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April 2011

Director's Notes

By the time this issue of the NCES Newsletter reaches you, Northern New Hampshire will be emerging from one of the longest, snowiest winters in quite some time.  For many living in the North Country, a winter that brings a good deal of snow is cause to celebrate, for it greatly benefits our economy at a time when such a stimulus is sorely needed.  However, a long and dark winter makes traveling arduous and often turns what would be a 20 minute drive in June to one that becomes 40 minutes in February.  A long winter can also exacerbate among select education practitioners a feeling of “professional isolation”.  For example, in Northern New Hampshire and Vermont, school based Related Service providers often work as the sole practitioner in a School and/or District.  Toward that end, research studies have consistently shown that low incident professionals, whether they be new or experienced benefit from support and collaboration particularly on complex cases as they learn new skills and practices.  In short, the opportunity to meet regularly with ones peers is professionally invaluable to them. 
 
In response to the problem of “professional isolation”, NCES is planning to offer in SY 2011-12  monthly Community of Practice Seminars for (1) school nurses and assistants (2) occupational therapists and COTA’s (3) speech and language pathologists and SLA’s.  The seminars are intended to allow them the opportunity to meet regularly for workshop presentations, networking, collaboration, problem solving and discussion under the direction of a well respected and credentialed facilitator.
 
The North Country Community is fortunate that today we have the very best and brightest Related Services practitioners serving the needs of our children.  The intent of the Community of Practice program, is to insure that such services continue tomorrow as well.
 
Ray Healey
Executive Director

Service Over Self

 pics from youth conference
Pictures: Students in small groups took leadership initiative in leading their team in pitching a tent, setting up a tarp and splinting an arm (top left); Adult and youth staff who facilitated the conference (top right); Berlin/Gorham middle school teams presenting their action plan.
 
Nine middle school teams participated in a three-day conference that was planned by the North County Prevention Youth Council (NCPYC) for the purpose of developing the skills of middle school students as leaders in prevention activities in their schools and communities. The NCPYC is made up of high school students from high schools throughout northern NH.
 
NCES manages the grant project that funded a majority of the event. In addition to being a great opportunity for leadership skill development of the students in the Prevention Youth Council and for the middle school participants to identify as prevention leader back in their respective schools, one of the greatest benefits of this type of program is fostering a regional mindset. We brought together students from a fairly large geographic region. There was a real positive atmosphere without any of the competitive aspects that are normally involved when schools come together for sports and other activities that involve trophies and awards.  
 
Sean O'Brien, Project SUCCESS counselor at Lin-Wood Public School formed the NCPYC and provides guidance to group in their bi-weekly planning meetings. This group did an outstanding job pulling together the Service Over Self conference.
 
Lori Langlois
GRAA Project Director
Associate Director, NCES
 
Note: To read a press release issued by two students in the NCPYC, please see Page 4 of this Berlin Daily Sun archive.
 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Infusing Canada into the Curriculum

In response to interest from the North Country region, the NH Geographic Alliance is working to reschedule "Infusing Canada into the Curriculum" symposium for late spring or summer at NCES. Check the NCES website periodically for updates or contact Lara Bryant at lbryant1@keene.edu.

Military Culture 201 for Educators

The NH Department of Education and the Educational Outreach Committee of the National Guard are offering a series of FREE workshops that will allow educators who may not have had a personal experience of having a deployed family member gain some perspective about what it feels like. Bring your questions, many resources are available.
 
 
Target Audience: school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, school nurses, and support staff.
Prerequisite: Must have attended a Military 101 course
Cost: Free
Date: May 4, 2011
Time: 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
Location: NCES, Gorham, NH  
 
Register online

NEWS, UPDATES & OTHER TIDBITS

FREE Library Materials

The NCES Media Center is removing some older and/or under-utilized materials from its collection. If you are interested in any of the items below and wish to check if they are still available, contact Raina Scarinza at library@ncedservices.org or by calling 603-466-5437. These free materials must be picked up at NCES. Items distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
 
