computerdisc-l: Fwd: Monday Memo - Feb. 20, 2007

["Teresa Jones" <TJones@mde.k12.ms.us>]

Teresa P. Jones, Program Coordinator
Business and Computer Technology
Mississippi Department of Education 
Office of Vocational Education and Workforce Development
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone: 601-359-3940
Fax: 601-359-6619
Email: tjones@mde.k12.ms.us

>>> Dr. Hank Bounds 02/20/07 9:48 AM >>>
Monday Memo 
February 20, 2007
 
Good Morning,
 
There is just a little over a week left for students to take the NAEP
assessments. As you know we have two practice tests and messages of
encouragement for teachers and students which may be viewed or
downloaded from our Web site at http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/naep. If we can
assist you in any way during this period of assessment please let us
know.
 
The State Board of Education met last week. A complete listing of
actions that were taken at the meeting will be posted this week at
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/extrel/news/07Board_Feb.html. 
 
Project: CLEAR Voice, the online anonymous survey for teachers and
other school-level personnel, will be available at
http://www.projectclearvoice.org through March 2. I hope that you
will take advantage of this free tool to help make improvements in
student learning and to recruit and retain the best teachers. If you
need an access code, please call the Mississippi Teacher Center at
601-359-3631. 
 
To keep up-to-date on this session's House and Senate Education bills,
visit http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/extrel/leg/2007/07legup.htm and click on
"House and Senate Education Summaries." The bill summaries are updated
each day or as actions occur. Deadlines this week include February 21
for original floor action on appropriations and revenue bills
originating in each chamber's own house, February 22 for reconsideration
and passage of appropriations and revenue bills originating in each
chamber's own house, and February 23 for disposing of motions to
reconsider appropriations and revenue bills originating in each
chamber's own house. 
 
Mississippi's graduating high school seniors and eligible general
education development (GED) recipients may participate in the Robert C.
Byrd Honors Scholarship Program. 65 to 75 scholarships worth $1,500 each
will be awarded. The scholarships are renewable up to three additional
years for undergraduate study at any postsecondary institution of higher
learning. Applications are available through local school district and
high school administrators and counselors or they may be downloaded from
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/scholarship/scholdev.html. The application and
supporting documents must be postmarked by March 31. 
 
If you would like to read a copy of my weekly column go to
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/extrel/news/2007/07weekly/weekly.html.
 
Have a good week, 
 
Hank Bounds 
State Superintendent of Education 
 
NEW NOTIFICATIONS 
 
National FFA Week is February 18-24. The Mississippi FFA Association
will kick off this event with its annual Legislative and Sponsors'
Breakfast on Tuesday, February 20. This event will be held at the
Marriott Hotel, 200 East Amite Street in Jackson. The FFA Association is
expecting over 500 participants, the majority of which will be students,
their advisors, and parents from the local schools. Other special guests
will include state legislators, Governor Haley Barbour, Lt. Governor Amy
Tuck, Dr. Lester Spell, Dr. Hank Bounds, FFA Foundation Members, FFA
Alumni, MAVAT members, FFA Board of Directors, FFA sponsors, and Alcorn
State University and Mississippi State University professors. Students
in selected schools will be involved in a special event called "Ag in
the Classroom." For more information contact Wilbur Chancellor at
662-325-9512.
 
Governor Haley Barbour has declared February 19-23 Severe Weather
Awareness Week in Mississippi. The National Weather Service will issue a
statewide test tornado warning on the morning of February 21. Schools,
government agencies and businesses throughout the state are encouraged
to participate in the annual tornado drill. The most effective
preparedness tool a citizen can own is a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio which receives weather
broadcasts 24 hours a day and sounds an alarm when local severe weather
watches and warnings are issued. Listening to local radio and television
stations and knowing the difference between a watch and a warning also
is encouraged. For more information on preparing for severe weather,
visit http://www.msema.org. 
 
