Attention ALL employees (including part-time, temporary, substitutes, interns, and student teachers): You are eligible to receive a flu vaccination with no out of pocket cost, even if you are not covered on the County health plan! BeWell Albemarle will offer onsite clinics beginning the week of September 21. Check the calendar for the event nearest you »
What should I bring? Continue reading
Calling all artists, filmmakers, and recyclers! Students in grades K–12 are invited to participate in a national recycling awareness contest sponsored by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and JASON Learning. The theme of this year’s contest is Recycling Is Bigger Than the Bin.
Your challenge is to choose an item that is “bigger than the bin” and find a way to recycle it! Continue reading
Join students, teachers and organizations in celebration of global collaboration on September 17! On this day (and beyond), experienced global educators and professionals will host connective projects and events and invite public participation. The primary goals of this whole day event are to demonstrate the power of global connectivity in classrooms, schools, institutions of informal learning and universities around the world, and to introduce others to the tools, resources and projects that are available to educators today. It’s a global party, and everyone is invited! Get connected »
Albemarle County Public Schools and Local Government are fortunate to have many veterans who continue to serve our country through their work in government offices and public schools. On November 11, 2015, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and School Board will recognize those employees who have served our country in the armed forces through a joint resolution.
Are you a veteran or a current member of the armed forces, including Reserves or National Guard? If so, please take a moment to complete a short, 7-question survey so that we may recognize you. Continue reading
“What are the real benefits of a maker-centered approach to learning? It’s often described as a way to incubate STEM skills or drive technical innovation — and it is probably both of these. But as a new report from Project Zero’s Agency by Design concludes, the real value of maker education has more to do with building character than with building the next industrial revolution.” Keep reading in Usable Knowledge, an online resource from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Shenandoah National Park, as part of the White House’s new Every Kid in a Park program, is offering fourth graders (and their families!) the opportunity to see America’s natural wonders and historic sites for FREE! Fourth-grade students can visit the Every Kid in a Park website and complete an activity to obtain a free year-long entry pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks.
Fourth-grade educators: You can download the activity and print paper passes for each of your students by clicking on the Educators link!
Albemarle County Public Schools maintains over 600 policies. Our policies are locally developed through our work with the Virginia School Boards Association and they are tied to Virginia Code. Several are locally developed. Our policies translate our core values of excellence, young people, community and respect into the backbone of our daily operations and aspirations for students. You can stay up-to-date on policy revisions, additions and deletions through the ACPS website! View the August 2015 policy updates (ACPS user name and password required).
Have an idea? Need the funds to implement it? The Virginia Education Association (VEA) is proud to provide mini-grants to support members’ ideas designed to improve student learning. You are invited to submit your proposal for a VEA mini-grant of any amount up to $500. Entries must be received by 4:30 p.m. on October 2, 2015. Open the application and guidelines »
Questions? Contact Sonia Lee in the Office of Teaching & Learning at slee@veanea.org or 1-800-552-9554, ext. 333. Not a member? Learn how to join the VEA »
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nterested in becoming a National Board Certified Teacher? If you have completed three full years of teaching or school counseling, consider attending an informational meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the ARC. Baker-Butler assistant principal Wendy Eckerle and physical education teacher Tessa Pehanick will address the process and benefits of certification. Planning to attend? Please RSVP to weckerle@k12albemarle.org.
Why National Board Certification? Find out why more than 110,000 teachers have chosen to pursue National Board Certification and why they say it’s the best investment of time and money they’ve ever made.
Few environments feature such a cacophony of decor as the elementary school classroom. Colorful bulletin boards, scientific posters, state maps, and student artwork tend to cover nearly every inch of wall space. Yet a new study on classroom design from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University suggests that all that educational flair may not be all that great for getting kids to learn. Read more in this Co.Design feature from Fast Company »
Superintendent Pam Moran encourages educators to consider replacing commercial products with student-made work that adds value and ownership for learners and their learning. Continue reading