Gay Beck Named the NEA Foundation Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellow

The NEA Foundation announced that it has selected Gay Beck, a Kindergarten teacher at Highland Elementary in Alpine School District, as a 2012 NEA Foundation Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellow, one of a unique class of 32 award-winning public school educators who are building their global competency skills. Global competence is defined as the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.

In August 2011, Beck received the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence,  one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for public educators.

The fellowship is an expansion of the NEA Foundation’s annual Awards for Teaching Excellence (ATE) program and a continuation of its mission to advance student achievement by investing in public education that will prepare all students to learn and thrive in a rapidly changing world. It is designed to broaden how the Fellows, all ATE recipients, navigate the global age to better prepare their students for success in an increasingly interconnected world. It includes:

• Pre-tour global learning orientation and country-specific travel preparation;
  
• Group study-tour abroad focused on comparative education systems, collaborative thinking, and development for globally-minded professional outcomes;
  
• Online course designed to integrate global learning into classrooms, schools, and local communities (e.g. lesson plans, presentations, etc.); and
  
• Post-tour creation of curriculum integrated with global competency skills.
  

The tour of China, from June 19-28, includes visits to schools in Beijing and Shanghai to provide educators with structured opportunities to observe high quality instruction and to interact with Chinese teachers and administrators. It also includes interactions with representatives from multi-national corporations, Intel and Fastenal, to increase Fellows’ understanding of the workplace skills their students need to succeed in a global economy.

In preparation, the Fellows have completed an online course that has provided them with a framework to contextualize their experiences in China by examining the impact of China’s historical and cultural legacies on contemporary Chinese society and educational system.

“In order for students to be prepared for the global age, their educators must be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to teach in the global age,” said Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation. “Our program has an intentional focus on strengthening each educator’s global competencies: investigating the world beyond one’s immediate environment; recognizing multiple perspectives; communicating ideas effectively with diverse audiences; taking action to improve conditions.”

In partnership with the Pearson Foundation, the NEA Foundation will share the Fellows’ experiences and observations through blog posts and photos as they travel. The NEA Foundation will also select and share curriculum and other teaching tools that they create after the tour.

                Gay Beck - Highland Elementary Kindergarten Teacher in                Alpine School District

Names and photos of the 2012 NEA Foundation Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellows are posted on the NEA Foundations's website.  The tour is sponsored by the Pearson Foundation and the NEA Foundation,  and is designed by Education first.  The 2013 ATE awardees will be invited to participate on a similar trip next year in another country.

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About the NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation is a public charity supported by contributions from educators' dues, corporate sponsors, and others who support public education initiatives. We partner with education unions, districts, and communities to create powerful, sustainable improvements in teaching and learning. Visit www.neafoundation.org for more information.

Alpine School District Board of Education Honors Kids Cause Board Members

Two of the Kids Cause Board members, Beverly Smith and Verene Thorne, were honored at the Alpine School District Board meeting on Tuesday, April 17.  

Beverly Smith's Biographical Information:

Beverly says the following about her experiences and her life:  "I had the privilege of serving on the Kids Cause Board  for six or seven years until June, 2011.  It was a great  opportunity to  meet with other Board  members, and work  with  school coordinators of several elementary schools  in the north part of  Alpine School District.  Especially satisfying was knowing that children  were receiving help, and having their needs met in many different ways.  

I graduated from BYU  in 1959 and began teaching  that year.  My teaching experience spanned 32 years.

I enjoyed teaching  Kindergarten , First Grade and Preschool-------two years at the "old" Harrington and

Forbes, nine years at Lehi Elementary,  five years at Greenwood Elementary, two years at the International

School in Manila Philippines, two years at the  Preschool at Salt Lake Community College, and ten years

as the supervising teacher at two Head Start Centers

My family is the best ever, and ever so supportive.  My husband, Glen  M. Smith, is talented and creative.

He taught  at Lehi High School for many years. We have four children who are just as talented and creative.

They are Andrew, Daniel, Joel and Sarah.   We have ten wonderful grandchildren."

L to R:    Beverly Smith, Ann Hatch, Verene Thorne

Verene Thorne's Biographical Information:

Verene Thorne grew up in Fillmore, Utah.  After high school, she earned a teaching scholarship and graduated from Utah State University in Elementary Education. Verene taught kindergarten for three years, and the rest of the years she taught 1st grade.  Her first three years of teaching were at Arlington Elementary in Murray, the next three years at Forbes in American Fork, and the remainder at Valley View Elementary in Pleasant Grove.  She also taught Reading Recovery for seven years and loved it!

Since retiring, Verene has been devoting considerable time to volunteering.  She has served as a Captain in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, a Pink Lady at American Fork Hospital, an officer in Alpine Retired School Employees' Association, a Red Cross caller, and was a library tutor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, and, happily, is doing fine now.

Verene has four children who all live in the Pleasant Grove/Lindon area, and four grandchildren (ranging in age from 5 to 20). She dearly loves them! Family gatherings are always fun, and never boring!

Verene has been on the Kids Cause Board for about five or six years, and has enjoyed her time
serving.  She has appreciated the opportunity to learn so much, and work with such
wonderful people.  Anyone who has a desire to help children is tops in her book!

