School related news 08-09

If your family has experienced a layoff or other financial problems: please consider contacting some of these helpful resources

Check out the District's online calendars for dates and times for the many holiday concerts.

District has good bond rating The Daily Item

Cops warn students about 'sexting' on cell phones

Learning on Purpose: Transforming a Good School into a Great School - Edutopia

The Changing Face of the Class Bully

Obama Administration Agenda Formulation Wall Street Journal CSPAN Video Emanuel discusses education & other issues.

LearntobeHealthy.org provides free, interactive, student health science Activities, Student Games and Webquests.

The Future of Education, a business leaders panel will examine how shifting demographics and business trends are requiring educators to adapt their teaching to ensure students remain prepared for future roles in the marketplace. Novermber 18, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. in Isaacs Auditorium of Seibert Hall. Open to public.

Mother complains about kids' treatment The Daily Item

New PA Gifted Education regulations - parent guide

Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology Names 2008 Semifinalists and Regional Finalists

Mapping out a new world order CNN

Digital whiteboard establishes itself as a teaching tool. Allentown Morning Call 11/16/08

SASD Policies: 249 Bullying/CyberBullying, 248 Unlawful Harrassment, 247 Hazing

Parents, teachers question Shikellamy math program Daily Item 11/16/08 Region's math scores by school

Who Should Be the Nation's Next Education Chief? Yahoo news

A new study finds that children of privileged families fare worse when the mother works
outside the home. Carmichael, Mary, Newsweek 9/11/08

The Common Good - PA Tax & Budget policy - a report from PA Budget & Policy Center

PA Dropout Prevention Summit - Dr. Zahorchak & Acting Sec. Vito PCN 5pm Jobs for the Future

I Believe All Kids Can Learn essay by Geoffrey Canada @ This I Believe

Accomplishing Big Things in Small Pieces essay by William Wissemann @ This I Believe

Central Pennsylvania Gold Medal Initiative: Champions for Career Development

Governor’s Institute on Career Education and Work activities from Kindergarten through 12th grade that can be infused into a variety of classrooms.

Ensuring Student Access to Federal Loans November 2008

The U.S. Department of Education today launched U.S.A. Learns, a free web site to help people learn English. It is located at www.USALearns.org

Building on the Basics: The Impact of High-Stakes Testing on Student Proficiency in Low- Stakes Subjects

The education group A+ Schools yesterday released data showing most Pittsburgh Public Schools students in grades four through eight made at least one full school year's worth of academic progress in 2007-08.

The costs to the Community of Pittsburgh's school failures

State schools reward their presidents

SAMS Newsletter Nov/Dec 2008 is online. Selinsgrove Area Middle School Student Council is collecting food for Feed a Friend through November 26, 2008. The collection bin is in the lobby.

Student Centered Learning a brief video that discusses the benefits of using student centered learning as a teaching strategy.

A Uniform, Comparable Graduation Rate for all States: The Four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate beginning 2010-2011.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today named 320 schools as 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools. The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools award distinguishes and honors schools for helping students achieve at very high levels and for making significant progress in closing the achievement gap. 12 PA schools earned awards

The STEM Initiative develops and deploys statewide strategies and resources designed
to enhance the Commonwealth’s education and workforce development efforts targeted at the development of a globally competitive science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM Jobs the present & future

Cuts and Freezes to Pennsylvnaia Budget by Governor as of 10/30/08

Start-Up Teaches Math to Americans, Indian-Style online New York Times

"Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you." PHYS ED Stretching: The Truth New York Times 10/31/08

Cornfield is classroom for 6th-graders - Lancaster New Era

"Community Child Care program are families just over income guidelines to receive help from Child Care Information Services (CCIS), or families on the waiting list for CCIS services. CCIS is a program that offers income-eligible families state funds that can be used in any regulated childcare program

SUMCD's Community Child Care program operates at 22 sites that include six centers and 16 school-age sites. The school-age sites conduct before- and after-school programs, and partner with the district and the schools in the area." The Daily Item Nov 2, 2008

"Absolutely Murder" a murder mystery comedy will be performed Oct 29, 30 & Nov 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Selinsgrove High School auditorium. Tickets $3 for students K-12, $6 for adults. On sale at the door only.

