intercom - Bismarck Public Schools

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!