December 2017

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

If you missed Family Code Night this week, you really missed a treat! Our students shared how they've been learning to apply coding to other areas of study - and how much fun coding can be! The skills students develop while coding can be used to solve real world problems. It also helps the students use creativity and critical thinking, coming up with different ways of attacking a project. Because we know that computer science is a broad field with many potential career paths, our students are being introduced to to coding in a variety of ways K-12 to nurture students who may have an interest in computer science jobs (there are 30,000 in Virginia alone!). This will benefit our community by producing career-ready students who have the skills necessary for jobs available in the future. It is exciting to be part of the foundation for the futures our students will have. I am proud and grateful to do that alongside each of you.

Take advantage of FREE PD during the month of December by participating in the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit is a nine-day, FREE virtual event. It brings together some of the brightest minds in education to discuss technology, pedagogy and more.

You’ll get one new inspiring, practical presentation each day. Take your own notes, or download a one-page “key takeaways sheet” from each video. Plus, you can get a certificate for professional development credits for each video you watch.

Interested in supporting students as a homebound instruction facilitator? The HCPS Student Support Services department is seeking employees who are willing to facilitate homebound instruction for students during the second semester. Email dscott@henry.k12.va.us to learn more.

All staff and students should limit their internet usage to educational or administrative activities only.  Staff should monitor and limit their students' online activities to avoid unnecessary internet use.  Internet services that should be avoided include, but are not limited to, the following:

• online radio streaming (iTunes, Pandora, etc.)
• audio/video streaming (Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, etc)
• large downloads
• FTPs

Personal devices of staff and students should not be connected to HCPS or HCPS-Staff networks.  

For security reasons, personal network devices, such as MiFis and Smartphone hotspot sharing, are not allowed.  

All iPads should have Airplane Mode set to ON when not specifically being used for instructional purposes.

Internet usage will be monitored and non-SOL activities will be logged and reported to administration.  As a reminder, please observe HCPS Acceptable Computer System Use Policy at all times.

• Title: IIBEA-E2/GAB-E1  Acceptable Computer System Use Agreement
• Title: IIBEA-R/GAB-R  Acceptable Computer System Use 
• Title: IIBEA/GAB Acceptable Computer System Use

Should you have any questions, please contact the Technology Department.

Teachers who completed professional development during the 2016-2017 school year should have already retrieved recertification transcript and TPES documents from Edivate. If you still need to do so, be sure to work with your ITRT to retrieve your materials prior to June 29th when access to Edivate will be terminated.

Dear Virginia Teachers:

I am pleased to announce that K-12 teachers in Virginia can receive free admission to Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China, a highly anticipated exhibition that opened at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on November 18, 2017.

This special benefit ensures that you have an opportunity to view this must-see story of the First Emperor’s profound influence on Chinese history, art, and culture. Terracotta Army showcases 130 works of art, drawn from the collections of 14 art museums and archaeological institutes across Shaanxi Province in China. The exhibition tells how the Qin state developed into an empire under Ying Zheng (259–210 BC), who unified China and declared himself Qin Shihuang, or the First Emperor of Qin. His quest for immortality began soon after he became the king of Qin.

Highlights include 10 life-size terracotta figures—including warriors and a cavalry horse—that belonged to an underground army of life-size sculptures created by order of the First Emperor to accompany him to the afterlife. The terracotta army was not discovered until 1974, when farmers found pottery shards and bronze arrows while digging a well. Subsequent excavations led to the astonishing discovery of an estimated 8,000 terracotta figures buried in three pits east of the First Emperor’s tomb mound.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to experience one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century—which VMFA is bringing to the heart of the Commonwealth. The exhibition will be on view through March 11, 2018.

Although admission to VMFA’s permanent collection is free every day of the year, some special exhibitions, such as Terracotta Army, require a fee. To claim your free ticket (one per teacher), you must present your identification card at VMFA’s Visitor Services desk. Your family members will get half off exhibition tickets, or $10 for adults; $8 for seniors; and $5 for children. Regular ticket prices for Terracotta Army are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $10 for college students and children ages 7–17. You can reserve tickets by phone at 804.340.1405.

