Secretary’s Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer, Secretary
Department of Education

Doing More with Less

As we look ahead to our educational future in South Dakota, it is clear that we will need to find ways to provide more educational services for less dollars.  Developing plans to do “more with less” will be a continuous challenge in our state for many years to come.

South Dakota has 171 K – 12 school districts.  Approximately 25% of those districts have 200 or less students.  That information alone makes it obvious that sharing of resources will be a necessary strategy if we want to continue to provide quality educational services for our students.  Clearly, the greatest challenge will be to meet the needs of our high school students.  With the academic bar being raised across the country, it is no time to be offering fewer services to our high school students in South Dakota.  What are some steps that can be taken to ensure that our students get the best we have to offer?  Here are a few suggestions that are already being implemented by some districts in our state.

• Coordinating high school schedules and calendars.
  • The key is to provide area schools with the opportunity to share staff.  This provides districts with an opportunity to have highly qualified teachers in all classrooms. 
• Joint Services.
  • Precious financial resources can be saved by combining services such as media resources, business services and technology support.  Our educational cooperatives have begun to encourage this type of sharing and more needs to happen across our state.
• Professional development
  • Concepts such as regional in-services and other joint professional development opportunities need to continue.  We can afford more when several districts work together for a common purpose.  Once again, this requires schools to communicate with one another about district goals/objectives.

The SD Department of Education is currently discussing the possibility of forming Educational Service Agencies (ESA) to attempt to meet some basic needs of all districts in our state.  Priorities seem to reside in the areas of curriculum coordination and professional development.  Discussions will continue as this concept is studied in more depth.  Most importantly, it is imperative that our schools and educational agencies need to be thinking about cooperation for the benefit of our students.

March is National Nutrition Month; make plans to celebrate now                                                 

What better way to kick off national nutrition month than by celebrating School Breakfast Week during March 8-12, 2004?  The American School Food Service Association’s theme for breakfast week is “Navigate Your Day with School Breakfast!”  The American Dietetic Association’s theme for National Nutrition Month is “Eat Smart, Stay Healthy!” Carrying out the message of these slogans will help make your school cafeteria and classrooms a festive and happening place during this exciting month!

Whether you choose to promote nutrition month and eating breakfast at school or at home, you will be helping your students navigate whatever challenges lie ahead.  A well-balanced breakfast as well as well-balanced daily meals allows children to think more clearly and feel healthier.  A good breakfast can make the difference between listening to their stomachs instead of listening to their teachers; achieving good grades versus mindlessly spacing out; running around during recess or feeling sick on the sidelines.  In addition, recent studies indicate that kids who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain healthy weights.  That is welcoming news during this time of heightened awareness of childhood obesity.  If you are a school that sends home a monthly calendar, March would be a great time to include nutritional messages on your calendar to help parents and students become more aware of the importance good nutrition plays in their daily lives. 

Summer Food Service Program needs more local sponsors

In order to feed hungry children during the summer months, Child and Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) in the SD Dept. of Education is looking for more local sponsors.  Schools and other community organizations are encouraged to consider offering a summer food service program for children who will miss the nutrition provided during the school year by the school food service program. Children who aren’t hungry learn better, act better, and feel better.  The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps children get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow during summer months when they are out of school.  If your school or another local organization is interested, contact: Cassandra Rupe at (605) 773-3413 or e-mail at cassandra.rupe@state.sd.us. 

2004 South Dakota Child Nutrition Program Certification Institute set for June

Who:    Child Nutrition Program Employees
What:   40th Annual Certification Institute
When:   Sunday, June 20th - Friday, June 25th
Where:  Augustana College, Sioux Falls

2004 registration information will be mailed to Food Service Directors and Authorized Representatives at the end of February.  Please share this information with your employees.  Also, remember to check the monthly Nutrition Bulletin for updates. 

Department clarifies direct deposit of federal funds

Funds for child nutrition programs are NOT included in the direct deposit of federal funds recently initiated by the SD Department of Education.  Public school business officials recently received a letter stating that all federal funds will be direct deposited in the future; however, since federal funds for child nutrition programs are received by organizations that are not public school districts, the action the funds for National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Summer Food or Child Care Food programs will not be included in DOE’s direct deposit initiative.

