DSEA Action!

Resources and opportunities Nominate your school for national recognition - the Green Ribbon Award The Delaware Department of Education is accepting applications from public and private K-12 schools to be a state nominee for the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools award. The federal Green Ribbon Schools recognition award, now in its third year, honors schools and districts that are exemplary in: • reducing environmental impact and costs; • improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and • providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), civic skills and green career pathways. Last year, St. Andrew's School, a private school in Middletown, was a national winner. The state also honored Red Clay Consolidated School District's Conrad Schools of Science and Richardson Park Elementary School, in partnership with the Richardson Park Learning Center. Each participating state may submit up to four nominations for the award to the U.S. Department of Education. Winning schools will be recognized at a national ceremony . State applications, available at www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/st aff/ci/content_areas/science.sht mle, are due Jan. 24, 2014. The department will announce state winners by early April. National winners will be named April 22. More information and resources are available on the official federal Green Ribbon Schools website at www2.ed.gov/programs/greenribbon-schools/index.html. Items described on this page are not always endorsed by the Association, but are provided for your information. $100,000 available for high school athletics through California Casualty's Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant Program Moody's Mega Math (M3) challenge contest open High school students are urged to enter and compete for a share of $125,000 in scholarship prizes to be awarded in the 2014 Moody's Mega Math (M3) Challenge, a prestigious applied math competition. Internetbased and free of registration and participation fees, the M3 Challenge requires participants to consider and analyze a relevant issue using mathematical modeling to come up with a practical solution. Registration closes February 28, 2014. For a complete list of rules, go to http://m3challenge.siam.org/ participate/rules/. Neither the participants nor their teachers have any idea what issue the 2014 Challenge will address. The problem remains entirely unknown to teams until they log in on the morning of their scheduled day during Challenge weekend—either March 8 or 9. A final solution paper must be submitted by 9 p.m. the same night. The M3 Challenge reminds students that mathematics is vital to solving some of our nation's most trying problems. It encourages students with varying strengths and interests to address meaningful questions and sharpen skills not routinely used in their math classes—problem solving, critical thinking, writing, and communication. Teams are assessed based on approach, methods used, and creativity displayed in math modeling. Teachers may visit http://m3 challenge.siam.org any time before February 28 to register their teams of three to five students (up to two per school). 22 Nov./Dec. 2013 DSEA ACTION! California Casualty's Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program will receive requests for grants from its $100,000 pool of funding through January 15, 2014. Grant applications received after January 15th will be considered the following year. Guidelines and application forms can be found at www.calcas athleticsgrant.com. Shrinking state education budgets, pressure on schools to focus efforts on academics, and diminishing funds for athletics inspired California Casualty CEO, Beau Brown, to establish the grant program in honor of his father – Chairman Emeritus Tom Brown, a lifelong athlete and sportsman. "Youth sports teach teamwork, discipline and that hard work pays off," Tom Brown said. "They're a valuable complement to lessons learned in school." The California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program began three years ago, with $25,000 in grants in four states. Since its inception, 154 public high schools across the nation have received over $200,000 in athletics program assistance. High schools in Seaford, Laurel and Lake Forest received these grants in 2012 and 2013. Applicants must be active employees of the public high school for which funding is sought and a current member (or referred by a member) of the state NEA affiliate. Complete details can be found at www.calcasathleticsgrant.com. Award notifications will be made by May 30, 2014. New memoir looks at insider's view of DSEA in the 1960's Chet Elder, who worked for DSEA for four years in the late 60's one of only three professional staff at the time - has written a memoir about his time here. Using experience first as a Delaware teacher in what is now the Colonial School District, then local association president, then DSEA assistant executive secretary, The Reluctant Revolution - DSEA in the 60's is an insider's look at a time before collective bargaining, before UniServ directors, when administrators were members, when DSEA presidents rotated through the three counties, and when there were 30 districts, not the 19 that we have today . Although the book was not commissioned by DSEA, nor is it endorsed by DSEA, it will be a fascinating read for many DSEA members. Elder worked at DSEA from 1964-1970 and then for the Maryland State Education Assoc. for 30 years, retiring in 2000. Elder is offering DSEA members a 25% discount, $19.60 per copy instead of $24.99, plus $3.50 shipping for a total of $23.10, compared to the original $34 including shipping. The book is self-published, so make your check payable to Chet Elder and mail your order and check to him at 400 Black Gum Drive, Bethany Beach, DE 19930. For questions, contact Elder at 302-265-8154 or by email at chetelder@ mchsi.com. For bulk orders, please call for exact postage or UPS fee. @dseafan www.dsea.org

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