The deadline for Earthwatch Fellowship Applications is February 27.
Applications can be downloaded at
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/id/ida.htm and should be returned to
Social Studies Specialist Chauncey Spears, Mississippi Department of
Education, P. O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. 
 
The third annual Best Practices Awards Program is now open. A
competition for teachers to show that their students are increasing
their skills in economics and personal finance education, Best Practices
2007 is made possible by a grant recently received by the Mississippi
Council on Economic Education (MCEE). The grant, provided by the
National Council on Economic Education through funding from the U.S.
Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement, provides
nearly $10,000 to be awarded to teachers in K-12. Cash prizes start at
$500. Applications are available on the MCEE Web site at
http://www.mscee.org. Completed entries are due June 15. Teachers also
may register for workshops including the comprehensive Master Teachers
in Economics program which will be available on Saturday, February 24 at
Millsaps College and on Saturday, March 3 at the University of
Mississippi. The Investor Education workshop will be held on Monday,
March 5 in Tupelo and Friday, March 23 in Ridgeland. For more
information on these workshops, visit http://www.mscee.org.
 
The Mississippi Association of Partners in Education 2007 Seminar and
Governor's Awards Luncheon, "The Road to Success Runs by the
Schoolhouse," will be held Monday, March 26 at the Hilton Hotel in
Jackson. Featured speaker Dr. Dennis Embry, President/CEO of PAXIS
Institute of Tuscon, Arizona, will present "Continuing Crisis: Building
the Most Resiliency for Children Who've Faced the Most Adversity." The
Awards Luncheon will be from 11:30 p.m. until 1:15 p.m. and will feature
recognition of the 2007 winners and best practices overview of 2006
partnerships. A special highlight of the seminar will be a tribute to
Governor William Winter and Jack Reed. Their unique partnership and
lifetime commitment to education will be celebrated during the
Winter-Reed Tribute Dinner. Registration for the conference will begin
at 7:30 a.m. and the seminar will conclude at 4:30 p.m. Register for the
conference and find ticket and sponsorship information online at
http://www.mapie.org. For questions or additional information,
contact Linda Aldy at linda.aldy@mapie.org or 601-605-0577. 
 
The Office of Healthy Schools, Title IV, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Grants has a grant opportunity for Local Education
Authorities (LEAs) to Reduce Alcohol Abuse Among Secondary School
Students (CFDA #84.184A). Please visit the U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Web site at
http://www.ed.gov/programs/dvpalcoholabuse/applicant.html for
additional information. The deadline for application is March 26. 
 
Teachers can now register their teams for the fourth Mississippi
Economic Challenge. Sponsored by the Mississippi Council on Economic
Education (MCEE), the Challenge is scheduled for March 27 in Jackson.
The Challenge is a state competition for high school students from both
public and private schools and is designed to provide a fun and
motivating way for students to increase their understanding and interest
in economics and finance and to win scholarships. Teams of four high
school students will compete in three rounds (Macro, Micro and
International) consisting of multiple-choice, paper-pencil tests. The
student with the top score of Round I and Round II in each division will
be named "Economics Student of the Year." Following Round III, the top
two teams in each division will compete in Round IV, a fast-answer,
quiz-bowl type challenge. For this round, previous scores are erased and
the winner takes all, including an all-expense-paid trip to the regional
competition in Minneapolis in April and a chance to compete in the
National Challenge in New York. For additional information, contact MCEE
at 601-974-1325.
 
The Otis Noah and Lily Carpenter Cooper Education Fund Scholarship is
accepting applications. Recipients should be full-time students or
applicants accepted to enroll as a full-time student whose parent or
parents are teaching or were teaching at the time of their retirement or
death in public primary or secondary schools in the state of
Mississippi. Need will be a determining factor in the selection process.
Contingent upon maintaining a 2.5 grade point average, recipients may
receive the scholarship for eight semesters. For an application, go to
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/financial_aid/otis%20and%20lily%20cooper%20scholarship%20application.pdf.
The deadline to apply is April 1. 
 
WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK 
 
On February 20, Dr. Harold "Bud" Hodgkinson, nationally-recognized
demographics expert, will discuss the impact of population trends on
student learning with a special emphasis on Mississippi schools. The
presentation, which is sponsored by the Mississippi Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development (MASCD), will be held at the
Mississippi Public Broadcasting Auditorium in Jackson. Click here to
view a list of Dr. Hodgkinson's talking points. Registration is $74 for
MASCD members and $91 for non-members. MASCD membership dues are $25.
Contact MASCD Executive Secretary/Director Milton Baxter at
601-573-3899.
 
The Grant Institute's Grants 101: Professional Grant Proposal Writing
Workshop will be held at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
February 21-23. The three-day course is an intensive and detailed
introduction to the process, structure and skill of professional grant
writing. All participants will receive certification in professional
grant writing from the Institute. For more information, call
888-824-4424 or visit The Grant Institute's Web site at
http://www.thegrantinstitute.com.
 
The Office of Vocational Education and Workforce Development,
Compliance and Reporting, is hosting its annual Compliance and Reporting
Regional Training for secondary directors/contacts and postsecondary
directors/deans. Choose the morning session from 8:30 until 11:30 a.m.
or the afternoon session from 1:00 until 4:30 p.m. The event will be
held in Harrison County on February 28; the March 1 session has been
canceled. The postsecondary session is February 27 at the MDE lab. For
more information, contact Debbie Guice at 601-359-3086 or
dguice@mde.k12.ms.us.
 
The 12th Annual MAMLE (Mississippi Association of Middle Level
Education) Conference will be held February 25-27, at the Pearl River
Resorts in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Registration is $125 for MAMLE
members and $150 for non members through midnight February 24 or
register onsite for $150. Registration includes all sessions and lunch
on Friday. The Friday Evening Social requires a $5.00 ticket. For more
information, go to http://www.mamle.org. 
 
VACANCIES 
 
To keep you informed of vacancies in school districts we will provide a
link each week to a list of school district openings. This list, which
is updated monthly, is compiled by the Mississippi Teacher Center (MSTC)
and includes job openings for administrators and teachers. The
Mississippi Teacher Center posts the monthly vacancy listing from a
survey that is sent to each district superintendent via e-mail and fax
near the end of each month. This survey must be signed by the district
superintendent and can include job openings for administrators and
teachers for the entire school district. After the vacancy submission
deadline, MSTC compiles the list to make it available to all prospective
educators worldwide. To view the current monthly list, go to
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/mtc/vacancy.html. Superintendents, please
encourage all schools within your district to submit their vacancies to
your office to be included on the form that is sent to you each month
for posting. It is our desire to post all vacancies for all school
districts in our state through this monthly updated process. 
 
For information on employment in the MDE contact the Office of Human
Resources at (601) 359-3511 or visit the "Active Recruitment List" on
the State Personnel Board Web site at http://www.spb.state.ms.us for a
list of openings in all state agencies. 
 
REMINDERS 
Please refer to previous editions of Monday Memo for the full story on
the following notifications or use the contact information listed for
each event. 
 
Harvard University has announced a program to pay the tuition for honor
students in families earning $60,00 or less per year. The institution
also has announced reduced fees for students from families with incomes
between $60,000 and $80,000. To find out more about Harvard offering
free and reduced tuition for lower income families, visit Harvard's
financial aid Web site at
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/2006/03/30-finaid.html or
call the school's financial office at 617-495-1581. 
 
Families with members in eligible programs and institutions, which
include day care home sponsors, Head Start organizations, adult care
facilities, child care centers and after school care snack programs are
eligible to complete a meal application for their children to apply for
benefits under the U.S. Department of Agriculture income guidelines for
free and reduced lunch price meals served under the Child and Adult Care
Food Program. For more information, contact your school or other
facility or call the MDE Office of Child Nutrition at 601-354-7015. 
 
