August 10, 2012

AMSTI Website Changes: From Jerry Cobbs

On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 9:51 AM, Jerry W. Cobbs <cobbsj@uah.edu> wrote:

Good morning all,

If you haven't noticed, AMSTI has grown considerably in terms of staff.  We have well over 250 Google Apps accounts, a good indicator of full-time staff numbers.

Due to school schedules, we tend to make staff changes in bunches at certain times of the year.  In the process of back & forth emails, sometimes it gets confusing to keep up with who is working where.

To streamline the process, we now have a "Staff Info Change Form" on the website.  The page is in the drop-down menu under "Staff Pages."  

This page is not visible unless you are logged in under one of the staff accounts-- "directors," "materials," "amstiscience," "amstimath," "SDEupdate."  This is to protect from random pranksters submitting a form.

Once you go to the page, the form should be self-explanatory.  Just fill out the change info and click the "Submit" button.  An email will be sent to me, to Ben Hicks, and to Debbie Newsome at SDE.

Below the form, there is also a file uploader for photos.  You can use it to send a photo with your request.  Please note that if you are ONLY updating a photo for an existing staff member, you still need to also submit the request form.  The uploader by itself does not send out a notice, so we will not know you have a new photo unless you use the form.  There is a checkbox on the form for "New Photo Only".

Thanks, and please let me know if you have any questions!

One additional note-- in re-reading this, I don't think I pointed out that we'd like to use this for ALL contact info changes, not just new hires.  New phone numbers, emails, office addresses, and title or position changes as well.  There are fields on the form to note each of these.

Next Week's PDs  - August 13 - 16

August 13, 2012

White Plains Middle School:  Data Driven

12:00 -2:00

Tanya

August 14, 2012

Attalla  Elementary

Data Driven

8:00-10:00

Kay and Cherie

August 14, 2012

Alexandria Elementary

Data Driven

3rd grade: 8:00 - 9:30

4th grade: 9:30-11:00

5th grade: 12:30 - 2:00

Amber, Tara, and Shelley

August 15, 2012

Saks Elementary

Data Driven

2;00 - 3:30

Tanya

August 16, 2012

Questioning

10:00 - 12:00

Kay, Tara an Cherie

Science Activities

1:00 - 3:00

Polly, Cherie, Tara and Shelley

Math teachers meet with Kay

1:00 - 3:00

Hokes Bluff Middle School

Data Drive

9:00 - 10:30

Tanya

10:30 - 12:00

PLT meets with Tanya

RSS meetings Sept - May

Good news!  Wendy Warren contacted me on Wedneday to reserve rooms at the In Service Center for the meetings Sept through May.  I have rooms reserved and we are waiting on an official form from the SDE requesting to use rooms at the InService Center.  But I think that is just a formality.  So yea!

I hope we are able to leave the morning of the 29th because I have a Key Leader meeting on the 28th.  We do not have times for the 29-30th yet.  I asked Wendy and she said they are working on a place and determining times and she will notify me when everything is set. 

I believe our training on the 29th and 30th will involve the InSights Database for College and Career Ready Standards AND the Global training that was held at the InService Center on Wednesday. 

7 Habits training

The PD is listed on the JSU website.  Please register.  Other AMSTI sites will send people too.   September 4 -6  is the PD.  Tuesday after Labor day.    The specialists and I will be at a meeting in Montgomery, August 29-30, (Wednesday and Thursday before).  Tim will pick me up in Montgomery and we will go to his brother's house for Labor Day weekend.    I will not be there on Friday.  The room for 7 Habits, (2101, I think,) needs to be set up on Friday because we will begin at 8 am on Tuesday morning.   We will need tool boxes (make sure they have post it notes and highlighters), chart paper.   The room should be prepare for about 32 people, (8 tables with 4 people).  Do we want to bring simple snacks and water? It will be 8 - 430 for the three days so everyone will need to adjust their work time to 8 - 430 for those 3 days.   

Updates:

• OGAP: and ACHE

We've heard for the past year or so... What is AMSTI doing for nonAMSTI schools?  Well we are going to provide OGAP training (Additive and Multiplicative) for 2 schools in June 2013 who are not AMSTI schools.  Steve has provided the funds for us to do this (no materials for the school, we will just need training materials and to print participant guides)  and extended our contract so we can do this.  I hope to get those dates set in the next week or so.  I would love to use our math staff to present these sessions.  Let me know if you think we will be able to present these sessions at that time.   You can co present, two for additive and two for multiplicative. 

