Upcoming Dates 9-28-10-9

9/27-9/28--6th Annual Indian Education Conference--Rapid City
9/28--Next Regular School Board Meeting--6:30 P--HS Media Center
9/30--Grading/Assessment/Reporting--4:00 PM--K-6 Conference Room
10/1--A-Team--7:00 AM--K-6 Conference Room
10/3--1st Annual Chamberlain/Oacoma Fall Festival--Chamberlain/Oacoma
10/4-10/5--Teacher Leadership Conference--Pierre
10/5--ACT Prep Class--High School
10/6--Senior Post High School Planning--Mitchell
10/6--K-6 Staff Meeting--3:35 PM--K-6 Band Room
10/7--Grade 7-12 New Teacher Mentoring--4:00 PM--High School
10/7--SMART Board Training-John Hohn--4:00 PM--High School
10/8--Grade 7-12 Building Leadership Team--7:30 AM--High School
10/9--Business Office Breakfast--9:00 AM--White House

School Board Meeting 9-28-09

Please view the School Board Meeting Agenda for Monday September 28, 2009 at:

http://tm026.k12.sd.us/2009-2010%20School%20Board%20Agendas.htm

Please view the School Board Meeting Minutes from Monday September 14, 2009 at:

http://tm026.k12.sd.us/2009-2010%20School%20Board%20Minutes.htm

ASCD Back to School Poll

Poll: Should student test scores be linked to teacher evaluations and pay?

No, it would not be fair to do so--55.25%

Yes, but provisions should be made to ensure it is done fairly--34.72%

Yes, absolutely--7.23%

I'm not sure--2.80%


Poll: Will the development of national curriculum standards help your students?

Yes, but the standards need to be high-quality--33.03%

Yes -- it would create an equal playing field for students and teachers--21.75%

No -- curriculum should match student needs--21.29%

No -- there need to be variables in curriculum for different areas of the country--12.66%

No -- I don't think a common curriculum will ever come to fruition--7.36%

I'm not sure--3.91%

Poll: What is the biggest obstacle your school is facing as you go into the new school year?

Pressure on students and teachers to improve test results--40.86%

A lack of resources because of budget cuts--29.86%

Greater numbers of students facing economic stress and upheaval--19.25%

Fewer teachers because of layoffs--5.30%

Other--4.72%

H1 N1 Update 9-18-09

H1N1(A) Influenza – South Dakota Department of Health Weekly Backgrounder
Friday, September 18, 2009 – as of 1 p.m. (Central)

The Department of Health provides this weekly backgrounder to update partners about H1N1 influenza preparedness and prevention efforts. It is distributed every Friday and is archived on the web at http://doh.sd.gov/H1N1/.

General Information

H1N1(A) continues to present as moderate illness
Pregnant women, young children, those with chronic health conditions most at risk; elderly less affected, may have immunity due to previous exposure to similar viruses

SD Case Information (updated every Friday at http://doh.sd.gov/H1N1/surveillance.aspx)

2009-2010 flu season reporting period began Aug 31; SD now reporting cumulative flu activity, both seasonal and H1N1, from that date forward this week flu activity in SD increased to “LOCAL”
48 new confirmed influenza cases reported this week (47 A-H1N1 Novel, and 1 A unspecified). 77 total influenza A cases confirmed since Aug 31 (no confirmed B yet)
4 flu-associated hospitalizations reported this week, 5 cumulative for 2009-1010 season
3% of school children absent due to illness (152 reporting schools, encompassing 52,561 children); the more schools that report, the more complete and accurate the data; if your school not reporting, report online at http://doh.sd.gov
0% of confirmed influenza cases in children <30 years old.
No influenza-associated deaths reported in SD

New Guidance & Resources

9/14--H1N1 vaccine safety Q&A - http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm
9/14--H1N1 preparedness for small business -http://www.flu.gov/professional/business/smallbiz.html
9/13--school-based vaccination planning materials & templates - http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/slv/
SD H1N1 news releases - http://doh.sd.gov/News/2009.aspx
CDC H1N1 website – http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Vaccine Information

9/15--FDA approved four vaccines against 2009 H1N1 flu virus (made by CSL Limited, MedImmune LLC, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, and sanofi pasteur Inc.)
H1N1 vaccine manufactured using same processes as seasonal flu vaccine, under same FDA manufacturing oversight, product quality testing and lot release procedures.
Seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines both produced in formulations with and without thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative.