MDE's Office of Healthy Schools and the Mississippi Development
Authority's Office of Tourism Development have partnered to promote
culture and heritage in Mississippi. Internationally-known pianist and
vocal performer Ms. Ora Reed has been designated as Mississippi's
Cultural Ambassador. If you are interested in having Ms. Reed make a
presentation at your school, contact John Cartwright at 601-359-3462 or
e-mail to jcartwright@mde.k12.ms.us. For more information, visit
http://www.healthyschoolsms.org.
 
This winter, the Jackson Zoological Park in Jackson, is adding a new
series on invertebrates to its Klassroom Keys program. The program
includes both classroom studies and on site viewing and interaction and
is best suited for sixth through twelfth grade students. The cost is
$1.50 per student and teacher and requires at least three weeks notice
before visitation. Call 601-352-2586 to sign up or visit
http://www.jacksonzoo.org/edzoocation/klassroomkeys.html for more
information. 
 
United Streaming is a great resource for educational professionals.
There are lesson plans, videos and other information for all subject
areas and each of these are linked to Mississippi Standards. To receive
your passcode for new users, contact Mississippi Public Broadcasting
(MPB) Director of Distance Learning Lucy Ferron at 601-432-6254 or
lucy.ferron@mpbonline.org. The contract is paid through MPB which
allows it to be offered as a free resource for schools. 
 
As of January 25, DonorsChoose had distributed over $150,000 worth of
resources from donors in 42 states to 7,128 Mississippi students! Visit
http://www.donorschoose.org and click on "About Us" then "Impact to
Date" then select "Mississippi" from the "View All Regions" dropdown
list to check the progress and follow the impact of this network on
Mississippi classrooms. Teachers may register online and post proposals
to ensure that Mississippi receives its share of resources through the
network. 
 
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab, a marine science education center located
along coastal Alabama, offers teacher workshops and student programs
focusing on marine science during the summer. Program costs include
housing and meals. Graduate credit is available for an additional fee.
For a list of programs, visit http://www.disl.org or call 251-861-7515.

 
Call the toll-free, state-wide "Connections Hotline" at 1-888-827-4637,
if as students, staff, parents or communities, you hear of an unlawful
activity or a situation that could put your school's safety at risk. No
one will ask for your name or location and you may receive a cash reward
of up to $1,000. For more information on the hotline, contact Clarence
Carter, Coordinator of Parent and Student Initiatives at (601) 359-1028
or ccarter@mde.k12.ms.us.
 
February 
 
The MDE through the Office of Leadership and Professional Development
(OLPD) is soliciting written proposals from qualifying vendors for the
development of professional learning modules for administrators in the
state. For more information and to download a copy of the Request for
Proposal go to http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/Grants.htm. The deadline for
submitting proposals is on or before 3:00 p.m., Monday, February 26. 
 
The Office of Dropout Prevention, Division of Counseling, is offering
professional development for new counselors. The one-day workshop for
new elementary, middle and high school academic counselors will be held
February 28 at Northwest Rankin High School from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00
p.m. Counselors that recently moved to new levels, such as from
elementary to high school, may also want to attend. Contact Martha
Garrett at mgarrett@mde.k12.ms.us or 601-359-3954 for registration
information and directions. 
 
March 
 
New vocational counselors may attend a one-day workshop covering their
Vocational Program of Work on March 1 at the MDE Central High School
Building from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Any new vocational counselor
that has not served as an academic high school counselor will need to
attend both the February 28 (listed above) and the March 1 workshops to
receive adequate information to best serve vocational students. Contact
Martha Garrett at mgarrett@mde.k12.ms.us or 601-359-3954 for
registration information and directions. 
 
Nominations are being accepted for the Schillig Society High School
Counselor Award which recognizes a high school counselor who has
exhibited outstanding service to his or her students, school and
community. Completed nomination packets must be faxed to the Selection
Committee at 662-425-0086 by March 1. Selection for the award will be
made by March 15. For more information contact Sheila Coleman at
662-325-2522 or scoleman@honors.msstate.edu. 
 