OGAP for our ACHE schools will be October 1 - 5.  Rachel Broadhead will be the presenter.   Additive will be October 1 and 2 and Multiplicative will be October 3-5.  This is limited to Phase II PLT schools for Multiplicative (grades 3 -8) and since this is our first offering of Additive, then any school (k-2 teachers ) who has participated in the past 4 years in ACHE PLTs has been invited to additive.

ACHE : science for grades 6 -8, will be October 25.  Again, we haven't offered anything for these grades so anything ACHE PLT schools with grades 6-8 can send a science teacher.  A NASA specialists will present the Basics of Rocketry. 

If my MSP grant is funded, then we will build off the ACHE training and offer to ACHE schools over the three year period of the grant, Additive reasoning, Multiplicative, Fractional and Proportion reasoning to the whole math faculty at those schools.  We will also, work with the lead team, (the ACHE PLT members who have had OGAP training) to provide them  Coaching training so they can be the expert at their school and provide support at their school. 

The list of current ACHE Schools is on a poster in my room.  The list of all who have participated in on the G drive and in a folder possibly called ACHE. 

• Calhoun County concern and I'm sure other systems  have the same concerns

I met with Leigh Twigg on Wednesday and Natasha Scott attended the Alexandria HS COS meeting.   Leigh wanted to know what our support will look like since they now have Math In Focus as their text.  I said we will continue to support their schools and when we are in a school and ask to teach a lesson, we may pull from Investigations or use OGAP strategies or other strategies.  Everyone is worried about 6-8th grades. 

I really believe we need to develop a tool box of lessons for the major changes (objectives moved to a grade level) in each grade level.  Probability and statistics are always low.  I don't know how we can roll out the tool box of lessons, but those schools that have PLT teams could focus on those during one of their meetings.  Right now, we just need to focus on finding / developing lessons.   We need to think about this and come up with a plan.  This could also develop into grade level PD that we offer in the summer for all schools.  We have the Brain Compatible books and Worksheets don't grow Dentrites books that we could pull from for activities. I'm not sure how objective specific they are.

I would love to offer Pennant Fever and Pollster Dilemma (IMP books) training for all advanced math teachers.  That would have to be AMSTI specific because we would have to provide materials.  I'm going to think about that and how to make it happen.   Textbooks do not address the standards for advanced math when it comes to probability and statistics. 

I would also like to have BLOGS or Google Groups for each grade level in math or science kit in science.  Those could be used to post links to lessons found.  Teachers can subscribe and could have access to links to lessons.  Science could use them in the same way but also as a trouble shooting source.  None of this has to be in place when school starts on August 20 but I want us to think about these things and see if we can implement some.  Principals have actually asked me if we those types of online resources.   We can expand our help though online resources.  I bet Amber or Eric can provide this PD on how to make Blogs or create Google Groups. 

 

 

July 20, 2012

Correction:   Don't know if it was me or the Anniston Star or  a combination of the two.   Mr Andy Ward is the principal at White Plains High School, (formerly principal at White Plains Elementary) and Mr. Jonathan Gilbert is the principal at White Plains Elementary (formerly assistant at the HS and at one time the MS).  Summer Davis is assistant at the Elementary and Derek Cobb is at the Middle so I'm not sure where he was an AP last year.  


We need to move our staff meeting from August 13 to August 6 when we debrief from August 3rd meeting.

Schedule of PD request:
August 7, 2012: Alexandria HS MATH COS
August 13, 2012:  White Plains Middle (data and science help)
August 14, 2012: Alexandria E (data, meet by grade level) AND Attalla E
August 15, 2012: Sardis HS and Saks E (2:00-3:30)
August 16, 2012: Handley Middle (science and questioning)  AND Hokes Bluff Middle (data)
August 17, 2012:

• To be schedule:

Wellborn E has asked for help with math.  They also want data.  Maybe the math specialists can plan to go there August 21, 27 and 28.

