JAG Leadership Development Conference held

JAG continues to thrive in South Dakota

Nominations for the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are now open. This year’s award cycle will recognize outstanding elementary teachers in grades K-6. Secondary teachers (7-12) will be eligible to apply during a future cycle.

Each year, up to 110 teachers in the nation are recognized through this program for contributions to STEM education. If you know an exceptional science, technology, engineering, or math teacher who teaches grades K-6, go to the online nomination form. Nominations must be in by Jan. 8, 2024. Once a teacher is nominated or initiates the application process, the teacher will receive an email invitation to continue the application process. The invitation will include login information for accessing the online application system. Applications are then due Feb. 6, 2024.

Presidential Awardees receive:

• A certificate signed by the President of the United States
• A trip to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities
• A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation
• Access to a network of award-winning teachers from across the country

The South Dakota Mentoring Program Summer Academy is a time for new teachers and their mentors to come together for reflection, professional development, and celebration. The DOE is now taking breakout session proposals for the event. If you would like to present on topics such as student engagement, classroom management, using effective assessments, or other topics of value to new teachers, please consider sending a presentation proposal to the DOE.

There will be a summer academy on each side of the state; on June 5-6, 2024, in Sioux Falls, and on June 12-13, 2024, in Rapid City. Presenters will receive $150 per session and will be reimbursed for travel expenses. Applications are due by Nov. 27.

Call for proposals: 2024 Civics and History Summit

Are you an experienced teacher with an interesting and proven way to teach a particular history, geography, government, or civics topic aligned to the new South Dakota Social Studies Standards? Consider submitting a proposal to present your lesson to break-out groups at the 2024 Civics and History Summit, to be held June 3-4, 2024, in Sioux Falls.

The Civics and History Summit is a great opportunity for teachers to learn strategies to implement the South Dakota Social Studies Standards, obtain lessons and resources aligned to the standards, and to share activities and lessons from their own classroom with their peers.

Proposals must be in by Nov. 15. A list of possible topics and sign up form is now available.

The state of South Dakota has received a federal grant to offer school crisis prevention and intervention training for school staff. This virtual training is ideal for school staff that are committed to improving and strengthening their school safety, crisis management, and emergency response plans.

Two workshops are currently being offered:

• Workshop 1 (one-day) -- Comprehensive school safety planning: Prevention through recovery. This one-day workshop addresses the critical components needed to develop, exercise, and evaluate safety teams and crisis plans. Additional topics include media/social media, communication, reunification, students with special needs, culture, and memorials. Ultimately, participants will be prepared to improve their school’s climate, student resilience, and the crisis response capabilities of school personnel.
• Workshop 2 (two-day) -- Mental health crisis interventions: Responding to an acute traumatic stressor in schools. This two-day workshop develops the knowledge and skill required to provide immediate mental health crisis interventions to the students, staff, and school community members who have been simultaneously exposed to an acute traumatic stressor. This workshop is an excellent course for mental health professionals who provide mental health crisis intervention services.

To schedule training for your school or to register for available regional trainings, contact Amber Kilburn at the University of South Dakota, (605) 658-6625.

The University of South Dakota School of Education, in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Social Services - Division of Behavioral Health, is pleased to offer FREE professional development focused on student and staff mental health and crisis prevention and response in schools. This speaker series will feature renowned speakers, researchers, and professionals who have experienced person crisis and/or crisis in schools.

Recorded presentations will be available throughout the 2023-24 school year. Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECHs) will be awarded for participation in the series. Participants can pick and choose what videos they are interested in viewing, or they can choose to view them all.

Northern State University is offering classes for teachers to add Driver’s Education endorsement to their certificate. The courses are online and can be taken in the spring or summer of 2024. NSU application is now available.

Data-Based Individualization is a research-based process for individualizing and intensifying interventions for students with severe and persistent learning and behavioral needs. This training is a two-day, face-to-face training with a follow-up webinar for follow up and implementation Q&A with the trainer.

This training is designed to support school teams in developing a data-driven process to intensify and individualized Tier 2 and 3 intervention supports in an MTSS framework.

The annual Indian Education Summit will be held Nov. 16-17 in Huron, with Youth Day to be held Nov. 18. Mark your calendars now. A schedule and speaker announcements will be forthcoming. Visit the Indian Education Summit website now and check back often.