As part of this special offer, you can also present your ID card for discounts on dining and shopping at VMFA: a 20 percent discount on purchases in Best Café and the VMFA Shop, and a 10 percent discount at Amuse restaurant until March 11, 2018. 

This exhibition is also important for Virginia families, as ancient Chinese history is incorporated throughout the state’s educational curriculum. Dig It!, an interactive exhibition in VMFA’s Memorial Foundation for Children Teaching Gallery, complements the Terracotta Army exhibition and offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to explore the field of archaeology through the use of augmented reality. Focusing on discovery, excavation, and lab study, Dig It! encourages visitors to uncover objects in VMFA’s permanent collection through a virtual dig and learn more about their date, function, and how archaeology contributes to the study of objects from ancient China.

Thank you for your hard work and all you do for our students.  I hope you enjoy this special exhibit.

Sincerely,

Terence R. McAuliffe

Governor of Virginia

About Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China

Presented in three sections, Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China will explore the rise of the First Emperor, the history of the Qin state, and the emperor’s quest for immortality. The exhibition will feature arms and armor, horse and chariot fittings, ritual bronze vessels, works in gold and silver, jade ornaments, precious jewelry, ceramics, and architectural components that were excavated from Emperor Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum, as well as aristocratic, commoner, and nomadic tombs. Dating from the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) through the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), these objects reflect the complex history, myths, and burial customs of ancient China.

The exhibition is organized by VMFA and the Cincinnati Art Museum, in partnership with Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, Shaanxi History Museum (Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center), and Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum of the People’s Republic of China. The exhibition is curated by Li Jian, VMFA’s E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of East Asian Art, and Hou-mei Sung, Curator of Asian Art at the Cincinnati Art Museum, where the exhibition will travel after it closes at VMFA.

Sponsorship for Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China

Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China is presented by Altria Group and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Sponsors include the Anne Carter and Walter R. Robins, Jr. Foundation, Virginia H. Spratley Charitable Fund II, Dr. Donald S. and Beejay Brown Endowment, The Community Foundation Serving Richmond & Central Virginia, Mrs. Frances Massey Dulaney, Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Steven E. Epstein, Frank Qiu and Ting Xu of Evergreen Enterprises, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Richard S. Reynolds Foundation, Stauer, Mr. and Mrs. Fred T. Tattersall, Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation, and YHB | CPAs & Consultants. The exhibition program at VMFA is supported by the Julia Louise Reynolds Fund. 

Dig It! is made possible by generous support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, The Community Foundation Serving Richmond & Central Virginia, and The Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation. Additional support is provided by Maggie Georgiadis, Margaret and Thomas Mackell, and Jack and Mary Spain.

For additional information about Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China, click here.

HOLIDAY STRESS            

The Holidays are Here!!

More things to do, people to see, and places to go. These things might be fun, but they also can be stressful. To make this holiday season a happy and peaceful one, look for healthy ways to manage stress.

Take Time to Relax!!

Plan quiet time or at least downtime from activities. Take a few moments to read a book, take a bubble bath, or sit down and listen to your favorite songs.

You may also want to:

-       Play a board game with your family

-       Go for a walk with your family to see holiday décor in your neighborhood

-       Settle down for story time with your family. Pull out those stories you loved as a child and read aloud as a family.

-       Use time that you spend in lines or sitting in traffic to take a stretch break and loosen those tense muscles (simple stretches could include: neck stretches, tilting your head shoulder to shoulder; Shoulder stretches, rolling shoulders forward and backward or shoulder shrugs up and down) 

Get-Giving-Volunteer at a Local Charity!!

Carving out a few hours to volunteer may seem impossible, but giving your time and energy to help others you will find the spirit of the season.

Just Do your BEST!!

As you enjoy the holiday season, do your best to limit stress. Don’t expect everything to go as planned. Your child may get sick during the holiday, the oven might break, or a storm may prevent relatives from visiting. When these things happen, let the family help decide on the new plan.

Don’t let unexpected event ruin the holidays for you. Be adaptable and flexible. You can help yourself and your children relax and enjoy the holidays for what they truly are: a time of joy, celebration, and peace with friends and family.