With the department’s new claim reimbursement processing system on the horizon, it intends to implement direct deposit of child nutrition funds at the time the new system goes online.

Questions regarding reimbursement of claims for child nutrition services can be direct to Bob Adams at 605-773-3456, bob.adams@state.sd.us.

Monthly edit checks insure accuracy of claims, avoid delays

Is your business office performing adequate edit checks prior to submitting the monthly claim for federal reimbursement dollars?  The purpose of monthly edit checks is to help SFAs identify potential problems in the meal count system and facilitate accuracy of their monthly claims.  It is much better to catch a counting error prior to submission of a claim to avoid having to pay federal money back to the State than catching errors after a reporting error has been made.

CFR 210.8 is the federal regulation which requires school food authorities to compare each of their school’s daily counts of free, reduced price and paid lunches against the product of the number of children in each school currently eligible for free, reduced price and paid lunches, respectively, times an attendance factor.

NSLP Memo #53 gives the exact information necessary for factors to know in order to be able to perform adequate edit checks.  The end result is the SFA comparing the number of students in the free, reduced price, as well as paid eligible categories multiplied by the attendance factor against the number of meals served by eligibility category on a daily basis.  Office personnel responsible for filing the monthly claims must complete the edit check chart located in NSLP Memo #53.  During a program review the inspectors will request to see the chart to determine if the SFA has consistently completed the required monthly edit checks.

Gov. Rounds names S.D. Native American Education Advisory Council

Governor Mike Rounds announced the creation of a new advisory council focused on education in South Dakota’s nine Native American reservations.

“We are working hard to improve the educational process statewide,” Rounds said.  “Our efforts cannot stop at the reservation boundaries.”

The council will have the responsibility of advising the S.D. Department of Education (DOE) in the following areas:  

• Assisting in the identification of education needs and issues;
• Recommending and assisting in implementation of policies and programs to address these identified needs;
• Assisting in planning for the annual Native American Education Summit;
• Identifying and promoting statewide programs that work in Native American education;
• Identifying ways to implement the goals and initiatives mandated by the No Child Left Behind legislation.

The following individuals will serve on the council: Lowell Amiotte, Joe Ashley, Lorenzo “Junior” Bettelyoun, Lionel Bordeaux, Dr. Richard Bordeaux, Dr. Roger Bordeaux, Lisa Cook, Dr. John Derby, Dr. Cheri Farlee, Dr. Tad Perry, Sherry Red Owl, Codi Russell, Ella Rae Stone, Jess Taken Alive, Maurice Twiss, Kim Winkelman, Luke Yellow Robe, and Dr. Art Zimiga. 

Roger Campbell, the Governor’s Office of Tribal-Government Relations; Dan Prue, Department of Education; Bob Whitehead, S.D. Education Association; Bonnie Haines, Bureau of Indian Affairs line officer; and Glenna Fouberg, president, S.D. Board of Education, will also serve on the council.

Governor asks students to write to troops

Governor M. Michael Rounds invites students to join him in planning special holiday mailings for troops deployed away from home.  The messages will be sent in time for St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Students are encouraged to write newsy letters to troops telling them about their communities, schools, sports events, musicals, their families, and anything else they may wish to write about. 

In lieu of a letters, students may write a note on a St. Patrick’s Day card or an Easter card.  Similar mailings for Christmas and Valentine’s Day have resulted in large numbers of letters from students.  The Governor’s office packages and addresses the students’ messages and forwards them to South Dakota troops deployed away from home.

St. Patrick’s Day letters/cards should be sent to the Governor’s office by March 1, 2004; Easter letters/cards by April 2, 2004.

The address is:

Transcript requirement deferred by Board of Education; not needed for this spring’s graduates

An administrative rule that would have required high schools to verify that each senior had completed all sections of the grade 11 Dakota STEP test before issuing a diploma has been put on hold by the South Dakota Board of Education.  The action means that schools will not have to screen transcripts this spring before issuing diplomas to this spring’s 2004 graduates.

The action was taken at the board’s January meeting in Pierre. The rule was originally enacted by the board in April, 2003, and became effective on January 1, 2004, in time for spring graduation ceremonies. Reconsideration of the requirement was recommended by the Department of Education.  The deferment gives the board time to study further concerns expressed by school districts about uniform implementation and exceptions created by student transfers.

