ESC TODAY
Timely Information and Resources for Region 11 Schools
January 18, 2017
ESC TODAY is published twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays throughout the school year except during holidays.
Thanks to ESC Region 11 Board of Directors During Board Recognition Month
Photo Above
(Front row, left to right): G.B. Bailey, Dr. Cathy Bryce, J.B. Morgan, and Dr. Clyde Steelman, ESC Region 11 executive director.
(Back row, left to right): Dr. David Lee, Weldon Hafley, Dennis Hughes, Dr. Larry Blair, and Dr. Jay Thompson.
Challenge Accepted: Register for the January 19 Chain Reaction Challenge
Registration and additional information are available here.
Charter School Updates
Regions 10 & 11 Charter School Summit
February 15, 9 a.m.-Noon
For more information, contact:
Keela McGraw, (817) 740-7526
Follow us on Twitter @ESC11Charters.
Connect2Texas: Honoring First Lady Barbara Bush, New Free Game App Available
The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum will host the 10th annual Reading Discovery program on January 26, 10-11:15 a.m. This special event is available via distance learning so students around the world can share in honoring First Lady Barbara Bush and her passion for literacy. This year’s focus will be the new free game app White House Dinner Dash! that teaches about the value of friendship and personal diplomacy. Join Mrs. Bush's son Neil Bush; Director of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives Susan Donius; and Director of Learning Strategies at Discovery Education Patrick Vennebush for this exciting global learning experience.
Registration here through January 20.
Additional information: Program flyer and TEKS information (Grades 3-8).
*The White House Dinner Dash game app will be available for download at the App Store and Google Play.
Health Advisory: Mumps
For more information, read the full health advisory.
Mathematics and Science Leaders Relaunch Meeting Set for February
Mark your calendars for the Math & Science Leaders Meeting Relaunch! We will blast off at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28. During this half-day session, current issues concerning the curriculum and assessment of mathematics and science will be discussed. Math and science coordinators, specialists, and campus leaders will have the opportunity to network and will receive the most current information from TEA. Register here through February 27.
Science Process Skills Plus Content Workshop with Instructional Tools for Your Classroom
Science Process Skills Plus Content: Supporting Learners with Manipulatives and Formative Assessments workshop offered this month provides tools and skills that you can see students using in your classroom. Teachers will work on process and content specific to their needs and develop it into classroom instructional pieces for an upcoming unit. After in-class collaboration, peers will review and provide feedback using the T-TESS planning rubric. After the lesson has been implemented, teachers will reflect upon the lesson, sharing what they would change, keep, and decision-making.
STEAM PLC Network for Teachers in February and April
You are invited to join a community of STEAM/STEM teachers in Region 11 to network and learn through a series of face-to-face collaboration times with continued partnership and learning through Canvas. There are two remaining STEAM PLC dates, February 21 and April 11. Focus for the February STEAM PLC Network is STEAM through the lens of architecture.
The STEAM PLC Network is free. For questions, please contact Alison Lentz, (817) 740-3636, or Thais Mitchell, (817) 740-3679, or visit the STEAM website.
Register here for the sessions: February 21 and April 11.
Technology Event at Fort Worth ISD Open to All Districts
Texas Regional Collaborative Informational Meeting for School Leaders on January 23
Join us at ESC Region 11 or by Zoom, a free videoconferencing tool, to hear about the Texas Regional Collaborative (TRC) grant application for math and science. This meeting is for leaders from districts, charters, and private schools who are interested in having their teachers participate in a yearlong program to improve their mathematics or science content knowledge and explore proven pedagogical strategies in order to increase student achievement. The grant provides funding for math and science classroom teachers to receive 100 hours of research-based professional development, materials for their classroom, and stipends for attending training outside contract hours. To find out more, please plan to attend on January 23, 9-12 p.m.
Please complete this form if you are interested in attending.
Uplifting Educator Stories: Share Your Education Success Story with TEA
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has launched a statewide social media campaign to tell the remarkable stories of Texas educators. Uplifting Educator Stories are those that demonstrate rigorous and rewarding classroom experiences, student achievement, and student human interest going beyond success in a typical class or on a test.
If you have ideas for this project, email the story and photo to Lauren Callahan. A new story will be selected each week and shared statewide via TEA social media accounts using the hashtag #IAmTxEd.
What's Happening in Our Schools?
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Board of Directors and Northwest ISD were named finalists in H-E-B's annual Excellence in Education awards. Winners will be announced at the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards ceremony on May 7 at the Hilton Hotel in Austin, and will receive cash awards. Read more here.
Smithfield Elementary School, Birdville ISD, received a National Blue Ribbon Schools nomination. Smithfield Elementary is one of only 26 Texas schools nominated. Read more here.
In more news about Smithfield Elementary, in February a team of deaf and hearing impaired students participated in the playoffs of Gallaudet University's Battle of the Books. Battle of the Books promotes literacy among Deaf and Hard of Hearing middle school students. Playoff results will be announced January 20, and the top four teams will compete in a final round set for April in Washington, D.C. This is the third year for Smithfield students to participate in Gallaudet’s Battle of the Books.
Remington Point Elementary, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, has been chosen as a 2017 Model School by the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) for standing out as an exemplary leader among hundreds of other campuses from districts across the country. Read more here.
Join Our Social Community
Stay connected to ESC Region 11 through our Facebook and Twitter accounts, blogs, and email lists/listservs. Join the ESC Region 11 pages, and/or find the specific group that meets your needs. Browse through the list and click on the one you are interested in joining.
Click on this QR code to go to our Facebook page, then "Like" our page.
Would You Like to Receive This Newsletter?
ESC Region 11
Email: communications@esc11.net
Website: esc11.net
Location: 1451 Cherry Lane, White Settlement, TX 76108, United States
Phone: (817)740-3600
Facebook: facebook.com/ESCRegion11
Twitter: @ESCRegion11