Sally Mauro Elementary School Celebrates Student Achievement in Carbon School District

The administration and staff of Sally Mauro Elementary School in Carbon School District have focused on two programs this year that reward student achievement.  Rachel’s Challenge and The Principal's Pride Awards are two programs that have been put into action over the 2011-2012 school year. The main goal of this plan to celebrate student achievement is to unite students through positive influence and to strengthen student interest and parental involvement in academics and citizenship.  Rachel’s Challenge is a character education initiative designed to motivate students to follow school rules, treat others with respect, and go the extra mile to help out someone in need.   The Principal's Pride Award helps us recognize and celebrate student achievement in academics and citizenship and in turn motivate students to aspire to do their best. 

Rachel’s Challenge

For more information on the Rachel's Challenge program, please visit their official website at www.rachelschallenge.org Please note that SME is using this program for the Character Education curriculum and we are being very cautious as to the sensitive nature of this topic, especially with our youngest students. 

Our School Theme:

·         Sally Mauro Students Lend a Helping Hand to Each Other

Goals:  

·         To create a positive and progressive school wide community by showing kindness and compassion toward others

·         To recognize students who are showing kindness and compassion

Measured Progress:

Paper chains will be created from links that represent acts of kindness and compassion.  Each link in the chain will say “I, _________________, gave a helping hand by ____________________.”  

Students earn links by showing kindness and compassion to others.  As students earn links, they are linked together and displayed in classrooms.  Eventually, the chains are hung throughout the school: halls, gym, auditorium, library, cafeteria, etc.  Each month, the chains are put on a different color of paper so that the students can compare amounts. 

Community support is encouraged by having students invite their families to participate and by approaching local businesses to participate.  The classroom and community chains are joined together once a month.  Our goal by the end of the year is to have a chain that is a mile long.  

Monthly Character Education Themes:

Student government is responsible for the character ed. lessons each month.   They go to each grade level and give a short, 10-15 minute presentation about the theme.  During the month, teachers and students look for acts of kindness and compassion and hand out links accordingly.  There is no limit to the number of links that can be earned.  Teachers are also given an activity that they can do with their students each month to practice the skills they have learned. 

Principal’s Pride Awards

Goals: 

·         To honor those students who are making academic gains

·         Honor students who are continually above grade level requirements in academics

·         To spotlight students with perfect attendance

Measured Progress:

Tracking student progress is something all teachers do on a regular basis.  For The Principal’s Pride Award, each grade level determines benchmarks for core subjects based on end of the year goals.  Students earn recognition for meeting or exceeding those benchmarks.  Academic progress is based on pre and post tests, DIBELs, math facts drills, etc.

            Each grade level determines their benchmarks for core subjects.  On the last Friday of each month, the principal announces students who have reached the benchmark goals.  Those students report to the office to receive a Principal’s Pride certificate.  That same week, the students from each class that have earned the Principal’s Pride Award go to each lunch with Mr. Maughan to celebrate their accomplishment. 

Provo School District's Wasatch Elementary Students Study & Portray Notable Contributors to Society

                                                                                       Fifth-grade students at Wasatch Elementary put on the school’s annual Wax Museum, an event that encourages students to research the life and accomplishments of a certain individual that contributed to greater and common good for mankind. Each student read a book about the person they wished to highlight or found other credible resources to gain information from. The students dressed up as their historical figure and even brought props to help illustrate more of whom they were representing. They posed as still as they could, like a wax figure, unless someone came, pushed a "button" on their display, and the student then recited facts about their figure’s history and accomplishments.
From Jim Henson to Annie Oakley, and from Henry Ford to Barack Obama, there was fantastic variety of notable characters that made a difference one way or another in history. The students did a wonderful job conducting thorough research and worked hard to represent their subject in the best possible way.

Jim Griffin, Nebo Education Association President, Is Running For District 67, Utah State House of Representatives Seat

Jim Griffin, Nebo Education Association President

Jim Griffin, Nebo Education Assocation President and former Payson City Councilman, announced recently that he is running for the open seat in the Utah House of Representatives in District 67.  Representative Patrick Painter currently holds this seat.  Jim has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science, and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education.  He has taught for thirty years in Nebo School District in the subjects of American Government and Politics, U. S. Studies, and Psychology, and has also coached boys' sports for many years.  Jim served for eight years on the Payson City Council, four of them as Mayor Pro Tem.  Not only does Jim know the importance and value of education in the lives of our youth, but he also understands how government works from his vast professional and personal life experiences.  Jim and his wife, Ronda, have lived in Payson for thirty years, and they have four children and nine grandchildren.  You can contact Jim at 801-465-4290 if you are interested in helping him with his campaign.

Jethro Gillespie, Nebo Education Association Member, Named Utah High School Educator of the Year by Utah Art Education Association

Jethro Gillespie

                               

The Utah Art Education Association selected Jethro Gillespie, Nebo Education Association member and Art Teacher at Maple Mountain High School, to receive this year's Utah High School Educator of the Year award.  Gillespie has helped numerous students to appreciate the arts, and use the skills they have learned from him to learn more about themselves.  He teaches AP Studio Art, Drawing, and Painting.  Gillespie was recently quoted as saying,"I think that the arts serve an extremely important role in the education of all students.  I realize that most of the students in my classes probably won't go on to become professional painters, but I hope that they can learn valuable skills in art classes that will eventually go on to help them in whatever profession or position they may have in their futures."  Congratulations to Jethro Gillespie for his prestigious honor, and for making a difference in the lives of his students!