Safe Routes to School, a federally-funded K-8 program, enables and
encourages children to walk or bike to school instead of traveling by
motor vehicle. The program includes developing "walking school buses,"
expanding sidewalks and bike paths, calming traffic patterns near
schools, and teaching children the importance of pedestrian and bike
safety. Guidelines and applications are available at
http://www.goMDOT.com/srts. Applications for funding are due March 1.
For more information about the program, contact Cookie Leffler, SRTS
Coordinator at cleffler@mdot.state.ms.us or 601-359-1454 or visit
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org.
 
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in cooperation with the Lance
Armstrong Foundation and the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children will
present, "Welcome Back: Facilitating the return to school for children
with cancer" Friday, March 2, at the Jackson Medical Mall. The goal of
the program is to educate parents and school personnel on the cognitive
and late effects of childhood cancer treatment and to improve the
transition of childhood cancer survivors from the clinic to the
classroom. Register online at
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org//all_page.adp?item_id=450508.
 
MDE is pleased to continue our co-sponsorship of the Do The Write Thing
program with the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General. The
deadline for local competition is March 2. District winners' essays
should be forwarded to the MDE by March 16. For information packets,
contact Clarence Carter, Office of Safe and Orderly Schools at
601-359-1028 or ccarter@mde.k12.ms.us.
 
The Mississippi Regional Middle School Science Bowl will be held March
3, at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) in
Columbus. The deadline to register a team from your school is February
9. The regional champion is invited, with expenses paid, to compete at
the national event in Denver, Colorado, June 21-24. Students currently
enrolled in grades 6 through 8 are eligible to participate. Contact Ken
Wester at kwester@msms.k12.ms.us or Gayle Sims at gsims@mississippi.org.

 
Each school district is encouraged to select an outstanding parent to
serve as your district's Parent of the Year. The 2007 Parent of the Year
application form has been mailed to each school district superintendent.
Completed forms are due in the Office of Accreditation no later than
5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 5. For more information on the Parent of the
Year program, please contact Martin Herrington at 601-359-3764 or
mherrington@mde.k12.ms.us.
 
America's Milk Processors and USA today are sponsoring the 10th annual
"Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year" (SAMMY) 2007 Award Program.
Twenty-five outstanding twelfth-grade scholar athletes will each receive
a $7,500 college scholarship an invitation to attend an award weekend
scheduled for June 22-24 and an will have the opportunity to be pictured
in a special Milk Mustache ad in the June 2007 edition of USA TODAY and
other national publications. Applications will only be accepted online.
The deadline for entry is March 9. For complete rules and an online
application form, go to http://www.bodybymilk.com. 
 
East Mississippi Center for Educational Development, a regional
educational service agency located at MSU's Meridian Campus, will begin
its search for a new executive director. Interested applicants should
submit a letter of application, a resume, transcripts (unofficial are
acceptable during the application process) and three letters of
recommendation to Mr. Don Brantley, EMCED, Inc., 1000 Highway 19 N,
Meridian, MS 39307. Please mark your envelop Executive Director Search.
Go to http://www.emced.msstate.edu/Pages%20in%20use/EDjobdescription.htm
to view the job description . The search process will close March 9 and
announcement of the new director will be made by April 30. 
 
America's Milk Processors and USA today are sponsoring the 10th annual
"Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year" (SAMMY) 2007 Award Program.
Twenty-five outstanding scholar athletes in grade 12 will each receive a
$7,500 college scholarship as well as other awards and recognition.
Student athletes may be nominated by school staff, parents or
themselves. Applications will only be accepted online. The deadline for
entry is March 9. To apply go to http://www.bodybymilk.com.
 
Outdoor Learning Lab Workshops sponsored by Mississippi University for
Women's (MUW) Center for Creative Learning will be held March 9 and
April 13. (Participants should select one date to attend.) The workshops
will be held at the Plymouth Bluff Environmental Learning Center.
Registration is free, lunch will be provided and .5 CEU credit is
available. For more information, call 662-241-6101 or go to
http://www.muw.edu/ccl. For directions to the Plymouth Bluff
Environmental Learning Center visit http://www.plymouthbluff.com.
 
