Schedule for the Week of April 25 - April 30

Here is my schedule for the week of April 25th through April 30th.    There will not be school on Monday but I should be in the office sometime in the afternoon. I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy the weekend as it will be a mad dash to the end of the year from Tuesday on!! Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, April 25th 

Work in Office - P.M.

Tuesday, April 26th 

Administrative meeting - 8:30 - ICN Room
Wheeler Invitational Track Meet - 4:30
Lion's Meeting - 5:00
Wednesday, April 27th

Food Service Meeting - 9:00 - Coon Rapids
PD Day - Early Out

Thursday, April 28th

CoEd Golf Match - 4:00 - Country Club

Friday, April 29th

Prom

Schedule for the Week of April 18 - April 23

Here is my schedule for the week of April 18th through April 23th.    This will be a crazy week with a full day of teacher professional development on Wednesday and Spring break on Friday. Let's all hope for some great weather over the long weekend.  Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, April 18th 

School Board Meeting - 7:00 - ICN Room

Tuesday, April 19th 

Microsoft Grant Meeting - 8:30 - ICN Room
Math/Science Academy mtg. - 9:00 - Carroll

Wednesday, April 20th

1:1 Professional Development Conference - 7:00 - Des Moines
No School for Students

Thursday, April 21st

JH Track Meet - 4:00 - Home
Girls Tennis Meet - 4:30 - Home

Friday, April 22nd

No School

A Good Reminder on Why I Left North Dakota

When I left North Dakota four years ago to move to Iowa I was excited for the adventure and challenges that laid ahead.

(Yes, there is adventure in Iowa!! and for challenges, let me take you to Des Moines next week to visit the legislature)

But as the years go bye, and enrollment and budgets continue to decrease, there are times I look back at the old Bison state (or is it the Flickertail State? I'm not up on my state nicknames anymore) through rose colored glasses.(first reference to a country and western song)

I forget about those 30 below zero temps that we would have for weeks at a time.
(No, that wasn't in July and yes we still had outside recess as long as the wind wasn't blowing)

I forget about the mosquitoes, low pay and the Ole and Lena jokes. (I never did figure out if those two were Swede or Norwegian?)

I forget about the long drives to get nowhere. (Only a hundred miles to Fargo does not make you a suburb and should not be one of your community selling points!!)

Well my rose colored glasses (second reference to a country western song ) were shattered yesterday when I received the following video from my nephew.....

Interstate 29

Yes that is Interstate 29 running north and south, and yes those NoDak's are driving through the water!!  The good news?...that water is all flowing north to Canada.....the great news?  I'm living in Iowa!!

Schedule for the Week of April 11 - April 16

Here is my schedule for the week of April 11th through April 16th.    The 2012 Budget Hearing is scheduled for Monday night starting at 7:00.  I would encourage patrons who are interested in the budget for next year to attend the meeting so that they have a better understanding of how the budget process works. If you are unable to attend then a copy of the budget levy will be available on line and in the Superintendent's office.  Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, April 11th 

Budget Hearing - 7:00 - ICN Room

Tuesday, April 12th 

Administrator's Meeting - 9:00 - ICN Room
Lion's Bag and Bulb Sale 6:30

Wednesday, April 13th


Hot Lunch Meeting - 9:00 - ICN Room
PD Early Out - 2:30
Technology Committee mtg. - 3:40 - ICN Room

Thursday, April 14th

Grant Award Ceremony - 2:00 - Courthouse

Friday, April 15th

WIC Art Show - Avoca
IASB Conference call - 8:30 - Office
WIC Superintendent Mtg. - 11:30 - Minden
Legislative Webinar - 11:30 - Office
Spring Play Matinee - 1:15

Saturday, April 16th
WIC Art Show - Avoca
Spring Play - 7:30 - Auditorium

Sunday, April 17th

WIC Art Show - Avoca
Hoop-A-Thon - 1:00 - 4:00 North Gym
Dancing with the Stars - 7:00 South Gym

Interesting Facts about Online Learning

Here's just a few interesting facts concerning online learning provided by Dan Smith of the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) from a conference session he attended by Dr. Allison Powell who is from the International Association for K-12 Online Learning:

• 32 State have state virtual schools
• 27 states allow over 220 full-time virtual charter schools with more than 225,000 students
• 2 states require an online course for high school graduation
• 30% of all employers use e-learning for training; expected to grow to 50% in 5 years.
• 1 in 4 undergraduate & graduate students enroll in an online course in college
• 75% of school districts had one or more students in a fully-online or blended course
• MIT has open courseware for K-12 students
• Stanford, Northwestern University of programs for gifted students online

Online learning research was summarized in four trends:

1. Online learning expands student options
2. Online learning is rapidly growing. Enrollments are growing at about 30% annually. Numbers grew from 50,000 in 2000 to over 2,000,000 in 2009.
3. In some reports, online learning was not only effective but actually "better than face-to-face instruction.
4. Online learning improves instruction. Teachers who teach online reported positive improvements in face-to-face instruction.

Dr. Powell is predicting continuing growth of online learning, causing a change in how educational content will be delivered in the future.

Schedule for the Week of April 4 - April 9

Here is my schedule for the week of April 4th through April 8th.  My agenda is full of interviews this week as we talk with six different candidates for our 5 - 12 Principal position.  I will also be busy getting prepared for our 2012 Budget hearing which will be Monday, April 11th. Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, April 4th 

First Aid/CPR Class - 5:00 - Hospital

Tuesday, April 5th 

Principal Interviews - 4:00 - 8:30

Wednesday, April 6th

PD Early Out - 2:30
Principal Interviews - 4:00 - 8:30

Thursday, April 7th

NHS Blood Drive - 8:35

Friday, April 8th

IASB Conference call - 8:30 - Office
Legislative Webinar - 11:30 - Office