Pleasant Valley HS: data
Ohatchee E: Data
Oxford E: time management and classroom management
Ohatchee HS:  instructional strategies

We are in high demand this year.   I need at least one more person to be able to facilitate data driven PDs.  Maybe two more people (a helper wouldn't be a bad idea for each person facilitating the data PD's). A math/science combo would be good as well as K-5/ms combo.    Let me know if you are interested and can help.  I will run a trainer of trainer for data PD on Tuesday, July 24 for anyone interested  presenting the data PD.

I will prepare a questioning PD. If someone is willing to work on preparing a time management PD and or classroom management PD, please let me know.  I have some resources and a PD for classroom management but it needs to be tweaked and updated.  Since it is an elementary school, the time management PD probably needs to be prepared by one of the K-5 specialists.  Sorry Melanie and Shelley.

I need lots of people entering data into spreadsheets so the PD's can take place.  Let me know if you will input data.  Tara has begun working on entering data.  The graphs will need to be updated and printed and glued to contruction paper.  The graphs will need to be inserted into a Powerpoint (already made) and saved by school.  

There is a PD that has been developed for Differentiated Instruction.  It needs to be "dusted off" and shared with those who have not presented it.   We may need it for Ohatchee HS.

There is a 5 E PD that has been developed.  It needs to be "dusted off" and shared with those who have not presented it.   We may need it for Ohatchee HS.

Alexandria HS wants a Math COS PD - date: August 7 at 9:00.   Only math teachers 7 - 12.

Attalla Elementary wants help with their 2nd grade math.  Donna can you go spend  3 days with them in August?  Help with Investigation?  We can take them some manipulatives too.  Maybe the week of August 13-17?

Anything that needs to be printed we will send to the print shop.  If there is a participant packet for Differentiated Instruction or 5E's, send it to me electronically with printing instructions.  (how many, single sided or double sided, hole punch, etc)   The print shop will NOT insert into folders.

Summary:
Questioning PD: Tanya will tweak and get ready but someone will need to present on August 16 at Handley M.

Need:

• Data PD presenters/helper:  Need 2 presenter/helpers total of 4 people
• To create / tweak a Classroom Management PD
• To create Time Management PD
• Differentiated Instruction shared with other and someone ready to present
• 5 E PD shared with others and someone ready to present

August 6-10 science training:
A couple of changes:
August 6 and 7:  K, 3rd and 4th
August 8 and 9: 1st and 2nd
August 9 and 10: 5th
August 6-9: 7th and 8th at White Plains Middle

We need someone to:

• sign in sheets/book
• participate packets made and mailed
• trainer packets made and mailed
• notebooks -empty notebooks - from 3170, one per person because the print shop does not make notebooks. 
• Participant guides are at the print shop being printed:  the participate packets will be 3 hole punched.  The participants can put the copies in the notebooks but we need to make sure we have notebooks for them.  

Housekeeping

• We have received a thank you note from Sandy Ledwell.
• Invitation to Dr. Carr's retirement reception: Houston Cole Library Monday, July 23 from 3:00 - 5:00

• The critters for the science kit training for August 6 will arrive on Thursday August 2nd since we will be gone on August 3rd.   Cherie, will you please prepare the habits for their arrival?  Critters for training on the 8th will arrive on the 7th. 

Equipment 
GPS, cameras, student response systems (clickers), and video projectors in the rolling bags, etc are in the vault in 3170 and borrowed, they should be check outed.   See Jason to check out the material.  .  As soon as you are finished with the item return it and he will mark it returned.   These items will eventually be bar coded and placed into AIMS for check out. 

July 13, 2012

July 13, 2012

• Info/Reminder:  new travel reimbursement procedures.
• There is a new travel form.   Please begin using the new form.  It is on our shared drive.  "G" drive
• Any travel (other than travel to schools) requires an agenda to be submitted with the request for reimbursement. 
• For recording keeping purposes, please submit travel to schools seperate from travel to state meetings. 
• My assumption is that unless I receive an "invite" from you on Google calendar, that you are here from 8-430 or 7-330 (guys 6-230).  
• Please, please, please, please remember to "invite Kay and Tanya" to any event  that will take you out of the office/school regardless if it is NCD, annual leave, sick leave, using time spent/worked during summer training, etc.   If your event is after hours (after 3:30 or 4:30 depending on whether you arrive at 7 or 8) then we do not need to be invited. I can not stress the importance of this enough. This is very important.This has to become a habit for everyone. The invites need to be in advance and not last minute unless something comes up.  Please keep your calendar updated at least weekly.  As soon as you know you are going to need to be out of the office, please place it on the calendar.    
• I think it would be a good idea to print your calendar each month at the end of the month and keep a copy.  Google calendar does NOT keep dates forever. 
• I am open to any other way that you may think of in order for you to "request/document" time off.   We do not "sign in" or have any other record  therefore our Google Calendar is our documentation. 
• I can keep a calendar in my office and you can come write you dates down in it. 
• I can create a form that you submit to me for days you are going to be off for whatever reason.  
• Regardless of what method we decide upon for you to let me know that you are requesting to be out of work, your Google Calendar will have to be up to date as our documentation of days worked.  