School Counts! Students keep their grades up, come to school on time, take challenging academic courses and stay out of trouble. School Counts! encourages students to make the most of their important high school years and acquire the habits they will need to succeed.

Pulp fraction- Students use pumpkins to solve math problems

Maryland is the 26th state to link graduation to passing tests.

A melodic way to remember our presidents - The poem: 'Our Presidents'

Tales of Teacher Absence - New Research Yields Patterns that Speak to Policymakers - report

Making Students More College-Ready and Colleges More Student-Ready CAP 10/8/08

Governor Rendell Urges Business Leaders to Support High School Graduation Requirements for Stronger Workforce

The State Board of Education has proposed high school graduation requirements that balance the state and business community's interest in ensuring strong skills for all students with the commonwealth's tradition of local control. Beginning with the Class of 2014, students would demonstrate their readiness for graduation in any of four ways:

-- By scoring Proficient or Advanced on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) - the state test already given to all 11th grade students; OR
-- By passing six of 10 Graduation Competency Assessments - which are final exams that a student would take immediately after completing a course and that will be fully paid for by the state; OR
-- By passing local assessments of equal rigor; OR
-- By taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams.

Seal Sightings October 2008 High School Newsletter

SAMS newsletter October 2008

Board moves $1M surplus The Daily Item 10/21/08

In western Pa., education majors see few openings

Exit exams again under fire

Selinsgrove Area High School Band plays at marketplace opening

Natural Gas Exploration in PA - free info from Penn State Extension Service

Pennsylvania's '2009 Teacher Of The Year' - Rebecca Snyder, language arts teacher at Greater Latrobe Senior High School

Natural Development: Playing outdoors can be a real education

Employers keeping funds local through tax credit program - Public schools and other organizations offering after-school and community programs can tap the money by establishing an educational improvement organization.

Educators look to foundations to raise money for programs

Hard bargaining - Experts say supervised talks are useful, but not always successful

$25M school projects on target The Daily Item 10/8/08

Gov. Rendell Teaches In High-Tech Classroom - Lecture Broadcast Over the Internet part of Classrooms for the Future.

SAHS, SAMS & SAES have received grants to buy gym equipment from Highmark Healthy High 5!

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s dual-enrollment program for high school students available through SUN Career & Technology in New Berlin. College credits earned for the courses for $20 per credit.

National STEM Competition Brings Engineering Opportunities, Tools to Pennsylvania Students - Real World Design Challenge

The deadline for voter registration for the November 4 Election is October 6. In Pennsylvania, you can register in person, by mail and at various government agencies.

Governor Ed Rendell created two new panels to address early childhood education - the Early Learning Council and the Early Learning Investment Commission - apply by contacting Harriet Dichter, Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development and Early Learning at Hdichter@state.pa.us.

The "vocabulary explosion" that occurs around 18 to 24 months of age is one of the more amazing feats of human learning.

Appropriate Assessments: The Need to Reinvigorate Science Education

Nutrition: Soda Ban in Schools Has Little Impact - New York Times

College Panel Calls for Less Focus on SATs - Commission Report - New York Times

Where We Stand - America's schools in the 21st Century

Voters’ Choice Act introduced in PA legislature

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

Pa. OKs first voluntary school district merger - There will now be 500 school districts in PA.

An Unlikely Gambler - Newsweek

Students beg state to tighten standards

PaTTAN - Pennsylvania free, online education training and information for parents, policy makers and educators

Governor's Institute for Data Driven Instructional Practices in Reading and Mathematics video

Eco-education doesn't have to be expensive. Stone, Daniel Newsweek 9/6/08

Struggling School-Age Boys Newsweek Web Exclusive 9/8/08

Gut Instinct’s Surprising Role in Math New York Times 9/15/08

Details of Pennsylvania's 151,000 public school teachers and administrators

A new study finds that children of privileged families fare worse when the mother works
outside the home. Carmichael, Mary, Newsweek 9/11/08

