Hello Middle School/Level math teachers, teacher educators, and STEM educators:

COMAP is very excited about our Middle Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MidMCM) – now in its 2nd year. The MidMCM offers middle school/level students the opportunity to work as team members to engage in and improve their modeling, problem solving, and writing skills.

Read more here...

Hey Digital Changemakers,

Reaching out to update you on the exciting new events and opportunities we have in store! Feel free to share these announcements with your connections and school community. 

Join us during National Bullying Prevention Month for a discussion on raising awareness for important causes! On Sunday, October 2, at 4 PM PDT, our student panelists will talk about how they’re using their platforms to advocate for bullying prevention, global diversity, and LGBTQIA+ awareness. Learn more, get the student panelist signup link, and register for all of our upcoming eventsHERE! 

Easy for you to copy and paste the above into your newsletter. See below for more:

• Students4Good Webinar: Be Nice, Be An Ally - “With awareness comes responsibility and choice.” Join us THIS SUNDAY October 2 at 4 PM PDT for a discussion on global diversity, LGBTQIA+ awareness, and bullying prevention. Sign up for free HERE.

• #ICANHELP is looking for Student Speakers! - Know any students who are involved in important causes or using social media to make a positive impact? Invite them to sign up to be a Students4Good panelist HERE!

• Nominate A Digital Do-Gooder! - Know a student who is spreading online positivity? Making their online space a place to feel welcomed? Doing good things for others and not asking for anything in return? Nominate them HERE, and they’ll receive a special gift from NY Yankees star Aaron Judge!

• Train the Trainer Program Package - Our new package deal fully equips teachers, counselors, resource officers, and administrators to train students to become peer mentors and leaders in the safe, responsible use of digital technology. Click HERE to learn more about the program and our discounted certification courses!

• 2022 Digital4Good Summit - This December, we’ll be celebrating eleven outstanding student innovators who are using digital media and technology to solve problems in their communities and advance social, economic, and educational causes. Get more info, sign up to host a watch party, and register for the event HERE.

Thanks for being a part of the #ICANHELP family!

#YouRock,

Kim Karr

Less than one-third of American workers feel very confident in their ability to have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement.* Horace Mann is a long-time PAMLE corporate supporter. Join one of their informational sessions to learn more about addressing potential challenges you could face as you near and live in retirement. Feel free to share with your staff and encourage them to register as well. Register today!

https://horacemann.com/webinars?utm_source=pamle

*Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2022 Retirement Confidence Survey

Columbus, OH – AMLE is pleased to announce that Gail Heinemeyer, retired middle school principal, AMLE Leadership Institute faculty and Executive Secretary and Director for Professional Development for the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education is the recipient of the AMLE Distinguished Service Award. The award was established to recognize outstanding service by an organization or an individual who makes a significant contribution to advancing the work of AMLE in reaching middle grades educators, schools, and young adolescents

Beginning as a social studies and math teacher, Gail spent 45 years with the Ridley School District in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, ultimately serving as an assistant principal, principal, and Director of Support Services. While initially she envisioned teaching in the high school setting, she found herself at home in the middle grades after playing an integral role in the district’s transition to the middle school model. Since then, she’s become a lifelong advocate for middle level education and young adolescent students. “It’s important that someone going into the middle level understands the uniqueness of that,” explains Heinemeyer, “I’d constantly be reminding new teachers that it’s not all about the subject matter, it’s about developing a relationship with the child first. They’re not going to learn anything from you until you show them respect and the fact that you like and understand them. Once you do that, your teaching becomes that much easier.”    Gail has been involved in AMLE in a leadership capacity for more than twenty years, notably serving as the Co-Chair of the 2005 AMLE Annual Conference in Philadelphia and as faculty for the Institute for Middle Level Leadership beginning in 2004. She served as Chair of the Institute from 2018 to 2021. Gail also chaired the Back-to-School Camp, AMLE’s first fully virtual conference, in the summer of 2020 to aid schools grappling with the pandemic. She is simultaneously heavily involved in her state affiliate, the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education, which bestowed on her the William Alexander Award for contributions to middle level education. “Gail was one of my first mentors when I joined AMLE and I can’t think of a more deserving individual to receive this award,” said Stephanie Simpson, AMLE CEO. “My favorite memory with Gail was working together on the Back-to-School camp. It was nerve wracking for both our members who were trying to figure out how to school amid a pandemic and for AMLE as we hosted our first virtual conference. Gail had a way of putting everyone at ease. She really made us feel like we could get through anything together.” “The AMLE Board of Trustees is delighted to be able to bestow this distinguished service award on Ms. Heinemeyer,” said Lisa Harrison, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Gail not only knows and understands the middle school concept, she has lived it through her actions for decades. It’s easy to see her impact on her own school as well as the educators she’s touched throughout the years.” Heinemeyer said of receiving the award, “I’m very appreciative of AMLE and recognizing the efforts that I have made over the past number of years. Doing these things was just second nature, never expecting to be recognized. But the fact that I am is truly somewhat overwhelming.” The award will be presented in November 2022 at the 49th Annual Conference for Middle Level Education in Orlando, Florida.

