Subject: September 2017 - News from Metro ECSU

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September 2017, Vol. 25, No. 1     News from Metro ECSU
edNews editor, Colleen Feller
We hope your school year is off to a great start!

View Metro ECSU's monthly calendar of events

2017-2018 highlights include (additional details below):
  • Metropolitan Principals' Academy presents Clayton Cook, Jeff Duncan-Andrade,  and Shelley Burgess
  • Metro ECSU sponsors 2018 Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee
  • New Number Sense Professional Network forming
  • English Language Learner Program Coordinator and Teachers Networks forming
  • Martina Wagner offers Co-Teaching workshops (basics, advanced, and leadership overview) and SIOP® 3-Day workshop
  • Metro ECSU is donating its "legacy" SMART Technology equipment
  • Success Beyond the Classroom, home of YAC, STEMLink, FCC, CCon, CF, and KB is hiring! 
  • Metro ECSU continues to be a busy testing site for the ParaPro Exam
Success Beyond the Classroom
Ready to Grow!
Join our team!

Success Beyond the Classroom is adding a professional position. Do you know anyone who may be interested in joining a team focused on designing and implementing quality enrichment programs for students across the Metro Twin Cities area? If so, please pass on this link with position description and instructions to apply. Application deadline is September 18.                

http://www.successbeyond.org/careerOpportunities.html
Expand your Students' Curiosity, Confidence, and Creativity with SBC Student Programs!
November 14,15,16, 2017
CreativeCon
Grades 5-8
Science Museum of Minnesota
Breakout Sessions
Register Now

January 9,10,11, 2018
Creativity Festival
Grades 3-5
Ted Mann Concert Hall, U of M
Breakout Sessions
Register Now

Can creativity be learned? Is it a critical skill to foster?
At Success Beyond the Classroom, our response is YES and YES! Creativity can be learned. And even though we are all naturally creative, people of all ages can strengthen their creative skills by experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information. Learning to think creatively and problem solve prepares students for life beyond the classroom.

Your students are invited to shake up the way they think by attending one of SBC’s creativity festivals. At CreativeCon and the Creativity Festival, students attend three interactive breakout sessions led by professionals from the arts and sciences. 97% of the more than 1700 student participants responded YES, they’d like to return this coming year!

Register for CreativeCon (grades 5-8)
Register for Creativity Festival (grades 3-5)
March 13, 2018
STEMLink
Grades 5-6
Dunwoody College of Technology
(Minneapolis)

May 11, 2018
STEMLink
Grades 5-6
Normandale Community College(Bloomington)

May 16 and 17, 2018
STEMLink

Grades 5-6

Century College(White Bear Lake)
STEMLink brings STEM careers to life as fifth and sixth grade students participate in three 60-minute interactive sessions on a college campus in college labs with professionals from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, health sciences, engineering, CAD, horticulture, fabrication, math, cybersecurity, computer science and more.
Important! Mark Your Calendars!

STEMLink Registration Opens on September 19 at 7:00 a.m.for all schools

STEMLink, SBC’s wildly popular STEM-focused program for 5th and 6th graders, has added a third location! In addition to our lasting partnerships with Normandale Community College and Century College, we are pleased to announce our new partnership with Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis.

Due to the addition of a third site, we are opening up registration to all metro area schools on a first-come-first-served basis on September 19, 2017 at 7:00 a.m.
 
The STEMLink registration process now mimics that of our other programs (Young Authors Conference, CreativeCon, and Creativity Festival).

STEMLink registrants no longer have to wait for an invitation link via email to register. They simply go to this site to begin the registration process: http://www.successbeyond.org/STEMlink_registration.html
 
There is one similarity to the old way of registering for STEMLink: space is limited and all locations will fill up fast! Mark your calendars for September 19, 2017.
 
Metro ECSU Member Rate - $30/student
Non-Member Rate - $45/student

Please note: In order to maximize space for school and district groups, this event does not offer individual registration (i.e. registration on an individual basis by parents, separate from school groups.)

