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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 |
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November 12, 2008 |
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New Executive Director Vacancy Deadline Nears Capable, competent leadership is critical for the growth of the League! December 1, 2008 looms as the deadline for those interested in applying for the NELMS Executive Director vacancy that begins July 1, 2009. The vacancy exists due to the announced retirement of long-time director, Bob Spear. For complete information, please go to the NELMS web site. If you know someone who might be interested please pass this along. Tri-State Conference successful! The long running Tri-State Conference was held in Keene, NH. Sixty-five people enjoyed seven great sessions, a student panel, and a keynote presentation from Dr. Robert Spear highlighted the event. It has been sponsored for over nine years by four organizations: NELMS, COMMLE, NHAMLE, & VAMLE. The planning committee met after the day-long event to review very positive evaluations and decided immediately to return to Keene and plan for another Tri-State Conference in 2009. Annual Conference Preparation Continues – Don’t wait; Register Now! The sessions are being selected and processed; terrific keynote speakers have been booked; relevant half-day session presenters are scheduled; we are on the way to Providence for a great conference in April 2009. Look for the Annual Conference brochure that will be in your school shortly. If you are worried about the lack of school funds, sign up now by using the form at NELMS.org. Just click on conferences and then on “Annual Conference” to reach the current pricing and general information sheet. Look for Board elections in NH & ME Southern New Hampshire and Southern Maine will have a NELMS Board election this year. Ballots are being prepared and information is being gathered. Individual members will have one vote and Comprehensive members will be able to cast two votes in these important elections. *Look for the ballots soon in the mail.* Spotlight School Award--Friday, Nov. 14 deadline. Get the recognition your school deserves! The process asks schools to submit data to NELMS by completing surveys and providing additional supporting documentation. NELMS then reviews these materials and makes the selection of schools that will continue with the process. Following the initial selection, one or two representatives of NELMS will visit the school. After the visit, schools worthy of Spotlight School recognition will be notified. NELMS Parent & Community Group Award NELMS seeks to honor parent/community groups that value, understand and support effective middle level education which promotes powerful learning for young adolescents. The Criteria is simply that the groups understand and actively support the development of young adolescents and that they champion middle level education by:
The deadline is January 9, 2009. NELMS Technology Award The Selection Criteria are:
The selection committee will consider projects such as, but not limited to: classroom instruction that integrates technology (including unified arts, and special education); web sites (including podcasts, blogs, and message boards); and school or community activities integrating technology. Vermont Team recognized at National Middle School Conference! Teams That Make a Difference sponsored by NMSA and Pearson Education selected Jeff Grogan, and Steve Buzzell from the Stowe Middle School in Stowe, Vermont as a team recognized for the great things it does for the middle school.
“The philosophy shared by these two team teachers and their principal is easy… Work together as a team in order to help young adolescents take pride and ownership in their own schooling. Through classroom governance, students can begin to take control of the daily operations of the classroom, which will empower them to take ownership of their own education. This team of 7th grade teachers wants the students to engage in creative hands-on activities and by creating their own student government a variety of other opportunities has opened up for them to share. Students over the last several years have held a talent show in order to raise money. One year, they were able to donate over $1,500 worth of medical supplies to an AIDS orphanage in Lagos, Nigeria. In a previous year, money raised went to help a local animal shelter and most recently, proceeds were split between sending almost 1,000 pairs of shoes to Kenya and collecting food and money for a local food pantry. The students benefit from the variety of things they do by realizing that subjects can tie in together and how participating in an integrated cross-disciplined unit helps their reading fluency and comprehension. A Civil War Unit entitled Death Around Us helped the students understand that both science and social studies could be studied and could tie in together. Based on the tests given from this unit, they gained a deep comprehension of the material. As a team, the focus is on curriculum and the common concepts of systems, cycles, interdependence, and sustainability.” Need Suggestions for NE Advisory The Professional Resources Committee is looking to develop a New England Treasure Chest of Activities and Ideas for Advisory. Suggestions and ideas can be sent to NELMS. Follow the directions that can be found on our web page by clicking here. We are looking forward to every state being represented and the sharing of many ideas. Visit Spotlight Schools to See Great This year has seen record numbers of folks visiting Spotlight Schools. Each one is looking at different aspects of effective middle level schooling. The visitors are hosted for the day by educators from the Spotlight School and are given the opportunity to custom design the day that best fits their needs. The response has been very very positive to the visits and leaders say this is a powerful way for others to see great practices in action, get their questions answered, and develop enthusiasm for new initiatives. First R.I. students demonstrate knowledge with mandatory projects Study: Whiteboards encourage active learning
Secrets for science educators
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