• August 3, 2012 meeting - RSS:   We will need to travel on August 2nd because as I understand it, the meeting begins at 8 am and is in Montgomery. We do not have details.  As soon as I have details, I will share them with you. 
• August 6, 2012 :  Staff meeting, debrief from August 3rd and make any adjustment to plans based on what we heard on August 3rd.    9:00 am
• Be prepared/forewarned: Something was shared with me that I feel the need to pass on to you.   The SDE boss, not anyone with AMSTI, from here on out, regardless of our plans, if we are asked to attend a meeting, (SDE) then we will have to change our plans and be there.  The SDE person in charge excepts no excuses and is not polite about it. We were advised to tell everyone that they had to be there on August 3rd.  Steve is the one that is giving us permission for those on vacation not to be there.  
• August 29-30, 2012 meeting:   RSS,  We will need to travel on August 28th.
• The other RSS meetings should be in our InService Region.  We will know more after August 3, and 29-30. 
• September 10, 2012 : Staff meeting if needed to debrief from August 29-30 RSS meeting.  We will plan to debrief as needed after each of these meetings.  9:00 am
• September 4-6, 2012:  7 Habits PD for all staff.  AMSTI JSU employees who have never had the 7 habits PD will receive a workbook.  Those of us who have been through it before, bring your workbook you used previously and we will use a journal for the writing.  If you want to clip it in the workbook you can or you can just use the journal.  
• The session is open to all AMSTI sites in case in one from another site contacts you.   They need to register through the InService Center and provide their own 7 Habits Workbook. 
• I need everyone's help in putting together some data. 
•  I need everyone to look up 7 schools and enter their data on a spreadsheet (that I will provide) for any year that we do not have their ARMT scores (levels 1, 2, 3, and 4).  You can work on past years scores now and add in this years scores when they are posted. I will add the spreadsheet to a google document next week and you can work on it whenever you can.  
• More changes for Calhoun County: According to the Annsiston Star, July 11 edition:
• Crystal Sparks (formerly AP at Weaver Elementary) is the new AP at Alexandria HS.
• Jonathan Gilbert (formerly AP at White Plains E) is new Principal at White Plains HS.  Polly will remember him as one of our LAMST teachers from Anniston. (Golden Springs E, maybe)
• Mark Proper (formerly AP at Pleasant Valley HS) is the new Principal at Pleasant Valley HS.
• Lynn attended a meeting on Wednesday in regards to Audits and Equipment.  
• I have created a Google Document.  Please record the serial number and the location (building and room where you are located) of all equipment issue to you. Laptops, desktops, any printer you use.  (shared printers need to be listed only once.) If there is a JSU sticker on it, please record that number.   
• Auditors will make random walk through checks.  
• Barry, please include the "Big Joe" and any other equipment in the warehouse that is pricey
• Pictures:  So, everytime I thought we would have picture day, I forgot.  So.... if someone will get a camera from 3170 and set a day for picture day, if you want your AMSTI.org picture updated, you can get a new picture made.  Who will volunteer to be the photographer?   Just let me know and set a date for picture day.  
• Dr. Carr's retirement:  We have received an invitation to attend Dr. Carr's retirement reception on july 23, 2012 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM at the Houston Cole Library 12th floor. 
• August 6 and 7th: Science year 1 kit training:  K, 2nd, and 4th
• August 8 and 9th: Science year 1 kit training: 1st, 3rd, and 5th
• 
  

June 29th, 2012 - Notes from Statewide staff meeting

Notes from Tanya's director's meeting

Angie Pelton

·         Common Core resources on AMSTI.org

·         Videos and basically lesson plans to use with PLT (PLCs)

·         Not on the AMSTI.org yet, but Angie will let us know when they are available

·         First portion for the teacher

·         Second portion for faculty meeting

·         Share with administrators, and they can take the knowledge back to the faculty

·         ALEX site!