The rule was promulgated by the board in an effort to assure that grade 11 students put forth their best efforts on the required state assessment.  The board’s action was prompted by concerns and complaints from schools that lackadaisical attitudes toward the test on the part of some grade 11 students were jeopardizing some schools’ rankings in the state’s new accountability system.

Deferral of the rule means that schools do not have to take actions to implement the rule at this time.  No notation of completion of the Dakota STEP assessment needs to be on seniors’ transcripts this spring.

It should be noted, however, that the board’s action does not change the federal No Child Left Behind requirements; under the law, high schools must assess a minimum of 95 percent of all grade 11 students in order to meet the NCLB participation requirement.

A revised version of the South Dakota K-12 Content Standards for Reading and Communication Arts was adopted by the South Dakota Board of Education at its January 2004 meeting.  Students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 will be assessed on how well they meet the new reading standards for the first time during the Spring 2005 Dakota STEP assessment;  the standards are available to schools now so that curriculum can be fully aligned in time for the 2004-2005 school year.

The content standards define what South Dakota students should know and be able to do, grade by grade, in reading, writing, listening and speaking.  A core of essential reading standards at each grade level is used as the backbone of the required NCLB reading tests for grades 3-8 and grade 11. The Department of Education will undertake the tasks of adjusting the questions on the required tests, re-aligning the reading tests to the revised reading standards, and reviewing performance standards based on the updated assessments.

Content standards define the core content that it is essential that students learn at each grade; content standards are designed to guide each school’s planning of instruction.  A core of the standards anchors assessment of student learning from kindergarten through grade 12.

The board’s adoption of revised standards culminates work by a group of over 30 K-12 teachers from across the state for two years;  the committee researched standards of learning in all areas of language arts, consulted with language arts specialists, and reviewed research studies.  Goals of the group were to make sure the standards defined essential knowledge and skills, to produce a document that would be easy for teachers to use.

State law requires schools to implement revised content standards into their course guidelines (SDCL 13-3-48);  it will be appropriate for schools to teach curriculum that is aligned to the revised reading and communications arts content standards during the 2004-2005 school year, so that students have an opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills that will be assessed by the Spring 2005 Dakota STEP tests.

The newly-revised Reading and Communication Arts Content Standards are published on the web at http://www.state.sd.us/deca/OCTA/contentstandards/index.htm ; click on Reading 2004  or Communication Arts 2004.

States may adopt alternate achievement standards for children with the most significant cognitive disabilities and include assessment scores based on those alternate standards in Title I adequate yearly progress (AYP) calculations, according to final regulations issued on December 9, 2003.

In the US Department of Education’s final regulations, states are allowed to count a student’s proficient score on assessments based on alternate achievement standards the same as any other student’s proficient score on a state assessment, subject to a 1% cap. To clarify the difference between achievement standards and alternate achievement standards, USDOE states that alternate achievement standards are an expectation of performance that differs in complexity from a grade-level achievement standard.

The new set of regulations applies a 1% cap to the inclusion of student results on alternate assessments and alternate achievement standards, counting those students performing as proficient or higher. The cap is not a limit in the number of students who may take an alternate assessment. The inclusion of 1% of students scoring at proficient on alternate achievement standards applies to the calculation of AYP at the district and state level, but not at the building level.

The South Dakota Department of Education is working quickly to put the necessary structures into place to allow the students with the most significant cognitive disabilities to participate fully in the standards and accountability under NCLB and to allow schools to receive credit for making progress with these students. At this time, it is planned that these systems will be in place for the Spring 2005 tests. This amount of time is necessary in order to first develop the systems and then to inform and train school personnel regarding the changes in instruction and assessments.

To implement these new regulations, there are several important steps that must be completed by the department. 34 C.F.R. 200.1(d) states that for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take an alternate assessment, the state may, through a documented and validated standards-setting process, define alternate academic achievement standards, providing those standards are aligned with the State’s academic content standards, promote access to the general curriculum and reflect professional judgment of the highest achievement possible.

