Science Newsletter
April 9, 2021
DISCOVERY EDUCATION TRAININGS
Discovery Education will be offering several training opportunities throughout the month of April to support the integration of Discovery Education with Canvas and PearDeck and to provide training on their Studio Platform, a creation and structured collaboration space perfect for virtual learning.
Please see the Discovery Education Trainings Flyer for full details on dates and times.
BIOLOGY SEMESTER EXAM VETTING
Beginning Friday, April 9th, teachers will have the opportunity to vet Spring Semester Exam for Biology and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. The window to vet the assessment will open at the end of the day on Friday, April 9 and close end of day, Friday, April 16.
Teachers will have the option to vet the assessments in the following two ways (the protocol is the same either option):
Option 1: Synchronous Zoom Meeting, April 12, 11:00 – 12:00 or 3:00 – 4:00 (Zoom Link: https://saisd.zoom.us/my/nicolejuarez)
Option 2: Asynchronous Google Classroom Assignment to complete the Assessment Vetting Protocol by April 16, 2021 at your own pace
Regardless of the option chosen, teachers who are interested in vetting the assessment for Biology, need to fill out the “Secondary Assessment Review Form” by 4:45 pm on Friday, April 9 in order to receive access to the assessment material. Once participates have completed the form, further information will be emailed directly to them.
CONEXIONES: YOU ARE MY OTHER ME
Plática for Educators of ELs
Educators of ELs will deepen their understanding of the diverse experiences of our students, with a focus on newcomers and immigrant students, by centering their own stories and experiences as educators of ELs.
Click here to see the flyer for full details.
NATIVE PLANT GARDENS
The San Antonio chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) is offering competitive
grants for $250 toward your companion pollinator school garden. The brief grant application
is below. The Grant application is straightforward and simple. Please click on the “Grant
Application” link below and fill in your information. You can use the information in this
slideshow or add your own ideas. You can email the completed application to
npsotsagrants@gmail.com. Only members of the Native Plant Society of Texas- San Antonio
Chapter can apply for this grant, please visit www.npsot.org to join. Make sure you join the
San Antonio Chapter. There is a fee, but only one person applying for the grant needs to be a
member and membership offers a wealth of resources and networking opportunities!
If you want to contact someone for assistance with the application reach out to
More information about the grant and the Native Plant Companion Garden Kit, click here.
EARTH DAY, APRIL 22
Here are some links to events or activities that you can utilize with your students:
Keeping STEM Alive in a Remote World, Webinar on April 14 from Discovery Education
NEW DOSEUM STEAM INSTITUTE
A new educator STEAM professional development cohort is being hosted by The DoSeum and our partners from The McNay, The San Antonio Museum of Art, The San Antonio Zoo, and The Witte.
Museo Institute is a year-long STEAM focused institute experience for educators. Educators will get training from all of the museum partners and the zoo in the fall. In the spring educators will work in sub-cohorts with one organization on a practicum project aimed at developing a new approach within their classroom or other home learning environment.
This is an exciting opportunity for teachers to get training and coaching from museum education experts within our local cultural institutions. Educators will learn more about each organizations educational resources, go behind the scenes of each organization, and work with each other to gain from collective experience and shared knowledge.
Here is a link to the Museo Institute web-page which includes a link to the application form:
SAISD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACADEMIES
The following academies will be included in the development programs:
●Teacher Leader Academy
●Mentor Fellows Academy
●Academics Leadership Academy
●Aspiring Assistant Principal Academy
●Aspiring Principal Academy
The SAISD Leadership Development Academy Application will open Thursday, April 1, and close on Friday, April 30. Applicants will be required to upload a current resume. More information about the academies can be found on the SAISD Leadership Flyer and a detailed description of the program and the list of minimum eligibility criteria can be found on the SAISD Leadership Development Academies Smore.
An optional information session will be held on Tuesday, March 30 and Tuesday, April 6, and details will be communicated through an “All Staff” email. Pre-registration for the session is not required. Should you have any questions regarding this memo, feel free to contact the Leadership Development Program team via email at curriculum@saisd.net.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADE REPAIR
These modules will be created in Edgenuity, organized by nine-week periods, and aligned to the SAISD scope and sequence. Campuses will have the ability to duplicate, modify, and individualize the modules to further streamline assignments and content to help students repair spring nine-week grades. Modules for the third and fourth nine-week grade repair are currently available.
Should you have questions, please contact Agnes Gonzalez, Director of Online Learning & Student Support via email at aacosta2@saisd.net or by phone at 210-554-2654.
TEA SEEKING EDUCATORS FOR ASSESSMENT COMMITTEES
TEA is seeking classroom teachers, instructional coaches, campus and district content specialists, and campus administrators to serve on a variety of assessment-related committees. The involvement of Texas education professionals supports TEA in designing and building the best quality assessments. TEA is accepting applications for the following teacher committees:
- Early passage review meetings
- Educator item review meetings
- Essay rangefinding meetings
- Subject-area advisory groups
- STAAR redesign focus groups
Teacher and instructional specialists or coaches for the following grades and subject areas are encouraged to apply:
- English language arts and reading, grades 3–8 and English I-II
- Mathematics, grades 3–8 and Algebra I
- Science, grades 5 and 8 and Biology
- Social studies, grade 8 and U.S. History
- Spanish language arts and reading, grades 3–5
- Spanish mathematics, grades 3–5
- Spanish science, grade 5
PAEMST APPLICATION WINDOW NOW OPEN
The 2020-2021 application windows for grades 7-12 mathematics and science teachers, including CTE courses that satisfy a math or science credit for graduation, for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program are now open. The PAEMST awards are the nation's highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education. Since 1983, more than 4,200 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.
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, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. Awardees also join an active network of outstanding educators from throughout the nation.
The application deadline is April 1, 2021. If you know great teachers, encourage them to join this prestigious network of professionals. In Texas, eligible teachers who submit a completed application by April 1, 2021 will receive 25 CPE hours. Sign up to apply or nominate an educator at www.paemst.org.
For questions, contact tx_paemst@tea.texas.gov.
AP TESTING UPDATES
SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP NOW AVAILABLE
The scholarships are designed specifically for African American and Hispanic graduating seniors this spring in Council school districts who plan to pursue college studies in one of the STEM-related fields. The deadline to apply is May 4, 2021.
For more information, please see the Scholarship Flyer and the Program Guidelines document.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, March 30: Middle School Department Chair Meeting
Monday, April 12: Staff PD Day (DiscEd Trainings & Semester Exam Vetting)
Tuesday, April 20: Discovery Education Training afterschool
Thursday, April 29: Discovery Education Training
Angela Paskell, Director of Science
Email: apaskell1@saisd.net
Website: www.saisd.net/science
Location: 406 Barrera Street, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: 210-554-2525
Twitter: @SAISD_Science