Ellen and Maria and Online Courses

• Online kit training for compressed training
• Process for setting up training will be sent to directors
• A kit will be sent to the teacher to use in real time while they are completing the online training.
• Always plan with material manager to make sure a kit can be sent before a teacher can be offered compressed training

·         This course will be up 4 times a year with each cycle
o   Need it when the kit is scheduled for their school

Changes in SCIENCE:
o   Jeff:
  See the spreadsheet and check our numbers. 
 §  Half kits with 32 books and half with 16 books
    ·         We need to buy 16 books for half of our kits
    ·         We put 28 in a kit
 §  These will be packed into the red totes
 §  We might need to purchase 4 student books for each kit order for us
 §  Might need to purchase some conversion kits
 §  May have to purchase some red totes
 §  May be additional refurb items that we have not had to purchase before
 §  K5 literature books not purchased so we may need to purchase some but only purchase  the        safe list
 §  We think the 6-8 kits are safe
 §  None of the conversion kits for CE have been purchased
    ·         Sites will be responsible for ordering next year
    §  We will have items that no longer go into these kits
            ·         Battery chargers and rechargeable batteries are going away
            ·         There are other and Jeff will have a more detailed list in September
   §  Some items we will need more items (balance arm, example, one kit uses 8 and one uses 2 so if those are left in the classroom then we will not need more but if they are not left then we will need more
      §  All kits paid out of one budget will go to the site by September 1^st
      ·         JSU’s stuff will go to UM
               ·         As the shipment come in, let Jeff know
               §  Those of us with space issues?????
                        ·         Some renting containers
o   Estimates submitted
        §  Order should match estimates
  §  K-5 bundles are OK and Publishers and meet that order
  §  6-8 bundles will not be ready
  §  If you need more science kits, let Jeff know
  §  Products should arrive early September
o   FOSS is changing version of kits
  §  Some meet the standards
o   Question:
§  Projection for refurb cost : has anyone order all 4 cycles at once and is it accurate ?
  §  USA has and the projections are a little over
        ·         Better prices and have the materials
        ·         May make some small orders
  §  New packing slips by Christmas for the new titles
o   Sandy
  §  STC is now called secondary, not middle school
  §  Can be used from 6^th to 10^th
  §  Mega modules are now 2 modules
  §  Break our modules down in the two modules
  §  Lots of handling with these modules
  §  Life will change with New Generation Standards
        ·         Very different than before
        ·         Current COS committee, committed to mirroring the Next Generation standards and the draft will be revised
         ·         COS standards adopt in March 2013
         o   Voluntary implemented in 2013-2014
    o   Implemented in 2014-2015
         ·         Another draft in August or September
·         Safe kit list could change in August or Sept or it could grow
Next generation Standards        
  ·         Standard and performance expectation
  ·         If it covered 1 performance expectation then Sandy didn’t deem it safe
  o   Some grades have 30 performance expectation
      3 main ideas
          o   Cross cutting concepts
          o   Science engineer practices
          o   Disciplinary core ideas
§  Not one kit we have completely meet the New Generation standards
        ·         Standards are deeper
        ·         Rigor increased exponentially
§  How do we go to Conversion to STC secondary
       ·         We call them safe but not 100% match to Next Generation Standards
       ·         Plan for next year:
o   People will be identified at each site
        o   Face to face meeting with these people
        §  On the changes from old kit to new