South Dakota is currently in the process of developing alternate achievement standards in consultation with the Buros Center for Testing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Staff from DOE’s Office of Educational Services and Support, Special Education Programs, along with panels of special education teachers from across the state, will work closely with the Buros Center staff to conduct an examination of the alignment of the alternate academic content standards (commonly referred to as the functional standards) with the State’s academic content standards.

Groups of special educators will be gathered to assist in establishing alternate achievement standards in reading and math for the STAARS. Next, Buros psychometricans will review the STAARS testing program to examine the technical quality of the assessment tool and provide recommendations for improving the validity and reliability of the tool as required under the NCLB.  Finally, panels of special education teachers from across the state will convene for a one-day workshop to set performance level cut score values for the STAARS.

While the process for developing the alternate achievement standards comes together, the department will convene a workgroup of representatives in special education to define several important pieces of the new regulations. This workgroup will be comprised of educators, administrators, school psychologists, parents and state agency representatives.

A primary responsibility of this workgroup is to define the term “significant cognitive disabilities” as it applies to South Dakota. 34 CFR 200.6(a)(iii) states it is the responsibility of the State to determine the guidelines for IEP teams to apply in determining when a child’s significant cognitive disability justifies the administration of an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards. DOE special education program staff will also be asking the workgroup to assist in the development of a process for districts to use in making application to exceed the 1% cap. Federal regulations provide the State the authority to grant exceptions to the 1% cap of students counted as proficient and included in the calculation of AYP (34 CFR 200.13(c)(3)) .

For more information regarding the new regulations, a question-and-answer document is available online at http://www.state.sd.us/deca/TA/basic/ ; scroll down to “Sec.1111 state plans”  and click on the link  Questions and Answers on Title I Alternate Achievement Standards .

McREL’s Rural Technology Initiative Looking for Schools

McREL, the regional service center that serves South Dakota as well as 6 other states, is launching its “Rural Technology Initiative” (RTI), a new online staff development project aimed at helping rural schools, especially those in more remote locations, provide quality training in technology integration for both teachers and administrators. 

The school enrollment process is currently underway.  The project will deliver the training throughout the 2004-2005 school year.  A total of 16 schools will be selected to participate. Goal of the project is to increase the use of technology and effective teaching strategies to improve student learning.

The online format of the training is designed to save schools the expense of travel, substitute teachers, and lodging.  Participating schools will be grouped into a cluster of 5-8 schools, based on the level of technology integration that is already occurring in the school.  The level will be assessed via a survey that will be completed by the teachers and administrators in the school.  The online delivery system will include video conferencing, an internet portal, and teleconferencing.

College credit is available to participants.  The credit will be awarded in each participant’s curricular area to help the teachers meet the NCLB “highly qualified” requirements.  For example, a math teacher will earn a credit in Math Technology Integration, while a science teacher will earn a credit in Science Technology Integration.

An initial meeting of participating schools will be held in Colorado late February or early March.

Interested schools should contact McRel for the application information—Lisa Maxfield, 303-632-5561, lmaxfield@mcrel.org .

Artists-In-Schools deadline is April 1

The application deadline for schools and similar organizations wishing to sponsor an Artists-In-Schools & Communities (AISC) residency during the 2004-2005 school year is April 1, 2004.  AISC rosters and a two-page application form will be mailed to school administrators, curriculum directors, English teachers and arts specialists as well as community arts councils, parent/teacher organizations, and other community groups mid-February. 

Through AISC, professional artists are placed in South Dakota schools to supplement existing arts programs.  Artists conduct residencies in dance, literature, music, theatre, traditional/folk arts, and visual arts.  Length of the residency varies from one week to a full semester.  Residencies can be designed to address elementary through secondary school needs regardless of size, locale, or existing arts curriculum.  By working with teachers, parents and the community, artists create activities that can inspire children to learn more about the arts and life itself. 

This year the program has been expanded to include community residencies involving people of various ages.  When appropriate, schools are encouraged to collaborate with local organizations to provide school/community residencies.

Fee to the local sponsor is $450 per week for a single-artist residency plus the cost of any necessary supplies.  The South Dakota Arts Council matches this fee and reimburses the artist's mileage.  Local sponsors also provide housing for out-of-town artists during the residency.

Anyone needing additional rosters or application forms should contact Michael Pangburn, South Dakota Arts Council, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501; phone: 1-800-423-6665; email: michael.pangburn@state.sd.us.  On-line rosters are also available at http://www.sdarts.org .