K-12 educators are invited to apply to participate in "Race and Place:
African Americans in Washington, DC from 1800-1954." The workshop is
designed to provide teachers with an in-depth understanding of four
crucial periods in American history -- pre-Civil War, Civil War,
Reconstruction and Segregation. A $500 stipend and a partial travel
reimbursement will be provided. The workshop application deadline is
March 15. Session I is scheduled for July 8-13 and Session II is
scheduled for July 22-26. For more information, visit
http://www.decaturhouse.org/workshop/index.htm or call 202-842-0920
ext. 227 or 232.
 
Students in grades K-6 are invited to submit their impressions of the
daily life of America's roadway workers for a national poster contest.
The purpose of the contest is to teach children at a young age the
dangers that are involved in roadwork projects. First through third
prizes will be awarded in two categories with a matching prize awarded
to winners' schools. The deadline for submissions is March 15. For
instructions, rules, classroom discussion tips, a release form and other
information, visit
http://www.atssa.com/page.ww?section=The+Foundation&name=Poster+Contest.
 
The American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced on a new grant
opportunity for schools and school libraries called Picturing America to
promote the teaching, study and understanding of American history and
culture in K-12 schools. 500 public and private schools will be selected
to receive a collection of 20 posters depicting works of American art,
as well as related resource information about the artwork. Apply online
at http://publicprograms.ala.org/picturingamerica through March 19.
Questions should be directed to publicprograms@ala.org.
 
The University of Southern Mississippi will host the second annual
Eagle Institute for School Leaders on March 22-23 at the new Thad
Cochran Center in Hattiesburg. The Institute provides policy and action
conferences that focus on current policy issues with which school
leaders are grappling. Surveys will be sent to a sample of Mississippi
school administrators. Please assist conference organizers by responding
to and returning these questionnaires. For more information on the Eagle
Institute, e-mail to eagleinstitute@usm.edu or call 601-266-4579. 
 
Beginning March 21, MDE's Office of Leadership and Professional
Development (OLPD) will offer online professional development
opportunities through the Mississippi E-Learning for Educators
Initiative. A total of three CEUs will be awarded to teacher
participants, at no cost, upon successful completion of respective
course requirements. A valid e-mail address is required in order to
enroll and participate in the online courses. Register online at
http://register.mde.k12.ms.us. Contact the OLPD office at
601-359-3954 or npearson@mde.k12.ms.us for questions regarding
registration. 
 
The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) Eagle Institute for
School Leaders will be held in the Thad Cochran Center on the USM campus
on March 22-23. The conference, All Means All: Ensuring the Success of
Students with Unique Learning Needs, will focus on leadership strategies
for helping disadvantaged/displaced students, English Language Learners,
gifted students, and students with special needs to achieve academic
success. For more information go to
http://www.usm.edu/leadershipinstitute/EagleInstitute/eagleinstitute.htm.

 
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a nationwide contest
to promote the development of computer and video games that improve
people's health and help them get the care they need. The Games for
Health Competition will award prizes totaling $30,000 to entrants who
develop game concepts or prototypes aimed at improving aspects of health
and healthcare. The deadline for entry is March 30. Details on contest
categories and application procedures may be found on the Games for
Health Competition Web site at
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10005097/gamesforhealth.
 
Entries for the annual High School On-Line Student Essay Contest and a
new Middle School Art Contest, sponsored by the National World War II
Museum in New Orleans, are being accepted. This year's essay and art
contests are inspired by the special exhibit Anne Frank: A History for
Today, which will be on display at the Museum this spring. Contest
rules, awards and other information may be found at
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/education/studentessays.html and
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/education/studentart.html. The
deadline for entry in both contests is March 30.
 
Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) invites young students to
participate in the 13th annual Reading Rainbow Writers and Illustrators
contest. Children from kindergarten through third grade are encouraged
to write and illustrate their own stories and submit them to MPB by
March 30. Local first place winners will advance to the national
competition. Visit http://www.mpbonline.org for rules, prizes and other
information.
 
The Eudora Welty Foundation and the Millsaps College Teachers'
Institute is presenting a professional development seminar for 9-12
grade English teachers and Mississippi Studies teachers. The event will
be held March 30 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Millsaps College in
Jackson. .5 CEU credit is available for full-day participation. Cost for
the seminar is $50 and includes lunch. The registration deadline is
March 20. For additional information, contact Wanda Manor at
601-974-1130.
 
The History Channel will honor one teacher and one student with a
$5,000 cash prize, recognition on The History Channel, and an
all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. where they will be recognized
as the Save Our History Teacher and Student of the Year this June. In
addition, twenty-four teachers and twenty-four students will receive
runners-up prizes and $500 cash. Visit http://www.saveourhistory.com for
guidelines, entry forms and rules. Entry forms are due March 30.
 
The Mississippi Career Fair for Educators will be held from 8:00 a.m.
until noon, Saturday, March 31, at the Mississippi Trade Mart in
Jackson. Please help us reach our goal of 100% school district
participation at this event, which will help you find the caring,
competent teachers your children deserve. If you have questions or need
additional information, please contact the Sandra Hilliard at
601-359-3631.
 
April 
 
The Acadiana Medieval Faire's Pilgrimage to Chaucer's England will be
open to students only April 2-3. The special school pilgrimage will be
open to grades 1-6 on Monday, April 2 and to grades 7-12 on Tuesday,
April 3. Admission is six dollars per person. Orders paid by February 15
will receive one free chaperone ticket for every ten paid tickets. The
festival is located between Grand Cotgeau and Arnaudville in Prairie
Basse about 15 minutes north of Lafayette, Louisiana. For a pilgrimage
reservation form, resource guide, workbook, maps, directions and more
visit http://www.acadianafaire.org/education.htm. 
 
The Writing and Scholarship Planning for College-Bound Students
Scholarship Contest is open to matriculating students in grades 11 and
12 who are enrolled in a public or accredited private school. Entries
will be accepted until April 11. Entrants are required to write a
two-page (approximately 500 words) essay in English responding to a
specified topic. Two grand prize winners will each receive a $15,000
check to be put towards college tuition, plus additional prizes. In
addition, second and third place winners, as well as the teachers of all
winners will receive prizes. For more information, visit
http://www.scholastic.com/collegesuccess.
 
The Mississippi Music Educators Association/American Choral Directors
Association (MMEA/ACDA) Conference/In-Service Training will be held
April 12-14 at the Marriott Hotel in Jackson. For pre-registration
information go to http://www.msmea.org. Pre-register by March 10 or
register at the conference. For more information contact Patsy Gilmore
at 601-939-4375 or pgilmore@rcsd.ms.
 
The Mississippi Association of School Administrators (MASA) will hold
its spring conference April 15-16 at the Jackson Hilton Hotel. The theme
for the conference is Helping the Struggling Learner. Concurrent session
topics include Understanding and Planning for the Struggling Learner,
Creating a School Culture of High Expectations, Recognizing Student and
Classroom Behaviors, Detecting Learning Difficulties, Understanding and
Using Test Scores, Communicating Effectively in High Performing Schools
and more. For more information contact MASA at 228-760-0241 or
masadirector@aol.com.
 
A meeting for all local superintendents to discuss the FY08 budget and
legislation from the 2007 session with superintendents will be held on
Monday, April 16 at 10:00 a.m. in the second floor auditorium of the
Central High School Building. For your convenience, we will video stream
the session live and then post it on our Web site. Please remember to
e-mail the Office of Information and Legislation at
rwheeler@mde.k12.ms.us or call 601-359-3519 to let us know if you
plan to attend.
 
The Mississippi Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
(MASCD) is sponsoring its annual Pre-School and Early Childhood Seminar
on April 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Jean F