Everything English
UCPS English Curriculum News and Events
September 2015
I hope that you all had a smooth start last week! Unbelievably, it is September and already time to think ahead for the fall. In this newsletter, I have compiled a few announcements, along with professional development opportunities for you and other opportunities available to your students.
This newsletter will be a monthly feature. Please feel free to forward me any announcements, opportunities, or links you would like to share. In the future, I would also love to spotlight cool activity or lesson plan ideas and professional accomplishments, as well as any personal accomplishments, news, and writing you would be willing to share.
Finally, thanks to all of you for making my first month in Union County Public Schools an amazing experience. You are kind, helpful, professional, creative, and engaged teachers and human beings. I look forward to continuing to learn from you and to support you in any way that I can.
Lucy
Curriculum Articulation Committee
Meetings will begin in October. I will send out a Doodle poll as soon as I have a list of potential committee members.
2015-2016 Benchmarks
I am looking for people willing to participate on English III and IV benchmark teams this year, so please reach out if you are interested.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Details: September 23 from 8:30-11:30 at the Walter Bickett Education Center
CEUs: 0.3
Teacher-to-Teacher Conference: This one-day conference at the College of Education will cover topics including culturally responsive teaching, differentiating instruction, and how to become a cooperating teacher. The cost is $25 for the conference. They are still accepting presentation proposals, if you are interested in presenting!
Details: October 14 from 9-4 at the College of Education at UNCC
CEUs: 0.8
Learning Differences: This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) presented by NC State will help teachers consider learning differences and differentiating instruction with an in-depth study. This course is online and completely free. We can also collaborate locally on the coursework, so please contact Lucy if you are interested in forming a UCPS group for this course. You do not need to have computer expertise to participate in an online course, but you should be comfortable working online (as you would in Canvas or Moodle).
Details: Online from September 28- November 8
CEUs: 2.0 available (there are reporting requirements, so be sure to read that part carefully on the MOOC FAQ)
Print ↔ Digital : Connecting Convention, Tradition, and Innovation: This conference presented by the Writing Program at UNCC has a focus on the tensions between print and digital texts. There are presentations from both college and high school instructors.
Details: Friday, October 23 from 8:30-4 at UNCC Center City
CEUs: 0.8 CEUs
Upcoming Opportunities for Your Students
Wingate's Annual Shakespeare Competition: If you are interested in getting your students involved in this competition, the website has very thorough information. Contact me if you need any help getting started.
About Me
High School English Instructional Content Facilitator
Union County Public Schools
Email: lucy.steele@ucps.k12.nc.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/ucps.k12.nc.us/hs-english-curriculum-resources/
Location: Cuthbertson High School, Cuthbertson Road, Waxhaw, NC, United States
Phone: 704-296-0105
Twitter: @LucySteeleEng