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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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June 4, 2008 |
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Summer is just around the corner and when you look at what needs to be done by the end of the year, you break out in hives, get grumpy, eat comfort food or any and all of them. Welcome to this issue of e-news! 27th Annual Conference a BIG Success! As was reported earlier, the NELMS Annual Conference was a professionally rewarding experience for many attendees. I am particularly pleased that this continues to be the case especially this past April as there were a number of changes made to the program and conference layout. We know that we have a number of things to improve on, and we will be working on them before the next conference, April 5, 6, and 7, 2009 in Providence. Some of the statistics were:
While many items were discussed, the majority of the meeting was focused on money. The projected end-of-year financials were discussed and analyzed. In addition, the NELMS office team presented a draft 2009 budget to the Finance Committee, Executive Council, and the full Board for their review. While the picture could be brighter, the NELMS organization is holding steady and the financial picture is positive. Another part of the meeting was spent on debriefing from the Annual Conference that was held in March in Providence (see related article above). We reviewed all aspects of the conference in order to provide you with the best possible event in 2009. The Board also reviewed the NELMS 2008 – 2009 professional development plans. All conferences and activities were discussed to ensure that topics are relevant and timely. Highlighted were the Literacy Summit, Rick Wormelli’s return to our Differentiated Instruction Conference, and the continuation of the Administrators Conference. Plans for a NEW Technology Conference were also detailed. Look at nelms.org for a complete list of 2008-2009 activities. At nelms.org the resource center has been redesigned. We now have an “Educator’s Room” that is comprised of 3 parts: a Teachers Room, a Leadership Room, and a General Information Room. This is being done to help you get the information you need. In the Leadership Room there are resources specifically focused for leaders. It includes leadership issues at the middle level, research, and middle level best practices. In the Teacher's Room you will find resources directing you to interesting web sites, middle level research, and teacher tips. There are also specific sections dealing with content you can use in your classroom. In the General Resources section, all will find resources of a general nature focused on middle level best practices and information. Enjoy and please tell us if we should have other information posted. It will continually evolve and be updated as we get timely relevant information. Call for Presenters for 2009 Annual Conference While your time is full, now might be the best time for you to complete the Call for Presenters for our Annual Conference in the Spring of “09”. The 2009 Annual Conference Strands are based on the concepts contained in NMSA’s "This We Believe" and are:
Our newest strand is Strand C, which is for Unified Arts teachers to share their Issues and Ideas. We have developed this strand because the Unified Arts conference no longer exists. Included in this strand are all things pertaining to the Unified Arts. Topics within the areas of Art, Health, Physical Education, Music, Technology Education, Family and Consumer Science, Performance groups, and Drama are appropriate. Also, issues such as connecting to grade level teams, scheduling, UA classes and state testing, and current trends are also very suitable. The challenge now is for Unified Arts Teachers to submit sessions so that we can have a complete and full program. Submit a proposal NOW! Go to http://www.nelms.org/calendar07-08/annual_08/annual08.html and select one of the Call for Presenters forms. We will all be glad you did. Plan now to attend. All details are available at www.nelms.org. Of particular note is the newly scheduled Teaming Institute to be held in August. This is a great opportunity for teams to attend together to get primed for the school year. Other activities are:
Go to www.nelms.org for the listing and links! In the NEWSExercise during teen years tied to breast cancer protection Are social promotions the best answer for struggling students? Research questions the value of graduation tests NELMS offers four whole school improvement experiences. New videos are now available that will help explain these programs. It also give you an opportunity to meet the facilitators and in some cases, the authors of programs. For further information click the program name or click on a video of those that you are interested in.
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