Winter, 2014
 
 
US Ambassador and NASA Astronaut Visits Rancho Solano Preparatory School

Ambassador Barbara Barrett recently spoke with NIPSA School, Rancho Solano's, 4th and 5th graders about her involvement in NASA and her affiliation with the Sally Ride EarthKAM and Science Program.  Through this program, the students were able to go "On a Mission" and take pictures of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS).  

 

The students studied the earth's rotation/revolution and tracked weather patterns using the EarthKAM photographs, putting to practical use their understanding of latitude and longitude.  They compared the photographs to see different biomes, climates, and also learned about the ISS and the engineering of how it works.   Ambassador Barrett shared why NASA initiated this endeavor, how the US works with 15 other countries on the ISS, and the training that is expected of Astronauts in preparation for their voyage in space.

 

Ambassador Barrett is the United States Ambassador to Finland, a trained astronaut, the Chairman of the Aerospace Corporation, and she sits on the board of Sally Ride EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students), a NASA educational outreach program that enables students, teachers, and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. 

 

"Like" Us On Facebook
Educational Attainment in the US:  2014
 
The US Census Bureau puts out statistics on academic achievement by demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, and ethnic origin.  They include detailed information on years of school completed, showing how many years of education adults have completed for each level of attainment.  A variety of historical time series tables going back to 1940 are also provided, as are graphs illustrating historical data.


 

 



Upcoming Conferences for Private School Teachers


Each year, Phillips Exeter offers the Rex A. McGuinn Conference on Shakespeare, during which 26 public, private, and parochial school teachers explore how the Bard is taught in the classroom, along with academics and performers. They discuss how to reach students with Shakespeare and form a network to communicate their ideas. Sessions are taught in the Harkness style, a form of teaching that developed at Exeter. In this type of discussion, people gather around an oval-shaped Harkness table at which they can all see each other and explore their ideas in discussion. During this five-day conference, teachers also discuss how their students can present Shakespearean works, and the class concentrates on one of the Bard's works. Attendees can stay at the campus or at a nearby hotel.  The dates this year are June 21-26, 2016 on the campus of Phillips Exeter.

 

Click here for more information on Shakespeare Conference.

 

 

 

Summercore, founded in 1982, teaches teachers about technology and teaching. They offer what they call their "unique 5-day marathon in hardware, software, and humanware."  Founders Steve Bergen and Lynne Schalman have helped train over 3,000 educators and administrators from over 550 independent schools. They concentrate on what they call "humanware," that is, how schools and teachers and students actually use technology to learn, and they emphasize the power of continual professional development for teachers. 


 

For more information on the conferences being held in March and June of 2015, click here:

 

 

 

 

   
Recent Articles That May Be Of Interest To You Or Your Staff


Topic:   






Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month and March 8 is National Woman's Day.  Edutopia has listed a number of resources for educators:

  • TeachingHistory.org's Women's History Resources: This is a one-stop shop for diving deep into Women's History Month. Here, educators will find learning resources, lesson plans, and a long list of quizzes and printables for the classroom.
     
  • EDSITEment Women's History Resources: Produced by the National Endowment for the Humanities, these resources include featured lesson plans and teaching resources that cover women in politics, the arts, and military and civilian service. The comprehensive plans highlight time required and subjects covered, and they include worksheets and links to required reading and resources.
     
  • Women's History Resources for Teachers: These resources from the Library of Congress encourage teachers and students "to put primary resources to work in the classroom." Featuring packaged lesson plans, this is a great resource. There are also wonderful audio and video resources, thorough primary source collections, and a number of timeless photo projects. You may also want to check out the Library's official Women's History Month page.
     
  • Science NetLinks Women's History Collection: This Science NetLinks collection complements this year's WHM theme well, which looks at women in STEM fields. This page features science lesson plans and teaching resources for all students of all ages. Teachers can filter results by grade level, and there is also a great list of science-specific outside links to lesson plans.
     
  • ReadWriteThink's Women's History: Here, educators will find thoughtful lesson plans, a list of links to online women's history resources, as well as after-school ideas for teaching women's history for parents. There are teacher-written lesson plans available for grades 3-12.
     
  • Zinn Education Project's Women's History Resources: These lesson plans incorporate Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," and they encourage classrooms to delve into American history by looking at our collective past through the eyes of everyday people. Instead of just highlighting iconic historical figures, these lessons look at history through the eyes of common women. (Note: access requires free registration.)
 

 

For even more Women's History Resources from Edutopia, click here.

 

  

 
NIPSA Board of Directors 2014-15

Officers
President - Kyle France, Kehoe-France School, Louisiana
Vice President, Therapeutic - Allan Blau, Ed.D., Director, Cornerstone Day School, New Jersey
Vice President Accreditation, East - Mercedes Ricon, Director, Killian Oaks Academy, Florida
Vice President Accreditation,West - Alan Mask, Director, Sunset-Mesa School, Arizona
Secretary - James McGhee II, Headmaster, Alexander Montessori Schools, Florida
Treasurer - Anita Lonstein, Ft. Lauderdale Prep School, Florida

Directors
Sabri Arac, Director Quarry Lane School, California
Eric Larson, CEO, Center Academies, Florida & Georgia
Jeri Dye Lynch, Director, Pinecrest Schools, California
Domenick Maglio, Ph.D., Director, Wider Horizons School, Florida
Karyn Murray, Director, Brookfield School, Nevada
Jeff Poole, Senior VP, Fusion Schools, California, New York, New Jersey, Texas
Jane Samuel, Admissions Director, Lakehouse Academy, Flat Rock, North Carolina
Cindy Thomas, Director, Especially for Children, Florida
Terry Young, Co-Head, Kittredge School, California

Executive Director
Teri Logan, J.D., National Office, Florida
 
Issue: 2
In This Issue
US Census Statistics on Academic Achievement
Upcoming Conferences for Private School Teachers
Recent Educational Articles
Women's History Month Resources
NIPSA Board of Directors
Join Our Mailing List
NIPSA
305.630.2557 - www.nipsa.org

Write 
Us!

Send us photos and updates of exciting new programs you are implementing in your schools for future editions of the newsletter.


Send the info to:  execdir@nipsa.org