student programs that have received the Minnesota Academic League Council's
endorsement are included in the Reach for the Stars catalog, which is
published by Synergy & Leadership Exchange.
Download the pdf or pick up a printed version at Metro ECSU during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
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