Parents & students spend billions when Colleges re-teach the basics - one-third of students need remediation to succeed in college. ED in '08

The Aspen Institute Convenes National Summit to Discuss Public Education Reform 9/15/08

State of American Education | Educational Performance

Equal Opportunity Education | Current Student Expectations

Competition in Education | Educational Issues

Constitution Day at the United States Senate - CSpan video Airs 9/15/08

Elementary, middle school kids make gains - Map the Progress

LASD Students' scores in top 9 percent in state The Daily Item 9/12/08

Next President May Take NCLB Back To School - National Journal report

Campaign 2008 Issues: Education - Washington Journal 9/12/08

PA to discuss new school anti-bullying laws - JAMA report nearly 30 percent of youth aged 11 to 15 have been a victim or perpetrator of bullying

Nutter To Realign $200M For Public Education in Philadelphia

Philly school rekindles same-sex education debate - USA Today, 9/8/08

National MRSA Education Initiative: Preventing MRSA Skin Infections from CDC

National Survey Reveals Cocaine, Methamphetamine Use Drop among Young Adults; Prescription Drug Abuse Increases - 2007 National Survey on Drug Use & Health

P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game That Works Legs - New York Times 4/07

“I was in a mall walking by the arcade and I saw these kids playing D.D.R., and I was just stunned,” she said. “There were all these kids dancing and sweating and actually standing in line and paying money to be physically active. And they were drinking water, not soda. It was a physical educator’s dream.” Linda M. Carson, Ware distinguished professor at West Virginia University’s School of Physical Education.

School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity

A Policy-Based School Intervention to Prevent Overweight and Obesity - "This is a critically important news story because there is a lot riding on proving these childhood obesity initiatives are effective — for literally thousands of organizations, special interest groups and government agencies across the country working to prevent childhood obesity and promote their ‘healthy’ eating and physical activity programs, as well as billions of dollars in government money at stake. [The CDC’s budget for its healthy eating and physical activities, alone, has grown 2,000% since 1999.] And, most at stake is the welfare of our children." JunkFoodScience

Healthy High 5 School Challenge Program Awards - SAMS & SAHS

Professors try to take nerdiness out of computer science Post Gazette

Required courses can boost degree of difficulty Post Gazette

Local Community College will require local tax dollars

Students try hand at Maori game

Supreme Court justice coming to Susquehanna University event open to the public

Selinsgrove Area School Board Meeting rescheduled to September 22, 2008 7:30pm
~~September 15- 7:30 pm~~ Board Meeting cancelled.

Judge to appoint school director for MiddWest

'Parent's Guide to Education Reform' Points the Way to Better Schools

Troubled schools could get more reform options

State High School Exit Exams: Moving Toward End-of-Course Exams

60% of Modern Jobs Require a 2-Year Degree: What It Takes to Fill This Niche

High School Student is Biofuel Whiz-kid

Data Driven Instruction video "Takes an opinion and turns it into a decision." It helps target and improve instruction.

21st Centruy Skills Classroom for the Future Grants - one school's experience

More Pennsylvanians are filing for bankruptcy

SAT scores steady nationwide and in Pennsylvania

Internet video links teacher to distant students The Daily Item Aug 25, 2008.

Most Pennsylvania Students Learning in Safe Schools, The full report, including statistics for each of the state’s school districts,
can be found at www.safeschools.state.pa.us.

Eric Rowe, Board President on WKOK Radio Friday, August 22, 2008

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program run in public schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. It is based on recent income, so families who have recently lost a job can apply. Income Eligibility Guidelines

Eye Center of PA is offering free comprehensive vision screenings for kindergarten-age children at its offices in Danville, Lewisburg, Muncy and Selinsgrove. For more information, contact Xana Winans, of the Eye Center of PA, at 524-5519.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has awarded Lewisburg High School the District 4 Sportsmanship Award for the 2007-08 school year in a vote by athletic officials from eligible public school districts and private schools in the region. Daily Item Aug 19, 2008.