Teachers who are renewing an existing South Dakota teaching certificate will be allowed to use any number of DOE “renewal credits” that were earned prior to January 1, 2004, towards their upcoming renewal, regardless of the board’s new restrictions on the number of “renewal credits.”  The board reconsidered its previous action in light of complaints from teachers who had completed “renewal credits” in anticipation of an upcoming renewal, only to learn that new board requirements would prohibit the use of the credits towards their next renewal.

The board’s restrictions go into effect July 1, 2005; however, since some teachers may have earned “renewal credits” in excess of the new limits before the rules changed, the board agreed to grant one-time “flex” to renewing teachers who found themselves in such circumstances.  The restrictions call for at least three of the six required credits to be college transcripted credits; previously any six-credit combination of college and “renewal” credits was accepted for renewal of a certificate.

SDBOE rules require a teaching certificate to be renewed via six earned credits every five years. Under the new one-time provision, teachers who earned more than three “renewal” credits before January 1, 2004, may submit them in fulfillment of renewal requirements. 

Teach for America corps members will receive a special certificate allowing them to teach in South Dakota schools starting next fall, according to new administrative rules adopted by the SD Board of Education during its January meeting.  Teach for America is a non-profit organization that recruits recent college graduates to teach for two years in high need, low achieving schools where teacher shortages are evident.

The program, funded by private foundations, corporations and government agencies, has corps members in 20 locations across the country; the corps will expand into South Dakota next summer with the addition of Todd County School District to its roster.

SDBOE’s administrative rules will allow the department to issue a limited two-year certificate to corps members who have completed the organization’s intensive induction program and are assigned to a South Dakota school.  Corps members will be required to participate in mentoring and other coursework throughout their two-year teaching assignment in the state. 

More information about the program is available on its website at http://www.teachforamerica.org .

More information about the administrative rules is available from Melody Schopp at 605-773-3134 or melody.schopp@state.sd.us .

A final hearing on proposed rules for issuance of a certificate for school social workers by the Department of Education is on the agenda for the South Dakota Board of Education’s March meeting.  The hearing will be the board’s second opportunity to hear the pro’s and con’s of the move to recognize social workers assigned to schools.

During its initial hearing on the rules in January, several concerns were raised about the preparation of social workers for the school setting.  The board agreed to further study and consideration, and scheduled a final hearing during its March meeting.

Grants available for teachers to attend AP Institutes

Grants are available to support teachers who are interested in teaching Advanced Placement courses and wish to attend one of several scheduled AP (Advanced Placement) Institutes at public universities in South Dakota this summer. The awards, available to SD public high school teachers, will reimburse the cost of room and board; in addition, each teacher will be paid a $50 per day stipend.

AP Institutes scheduled at this time and contact information for each scheduled institute includes:

For further information regarding a specific AP Institute, contact the identified contact person.  For further information regarding the grant opportunity visit http://www.state.sd.us/deca/ddn4learning/statewide/ap/index.htm or contact Michelle Mehlberg via email at michelle.mehlberg@state.sd.us or phone at 605-280-3614.
 

DOE offers training for SD online special education system

The Department of Education, Special Education Programs, is offering a series of workshops for school district staff interested in using the online special education program available for DDN Campus and SIMS Net users. The training will provide a hands-on walk-through of the online special education component of DDN Campus and SIMS Net.

All events will be held at Chamberlain High School. Each school district may elect to send two staff members to attend the training at no cost. Travel and per diem expenses are the responsibility of the district.

Here are the dates and times for the workshops:

• Friday, February 6^th, 2004

Deadline to register -Thursday, February 5^th

• Friday, March 5^th, 2004

Deadline to register – Thursday, March 4^th

• Thursday, April 1^st, 2004

Deadline to register – Wednesday, March 31^st

Register for either an AM or a PM slot.  AM training will be held 8:30-11:30 (CST).  PM training is set for 12:30-3:30 (CST). There are 20 slots available in each AM and PM event.

To register call Mary Weigandt at DOE, 605-773-3678, or send an email to mary.weigandt@state.sd.us . Please indicate the staff members’ names, school district and the date of the session they wish to attend, noting AM or PM. Indicate a second choice, as slots are limited at each location. You will receive a confirmation of the date/time via email.

