Summer Principal's Summit:  SW/WC SC will once again be partnering with Saint Mary's University of Winona for the Summer Principal's Summit on July 29-30. Pat Anderson will be the keynote for Day 1, presenting on meeting the needs of the under resourced learner. Day 2 will consist of breakout sessions. To register, visit www.swsc.org/workshops.

 

Junior Achievement Titan Business Simulation Training:   Teachers and economic development staff from around the region attended a Junior Achievement (JA) Titan training on April 17th at the SW/WC Service Cooperative's office in Marshall. The session was led by Jaci Siebenaler, from JA, and Mark Ulman, a veteran Titan teacher from Maple River High School.  The JA Titan program provides eight classroom sessions that teach students how to run a business.  Students learn about production, marketing, capital investments and research and development, then have a chance apply their knowledge using Titan's online computer business simulation.  The program can culminate in a school district or regional JA Titan Business Challenge.  There is no fee to participate in the JA Titan Business Challenge and there are competitive events taking place in Mankato, St. Cloud, Duluth, Brainerd, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Fargo. A regional competition is tentatively being planned for southwest and west central Minnesota during the 2014-15 school year.  Winners from regional competitions can advance to a final event that is held at the Best Buy corporate headquarters in Richfield, MN.  For more information about JA Titan go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FytZCvJhWUc  and  http://jaum.org/ja-titan/.

 

Dates for 2014-15 Student Conferences

Conference for Young Artists -- October 29

Conference for Young Writers -- January 7

(snow date January 8)

Science and Nature Conference -- May 13

Mark you calendars now!

Southwest Prairie Regional Center of Excellence

      Southwest Prairie (Marshall) and Western Lakes (Fergus Falls) Regional Centers of Excellence, in partnership with MDE, have been busy providing regional trainings on Dropout Prevention through the use of the MEIRS screening tool.  MEIRS (Minnesota Early Indicator and Response System) provides a snapshot of 6th and 9thgrade students who are at increased risk of not completing high school in four years. The tool uses research-based variables associated with dropping out of school (i.e.: attendance, behavior/discipline, multiple enrollments, and state accountability test scores).  Using this information, teams are able to develop supports and target students who may need additional assistance to stay on track for graduating.     

To date, Session 1 Implementation and Overview has been offered in Marshall, Fergus Falls, Bemidji, Staples, Rochester, Mankato, and the Twin Cities. Session 1 of the training consists of information regarding the screening process used to identify at-risk students, the process for acquiring district data, and how to use the data to identify students and match appropriate supports to their individual needs.

Session 2-4 will be offered over the course of the 2014-15 school year.  Session 2 will focus on reviewing your own district data and exploring the response system.  Session 3 will focus on initial implementation and continuous improvement.  Session 4 will be a time to reflect, sustain, and celebrate.  The scheduled training dates for Marshall include Session 2 on August 6 (full day); Session 3 will be held on November 5; Session 4 on February 11.  We hope to have your leadership team take part in this wonderful opportunity of continued partnership with our regional centers of excellence and MDE!