October 1, 2010 |
Vol. 4, Issue 21 |
News Slices
What’s Working Series Continues
The Department of Education’s “What’s Working” series of workshops, hosted by the State Board of Education, will continue through October and are open to all parents, educators, school administrators and community members. The workshops are an opportunity for interested stakeholders to share ideas and concerns about important educational topics including teacher quality, instructional practices, leadership and professional development. The remaining workshop schedule is as follows:
- Oct. 6, 2010 – Tampa
Keynote Speaker: Speaker Dan Weisberg, Vice President of Policy, The New Teacher Project
Topic: Teacher Evaluations and Support for Effective Instruction
Location: Hillsborough Community College, Dale Mabry Campus, 4001 West Tampa Bay Blvd., Auditorium - Oct. 7, 2010 – Miami
Keynote Speaker: Brian Dassler, Principal, Renaissance High School, Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP)
Topic: How to Turnaround Low Performing Schools
Location: Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc., 8400 NW 25th Avenue - Oct. 14, 2010 – Orlando
Keynote Speaker: Jon Schnur, Co-Founder, New Leaders for New Schools
Topic: Preparing Outstanding School Leaders
Location: Valencia Community College, West Campus, 1800 South Kirkman Road, Building 8, Room 111
Each workshop will take place from 4 - 6 p.m. Additional details regarding individual workshops, its topic, featured speaker, and other information can be found by visiting http://www.fldoe.org/whatworks.
2010 Hispanic Heritage Month Recommended Reading List
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Department of Education’s Just Read, Florida! Office has compiled the 2010 Hispanic Heritage Recommended Reading List. Readers of all ages can choose from a variety of books that increase awareness and highlight the rich legacy and many contributions Hispanic Americans make to Florida’s unique culture and way of life. To view the recommended reading list for Hispanic Heritage Month, visit www.justreadflorida.com.
Read for the Record
There is still time for Florida teachers and students to join in the fun with millions of record-breakers around the world to Read for the Record on Oct. 7, 2010. Everyone who reads The Snowy Day by author Ezra Jack Keat and includes their information at www.wegivebooks.org is automatically included in the new world record count. For more information about this year’s Read for the Record campaign, visit www.readfortherecord.org or www.wegivebooks.org.
Students Invited to Submit Questions To Literacy League Author
Middle school students have until Nov. 3, 2010, to submit a question to Adrian Fogelin, author of Crossing Jordan as part of the Florida Department of Education’s interactive book club Literacy League. Each quarter a book is selected and students are able to submit questions via e-mail or video for the authors to answer through a recorded podcast. For more information about Literacy League, visit www.fldoe.org/literacyleague.
Discounted Florida NFL Tickets Still Available
Love football? There is still time for Florida educators to take advantage of a new partnership with two National Football League teams – the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins – that allows all public school and district education personnel (pre-K through grade 12) to buy football tickets at discounted prices. Each team has single-game discount tickets available to show their appreciation for education employees who make a difference in Florida’s classrooms each and every day. More information about the discounts, including specific details about single game offers, can be found on the Just for Teachers website at www.fldoe.org/justforteachers/discounts.asp.
Holocaust Task Force Website Launched
A new website designed to assist in teaching the history of the Holocaust is now available for educators and school district staff. The website, developed by the Commissioner’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, helps students and teachers learn about the seriousness of the Holocaust and the importance of bringing this time in history alive. Information about training programs, curriculum materials and resources, events and links to Classroom resources and the Task Force’s Designated Sites are included on http://flholocausteducationtaskforce.org.
Celebrate Literacy Week Public Service Announcement Contest
The Florida Department of Education’s Just Read, Florida! Office encourages all students in grades K-12 to create a 26-second public service announcement on the topic “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! – Champions Read, Readers Lead.” The contest is part of 2011 Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida,! a week-long salute that celebrates and promotes the importance of literacy in Florida. Entries should be created with a combination of video and audio effects, must include credits and may not include any copyrighted music, footage or images. Complete contest details can be found at http://www.justreadflorida.com/literacyweek.asp. If you have any questions, send an e-mail to justread@fldoe.org or contact Kevin Smith at (850) 245-0503.
Bealls Department Store “Bealls and Whistles for Schools” Grant
Public, charter and licensed private and non-profit K-12 schools in Florida are invited to submit an application for the “Bealls and Whistles for Schools” program. Schools that demonstrate the greatest need will be awarded $10,000 to purchase improvements to the school’s educational environment. Completed applications must be signed by a school administrator and hand delivered to a store manager at any Florida Bealls Department store by Dec. 31, 2010. For more information, including the application packet, visit http://www.beallsflorida.com/graphics/schoolgrant_application.pdf (PDF).