-Lots of empty VHS containers
-Survival vocabulary (Drivers license, credit, sign, medical, supermarket, banking ect)
-Sky Science kit (some materials missing)
-Money Big Box
-IDM Fundamentals of addition and subtractions
-IDM Fundamentals of multiplication and division
-Christmas Is In the Air (unbound books) 40 +/-
-June 30, 2008 NH Rules for the Education of Children with Disabilities
-National Center For Education Statistics TIMSS Stigler Math
-Side by Side activity workbook
-New American Streamline Connections (workbook A,B, Teachers book, cassettes)
-Box of cards “colored inch cube designs”
-NH Manual for the General Court 2009
-Intel Teach Program Leadership Forum
-Book/VHS When Friends Mean Trouble
-Book/VHS Suppose That Was Me
-VHS How Computers Work
-VHS My Only Me
 
Computer Games/Software on CD (some are only small screen and some are not compatible with Windows XP)
King Arthur’s Magic Castle
Putt Putt Enters the Race
US Presidents
Lessons in American History
Landmark Documents in American History
Arthurs Reading Games
Monarch Notes on CD ROM
Putt Putt Goes to the Moon
Elmo Pre School
Curious George Early Learning Adventure
Planetary Taxi
Time Table of History
Oceans Below
My First Amazing History Explorer
Putt Putt Travels Through Time
20th Century Video Almanac
Capital Hill
Great Wonders of the World
Butterflies of North America
Sesame Street Lets Make a Word
Katie’s Farm
NC Wyeth’s Illustrated Classics (Treasure Island,Yearling, Kidnapped, Robinson Crusoe)
Time Scales
and many more………
 
Books and CD’s
Richard Scary Busy Town
Mario Teaches Typing
Career Planet Launch Pad
Ruff’s Bone
Just me and my dad
The lost mind of Dr Brain
Sim City
The Tortoise and the Hare
Earth Quest
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body
Animal Antics
Sheila Rae the brave
The Bererstain Bears  In the Dark
Me Myself and I
Job Search Skills for the 21st Century
Math Splash
 
Large Box of MAC only CD’s
Oceans Below
Capitol Hill
Civil War
Prehistoria
Encyclopedia of Nature
History of the World
Word Tales
Disney animated storybook
Counting on Frank Math Adventure game
America Alive
Small Blue Planet
National Geographic
How things work
Adam the inside story

In This Issue

Director's Notes

Service Over Self

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Infusing Canada into the Curriculum

Military Culture 201 for Educators

NEWS, UPDATES & OTHER TIDBITS

FREE Library Materials
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Leadership North Country
Leadership North Country is patterned after the over 350 state, regional, and local Leadership Programs in the United States. In NH there are five regional Leadership Programs and one state Leadership Program.
 
The purpose of Leadership North Country is to create a leadership core in the northern part of the state who know how to partner and network with each other, who know how to find leadership partners in social services, economic and community development, and who further know and understand what kinds of deliverables and services are available from organizations and agencies outside the North Country for the betterment of its citizens and communities.
 
Applications for the 2011-12 class are now being accepted. For more information on LNC, visit http://www.wmcc.edu/leader/.
 
Learning Forward in the Digital Age
 
Speaker: Marilee Sprenger, an international educational neuroscience consultant and author of Brain-Based Teaching in the Digital Age.
Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Location: SNHU, Manchester, NH
Sponsored by: Learning Forward NH (formerly NH Staff Development Council)  Learn more at learningforwardnh.org
Apply to the Learning School Alliance
 
Learning Forward is seeking schools, particularly middle and high schools, to join the next round of the Learning School Alliance. Visit learningforward.org for more information.
NHCSS Call for Proposals
 
The New Hampshire Council for Social Studies is currently accepting workshop proposals for their conference to be held on October 27th in Manchester, NH. The conference theme is The Role of Social Studies in the 21st Century. For more information see the events section of nhcss.org.
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Contact Info
For more information:
North Country Education Services
300 Gorham Hill Road
Gorham, NH 03581
nces@ncedservices.org
800-268-5437
603-466-5437
www.ncedservices.org
 
Directions to NCES
North Country Education Services • 300 Gorham Hill Road • Gorham • NH • 03581