Audio conference offers IDEA update on Congress, courts

On Feb. 11, Perry Zirkel, a university professor of education, will provide a coherent synthesis of the current status of the IDEA Reauthorization and a national update of IDEA case law during a 90-minute, beginner-level-of-expertise, interactive audio conference.

The event is hosted by Thompson Publishing Group.  For more details and to register, go to www. thompson.com/sp021104 .

South Dakota high schools are encouraged to send girls to the statewide Women in Science conferences during March.  The events are set for Aberdeen, Hot Springs, Pierre and Watertown. Registration deadline is February 15.  Schools are asked to notify the conference coordinator at the site of the school’s plans to attend and how many young women the school will bring.

Purpose of the one-day conference is to interest females in science, math and technology careers as a pathway to self-sufficiency and to help them envision a positive future and take steps toward it in order to reduce the number of risky behaviors they engage in. Data show that unmotivated students are likely to participate in risky activities such as drug use, alcohol abuse, and sexual activity that can adversely affect their futures.

Parents and teachers are also encouraged to attend.  Special sessions on recruiting girls to nontraditional fields, assuring equitable learning opportunities and expanding girls career options will be held for adults in attendance.

Professionals in science, math & technology careers will involve the participants in hands-on activities related to their work. The DeVry Institute will use a multi-media presentation to explore the opportunities and benefits of technology careers.

More information is available online at http://www.state.sd.us/deca/DWCP/training/index.htm .

Dates and locations of the events are: 

Aberdeen site, March 9:
For more information, contact Lisa Johnson, National Weather Service, 605-882-5080
email: lisa.johnsen@noaa.gov. 
website: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/abr/women_in_science_conference.htm

Watertown, March 10:
For more information and to pre-register, contact Lori Kwasniewski, Watertown Area Career Learning Center, 2001 9th Ave SW Suite 100 Watertown, SD 57201, 605-225-0519
email: lorikwas@waclc.org
website: http://www.waclc.org/womenoscience.htm

Pierre, March 11:
For more information, contact Kristie Maher, SD Discovery Center, 605-224-8295
email: kristiemaher@sd-discovery.com
or contact Angela Ostrander, Office of Career and Technical Education, 605-773-4527
email: angela.ostrander@state.sd.us
There will be a session at 7 – 9 p.m. at the Pierre site for the public. DeVry will present to adults and educators on how to assist girls to stay on the paths of nontraditional careers.

Hot Springs, March 13:
For more information, contact Kristine M. Thompson, Mammoth Site, P.O. Box 692, Hot Springs, SD 57747, 605/745-6017 ext 32
email: kmt1@mammothsite.com,
website: www.mammothsite.com

The sixth annual Career Expo will be held at the Sioux Empire Fairground Expo Building, Sioux Falls, April 23 from 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.  Education and industry have teamed up to help area middle and high school students experience their futures through hands-on career exhibits.  Area business, industry, and postsecondary representatives will showcase careers in building trades, health occupations, auto body, civil engineering, television-radio production, photography, and computer-aided drafting.  

There is no cost to attend. Schools are invited to bring students to participate in this great career awareness event for students and public exposure opportunity for industry!

For more information, contact Pam Tiefenthaler, Career Development Specialist, Sioux Falls School District, 605-367-7995 or tiefepam@sf.k12.sd.us ; or Angela Ostrander, Office of Career and Technical Education, angela.ostrander@state.sd.us , 605-773-4527.

In celebration of National Poetry Month--April, David Allan Evans, Poet Laureate of South Dakota, invites middle school and high school students in South Dakota to enter original poems in the 2004 Jerome Norgren Poetry Contest.  Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners in both levels.  Deadline is March 1.

Here are details of the contest:

• ELIGIBLE WRITERS:  Middle School and High School Students in South Dakota
• PRIZES

First prize:         High School - $50.00      Middle School - $50.00
Second prize:    High School - $30.00      Middle School - $30.00
Third prize:        High School - $20.00      Middle School - $20.00

Honorable mention list

• JUDGE:  David Allan Evans, Poet Laureate of South Dakota
• DEADLINE:  March 1, 2004 (submissions must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2004)
• Writers must keep a copy of any poem submitted, since poems will not be returned.
• Winners will be invited to read their poems in the National Poetry Month Celebration at South Dakota State University on Friday, April 16, 2004.
• RULES for submission:

Send a cover sheet along with no more than three poems per student.

