March 20, 2015 intercom Bismarck Public Schools www.bismarckschools.org Solving life’s puzzles with STEAM Calendar of Events By Tamara Uselman, Superintendent 3/20 Staff Development: No School 3/23 - “Strong Kids Week” starts 3/26 THURSDAY School Board Mtg. Click here to view full schedule. Dr. Maureen Clemmons told us a bit about that at the STEAM 15 conference today. She is a business major with a doctorate in organizational change, yet she discussed the Egyptians and their pyramids with all of us. Well, sort of. What she was really teaching us as she talked about kites and art and heavy stones was the power of inquiry as the basis for deep learning. Dr. Clemmons solved a riddle of the pyramids (how did they move those stones to build that pyramid?) by asking questions. She found her answers to science, technology, engineering and math questions by studying Egyptian art. Well, that's not the full story either. Dr. Clemmons pondered art to find potential answers. She then applied what she thought the art was telling her to test her answers. The sun dial served to let Joe text Fred. The kite impersonated the sail which put the obelisk into motion when those crazy Egyptian winds blew. The clam clamp served to stop that heavy object in motion. And that is her truth about how the pyramids were built. She challenged the age old theory that pyramids were built by enslaved people under whips because – well – beer drinkers don't push heavy rocks. She built a theory and she applied that theory to test it. The fuel of her process? Curiosity and passion. Determination and group work. Inquiry and art. A 12-pack. Can we replicate this kind of learning to some degree in our classrooms? Would doing so intrigue students? Allow them to learn content while challenging old "truths"? Give All proof passes through teachers more joy in delivering 3-phases: standards and more reason to team with colleagues? That my First it is ridiculed. friends is a project based Second it is violently opposed learning opportunity in and of Third it is accepted as selfevident. itself. I offer a shout of thanks to everyone who built the 2015 Arthur Schopenhauer, Steam conference. German philosopher Job Openings Principal – HMS (3/22) Assistant Principal – BHS (3/22) BECEP Experienced Parent (3/24) Library Media Specialist (3/24) Elementary Special Education (3/24) Secondary Special Education (3/24) CTRE Teacher (3/27) Aviation Instructor (3/31) Kindergarten Teachers (4/10) 1st – 3rd Grade Teachers (4/10) 4th and 5th Grade Teachers (4/10) Instructional Aides (6/5) Substitute Instructional Aides Substitute Custodian Substitute Teachers Summer School Summer Position: The City of Bismarck is looking for a Mosquito Control Technician. Weekends and holidays off! Click here for more information. Employee Discounts Click to view local company discounts. Twitter Tuesday Join us on Twitter from 8:30 – 9 pm. Follow and tweet to #learnbps. Next session date: 3/24 – Authentic Assessments as a “Game Changer.” Click here for instructions and future topics. Blended Environments @ Bismarck Schools Latte Sessions By Tanna Kincaid, Technology Director 3/24: BPS Twitter Tuesdays 4/9: Project Based Learning Implementation Evidence Support Session 4/14 – 4/28: BPS Twitter Tuesdays 5/13: Reflecting, Assembling, and Applying for Latte Graduate Credit The 2015 ND Educational Technology Plan encourages schools to expand student and professional learning opportunities by implementing blended or hybrid learning strategies that will help engage students in multiple ways to prepare them for post‐secondary education and life‐long learning. The plan states, “ND schools will use online learning and other technologies to help ensure that students graduate ready for work or postsecondary education.” Bismarck Public Schools has supported blended learning environments through multiple applications with Moodle being our full learning management system. This PDF highlights a data query of the current top 25 most-used “Student Moodle” courses for 2nd semester. These are online environments used to provide a 24x7 digital portal to differentiated content, assessments, discussion forums, assignments, calendars, and more. ALSO: if you would like to access a release day to plan, develop, and innovate for blended environments, you can apply at: http://goo.gl/KiyDc7. Speaker to discuss youth mental health What do you do if you suspect your child’s friend has a mental health problem and could be a danger to others? What if YOUR child needs help? Liza Long placed her son in acute care at age 13 for mental illness. Long, author of “The Price of Silence” and a blog posting called “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother”, says it’s a difficult topic for parents to discuss, but one in five children in the U.S. has a serious mental health disorder, she says it’s easier to talk about gun control in America than it is to shine a light on the issue of youth mental illness. She states that this year, for example, 4,600 U.S. children will die from suicide compared with 437 who will die from childhood leukemia. The North Dakota Court System and Bismarck Public Schools will co-host a free, public event to hear Long’s presentation on Tuesday, April 7th, at 7 pm at Horizon Middle School. There is no need to register and refreshments will be provided. Long will also be the keynote speaker at the Juvenile Court Conference. For more information, contact Kimberly Dockter, Education & Special Projects Coordinator, North Dakota Court Administrator’s Office, 701-328-4292, kdockter@ndcourts.gov. Community Corner Make-A-Wish fashion show benefits local kids: This year’s Wish Kids are Dash Ohlsen, Solheim and Jazmine Anderson and Landon LaValli, BECEP. The show is Sunday, March 29 at Simle at 4 pm. Tickets are $10 at the door or stop by Attitudes at Kirkwood Mall or call Cara Mund, 221-0588. Loan Forgiveness! The 2015 Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness Program is accepting applications beginning April 1. Click here for a poster and click here for an application. More information can be found at www.ndus.edu or contact ndfinaid@ndus.edu or 701-224-2541. Info re: opting out of assessments State and federal law require students to be assessed for a multitude of reasons. Parents may refuse to allow their students to participate in various assessments. However, there are ramifications and consequences for the student, school and district when those decisions are made. Parents should be made aware of all possible ramifications when opting their child out of assessments. Click here for a helpful document from the ND Dept. of Public Instruction. BPS Recognition Dinner The dinner will be on Tuesday, April 21 at the Ramkota hotel. A social will begin at 6 pm followed by dinner at 6:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at your school for $20. Click here for more information. Booklet in your mailbox! Some employees received the following brochure in school mail: 2015 Annual Retirement Benefits Guide/403(b) Plan Information. BPS must send these booklets to comply with federal law to employees who qualify to participate in the 403(b) program. FYI only! But if you have a question, contact Tammy Becker in Accounting, 323-4067. $$ deadlines! Jeff Cotton training sessions: Sign up for one or both 9 am - 3:30 pm (lunch on own). Saturday, May 2, Being Better Parents & Professionals with Troubled Kids. Sunday, May 3, Caregiver Burnout. To learn more, click here. Summer Continuing Ed. Credits: MREC plans to offer professional development opportunities for educators for graduate credit this summer. They will be likely be in the form of online book studies; however, a few may be face-to-face and/or combination workshop events. Graduate credit will be available through University of Mary and/or UND at $45-$50 per credit. Please complete this short survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MREC_Summer_Offerings by April 1 to indicate your interest in these summer offerings! Additional information regarding specific offerings will be sent out in early May. Paras & substitute teachers: There’s a free workshop Friday, April 13, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, at the Career Academy, sponsored by the NDREA. There will be an overview of the ND State Standards in ELA & Math, as well as correlating instructional strategies. Learn how to strengthen your role at school and provide improved support for students and teachers! Click here for more information. Deadline to register is April 1. Wednesday, April 1, is the deadline to apply for the BPS Foundation mini-grants and for the Watts grants. For criteria, guidelines, application forms, etc. go to www.bpsfoundation.com. BSC Class Spotlight: April 16 Introduction to Adobe InDesign This course will teach students fundamental concepts, terminology, and the basic features of Adobe InDesign CS6. Students will learn how to create documents, place text and graphics, and create custom color swatches. For a full list of CETI programs through BSC, see this program. ONLY work-related classes will be approved. Click here for instructions to register, or email darcy_roberts@bismarckschools.org. Send submissions for the intercom to renae_walker@bismarckschools.org. Call 323-4091 with questions & ideas!