Green Mentors is pleased to invite your School to present the green practice of your School at the 6th NYC Green School Conference 2022.

Register Your Principal, Sustainability Supervisor, Teachers, and students as individual or group presenters with this Google Link.

6th NYC Green School Conference is associated with Climate Week NYC 2022  UNGA Guide 2022  NAAEE eePRO

Regards
Virendra Rawat
Founder
Green Mentors

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is excited to announce the 2023 Radon Poster Contest for students. Students ages 9-14 years old as of November 30 are encouraged to combine science and art by creating an educational poster that shows the physical aspects of radon, the harmful effects of indoor radon gas, or the importance of testing for radon in the home. 

The U.S. Surgeon General lists radon exposure as the second leading cause of lung cancer.  Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that enters homes through cracks in the foundation, becoming part of the air indoors. It’s estimated that 40 percent of homes in Pennsylvania have elevated levels of radon and conducting a simple radon test is the only way to detect the amount of radon present.

For additional information and submission forms for the 2023 Radon Poster Contest, please go to www.dep.pa.gov/Business/RadiationProtection/RadonDivision/Pages/Radon-School-Poster-Contest.aspx

DEP will submit Pennsylvania’s first-place poster to the 2023 National Radon Poster Contest, sponsored by the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors. 

Please help us spread awareness by educating the children in your care this year!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at jruminski@pa.gov.

The Explore.Act.Tell. Program is ready for the 2022-2023 school year! 

It is time to renew for the new school year!  Renew here now by answering two multiple choice questions!  

A welcome packet will be mailed to you after registration.

Please share with colleagues!   New registrants can register here:exploreacttell.org/registration. 

As a refresher, here are a few details:

• FREE program for grades 6-12 fully funded by Albertsons Companies Foundation Nourishing Neighbors Program.

• Experiential learning program that teaches students to understand and act on solutions to hunger insecurity in their community

• Consists of four interactive lessons with ready-to-use student and teacher lesson plans 

• Enter projects into the student challenge for a chance to win a $5,000 grant for a hunger focused charity of choice

Visit our website for more information:  exploreacttell.org

Questions - please email Stephanie@fill.foundation or call 317-443-2954

Schools within PA can receive free training on Tourette Syndrome for Educators and/or Peers:

Provided in-person or virtual, through a Department of Health grant, this training is provided by the PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance.

Educator Training:  Misunderstandings can occur and discipline can happen especially for symptoms of this complex condition. Educators need to fully understand this disorder so they can provide appropriate support and accommodations to the student in their classroom. This important training can help reduce discipline, increase access to education and create a supportive classroom environment with helps all students.

This training provides full review of TS symptoms and helpful accommodations that can assist the student. Presenters provide real-life examples of tics, symptoms and accommodations that have proven effective with other students. Educators leave with a better understanding of the frustration and struggles of their students with these disabilities. Providing this training helps to head off problems before they occur.

Training includes handouts and access to our online Tools. Training is 2 hours but a one-hour training can also be arranged. Training is Act 48 accredited.

Peer Training/Assembly:  Teasing and bullying can be a constant issue in our schools even when we do everything right! It is a fact that children with special needs are victims of bullying twice as often as typical children. For children with Tourette syndrome this is especially true. They can easily become the focus of teasing, ridicule and exclusion because they may have tics that are loud, distracting and even down-right rude. When the other children have no understanding of Tourette syndrome it is easy to conclude that the sufferer is making faces on purpose or shouting out to get attention.  