Potential side effects of H1N1 vaccine similar to seasonal flu vaccines. For injected, soreness at injection site most common. Others may include mild fever, body aches, fatigue. For nasal spray, runny nose, nasal congestion most common for all ages; sore throats in adults, and fever in kids 2-6 years old.

SD to receive about 110,000 doses by mid-October, 48,000 doses weekly thereafter
Initial doses targeted to groups at highest risk for H1N1
o Pregnant women
o People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months
o Children 6 months to 4 years
o Children 5-18 years with chronic health conditions
o Health care and emergency medical services workers (hospitals manage distribution of vaccine to health care workers; ambulance services for EMS)

As more vaccine available, it will be administered beyond priority groups

Federal govt will purchase vaccine, supplies to administer it and distribute to states
Vaccination is voluntary
Vaccine is free but some providers may charge an administration fee
Seasonal flu vaccine should be given as soon as available to appropriate target groups; SD reported 525 hospitalizations for seasonal flu last year and 4 deaths

Family Day-Monday September 28, 2009

CHILDREN WHO HAVE FREQUENT FAMILY DINNERS LESS LIKELY TO USE MARIJUANA, TOBACCO, AND DRINK ALCOHOL
SEPTEMBER 28 MARKS 9TH ANNUAL FAMILY DAY

Chamberlain School District 7-1 to Celebrate Event

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse launches new tools to help celebrate
From 2003 to 2008 research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has consistently found that children who have frequent family dinners are less likely to use marijuana, tobacco and drink alcohol.

CASA research reveals that compared to children who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), children who have infrequent family dinners (less than three per week) are two and a half times likelier to have used marijuana and tobacco, and one and a half times likelier to have drunk alcohol.

Teens Who Have Used Substances
By Frequency of Family Dinners
(Average over 6 years: 2003-2008)

0-2 Dinners/Week
Ever Used Alcohol--48%
Ever Used Tobacco--29%
Ever Used Marijuana--27%

5-7 Dinners/Week

Ever Used Alcohol--30%

Ever Used Tobacco--13%

Ever Used Marijuanna--11%

Monday, September 28th will mark the 9th annual Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM celebration. Family Day is a national movement to inform parents that the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s children substance free and reminds parents that “Dinner Makes A Difference!”
“If you asked me based on 16 years of intensive examination of substance abuse and addiction in our nation what’s the most effective thing we can do to curb this scourge and protect our children, I would say parental engagement. And there is no more effective example of this than frequent family dinners,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. “Years of surveying teens have consistently shown that the more often they have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs.”
This year a major call to action for parents--the Family Day STAR Pledge--which encourages parents all across the nation to take back their seats at the dinner table.

To pledge to be a Family Day STAR commits to:

S - Spend time with my kids by having dinner together. T - Talk to them about their friends, interests and the dangers of drugs and alcohol. A - Answer their questions and listen to what they say. R - Recognize that I have the power to help keep my kids substance-free!

Parents who make every day Family Day are taking a positive step toward raising children, who are emotionally and physically healthy, academically successful, and drug and alcohol free. Family dinners do make a difference. America's drug problem is not going to be solved in courtrooms or legislative hearing rooms by judges and politicians. It will be solved in living rooms and dining rooms and across kitchen tables – by parents and families. It has less to do with the food on the plate and more to do with what is happening at the table. Gathering each night lets children know that their parents are available to them and it serves as a simple and powerful way to foster an excellent parent/child relationship.”

7 Secrets to Successful Family Dinners

1. Start the pattern of family dinners when children are young
2. Encourage your children to create menu ideas and participate in meal preparation
3. Turn off the TV and let your answering machine answer calls during dinnertime
4. Talk about what happened in everyone’s day: school, work, extracurricular activities or current events
5. Establish a routine to start and end each meal. Light candles or tell a story
6. After dinner play a board game or serve dessert to encourage the family to continue the conversation
7. Keep conversation positive and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak

For more information about Family Day, visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org.

Did You Know? 4.0

In case you have not seen the latest version of the "Did You Know" videos on you tube here it is. As you watch this: Is our school district preparing students for this world? Think about it. If accessing the Blog through state e-mail the link will be block. You can go to my Blog outside of state e-mail and the link will work or you can go directly to you tube and search for Did You Know? 4.0 and play the video.