Questions? Contact Kelly Ascheman at 612-638-1555
Young Authors Conference
March 16, 2018
Young Authors Conference
Grades 4-8
Bethel University
Register
for March YAC
May 29, 30, 31, June 1, 2018
Young Authors Conference
Grades 4-8
Bethel University
Register
for May/June YAC

YAC 2018 Theme:
Connecting Our World--One Story at a Time


The work being done by this year’s keynote, Green Card Voices, demonstrates the power of shared personal narratives. Young Authors Conference students will be encouraged to use their own stories to connect with each other and the world.

YAC gives 4th-8th grade students the opportunity to learn from professionals with real writing experience, including local fiction and non-fiction writers, poets, songwriters, playwrights, actors, and illustrators and more. Students leave YAC with a greater passion to write and a new set of strategies and ideas with which to experiment.

YAC theme and keynote (same keynote for March and May)

New for March and May YAC! Teacher Workshop
Success Beyond the Classroom semester and season-long programs: FCC and KB
Minnesota Future City Competition (grades 6-8)
Program runs September-January.

Register by October 31

Teams of students work with their teacher and an engineer mentor to develop a project plan; create a virtual city design with SimCity software; research and write a proposed solution to an engineering challenge; build a tabletop city model with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at the regional competition in January 2018. This year's theme is The Age-Friendly City. Read more


2017 Future City Impact Report
2017 Future City Sponsors
Middle Grades Knowledge Bowl (grades 6-8)

Register


This season starts at the Once Upon a Kick-Off Meet in November!
Schools new to KB may participate for free.

Regular season meets (December 2017 to February 2018) are held at various middle schools across the Metro. Teams battle against other Metro KBers for awards and glory. It all comes to a head at the two regional finale meets where trophies are presented to the best of the best.

This year's Middle Grade Statewide Meet, I Love the 90s, will take place at St. Francis Middle school in January 2018. Come prepared to, like totally, destroy the competition.

Senior High Knowledge Bowl (grades 9-12)

Register

Students in grades 9-12 test their smarts against 130 teams from across the Metro from January to March 2018. In April, the top 6 teams head to State at Cragun's Resort to face off against the best and the brightest Knowledge Bowlers across the state.
Tee it up for SBC!

On September 22, friends and supporters of Success Beyond the Classroom will tee it up at SBC’s Moonlight Golf Fundraiser to be held at New Hope Village Golf Course.

The evening will include 9 holes of golf in the dark, dinner, contests, prizes and more.

Our deepest appreciation goes to
Thrivent Financial for their Action Team designation and to our golfers and Hole Sponsors for their support in making this fundraiser a success:

Hole Sponsors
:
1. Abdo Eick & Meyers LLP  

2. Alatus LLC
3. Bullis Insurance Agency LLC
4. City Engineers Association of MN
5. Corporate Technologies LLC
6. CSI Ergonomics
7. Groebner
8. IRET
9. Perry Jacobson, Thrivent 
    Financial
10. Minnesota State
11. New Wave Design and
      Verification
12. Pinnaca
13. Max Rathmanner, Coldwell  
      Banker Burnet
14. Red Balloon Bookshop
15. Sparr Realty Team
16. Spear Envelope
17. Trinity3 Technology
18. Your Name Here!

 Find out more:
http://www.successbeyond.org/golf.html
Metro ECSU members save on SBC programs!

Success Beyond the Classroom presents all of its programs in collaboration with Metro ECSU.

Metro ECSU member districts/schools can participate in SBC student programs at special member rates.


Read more
Metro ECSU welcomes two new staff members
Jake Law has been working in education and non-profits for over 10 years in the U.S., Mexico, Peru and Chile. He has a strong background in working in diverse cultural settings and with people from around the world. He has experience in EL instruction, EL and Foreign Language Assessment, curriculum and program development. Most recently he has been working to improve student placement and intake processes for ELs and build capacity with bicultural liaisons and EL families. At Metro ECSU Jake will be working with the Center for English Language Learning and Achievement (CELLA) supporting bicultural liaisons and interpreters, English Learner programming, and assessments. He also will be facilitating the Number Sense, Homeschool and Bicultural Liaison professional networks. Originally from St. Paul, Jake is back in the U.S. living with his wife Maria, and his French bulldog, Conchito. You can contact Jake at jacob.law@metroecsu.org
Angela Skrade comes to Metro ECSU with over 21 years of administrative experience working in a non-profit arts organization and a financial planning agency. Additionally, as a practicing professional artist, dance performer and instructor, she enjoys working with a diverse group of people and is skilled in marketing, event planning, and customer service. A few of Angela's new responsibilities include administering ParaPro Examination Assessments and coordinating the upcoming Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee. She is thrilled to join the Metro ECSU team! You can contact Angela at angela.skrade@metroecsu.org