Healthy Swaps “This for That”

When it comes to the holidays, it’s hard to pass up favorite desserts, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your ingredients. This season, make your favorite dessert even better by substituting a few ingredients with healthier options. While keeping the same delicious taste, healthier ingredients can decrease sugar and calorie intake. Here are a few alternatives to get started: ·       Unsweetened apple sauce instead of oil. 1 to 1 ratio of apple sauce to oil. If the recipe calls for ¼ cup of oil, substitute with ¼ cup of unsweetened apple sauce. ·       Mashed avocado or pumpkin puree for half of the butter. If it’s a chocolate item, no one will notice a difference in taste or appearance. ·       Plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, a 1 to 1 ratio. ·       Choose natural peanut butter with no added sugars instead of regular peanut butter.

From the Community

Today, I write with a call out to all faculty, administrators and district personnel!  Another edition of Educator Insights will be coming your way at the beginning of the new year and we need your help!  Our bulletin includes submissions of articles and / or stories from educators around the country, in an effort to provide peer to peer information that is relevant and useful to the readers.

We are now seeking an article from you or a member of your team to publish in the New Year's edition.  Suggestions for submissions include:

a)            Subjects and Tips for Guest Teachers

b)            Subjects & Tips for New Teachers

c)            Subjects & Tips for Administrators

d)            Subjects & tips for Human Resources

e)            Subjects & Tips for near Retirement and/or Retired Teachers

f)             Feature Article for all

Would you please help us to achieve our mission by sharing this request with your faculty, staff and team members?

Thank you in advance for supporting this joint effort!

Kindest regards,

Paul F. Mulcahy
Regional Development Specialist


University of Phoenix, College of Education 
Mid Atlantic Region
Phone: 757.945.1001
Paul.Mulcahy@Phoenix.edu   

http://uopxpresents.com/view/new/mail?oeID=S4F4LxF3ZkRrkPxcSJc5
http://uopxpresents.com/view/new/mail?iID=wSNk9WxT5mmmRF8C4wMw

The College of Graduate and Professional Studies at Longwood University announces its Spring 2018 Online Continuing Education and Professional Development Courses for educators. We offer a selection of courses designed to fit your schedule, with your budget in mind. These courses are designed for non-degree seeking students who would like to earn graduate credit or recertification points over the spring.

For more information about spring and summer graduate courses, non-credit classes, summer institutes, certificates and endorsements, please visit and bookmark our new website: http://lancerlearning.com/continuing-education/

Graduate Credit Courses:

Course Number	CRN	Course Title 100% Online Courses	Credit	Course Duration
PEDU 506 P03	31970	Contemporary Social Issues in American Education* (formerly titled Foundations of Edu)	3	8 week-March 17th-May 12th
PEDU 521 P03	319723	Human Growth & Development*	3	8 week-Jan. 20th-March 17th
PEDU 530 P03	31974	Teaching Reading in the Content Area*	3	8 week-March 17th-May 12th
PEDU 550  P03	31973	Classroom & Behavior Management*	3	8 week-Jan. 20th-March 17th
PEDU 595 P01	31971	Models of Creative Problem Solving	1	4 week-March 17th-April 9th

*Indicates courses required by State of Virginia for full teacher licensure status.

Do you know someone with provisional status interested in moving into full teacher licensure? If so, we offer four of the classes required by the VDOE to work towards the licensure.  They are marked with * in the table above.

Our graduate classes are offered online formats with 4 and 8 week durations, so you can have a flexible schedule while continuing to work on earning credits toward teacher licensure or recertification at our affordable rate of $275/credit (in-state), $825 per class. For more information or to download a printable flyer, visit:http://lancerlearning.com/continuing-education/credit-classes/

Registration for the graduate courses is open now: http://lancerlearning.com/continuing-education/credit-classes/

Non-Credit Classes:

In addition to gaining professional skills, this is a perfect opportunity to acquire recertification points, professional development credits, orcontinuing education units (CEU’s). For a description of the classes or flyer, visit: http://lancerlearning.com/continuing-education/non-credit-classes/