  §  Or webinar
  §  PD on writing the 5E guides
  o   August to December : development phase
   §  Presenters guide
   §  Training power points
   §  Writing new lessons and correlating to the old module
   §  Jennifer and Kathy will work on a virtual product, no funding for face to face training so developing a virtual training
  o   December
  §  Face to face meeting with developers and the material managers
  §  Work on packing slip
  o   January /February
  §  Finish and polish
    o   March
  §  Print and prep for TTT
  o   April
  §  TTT – lead by the developer
  §  Video to train the masses
  o   Summer 2013 training on STC Secondary
  §  New 6-8 teacher
        §  Virtual training complete for previously trained 6-8 teachers based on the fact that they stay at the same grade level
     ·         The understanding is that if they have, for example, EMM TG, then they can use the EMM TG with the two new kits for 8^th
     ·         Carolina Science online will be available to every middle school person we have
    o   Disseminated though material managers
·         Question:  change grade level should come to the new STC Secondary training
        o   Fall 2013 teacher receive STC Secondary
·         Big shift: micro science shifting out of K-5, some out of 68 into high school
·         GLOBE will have to change not fitting currently
§  Question: Recommendation of purchasing Genetics kits
   ·         TGs for 6^th and 7^th grade not ready yet
§  Question: what will we do with the kits that do not match up to the COS
   ·         Hopefully we can use lessons out of them to meet individual lesson especially with the FOSS they no longer make them any more
§  Questions:
·         Will we keep the same k-5 kits 2012-2013 and 2013-2014?
   o   Probably not 2013-2014, we will leap to the new
   o   May can go to three kits and not 4 kits at the k-5 level
   o   Deeper topics not as many
§  New assessment will contain science from 3^rd grade up and that would begin with Spring 2015, can go down to K , school year 2014-2015
§  We don’t need to buy bulk for 2013-2014 based on the current k-5 kits, which means we would be purchasing out of the 2013 budget for the 2013 2014 new kits
·         Take out K-8 bulk items that do not fit the safe kits
·         GLOBE only matches 3^rd grade
§  Developing stand alone lessons 
Steve
o   Dr. Bice is about partnering and supporting
§  Keep calendars through September but after that everything changes
o   List of dates:
  §  onc a month, directors, specialists, ARI, and other field staff will receive a 2 day training --
  §  RSS – AMSTI, ARI, field staff,  people work full time in the field with school systems
  §  1^st one – Dr. Bice give great vision: and meet with AMSTI on  Aug 3
         ·         August 29-30: follow up meeting  for the new vision
       o   Montgomery  - still working on it
        ·         Tentative dates: the list of two days for the rest of the year  will be training for all field staff  - when approved, Steve will let us know.  Hold them for now.
       ·         August 3^rd is the vision day! In Montgomery - Polly, Amber and Melanie have vacation plans/trip plans are excused.  Did I miss anyone else that had a vacation/trip planned for August 3rd?
       ·         The other dates are with the RSS and maybe the Region 6 team
      o   Could be regional meetings not Montgomery
Math TTT
·         TTT
o   Site supply 4 per grade K-5 and 2 per grade level 6-8
    §  Same person will be trained year 1 and year 2
             ·         JSU professors can attend remember to invite Dr. Johns! and will not count toward our limit of 4
    §  Have conversations with systems so that they can be used as new hire trainers, preservice trainers, summer training, compressed training
    ·         May can use them in the systems to meet their training needs
Question:  Can specialists attend TTT ?
       ·         They will be trained in the October statewide staff meeting
       ·         What will specialists be certified to do?  Working on  it.
Dates:
o   South: Jan 22-24
o   Feb 5-7: Middle – UAB
o   Feb 26-28: North