Fifteen schools accepted into
SW-PBIS Cohort 14

All across the state, school is starting! To gear up for the return of the school year and prepare for effective school-wide and classroom behavior systems to start the school year strong, 15 Metro schools were accepted into SW-PBIS Cohort 14 (Summer 2017-Spring 2019).

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 impacting 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 coordinate training and support implementation in the Northern, Southern and Metro areas of the state. Is your school interested in SW-PBIS? Find out more: http://pbismn.org/getting-started/index.php
Coming Soon! Number Sense Professional Network

Math and general education teachers are invited to join Metro ECSU's Number Sense Professional Network. A great opportunity to continue growing professionally through engaging presentations and training, this network provides educators an opportunity to connect and ideate with other professionals about challenges, concerns, resources and knowledge. For more information contact Jake Law
Metro ECSU sponsors Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee

Metro ECSU is pleased to serve for our second year as the Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee sponsor. At this important educational event, 50 school champions compete for a chance to move on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. Metro ECSU is honored to support this valuable program, and our area students in their quest to attend the 2018 National Bee!

Registration is available now on spellingbee.com We are diligently working to finalize all the details of the 2018 Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee and will provide more information as it becomes available. For more information contact Angela Skrade
Metro ECSU is donating its "legacy" SMART Technology Equipment*

The first Metro ECSU member district that responds via email and is able to pick up the items from our office in Arden Hills is the winner!
 
Items up for donation (photos below)*:
 
  • Two 77 inch SMART Boards, model SB680 (2009) with wall-mount projectors & SMART pens
  • One 77 inch SMART Board, model SB680 (2009) with wheeled floor stand & SMART pens
  • One SMART Sympodium, model ID370 (2009)
 
Please email kelly.ascheman@metroecsu.org if you are interested in obtaining these items. They will go to the first Metro ECSU member district who responds via email. Items must be picked up at the Metro ECSU office in Arden Hills by a member district representative.
 
*Software is not included, all items are “as-is” with no warranty (all items worked upon deinstallation)
Help Me Grow Cross Cultural Outreach
 
In July 2016 a collaborative partnership was formally established between the Region 11 Interagency Early Intervention Committee (IEIC) and the University of MN Act Early team to provide culturally responsive outreach that promotes Help Me Grow. Cultural liaisons from culturally diverse communities work to promote early developmental screening within the Hmong, Latino and Somali communities.

Training and ongoing support of the cultural liaisons is provided by Dr. Jennifer Hall-Lande of the University of Minnesota. The liaisons or delegates then conduct outreach in their communities around developmental monitoring utilizing resource materials from the “Learn the Signs. Act Early” and Help Me Grow.

Targeted outreach has taken place at large public events such as the Hmong Freedom Festival, neighborhood festivals, back-to-school events as well as connecting with staff and families at clinics, child care centers, places of worship and community organizations.

Region 11 translated Help Me Grow outreach materials into many languages and added photos of culturally diverse children to existing outreach materials in order to be more inclusive.
Testimonials from Help Me Grow Cultural Delegates
“Our cultural delegates come from the same Latino community we intend to serve and have an innate ability to connect and develop trusting relationships with its members.  Because they look like them, speak like them and come from the same cultural and socioeconomic background as them, it is much easier to interact and explain the programs and services to families. Our cultural delegates can anticipate barriers and understand thought processes, expectations and fears. Because they basically mirror the members of the community, they encourage dialogue and friendly exchange of information without families feeling intimidated.”  -Cristina Flood Urdangarin  
“I am able to relay information to Hmong families and professionals in a way that they can understand. I've learned that in addition to providing the resource, it is also important to build relationships with parents and professionals so they can better understand and use the information.”  -Zang Vang-Lee
“Having cultural delegates working with the community they are familiar with is a great way of breaking cultural barriers such as language. As a delegate it is easy for me to connect with other Somali mothers like me or a community leader and start a conversation. I don't need to spend a lot of time to get to know and or build trust so I can engage with them.”  -Fatuma Irshat
Fall Workshop and Network Opportunities with Martina Wagner