 Each poem should be on a separate page without the author’s name.
The upper left corner of the cover sheet should include:

Student’s name
Grade and School
 Address (of school)
Teacher’s name
A statement declaring that the work is the student’s own work and no one else’s.

• SUBMIT TO:

David Allan Evans
English Department
Scobey Hall, P.O. Box 504
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007

• SPONSORED BY:

The Jerome Norgren Endowment in the SDSU Foundation, the SDSU English Department, the South Dakota Poetry Society, and Poet Laureate David Allan Evans.

$6,000 is available to high schools and students that participate in the South Dakota Manufactured Housing Association’s 12^th annual essay contest, according to information received from the association.

The group will give three high schools $500 each, based on how many essays are submitted from the school. Scholarships totaling $4,500 will be awarded to high school juniors and seniors for postsecondary education expenses.  The student awards will include:

• 8 -- $500 regional grants;

• 1 – Jonathan Liebelt Vocational-Technical Scholarship; and

• 1 -- $1,000 Scoular Family Grand Prize grant.

The contest requires students to answer three questions with at least 50 words per question and no more than 150 words per question.  The three questions are:

·         After visiting a manufactured housing sales center, what advantages or disadvantages did you see regarding manufactured or modular housing?

·         How have the “Trailer Houses” of yesterday changed to the “Manufactured and Modular Homes” of today?

·         Discuss the options of where a manufactured or modular home can be located.

Application deadline is March 1, 2004. For more information contact SDMHA executive director Jerry Vogeler @ 1-800-657-4352.

In order to reduce the spread of flu, the common cold, and other respiratory illnesses this winter and all year long, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working with the US Department of Education (USDOE), has prepared materials for educators to help reduce the impact of these diseases in schools.

School resources are available on CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/germstopper. For example, the poster, “Be A Germ Stopper,” can be used in cafeterias, classrooms, and bathrooms.

The resources on the website remind students and teachers to:

• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away;
• Cover cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue and then wash hands with soap and warm water for 15 to 20 seconds--long enough to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.  When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. The gels should be rubbed until dry.

In addition, it is always important to encourage students and school staff to get plenty of sleep and exercise, drink plenty of water, and eat nutritious foods every day to stay healthy.

Influenza has taken a toll on the health of our nation during the past few months, including reduced attendance in many South Dakota schools.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, our country’s 119,000 schools reported record rates of absenteeism due to the flu among students and staff. Influenza is not the only respiratory infection of concern in schools: nearly 22 million schools days are lost each year to the common cold alone.  With 20 percent of the U.S. population either working at or attending school, the costs of the flu, the common cold, and other respiratory illnesses are great in terms of lost work and school days.

The main way that illnesses like colds and flu are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. (This is called "droplet spread.") This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and are deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Sometimes germs also can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own mouth or nose before washing their hands. Some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. 

Information has been received from the SD Office of Emergency Management that may be useful to school officials who are members of their community’s emergency planning task force.  It may also be useful for school boards who are working on security plans for school buildings.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released four new publications in the Multi-Hazard Risk Management Series developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The publications contain guidance on designing, constructing, and engineering high occupancy buildings that are more resistant to damage resulting from terrorist attack. The purpose of the publications is to make communities aware of science and technology that can be applied to protect people and critical infrastructure from the affects of terrorist attacks on high occupancy buildings. The documents are:

• FEMA 426, Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Building
• FEMA 427, Primer for Design of Commercial Buildings to Mitigate Terrorist Attacks

·         FEMA 428, Primer to Design Safe School Projects in Case of Terrorist Attacks

·         FEMA 429, Insurance, Finance, and Regulation Primer for Risk Management in Buildings

These guidelines can be effectively used along side FEMA 386-7, Integrating Human-Caused Hazards Into Mitigation Planning, already available since September 2002. The publications are free and can be downloaded from FEMA's website at http://www.fema.gov/fima/rmsp.shtm. The official news release can be viewed at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=10407.