Math:

Implementing Common Core State Standards and Assessment :   PDF free down load
www.parcconline.org/commonimplementationworkbook

My vision for Implementation of OGAP in our region:
Math specialists, please work toward "owing" the OGAP training so that you can become the expert and possibly co -train  it for us in the summer of 2013.   Get in the research.   If funded I want to offer additive, multiplicative, fractional and proportion to various grade levels.    Let's think about working closely with a teacher at each school during a sustainaiblity cycle and really POUR into them OGAP.  If you want to, in the future, train/ cotrain our teachers using OGAP, then it is imperative to learn to LOVE research and internalize it so that it flows from you without having to "look it up".  You will need to go to other OGAPs offered at other sites, just to experience it again.   Look at other trainings, be selective and internalize it if you think this is valuable for our teachers.  We can't go, go, go and ignore our schools, but you need to "hear" and experience it more than once.  Our work this year should be about your learning about it.  Use the assessments in classes, work with the teacher to sort the assessments and have discussions. 

MSP
I'm working with JSU Office of REsearch and Assessment to write for the MSP grant. The science will be concentrated on 6-8 science of robotics and K-8 (9-12 maybe) OGAP math. Someone from Technology and Engineering will provide the robotics training. If funded, we will train OGAP the summer of 2013 to 5 schools who have had a lead team receive the OGAP training. (PLT/ACHE) schools. 5 -6 schools each year for 3 years.
  7 Habits training
I'm working with Shelly Hollis to bring 7 Habits PD to our site since we have had so many changes in the past year.  All new staff  (8 people) that have not participated in 7 Habits will be asked to participate and everyone who has participated my participate again.  Other sites will be allowed to send staff as well.  We will be the host site.  As soon as I have concrete dates from Shelly, I will let you know.  I've given her dates in August and September.

Statewide Staff meeting debrief
At our next staff meeting on August 13, please provide a debrief, a summary of what you learned/information shared in your sessions at the statewide staff meeting.  Note if that info needs to be shared with materials or Lynn.  Do not make any assumptions that informationg

Google Calendars
Somehow I have failed to communicate the importance of our shared Google Calendars. Now with all of us in seperate rooms/buildings/floor they are more important than ever. And not being together at the statewide staff meeting we have been seperated.

Google calendars should reflect your work schedule: contract days, non contract days, vacation days, meetings (state dept, school meetings, etc) PD plans (both receiving and delivering). 

Please keep your Goolge calendars updated, at least weekely.  Please place all dates on your Google calendar as soon as you are aware of dates.  Example: Some time in March, I reserved the last week of July and then in May,  I change it to July 12 - 13 to be off to go to Tim's family at the beach.   Last Friday, June 22, I discovered I was the only one planning a trip. :)   I'm reserving dates in October to go to Point Clear.  In January or February I blocked off time to go to Texas for the AL- Michigan game.  Now we are not going and I will take it off my calendar.  It is better to hold the days than for them not to be on there and something is planned for the whole site and you all of a sudden tell me you have a trip planned and I've notified schools of PD on that date.  etc.....   I have plan with schools and systems, several months in advance and I use the Google Calendars to do that planning.  Thank you in advance for being very diligent in keeping it updated. Most phones will sync (wirelessly) with Google Calendar so if you change it on your phone your Google Calendar is updated. 


FYI
By October 1, Lynn Vaughn will not be "based" at our site.  Decision made by other people above my pay grade. 

I hope everyone has a great week of the 4th.  I will work Monday (July 2) and Tuesday (July3). 

Math has a COS PD with Weaver on July 9th.  I will load the van for the PD on Tuesday, July 3rd.   Amber and Donna will bring the van to Grace Baptist in Oxford and Melanie and I go directly to Grace Baptist.   We will meet at Grace at 8 AM. 

I have a Leadership Development meeting in Pelham on July 10th so I be back in the office on July 11th. 

May 4, 2012

Updated State Meeting Dates:

From Steve:  

May 8-10 Directors  be at the Lincoln Center in BHM for our director meeting.  We will start on May 8 at 9AM and end on the 10th at 2 PM.   Current recommendations are for Material managers to attend the Director's Meeting on May 9 as we will have some activities that will involve both groups.  Please notify your materials manager and let me know if your manager is unable to attend. Again, the director's meeting in May is at the Lincoln Center in Birmingham.

Also, we would like the Material Managers to meet on June 27 (Wed.-8 AM) with the directors during the statewide staff meeting in Huntsville.  This is the day after the celebration so that would give the material managers a good reason to be in HVL.

September 13-14 is a material managers meeting.  Note that this is a change of dates for materials managers.  This will be in BHM (location TBA)

Directors meeting in Sept. is 11-13 (one day may be a joint meeting with the material managers).

The October Statewide Staff meeting is October 15-18.

Housekeeping: 

Please be prepared at our next Staff meeting to share "take aways" from the April Statewide Staff meeting.  We were never all together so everyone doesn't now what the others did or talked about.  


We will have a cake in celebration of Nick's graduation.  


Remember, there will be an envelope on Lynn's desk if you want to give Nick some cash or a gift card for his graduation.  Tanya will buy a card for everyone to sign.  We will give him the card after lunch and then have some cake.  


Kay and Tanya have a Directors Meeting Tuesday - Thursday in Birmingham. 


I believe Science submitted some materials for us to purchase.  One last call for material request.  


I hope everyone has a great weekend.