Beginning this month, Metro ECSU has several workshops and networks available to suit your needs whether you are an EL specialist looking to brainstorm and network with other EL specialists, a co-teacher who is new to co-teaching, or an effective instructional leader who seeks a deeper level of understanding on how to best implement and sustain highly effective co-teaching practices, we have the workshop or network for you!

All the following events will be held at Metro ECSU.

Workshops:

Co-Teaching Basics
September 28, 2017
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about creating and maintaining co-teaching partnerships in elementary and secondary schools. Bring your co-teaching partner!
Register

Advanced Co-Teaching Beyond the Basics
October 4, 2017
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Found your co-teaching partner? Looking for more to take you both to the next level? This is the session for you!
Register

Co-Teaching the Leadership Overview
October 3, 2017
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Learn how to increase your effectiveness and support successful and sustainable co-teaching in your school or district.
Register     

Sheltered Instruction (SIOP®) 3-Day
September 27, November 8, December 6, 2017
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Do you work with English language, diverse or varied ability learners? Find out how to address the needs of each and every learner in your content area! 


Networks:

English Language Learner ELL Network for ELL Program Coordinators*
October 9, December 11, 2017
January 8, February 5, April 10, May 7, 2018
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Engage in discussions about the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on programing and develop themes and must-haves for subsequent sessions.

English Language Learner ELL Network for ELL Teachers and Support Staff*
October 9, December 11, 2017
January 8, February 5, April 10, May 7, 2018
12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Collaborate with other ELL professionals and share ideas and insights from your classroom experience.

*These ELL networks are participant driven. Content will be based on the needs determined by participants.
Scaling up Evidence Based Practices in MN through On-Site Coaching

Over the past 10 years, the MN ASD Low Incidence Project and local educators have been scaling up their practices in implementing evidence based practices (EBPs) for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related developmental disabilities.  In 2007, MN was awarded a grant to receive training and coaching from the National Professional Development Center for ASD. Through this grant and the follow-up efforts of the MN ASD Low Incidence Project, educators have been trained and coached to increase their skills in using evidence based practices with students. This project has trained over 500 educators through summer symposiums, ASD State Conferences, online learning modules, and district-based professional development classes. ASD Coaches throughout the state were trained through the MN ASD Coaching Initiative and serve in their local area to coach other educators on scaling up EBPs.
More recently, a grant through the Minnesota Department of Education to scale up EBPs for students with ASD has been implemented through Metro ECSU and ASD leaders.  The implementation project funded by this grant aims to train and coach educators on the use of multiple evidence based practices to fidelity.  “Fidelity” refers to interventions being implemented in the same way as those found, through research, to yield significant gains in skill development for students. 

This school year, eight teams were selected to participate in a year long training and coaching project to implement EBPs for their students. Training and on-site coaching is built into this project to maximize the implementation of important evidence based practices to fidelity. The practices include direct teaching of skills, social interactions, and independence to students with significant challenges in these areas. A three day intensive training was recently provided by the STAR program (Strategies based on Autism Research) to school teams prior to the school year. Teams (special education teacher, related service provider and paraprofessionals) attended together and will work collaboratively in the upcoming school year.
For more information, contact Tami Childs
2017-18 MPA Workshops feature Clayton Cook, Jeff Duncan-Andrade, and Shelley Burgess

