 |
New England League of Middle Schools 460 Boston Street, Suite 4 Topsfield, MA 01983 Tel: (978) 887-6263 Fax: (978) 887-6504 Email: nelms@nelms.org |
 Newsletter—May 31, 2007 |
|
Participate in Establishing a Middle Level Legacy Now! For almost 35 years, NELMS has been an organization focused on middle level education, young adolescents, and being a source of ideas and best practices. We developed the resources we need through selling publications, conference registrations, membership dues, and professional services. By most accounts NELMS has done this work well and with continued high quality. As you know, the priorities and needs of middle level educators have changed dramatically over the last five to ten years. In these times, the need for effective advocacy has never been greater. Policy level decision-makers and others need to be informed about current research as well as effective practices. Many believe that they are making decisions and developing policies that very often impede high level learning for young adolescents. Advocacy is one way to educate and inform those that make these key decisions. While NELMS has always advocated for the middle level, now more than ever, we need to do it differently and more frequently. However, advocacy does not generate the necessary revenue to sustain this labor-intensive work. Therefore, we need your financial support NOW to create a lasting legacy for the middle level advocacy! NELMS needs each and every middle level educator and friends of middle level educators to become involved and support the NELMS organization and our advocacy work. The key to our success is wide participation and the involvement of every NELMS member by contributing NOW! (NELMS is a 501c3 charity organization registered with the State of Massachusetts and the IRS.) With your help, NELMS will:
Can you donate a month’s worth of coffee money? Can you donate a months worth of television? Can you donate one month’s cell phone expenses? Can you donate a tank of gas? Can you place a value on what NELMS has meant to you, your school, or the ways NELMS has influenced practices in your school and across the region that make a difference? Please consider one of these “Legacy Levels”:
Payment options available are:
Many of you have told us that you personally and/or your school has benefited from a present or past relationship with NELMS activities. You have said that when a great idea that takes shape in your school, it has often emanated from a NELMS conference or other NELMS experience. Many teachers and principals in our Spotlight Schools say that they would not have a high quality school, if it were not for the shared NELMS experience. We need your help in this first ever appeal to create a lasting legacy to support and nurture middle level education now and into the future. Please send your donation TODAY! Want to donate now? Click here! Want more information? Click here! Want to learn about what we intend to do with your donated money? Click here! Want to see our strategic plan? Click here! Want to learn more about and see who is on our Development Committee? Click here! Want to give us a lead to prospective large donors? Click here! NELMS Spotlight Schools – After applications, reviews, and visits, four schools have met the criteria to become NELMS Spotlight Schools. Congratulations to the new Spotlight Schools, they are: Kickemuit Middle School, Warren, RI Schools who status as spotlight schools has been renewed because they have continued with effective practices are: Essex Middle School, Essex Junction, VT The purpose of the Spotlight School Award is to recognize schools that have a record of powerful learning for young adolescents and consistently observe middle level best practices. A NELMS Spotlight School is recognized for developing strong effective research based practices that reflect concepts contained in Turning Points 2000 and This We Believe. Recognition for this prestigious award includes a presentation of a Spotlight School banner, press releases to local and regional news outlets, announcements in NELMS publications and recognition on the NELMS Web site. Also, it is expected that visitors will want to observe and learn about effective practices through scheduled small group visitations, coordinated by NELMS. To look over the entire list of Spotlight schools, please click here.
We have the following opportunities to help the profession. Volunteers should contact nelms@nelms.org. List Serv/On Line Discussion Facilitators - We want to create special connections for like minded groups of middle level teachers using technology. We need individuals to "monitor" and stimulate discussion. Groups might include content areas of Math, Language Arts, Art, Physical Education, Science etc. Other groups might be Team Leaders, Literacy Coaches, Assistant Principals, Guidance Counselors, Urban, Small School or Rural Educators etc. Let the mind wander and plan to help us out. Angela Fiandaca, School Counselor at Warsaw Middle School in Pittsfield, Maine recently read in the Mid Lines newsletter about volunteer positions for monitoring list servs on various topics. She is a guidance counselor and has volunteered to to monitor and stimulate discussions related to guidance counseling, advisory programs, student issues, Student Assistant Teams, etc. Can you help on other topics so we can get this up and running for the fall? Just let us know. Video Editors - We have a great potential and many resources that can be video taped for the advancement of teacher learning. NELMS needs an individual or video club to help us edit footage and develop low cost professional quality DVD's for teacher and school professional development. This club or individual can be from a middle, high, or college level or a combination of all of these. We have the topics, the plan, and the people, we need the expertise! Can you help? Wireless calculators identify struggling math students http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless A Modest Curriculum Proposal http://www.edutopia.org/modest-curriculum-proposal
You are currently subscribed to %%list.name%% as: %%emailaddr%%
To unsubscribe click on the following link: Unsubscribe |
|
|
|
|