Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/99010
Resources and Opportunities Grants available to help pay for pets and supplies in the classroom Pets in the Classroom grants are offered to Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade classes to support pets or aquariums for the purposes of teaching children to bond with and care for their pets respon. sibly Classroom pets stimulate learning and are wonderful resources for teachers to make learning fun in all subjects. Whether it's Math ("how much does a hamster weigh?") or Science, ("what does a snake eat?") Geography ("what part of the world do ferrets come from?") or Grammar ("what words would we use to describe a goldfish?") students will approach learning all these subjects with a new enthusiasm and interest. Other classes can even come visit your classroom pets and your students can create special presentations about the animals. Pets enrich the classroom experience. •Even kids with no exposure to animals or nature in their home environment can see, feel, touch and make connections to the wide world of animals. •Observing and caring for an animal instills a sense of responsibility and respect for life. •A pet brings increased sensitivity and awareness of the feelings and needs of others—both animals and humans. •Kids learn that all living things need more than just food and water for survival. •Students will see directly how their behavior and actions affect others. •Studies show that the presence of animals tends to lessen tension in the classroom. For more information, including the grant applications, go to www. petsintheclassroom.org/about/. The Delaware School Counselors Assoc. is currently accepting nominations for Counselor of the Year During National School Counseling Week, the Delaware School Counselors Association will announce its Delaware School Counselors of the Year, an elementary, middle school and secondary school guidance counselor. Anyone may make a nomination. You can find the very simple form at www.dsea.org/PDF/DESchool CounselorNominForm2012.pdf. The deadline for nominations is December 21. Nominated school counselors must be members of DSCA; should show a continuous commitment to service and excellence in the counseling profession; demonstrate exemplary leadership; practice the highest ethical standards; must be a full-time practicing school counselor; must have completed at least five years of service as a school counselor in a Pre-K to grade 12 setting. The nominee must hold a masters degree or equivalent in Guidance and Counseling, and be certified as a school counselor. DSCA members will then contact the nominee and advise him or her of the nomination and explain the process for him or her to submit information in support of the nomination. The nominee will be informed that it is his or her decision whether or not to proceed with the process. It is the responsibility of the nominee to gather the information and submit by the deadline. Questions? Contact Larry Fletcher, Counselor of the Year chair, at lfletcher@salesianum.org. Items described on this page are not always endorsed by the Association, but are provided for your information. 22 Nov./Dec. 2012 DSEA ACTION! Raise funds for your classroom Our friends at Horace Mann have initiated a campaign called "Imagine a Better Classroom" to help teachers fund classroom projects. $250,000 is available across the country through DonorsChoose.org on a first-come, first-served basis. Horace Mann agents have offered their help and assistance to teachers in listing classroom projects on DonorsChoose.org and can provide a code to be used at checkout. When the code is used, Horace mann will match donations up to $200. Please contact your local agent for this assistance or contact John Brinkerhoff, John.Brinkerhoff@ horacemann. com, to find a local agent who can assist. Free things from NEA A+ WRITING RESEARCH PAPER GUIDE includes a step-by-step guide to researching and writing a paper, an information search guide, and links to online resources. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52633.htm GOOGLE SEARCH EDUCATION provides lessons, activities, posters, tips, and webinars to help teachers hone their own and their students' web search skills. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52625.htm TEACHINGHISTORY.ORG offers Civil War lesson plans, materials related to the New Deal, and new ways to incorporate technology into your teaching. teachinghistory.org BAM! BODY AND MIND provides teachers with interactive, educational, and fun activities that are linked to the national education standards for science and health. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52571.htm EXPLORING TIME is an interactive website that lets middle and high school teachers explore change over time. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52252.htm ARTTHINK offers students indepth investigation of 20th- and 21st-century art and artists by using San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's interactive programs. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52246.htm ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE houses information and pictures of all known species of animals, plants, fungi, protists, and bacteria. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52193.htm THE CENTER ON CONGRESS offers "The Impact of Congress" series that examines key legislation in our nation's history that impacts . our lives today www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 49967.htm SCIENCE AND MATH INFORMAL LEARNING EDUCATORS offers 1,000s of science and math lessons, and more, for K-12 educators. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 50637.htm AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: K-12 EDUCATION The American Psychological Association has resources to help K-12 teachers manage behavior problems, motivate students, assist struggling learners, handle stress, support gifted and talented youth, and more. www.nea.org/tools/lessons/ 52860.htm www.dsea.org