Literacy Night at Bancroft

In celebration of I Love to Read Month, Bancroft Elementary School, the CEEE and East Side Community Schools partnered to host Family Literacy Night. The goal of the program was two-fold: 1) to promote the importance of literacy in achieving success in school and securing a promising future and 2) to engage family members in their children's literacy development. Neysa Smith, Instructional Coach at Bancroft, guided the participating families in adopting the behaviors and attitudes that encourage and support a culture of reading and learning in their children. Her presentation was based on the Scholastic Read and Rise Handbook, a copy of which was distributed to each participating family.

Ms. Smith modeled reading strategies in a read-aloud session, using the book No Mirrors in My Nana's House, written by Ysaya M. Barnwell. After parents and students described some of their favorite books and memorable characters, they practiced the reading strategies, using books focused on personal finance skills. Many thanks to TD Bank for their generous contribution of grade-level books for the children.

To engage parents in how best to support literacy development at home, the parents received information about how reading skills are assessed in school. At the end of the evening, students and parents signed a pledge committing them to read and establish a supportive reading environment at home.

Topical Seminar Series: Issues of International Trade

This spring, secondary teachers (grades 6-12) throughout Delaware have been participating in a series of topical seminars designed to provide them with the knowledge and tools to enhance their students' understanding of key economic concepts such as international trade and globalization. The goal of the seminars is to assist teachers in integrating current economic issues into the core curriculum and examining them from an historical perspective. The seminars are being held at the Duncan Center in Dover.

In the first seminar which compared the causes and effects of the Great Depression and the Great Recession of 2007, Professor James Butkiewicz, Chair of the Economics Department at the University of Delaware, examined the negative impact of tariffs on domestic and global economic activity. As an example, he cited the role of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff in exacerbating the economic crisis of the 1930s.

Jonathan Russ, a professor in the History Department at the University of Delaware, addressed the issue of globalization as he discussed the objectives of companies that construct and operate production facilities outside the United States. He provided insights from his research and his book entitled Global Motivations: Honda, Toyota and the Drive Toward American Manufacturing.  

Professor Carlos Asarta, Director of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship, will conduct the third and final seminar of the series on April 16th. Focusing on the benefits of international trade and the consequences of restricting trade by imposing barriers, Dr. Asarta will demonstrate classroom activities that provide concrete examples of the principles to be discussed.