Metropolitan Principals’ Academy (MPA) kicked off the year with Mike Schmoker presenting at the Leadership In-Service Series workshop on July 27.
  • Clayton CookStudent Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Functioning: The Foundation for School and Life Success (October 26, 2017) Register
  • Jeff Duncan-AndradeNote to Educators: Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete (November 28, 2017) Register
  • Shelley BurgessLead Like a Pirate                           (January 30, 2018) Register
Opportunities for participation in collegial groups that meet once per month are also available for all leaders. Metropolitan Principals’ Academy focuses on developing leadership through Leadership In-Service workshops for principals and district leaders, collegial groups, and special opportunities. For more information about MPA contact Susan Frame, 612-638-1543 or susan.frame@metroecsu.org
Sandy Giancola receives Outstanding Service Award for Metro ECSU

Sandy Giancola, long-time Metro ECSU executive assistant, was awarded the annual Outstanding Service Award given at the Minnesota Service Cooperative Board Conference. After 26 years at Metro ECSU, Sandy retired in May.

Sandy Giancola worked with so many programs at Metro ECSU it is hard to remember all of them! What is easiest to remember is the extraordinary quality of her work, regardless of the task. For the last 20 plus years Sandy supported Metro ECSU in the role of executive assistant. The job description for that position is three pages long and includes just about everything that needs to be done for the organization. Not only was Sandy in this position for more than 20 years, she worked with three executive directors.

Sandy is the queen of connections at Metro ECSU. Be it MPA, PBIS, ELL, SBC, CoE, DHH, ASD, SPLISE, or YAC, she knows what these Metro ECSU acronyms stand for as well as about 50 others. Sandy also knows what each program does and who does it. That bank of knowledge is not easy to come by.

Sandy is a model membership ambassador. No call or question is too big or too small. She is always thinking about ways to improve services for members and is very conscious of the importance of members to the organization. As executive assistant, Sandy was the front line in many ways. Her professionalism, positive attitude, and remarkable skill are legendary. Sandy has a calming and steady demeanor, and she is a sincere friend to all Metro ECSU staff. We will miss her presence here at the office greatly and wish her a wonderful retirement!
Metro ECSU: Your Metro Area Site for ParaPro Assessments!

As the new school year begins, Metro ECSU is in high demand as the Twin Cities Metro Area ParaPro exam administration site. Paraprofessionals who assist with classroom instruction must meet state requirements beyond a High School diploma, or its equivalent. One option to satisfy this demand is passing the ParaPro examination, an assessment designed to fulfill requirements of the federally legislated No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, which measures the math, reading, and English skills of practicing or aspiring Paraprofessionals, as well as their ability to apply these skills and knowledge when assisting in a classroom setting.

The ParaPro Assessment is a timed, computerized exam, consisting of 90 multiple-choice questions. The questions must be answered within a two and one-half hour time period, and scoring is scaled, based on 75 of the 90 questions. Minnesota requires a minimum score of 460 to pass the examination. Testing is offered at Metro ECSU on a weekly basis, Tuesday- Friday, with both morning and afternoon appointment times available.

Metro ECSU, through a joint venture with Educational Testing Service (ETS), is proud to be the only ParaPro exam administration site in the immediate Twin Cities metro area and one of only 8 sites currently offering this service in Minnesota.

o learn more about the exam process or to schedule an exam appointment, contact Angela Skrade at 612-638-1528 or angela.skrade@metroecsu.org
Cooperative Purchasing saves your school time and money!

Cooperative Purchasing Connection (CPC) is featuring Back to School on Express! The online marketplace Express is your solution for back to school purchasing needs. When you order through Express you need only one login and one password to shop from all the vendors. And you don't need reference codes! Patchia Vang from College Prep Elementary School says Express, "Takes a lot off your shoulders. It makes my life easier." 

Check out the classroom materials, curriculum supports, office supplies, STEM materials and more on Express. A wide variety of other products for all your school and district needs are also available through CPC. In addition to the excellent pricing, we save you time, money and resources by conducting the competitive bidding for you. Vendor contracts are established through a formal bid process conducted by Minnesota Service Cooperatives (MSC). Purchasing from our partnered vendors satisfies Minnesota competitive bidding requirements.
CPC partner CDW-G provides superior customer support, expert advice, and extensive product and service offerings including classroom design and over 1,000 leading technology brands of hardware, software and peripheral products.
BrightWorks, 2 Pine Tree Drive, Suite 101, Arden Hills, MN 55112, United States
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