·       Class Rate: $99.00

·       Class Duration: 4 weeks

·       Suggested Recertification Points: 30

Class Title 100% Online Classes	Audience	Class Duration
Adapting Instruction & Collecting Evidence for the VAAP Portfolio	Special Education, K-12	February 19th – March 19th
Teaching Math with Children’s Literature	Literature, K-8	January 15th – February 9th
Creative Problem Solving	All K-12 teachers	February 5th – March 5th
Project Based Assessment	All K-12 teachers	March 13th – April 7th
Classroom Management	All K-12 teachers	March 27th – April 21st
Understanding Addiction	General Audience	April 10th – May 5th

Please validate recertification points with your Human Resource Department before registering for non-credit classes.

Registration for non-credit classes is now open at: http://go.longwood.edu/pstudies

Summer 2018 Institutes:
The Virginia Holocaust Museum: Alexander Lebenstein Teacher Education Institute
The Teacher Education Institute is a ten-day class, assisting educators with their understanding of the Holocaust and genocide. Sessions focus on historical background and pedagogy which link to the Virginia Standards of Learning requirements. TEI is offered in partnership with Longwood University and is funded through a generous gift from Weinstein Properties.

·       Tuition fee: $50.00.

·       Recertification Points: 90.

·       Two sessions to select from: 1^st Session: June 18th-29th  or  2^nd Session: July 16th-27th. Format: 1st week is online, the 2nd week is at the Museum in Richmond.

Contact: Megan Ferenczy, Director of Education of the VHM at mferenczy@vaholocaust.org Phone: (804) 257-5400. Visit: https://www.vaholocaust.org/

The 15th Annual Summer Literacy Institute, titled “Diversity through Literacy” offers a two-day event with national and regional authors, networking opportunities, vendors, and presentations on July 19^th-20^th. Registration fee: $210. 

Contact: Dr. Audrey Church, Email: churchap@longwood.edu  Phone: (434) 395-2682 or visit: http://www.longwood.edu/sli/

Autism Spectrum Disorder Certificate:
Earn your Autism Spectrum Disorder Certificate (ASD) in 12 months by taking three courses, 12 credits, and an internship. These courses are designed for teachers and other professionals seeking information about strategies and interventions specific to working with individuals with ASD in school, home, and community settings. This certificate is offered in a hybrid format offered in a hybrid-style.

These courses are being offered at: $275.00/per credit hour, for a total of $3,600 which includes the 12 credits-(plus $45 application fee). Workshop supplies included.

Contact: Karen Feathers, Ed.S., Autism Spectrum Disorder Certificate Coordinator, Email: featherskh@longwood.edu  Phone: (434) 962-6454, Visit: http://go.longwood.edu/asd

New Cohort Forming Fall 2018!

Educational Leadership Endorsement Program:

Designed for teachers in preparation for administrative and/or supervisory roles in public and private schools. This is a 21-Credit Educational Leadership Endorsement that blends face to face and online instruction. Successful completion of the courses meets eligibility requirements for an endorsement in Administration and Supervision, PreK-12.

This endorsement is being offered at our professional studies rate of $275 per credit hour (in-state), plus an application fee. Convenient payment options are available. Out of state rates may apply.
Visit: http://www.longwood.edu/education/educational-leadership-endorsement/

·       Fall $1,950 (In-State)  Spring $1,950 (In-State)  Summer $1,950 (In-State)

Contact: Dr. Danny Grounard, Program Coordinator  Email: grounarddj@longwood.edu, Phone: (434) 395-2693

We would love to have you join us! Please sign-up to be on our new mailing list to keep up with the classes we will be offering in the upcoming semesters: http://lancerlearning.com/continuing-education/
If you have questions, you can call or email using the contact information below.

With Kind Regards,

Shelly Madden, Ed.S. 
Professional Studies Coordinator
Longwood University
College of Graduate and Professional Studies
201 High Street                                                                          
Farmville, VA  23909

Campus Phone: 434-395-2719
Fax Number: 434-395-2750    Cell Phone: 434-808-2496

http://lancerlearning.com