Friday, January 15, 2010

Heartland AEA to host School Budget Workshops Feb. 8 & 9

Heartland AEA will host two separate school budget workshops for area school districts on February 8 and 9. The goal of the workshops is to assist schools in completing their school budget in a single work session. Both workshops will be held at the Johnston Regional Education Center at 6500 Corporate Drive and will go from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The registration fee is $120 per person, which includes lunch.

The facilitator will be William (Bill) J. Garner, former chief administrator of AEA 8. Bill has been conducting workshops in this area for several years. Participants will be using the Department of Management’s program during the workshops. It is encouraged that both the superintendent and business manager/board secretary attends the workshop

To register, go to the Heartland Professional Development catalog on our home page or click here. Copy the appropriate activity number for the day in which you would like to attend and paste it into the search box on the registration page in the browser. If you are interested, register today because seats are going fast!

February 8, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Activity Number: AD00619211100

Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive

February 9, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Activity Number: AD006192111002

Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive

If you have questions, please call the Professional Development Office at 270-0405 ext. 14348.

Final HEART Training Sessions for 2009-2010

There are two more scheduled training sessions for using the HEART database for this school year. All training sessions will take place in the Computer Lab of the Johnston Regional Education Center located at 6500 Corporate Drive. If you are interested, you may register for either one or both sessions. To register, go to the Heartland Professional Development catalog on our home page or click on the link below. Copy the appropriate activity number and paste it into the search box on the registration page in the browser.

https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH

HEART Administrator Overview class

This class is intended for school leaders new to HEART and those who want a refresher. In this training we will cover the use of HEART, security setup and cleanup, as well as a general Q&A. This class is intended for building/district leaders who will be responsible for local implementation of HEART. Among others, this may include superintendents, principals, technology and/or curriculum coordinators, but may also include building/district clerical personnel who provide major support for HEART.


February 1, 2010, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Activity Number: AS003792111005
Computer Lab, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive

April 8th, 2010, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Activity Number: AS003792111006
Computer Lab, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive

HEART Behavior Module class
This training will cover the setup and operation of the behavior module as well as some discussion of its use in a building/district setting. We recommend the behavior training be attended by at least one administrator and another person who will assist with technical support (primarily building data files for import). We also encourage the school to invite members of the AEA team such as the School Psychologist and/or School Social Worker, as they may be able to assist in the implementation of the behavior module in your building/district.


February 1, 2010, 1:00-4:00 p.m
Activity Number: AS003692111005

Computer Lab, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive

April 8, 2010, 1:00-4:00 p.m
Activity Number: AS003692111006
Computer Lab, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive

Questions can be directed to Connor Hood at (515) 270-0405 ext. 14506 or chood@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Iowa Core Curriculum Update

Registrations are still being accepted for Year Two, Day Two Leadership for the Iowa Core Curriculum to be held in January and February. The January 25 session at Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines is closed but space remains in all of the other sessions. Registration information is available on the Heartland AEA Web site at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/icc/.

Participants registered for Day Two will receive an email prior to their session with instructions for accessing materials for the session. The training will be paperless and Internet access will be limited, so participants will be asked to download the materials onto a laptop or print their own copies, if desired, to bring to the training session.


Contact Linda Biermann Hoobin at lhoobin@aea11.k12.ia.us for questions or further information.

Iowa Culture and Language Conference Feb. 9-10

The annual Iowa Culture and Language Conference (ICLC) will be held on February 9-10, 2010 at Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines, Iowa. A Pre-conference will take place on February 8. This year's theme is "Rooted to Grow: Diverse Learners in the 21st Century."

Eight speakers have been invited to speak at the conference. The mission of the annual event is to advocate for culturally and/or linguistically diverse students and their families, educators and service providers.
Schools are encouraged to bring a team.

Register through the Northwest AEA Web site at http://www.nwaea.k12.ia.us/en/upcoming_events/iowa_culture_language_conference/.

Nominations needed for Excellence in Science Teaching Awards (ESTAs)

There are plenty of terrific science teachers in Iowa and the Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) wants to reward them with an Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA). Each year, outstanding science teachers of all grade levels and areas of science are eligible to be recognized for their work and innovations in science education.

Nominate your outstanding science teachers by sending in a nomination letter found by clicking here.
Nominations are encouraged from administrators and colleagues or a teacher may self-nominate. Two letters of recommendation must accompany the nomination. One of the two letters must be from an administrator. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2010.

Final selections are made by the Awards and Recognition Committee. Winners are honored at a luncheon during the Iowa Academy of Science Annual Meeting and receive a plaque and $200 award.


Nominees must teach at least one of the following subjects:

•Physical Science (physics, chemistry and physical science)
•Life Science (biology, anatomy/physiology, life science)
•Earth/Space Science/Environmental Science

•General/Multiple Science (integrated science, interdisciplinary courses, multiple preps)

•Middle School/Junior High Science

•Elementary Science (two awards may be given/year)


Past ESTA winners can be nominated again if they teach a different subject than when they were previously awarded.
Applicants do not need to be a member of the IAS to receive the award.

Questions can be directed to Tom Ervin, ESTA Committee Chair, at tomervin@mchsi.com.