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  register     December 2014
  
Winter Professional Development Catalog:  Our winter catalog is now posted on our website.  Click the image at right to check out the professional development opportunities from January to June 2015.  Printed copies will be mailed to each school after the 1st of the year. 

College in High School:  Minnesota West will be offering the following College in High School courses starting in the Spring Semester of 2015 over the SW/WC SC ITV System. Courses being offered during the normal school day hours will begin on January 12th and run through May 12th. Courses being offered include: 

MATH1105 Introduction to Probability and Statistics

ENGL2231 Classical Mythology

BUS2230 Principles of Marketing
PHIL1101 Introduction to Philosophy
HIS1112 Western Civilization II (1500 to present)

Additionally, Intro to Sociology will be offered as an Early Bird course, meeting from 7:05 to 7:55 and will run from January 27th through May 12th.

For full details: visit www.swsc.org/distancelearning or contact Kayla Westra at Minnesota West (kayla.westra@mnwest.edu or 507-372-3435). 
 
Administrative Programs & Services
This is IT2 2015:  Our Annual Technology Conference will be March 5 and 6, 2015 at the Pipestone Area Schools in Pipestone. The conference will kick-off at 4pm on Thursday, March 5 with our Pre-Conference Workshops -- and continue on Friday, March 6 with the main conference. For the past 8 years, our Technology Conference has brought local and nationally recognized education technology talent into the spotlight for all types of audiences in education including teachers and administrators alike. This year, our conference will be moving to Pipestone Area Schools to accommodate a necessary timeframe change to allow for administrators to attend both the MASA Conference and This is IT2!   

 

For full conference details, visit our conference website:

www.swsc.org/techconf2015.   

   

W-2s This Year: What a difference a day makes! You have an extra weekend to ensure that employees' W-2s are correct. Since January 31st is a Saturday, employees must receive their W-2s by Monday, February 2, 2015.

 

Mileage Rates - 2015:  The standard mileage rate for the use of a car in 2015 will increase to 57.5 cents a mile.  The rate for medical and moving purposes will decrease to 23 cents a mile.  The standard mileage rate for the use of a car when giving services to a charitable organization remains at 14 cents a mile in 2015.   
 
Educational Programs & Services
2015 Regional Math Conference:  Join us for a day about math! The SW/WC SC is excited to offer professional development for K-12 mathematics teachers.  Keynote speaker, Sue Wygant, Mathematics Specialist for MDE, will focus on conceptual and procedural understanding in mathematics.  Math educators from across our region, along with state and regional math specialists, will share their knowledge and expertise in a variety of breakout sessions.   We are proud to have the endorsement of the MN Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) for this event.  
Date/Time: January 12, 2015; 8:45am - 3pm   **Snow Date -- January 15
Location: SW/WC SC, Marshall 
Cost: $95 per participant; MSTP participants free. 
Intended Audience: K - 12 math educators and administrators

Early Childhood Alignment Work Session:  Early Childhood Education is a focus at the state and national levels. It is clearly stated in the Governor's 7 Point Plan, as well as, one of the five required World's Best Workforce goals.  SW/WC SC will host a work session for district teams to work on Early Childhood Alignment and Kindergarten Readiness.
Presenters: Laura Lamb and Cathy Mrla
Date/Time: January 26, 2015; 9am - 2:30pm   Location: SW/WC SC, Marshall
Cost: $95 per person  Note: Principals attend FREE!!! With the paid registration of a staff member, a principal may attend the workshop free of charge (but must still register). 
Intended Audience: Teams including Administration, Preschool and Kindergarten teachers, Early Childhood Educators and Daycare Providers. 

 

Creative Writing Contest submissions are due January 16. This contest is open to students in grades 3-12 for our regions schools. Please encourage students to submit an entry for $2 each in the categories of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. For more information: www.swsc.org/studentactivities    

 

 

Grantwrangler:  Are you looking for grants for your school?  Check out www.grantwrangler.com.  

Southwest Prairie Regional Center of Excellence 
There are many different activities and trainings being offered through the Regional Center of Excellence, including: Transition to Postsecondary Education and Employment Toolkit (PSST), Dropout Prevention Toolkit:  MEIRS, and Planning for Students' Success Student Learning Goals Workshop Series.

Stay up to date with RCE news and events at www.swsc.org/SWPrairieRCE.  For more information, contact Melany Wellnitz, Director, at melany.wellnitz@swsc.org.

 
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