Did You Know? 4.0

Malcolm Gladwell-Outliers

I read all the time but this summer I came across a very interesting book by Malcolm Gladwell called "Outliers". I had already read his two previous works "Tipping Point" and "Blink" and also found them very enlightening . I will get the opportunity to hear him in person in February when I travel to Phoenix, AZ to the National Conference on Education. He recently was featured on AASA Radio and his remarks entitled Culture Shock: Stimulating Educational Success can be heard online. He says that if you want to transform educational outcomes, culture is the key. He shares insight from research that makes a strong case for robustly experimenting with changing school cultures.

If your interested in "Outlilers" here is the introduction from the front cover:

Why do some people succeed far more than others?

There is a story that is usually told about extremely successful people, a story that focuses on intelligence and ambition. In "Outliers" Malcolm Gladwell argues that the true story of success is very different, and that if you want to understand how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking at such things as their family, their birthplace, or even their birth date. The story of success is more complex and a lot more interesting than it initially appears.

Constitution Day-September 17

Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.

Upcoming Dates 9/14-9/28

9/14 Next Regular School Board Meeting 6:30 PM HS Media Center
9/15 Public/Private Collaboration Meeting 11:30 AM St. Joe's
9/16 Mid-term 1st Quarter District-Wide
9/16-9/17 Infinite Campus Workshop Cedar Shore
9/16 Technology Staff Development-John Hohn 4:00-6:00 PM High School
9/17 Constitution Day District-Wide
9/19 33rd Annual St. Joseph’s Indian School Pow wow St. Joe's
9/21-9/25 Homecoming Week District-Wide
9/21 Technology Committee 4:00 PM HS V-Tel
9/22 Bully Prevention Task Force 4:00 PM High School
9/22 Coronation 8:00 PM Armory
9/23 SMART Board Training 4:00-6:00 PM High School
9/27-9/28 6th Annual Indian Education Conference Rapid City
9/28 Next Regular School Board Meeting 6:30 PM HS Media Center

School Board Meeting 9-28-09

Please view the School Board Meeting Agenda for Monday September 28, 2009 at:

http://tm026.k12.sd.us/2009-2010%20School%20Board%20Agendas.htm

Please view the School Board Meeting Minutes from Monday September 14, 2009 at:

http://tm026.k12.sd.us/2009-2010%20School%20Board%20Minutes.htm

H1N1 Update

H1N1(A) Influenza Update

South Dakota Department of Health
Friday, September 11, 2009

The Department of Health provides this weekly update about H1N1 influenza preparedness and prevention efforts. It is distributed every Friday and is archived on the web at http://doh.sd.gov/H1N1/.

General Information
H1N1(A) continues to present as moderate illness
Southeastern US seeing most cases but pattern is same- affecting younger age groups, few hospitalizations, no change in virus
Pregnant women, young children, those with chronic health conditions most at risk; elderly less affected, may have immunity due to previous exposure to similar viruses

SD Case Information
135 total cases reported in 27 counties; 3 total hospitalizations updates posted every Friday at http://doh.sd.gov/H1N1/surveillance.aspx

New Guidance & Resources
CDC guidance for antiviral use - http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm antivirals should be reserved for those at high risk overuse is a concern
Chart illustrating which groups should get H1N1 vaccine and which should get seasonal flu vaccine - http://doh.sd.gov/H1N1/PDF/H1N1targetgroups.pdf
SD H1N1 news releases - http://doh.sd.gov/News/2009.aspx
CDC H1N1 website http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Vaccine Information
CDC indicates preliminary data shows H1N1 flu vaccine is producing immunity in adults after 1 dose. If confirmed and FDA-approved, this is good news and means we can cover more people more quickly and conveniently. Results in children not yet available; vaccine-induced immunity after a single dose of seasonal flu vaccine is limited for kids under 9, making it more likely that they may need two doses of H1N1 vaccine.
SD to receive about 110,000 doses by mid-October, 48,000 doses weekly thereafter
Initial doses targeted to groups at highest risk for H1N1
o Pregnant women
o People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months
o Children 6 months to 4 years
o Children 5-18 years with chronic health conditions
o Health care and emergency medical services workers (hospitals manage distribution of vaccine to health care workers; ambulance services for EMS)
As more vaccine available, it will be administered beyond priority groups
Federal govt will purchase vaccine, supplies to administer it and distribute to states
Vaccination is voluntary
Vaccine is free but some providers may charge an administration fee
Seasonal flu vaccine should be given as soon as available to appropriate target groups; SD reported 525 hospitalizations for seasonal flu last year and 4 deaths