It is imperative that the other children understand that Tourette syndrome is a medical difference and causes them to say and do things that are out of their full control. When children are given a basic understand that Tourette syndrome is a medical condition, their reactions often change. They offer support, rush to their aide when others tease them, and often create friendships with these children rather than exclude them.  

This is where the PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance can help your school and the students with TS in your midst. We provide a free, age-appropriate training that gives the other students basic information on TS. This can be done for a classroom, grade level or the entire school.  This presentation is effective whether the child with TS wants to be included or if they wish to remain anonymous. We would be happy to discuss those options and how we make it work so the child is comfortable with whatever option they choose.

If you are in need of a peer training or an Educator Training either in-person or virtual, please reach out by calling 1-800-990-3300 or by email to sherrie@patsainc.org. We would be happy to work with you to help your students and staff get this important training.

Here are some comments regarding trainings provided by the PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance:

Supervisor of Special Education 

“...With TS being such an unknown disorder to the majority of people, it is crucial we have experts like the staff at PA-TSA to educate us about its etiology, its characteristics, and how it impacts a student’s life, especially in the schools.  The knowledge brought to us can be applied directly to our students living with TS in order to support and effectively teach each of them as valued & respected members of the school community.  The trainings have been a great asset to both adults and classmates over the years in which we have utilized PA- TSA." 

Guidance Counselor 

 “I am a school counselor working with an eighth-grade student who has Tourette Syndrome. In January of this year, she bravely agreed to participate in an assembly, with the help of the Alliance, to better educate her peers to what she goes through having this disability. (The Consultant) of the Alliance worked with the student to prepare her for the assembly. The presentation was a complete success and it has empowered the student to better deal with comments she may receive from other students. It was particularly impactful for the mother of the student who got to see her daughter as a strong young woman who could face her peers in a difficult situation. Students have been much more supportive of the student since the assembly."

Mother

"Prior to PATSA's intervention, Isaac was being bullied by his peers and repeatedly told to stop his tics, which were annoying others or perceived by his teachers as deliberately disruptive. The response to the in-services from the faculty, staff and students was overwhelmingly positive. Several of the children who had bullied Isaac in the past came up to him and personally apologized."

Thank you,

Sherrie Myers Wivell
Administrator/Consultant
PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance, Inc.
1-800-990-3300 ext. 2
www.patsainc.org

Hey #ICANHELP Family,

School is almost back in session, and we’ve got several exciting new initiatives and events lined up at #ICANHELP! Feel free to share these announcements with your connections and school community. 

#ICANHELP’s Students4Good Webinar is coming up soon! Mark your calendars for Sunday,August 7th, 4PM PST—our student panelists will be leading a discussion on humanitarianism and reform in honor of World Humanitarian Day and International Youth Day. Learn more, recruit a student from your organization to present, and register for all eventsHERE! 

Easy for you to copy and paste the above into your newsletter. See below for more:

• Student Meet + Greet with Aaron Judge - Now is your chance to have your students meet Aaron Judge of the NY Yankees, get a photo op, enjoy some live baseball action, a tailgate party, free prizes, and raffle drawings, all while supporting student recognition programs and our mission of deleting negativity from social media! Get tickets HERE.

• Students4Good Webinar: Humanitarianism - “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are we doing for others?’” On August 7th, 4PM PST, our student panelists will discuss how to promote humanitarianism during the digital age. Learn more and sign up HERE

• #ICANHELP is looking for Students4Good Speakers! - Know any students who are involved in important causes or using social media to make a positive impact? Invite them to sign up to be a panelist HERE!

• Social Media Emergency Plan - Our important new resource will educate students, staff, and administrators on how to monitor, investigate, and respond to campus threats. We will be posting a sign-up link on our website that will allow you to get the full Emergency Plan when we officially launch it in September. Click HERE to view a free sample.

To learn more about the Social Media Emergency Plan or any of our other events or resources, book a meeting with me on TidyCal HERE!

Thanks for being a part of the #ICANHELP family!

#YouRock,

Kim Karr