College Board Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts
The College Board is now accepting applications for its Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts. The award will recognize and celebrate the achievements of six K-12 member schools that have implemented arts programs to promote student learning and creativity in exemplary and innovative ways. One school from each of the College Board’s six regions will be recognized as a finalist and awarded $3,000 to support the continuation and growth of their arts programs. The national finalist will be awarded an additional $1,000. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 15, 2010. To learn more, visit http://artsaward.collegeboard.org or e-mail artstaskforce@collegeboard.org.
2011 National Geographic Bee
The National Geographic Bee, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, is a school competition for students in grades four through eight designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms and spark student interest in geography. Schools interested in participating can enter by Oct. 15, 2010, for a reduced entrance fee; the final deadline is Dec. 10, 2010. Visit www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee for complete information.
Jewish Museum of Florida Writing Contest
Florida middle and high school students are invited to submit an entry in the Jewish Museum of Florida’s creative writing contest held in conjunction with the museum’s upcoming exhibit Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited. Students should submit a poem, monologue, essay or short story no longer than 500 words that answers the question “How do stereotyping, bigotry and the pressures from those around us affect the way that we act?” Three middle school and three high school winners will receive cash awards. Entries must be submitted by Dec. 10, 2010, and must be mailed to the Jewish Museum of Florida, 301 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Visit http://www.jewishmuseum.com/School%20Contest%20-%20Leo%20Frank.pdf for more information. If you have questions, contact the museum’s Education Coordinator at (305) 672-5044 ext. 3187 or education@jewishmuseum.com.
Nominations Sought For the Yes I Can! Awards
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is seeking nominations for the 2010 Yes I Can! Awards that recognize student with disabilities for their accomplishments. The deadline to submit nominations is Oct. 22, 2010 with the winners announced at the CEC Convention and Expo in April 2011. Visit the CEC website at http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutCEC/YesICanFoundation/default.htm for complete details. Contact Anna Baker, CEC Communications Manager, at (703) 264-9468 or via e-mail at annab@cec.org if you have questions or need further information.
Green Schools Award Finalists Announced Fifteen schools dedicated to learning, practicing, and promoting habits that green Florida’s future have been named finalists for the 2010 Governor’s Serve to Preserve: Green Schools Award. Three finalists were selected from among more than 60 applications in five categories – students, schools, teachers, classrooms and school districts – that have implemented resource-saving projects. One winner per category will be selected at an awards banquet on Oct. 12, 2010 and will receive cash awards and certificates. For a list of finalists, visit www.fldoe.org/successstories. Manatee County School Competes in International Contest A group of students from Southeast High School in Manatee County earned the title of World Champion last month at the Formula One In Schools competition in Singapore. The team, Unitis Racing, comprised of students Brandon Miranda, Tony Griffin, Yatrik Solanki, Amanda Clark, Southeast graduate Mark Nanney and Nieman Pest, a middle school student from Roanoke, Va., built 14 miniature CO2-powered balsa wood race cars that travelled a 65-foot racetrack in just over one second and reached speeds of up to 45 miles per hour to win the competition. In addition to the World Champion title, the team won the “Best Sponsorship and Marketing” award and was nominated for numerous other awards. The Formula One In Schools competition is an international, interdisciplinary contest in which students design and manufacture identical miniature race cars, design a portfolio and display, and make a verbal presentation. Congratulations! Tallahassee Community College Awarded Grant The Florida Public Safety Institute (FPSI) at Tallahassee Community College was recently awarded $245,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice to expand criminal intelligence training offered by FPSI’s Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy. The grant will allow FPSI to enhance its highly successful national criminal intelligence training program and strengthen existing infrastructure. For more information, visit https://fpsi.tcc.fl.edu/Pages/layout_Welcome.aspx. Indian River State College Gets Federal Grant The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $800,000 to Indian River State College (IRSC) to expand its health information programs. The grant will enable IRSC to begin training workers with backgrounds in healthcare and information technology to take advantage of growing opportunities in the working with digital medical records. Admission requirements and applications are available at www.irsc.edu; click on Programs and Careers, Health Science Programs and HITECH Workforce Program. For more information, call (800) 792-4772. |
| Branching Out |
2010 Dropout Prevention Institute/School Attendance Symposium Florida Career Pathways Network Symposium Read for the Record 2010 Florida Dance Education Conference Florida Association of Teacher Educators Annual Conference Florida Association for Theatre Education Conference Florida Art Education Association Annual Conference Florida Distance Learning Association Fall Conference Education Beyond Borders College Equity Officers Technical Assistance Conference Working with the Experts for Occupational and Physical Therapists First Annual STEMtech Conference 2010 Florida Charter School Conference |
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