A mitigation planning company, Visual Risk Technologies, has developed a system to assist emergency management agencies in satisfying the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plan requirements by creating a standardized, detailed plan that community and state officials may use to:

• identify and understand the severity of potential hazards
• allocate resources for mitigation projects, and
• ensure that their hazard mitigation planning reduces and, to the maximum
  extent possible, eliminates the consequences of natural and man-made
  disasters.

More information about this system can be found at https://www.mitigationplan.com.

The Birth to 3 Connections program recognized three South Dakota providers for their dedication to infants and toddlers with developmental delays and/or disabilities. The honorees are Dr. Lynn Simmons, pediatrician at Black Hills Pediatrics, Rapid City; Deb Beilke, early childhood teacher, Miller School District; Paula Gibson, community health nurse, Tyndall.  They were nominated for the awards by South Dakota Birth to 3 Connections service coordinators in the categories of physician, early intervention provider and professional.

Birth to 3 Connections requests providers' assistance in making referrals to the program. Children ages 0-3 who may be experiencing developmental delays or disabilities can be referred. If a family is referred to Birth to 3 Connections and it is determined that the child in question requires early intervention services, Birth to 3 Connections provides services at no cost to the family.

Throughout South Dakota, service coordinators are available to help families access services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays. A toll-free number is available for schools and others to use in identifying the nearest local service coordinator: 1-800-305-3064.

Early intervention services that are available include audiology, assistive technology, family training, counseling, home visits, health services, medical services for evaluation, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, social work services, service coordination, special instruction, speech-language therapy, transportation, vision services and other services as identified.

The SD Department of Health is giving 198 balance beam scales and wall-mounted measuring boards to 150 South Dakota schools to help track the state’s growing child obesity problem. The recipients include public, parochial and BIA schools.
 

In exchange for receiving the equipment, schools will be asked to submit student height and weight data for three years. The equipment was purchased with $40,000 in federal maternal and child health and coordinated school health funding.
 

“Many of our schools are already participating in the state’s school height and weight data collection effort,” said Secretary of Health Doneen Hollingsworth. “This equipment will help 150 schools better measure the height and weight of their students and improve the quality of the data.”
 

Hollingsworth said the 2001-2002 data collection found 32.5 percent of South Dakota students were already overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Overweight is defined as above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and gender; at risk for overweight is between the 85th and 94th percentiles. A complete copy of the 2001-2002 report is available on the web at www.state.sd.us/doh/Stats.
 

A recent report by WestEd shows a strong connection between students’ academic achievement and their overall health and well-being.  The report, available at www.wested.org, concludes that policies and practices that address the health and developmental needs of youth are critical components of any comprehensive strategy for improving academic performance.
 

Research shows that 60 percent of overweight 5- to 10-year-old children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease, including elevated blood pressure or insulin levels. Overweight children are more likely to have liver disorders, hypertension, sleep apnea and orthopedic complications. In addition, being overweight during childhood increases the chance that an individual will be overweight as an adult.

The National Endowment for the Humanities offers grade 11 students an opportunity to compete for cash prizes in a nationwide wide essay contest.  The “Idea of America” essay contest asks high school juniors to explore significant theme in President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Americans founding ideals.  Cash prizes of $5,000 and $1,000 are available.

Deadline for submission is March 15.  More information is available on the organization’s website at www.neh.gov .

Mediacom invites graduating seniors to compete for $1,000 leadership scholarships through its World Class – Mediacom Scholarship Program.  The awards may be used for college tuition, books and other expenses involved in postsecondary education.

Selection of scholarship recipients will be based on academic achievement and leadership. Additional determining factors are participation in school activities, honors received, references from two educators from the student’s school, and participation in community activities.

Deadline is April 15. Applications are available on the group’s website at http://www.mediacomworldclass.com/ . Students will submit a 500 word essay regarding the student’s experiences and involvements that have shown their leadership abilities, along with a completed application and letters from two teachers to:

World Class – The Mediacom Scholarship Program
Mediacom
2195 Ingersoll Ave
Des Moines, IA  50312

Questions can be directed to scholarship@mediacomcc.com .

The Lucent Technologies Foundation offers $5,000 scholarships to the most accomplished graduating high school seniors in the areas of science and math.  Applications are due in New York by Feb. 25.