Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/131602
Three WEA Members Receive Fund for Teachers® Grants Three Wyoming Education Association members will prepare for a summer of experiential learning through their self-designed summer fellowships to improve their practice and inspire their students. Each year, the national nonprofit Fund for Teachers® (http://www. fundforteachers.org/) asks educators across the country how they can grow as professionals. Fund for Teachers® announced $2 million in grants so 534 teachers can turn their ideas into action. A total of seven of those awarded teach in Wyoming. Theresa Decker and Amy Aguirre who teach at Glenn Livingston Elementary School in Cody are attending the Singapore Math Strategies National Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Decker and Aguirre plan to gain more confidence in teaching math standards, with a focus on our state-adopted Common Core standards. WEA Members Help Across Local She is very excited about this trip and cannot wait to see the impact that a month in Peru this summer will have on her Spanish classroom, her teaching, and her students next school year. She will be spending a month immersing herself in Peruvian culture while improving her own Spanish skills, learning about history, current society, and so much more. She intends to visit two Peruvian schools and create connections and contacts for a future "languageexchange partnership," as well as visit several museums of history and archeology. Through an online application to Fund for Teachers®, preK-12 teachers representing 350 schools in 200 districts proposed their ideas for relevant professional development – anything, anywhere. Throughout March, hundreds of volunteers from corporate, philanthropic, academic and civic sectors convened to review the proposals and select the winners. The reason they wrote the grant In mid-April, teachers across the is because of the rigor of the new country raced home from school to Common Core Standards. Decker and check mailboxes for their "golden Aguirre said teachers in their building ticket." were really struggling with where to begin when teaching the standards. "We know teachers need to be welltrained with the content in order for students to get the instruction to truly understand the concepts at their Goshen County Education Association developmental level," Theresa and Amy agreed. Because of the grants, Amy and Theresa are so excited to be able to bring the information back to their district next fall. Helping to Remember Sandy Hook Tracie Kirven, who teaches at Buffalo High School in Buffalo, will attend intensive Spanish language classes in Cusco, Peru, while exploring the surrounding geography and history associated with the Incan civilization. Tracie wants to establish an inter-school language-exchange partnership in order to expand students' frame of reference. "I am so grateful to the Ellbogen Foundation, Fund for Teachers®, and, of course, Raymond Plank, founder of the Fund for Teachers® organization, for creating such an incredible opportunity for Wyoming teachers," Kirven said. Now through May 13 Memorial and Scholarship Fund will help support the college costs for any siblings of the victims, the dependents of the adults who also lost their lives, and the creation of a bronze sculpture memorializing the heroism and sacrifice that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Donations can be made at: Pinnacle Bank or at any Goshen County School Please make checks payable to Goshen County Education Association (GCEA) Put Sandy Hook Fund in the Memo Let WEA know about 18 SUMMER 2013 Summer 2013.indd 18 | WEAnews Every year, Hot Springs County High School (HSCHS) holds a banquet and ceremony to induct a group of students into the International Thespian Society. HSCHS teacher and WEA member Eric Kay asked Cheyenne Davis Elementary teacher and fellow WEA member Jenefer Pasqua to be the keynote speaker because of her successes both in and outside of theater arts. Pasqua is a former English and drama student of Kay at HSCHS in Thermopolis, WY. Kay says Pasqua did very well while she was his student, going to Nationals in Speech and Debate. She was also in several theater productions in high school and qualified for Drama Nationals. Pasqua went on to college and participated in theater there as well. Pasqua and Kay crossed paths again several years ago when Pasqua and her husband began adjudicating at state drama competitions. Pasqua agreed to be Kay's keynote speaker because she says Kay made a huge impact on her life. Goshen County EA Hel The Goshen County Education Associatio by the events at Sandy Hook Elementary they decided to do their own community donations was sent home with students th GCEA set up donation boxes in the comm bank account to accept contributions. Th council also held coin drives. The entire c fundraiser, which included radio public s newspaper advertisements. GCEA partne Education Association, who established a that the fundraising dollars will benefit sib as well as other victims of the shooting ra With the Goshen County fundraiser runn was able to raise $300. great things Contact Coleen Haines – c 5/17/13 11:45 AM