School district goes high-tech Erie Times News August 2008

Not the Usual Game Application - Washington Post

Program has teachers travel to work sites to learn what to teach

Schools run the gamut in meeting state's senior project mandate

Snyder County Conservation District -- $10,000 to develop workshops, displays and exhibits that address a broad range of conservation and environmental issues.

Test score melt down in high school - the morning call 8/17/2008

In Snyder County - 675 potential recipients for the federal Stimulus Check The Daily Item 8/16/2008

Stocking the region with shopping malls - PREIT manages Susquehanna Valley Mall & owns the underdevelopment Monroe Marketplace. To compete, malls get more than a face-lift

Fuel to cost $100K more for school buses - The Daily Item 8/16/2008

SUN Tech upgrades in limbo - The Daily Item 8/15/2008

Board: Busing walkers a ‘poor investment’ - The Daily Item 8/15/2008

New course focuses on modern technology - The Daily Item 8/15/2008

Reports of recess’s death seem to have been grossly exaggerated

Louisiana High school freshmen facing new challenge

Susquehanna Valley public schools' Graduation Rates info updated

Pa. report card says fewer schools make grade in statewide testing - The NCLB law requires all students to be proficient in math and reading by 2014. Pennsylvania now requires at least 63 percent of all students to be proficient or better in reading, and 56 percent to be proficient or better in math. Those targets were 54 percent for reading and 45 percent for math in the 2006-07 school year. 2007-2008 PSSA and AYP Results

Pennsylvania is Making Progress: 2007-2008 Student Achievement Results

Some homework for back-to-school preparedness

W-B Area science lauded Times-Leader August 13, 2008

Transportation Committee Meeting, August 14th at 7:00 p.m., A103 Middle School.

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence

Schools asked to submit assessment samples for graduation

Targeted tutoring grants awarded to Shikellamy, Line Mountain, Mifflinburg & Milton

The Condition of Education 2008 - National Report

Technology changing education Times-Tribune 8/10/08

“Whoever has the most information, and whoever uses it the best, is going to come out on top,” said Clay LaCoe, Ed.D., assistant superintendent for the Western Wayne School District.

“I just think it’s going to drive us to change the way we think about what it means to be educated. Because there is so much information, there’s kind of a shift from content-centered memorization, to filtering.”

Children learn on Sweet Meriam’s Farm The Daily Item 8/10/08

State Pension funds lose value The Patriot News July 27, 2008

Kids today? They're not that different from kids of yesterday USA Today July 22, 2008

U.S. community colleges face a 'turning point' USA Today 7/22/2008

Stanford's Cubberley Education Library resources are online and free

Three districts awarded laptop money, The Daily Item Aug 5, 2008

SUN Tech adds adult courses - easy access in New Berlin, PA

Governor Rendell Announces 'Classrooms for the Future' Schools for 2008-09 -
Selinsgrove gets $52,524. for year 2 funding, Midd-West $42,706, Lewisburg - $45,413, Shikellamy $57,023,
Mifflinburg $59,896,
Line Mountain 1st yr. $82,277, Milton Area 1st yr. $137,788, Warrior Run 1st yr. $102,676

Income Eligibility Guidelines, to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals or free milk.

From Farm to School: Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals

7-27-08 WKOK The Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and their Business and Education Committee

East Snyder County Park is open for horseshoes (byo), baseball, softball, walking path and giant climber for kids.

SAHS receives $7,251.51 for Dual Enrollment classes for 2008-2009! Shikellamy - $12,814.29, Mt Carmel - $19,586.69, Line Mt. $4,237.89, Danville - $14,747.64, Shamokin $26,805.73. (Bloomsburg, Lewisburg, MiddWest, Mifflinburg, Warrior Run - none). These are state level tax dollars and are a part of the 720 Project to improve high schools. . Dual Enrollment pays for high school students to take college-level, credit-bearing courses at local colleges and universities. These courses will also count towards high school graduation requirements.

Earlier News 08-07 | News 2007 | News 2006

Updated 11/18/08, originally posted 8/2007

"There are two kinds of poverty in this country.
Those that do not have and those that do not know." Bill Shore of Share our Strength.