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Welcome to Dateline!
Greetings!
Welcome to the March 2012 issue of Dateline. This informative newsletter is for all those in Contra Costa County who work in education. Please tell your fellow teachers and administrators, as well as your friends who would be interested to join our mailing list ( click here, or the link button at the left column).
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Professional Development / Opportunities
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8th Annual Young Children's Issues Forum
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This year's theme: Speak Out for Children: Educate and Advocate. The purpose of this annual presentation is to provide a forum for discussion among legislators, local officials, and the community regarding current children's issues.
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2012 Contra Costa County Single Subject and Specialty*
Teacher Job Fair
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Discover a number of Contra Costa County teaching positions that will be available in the next school year. Along with the CCCOE, representatives from seven county school districts will be recruiting for open positions for Single Subject and Specialty* Teachers (*Special Education, Math, Science, and Bilingual). Some interviews will be held on site.
Date and location: March 24, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon; Pittsburg High School (gym), Pittsburg
For info: Call (925) 942-3387 or visit the Job Fair's website: you can also download the Job Fair's poster, to distribute and post
Fee: Free
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Best Practices in Teaching Leadership BTSA Saturday Seminar Series
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This seminar series provides a broad range of opportunities for professional educators to learn research-based techniques and strategies from local and national professionals. Keynote and breakout sessions cover a variety of topics and grade levels, and provide practical and purposeful tools for both general and special educators to improve teaching practices. Networking opportunities with educators from other schools and districts are another key benefit. The program meets BTSA Induction professional development requirement. Graduate academic credit or continuing education units may also be earned.
Dates and location: March 24 and May 5; Saint Mary's College, Moraga
For info: Contact Lydia Wiley at (925)-631-8124, or visit their website
Fee: $60 for individual sessions
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Upcoming Events / Field Trips |
Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair
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The 2012 Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair welcomes all to attend and view numerous projects submitted this year by county middle- and high-school students. Attendees can observe the presentations and experiments up close, as well as talk to the students who entered them.
Date and location: March 17; 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Los Medanos College, (Science Building), Pittsburg
For info: Contact Liz Ritchie at (925) 684-4995 or visit the Science & Engineering Fair's website
Fee: Free
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Call for Judges: County Science & Engineering Fair
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The organizers of the Contra Costa County Science and Engineering Fair are looking for volunteer judges. There are more than 250 projects entered in the categories of biological, behavioral, environmental, engineering, math and computer science, and physics/astronomy. Judges will view and score the projects, and then interview and score the young student scientists.
Date and location: March 16; 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Los Medanos College, (Science Building), Pittsburg
For info: Contact Liz Ritchie at (925) 684-4995 or visit the Science & Engineering Fair's judging Web page
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Transitional Kindergarten Curriculum Publishers' Open House
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The CCCOE is offering a wonderful opportunity for teachers, curriculum directors, and other education administrators to examine transitional kindergarten materials from various publishers at their upcoming open house.
Date and location: March 13; 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; CCCOE, Pleasant Hill
For info: Contact Laura Griffin at (925) 942-5358
Fee: Free
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Law School Mock Trial Looking for High School Jurors
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U.C. Berkeley School of Law's criminal practice instructors are looking for high school students (16-18) to volunteer as jurors for a full-day mock murder trial. Produced by the Contra Costa County Public Defender Robin Lipetzky, this is a tremendous opportunity for students who are on their school's Mock Trial team or just interested in the criminal justice system.
Date and location: April 21, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Bray Courthouse, Martinez
For info: Contact Robin Lipetzky, at (925) 335-8035
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Special Olympics
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Special Olympics offers numerous organized athletic activities for students with special needs. A program is now being offered through a partnership between Special Olympics Northern California and Contra Costa County Office of Education. As a result of this program, there will be opportunities for special education teachers and their students to be able to participate in several different sports activities during the school year. This partnership allows the entire program to be offered at no expense to the students, teachers, or participating schools.
For info: Contact Sherri Roberti at (925) 837-6007, ext. 128
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Supervisor Glover's Contra Costa County Youth Summit
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Each year, the Youth Summit unites sixth- through twelfth-grade youth with local dignitaries, youth mentors, and community leaders for a day of career preparedness, self-awareness, and entertainment. The annual event is a community effort to build healthy attributes such as self-esteem, honesty, and integrity. Their goal is to assist our students in constructing the foundation they need to succeed by equipping them with assets that will enhance their personal and social standards. The interactive workshops provided at the Summit will increase life skills, assist with career development, and provide a venue for healthy and appropriate activities that reduce the risk of undesirable behavior.
Date and Location: March 31, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Los Medanos College
Fee: Free
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The 2012 Doug Prouty Classroom Grant Program
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East Bay Computer Using Educators (EBCUE) is proud to announce the 2012 Doug Prouty Classroom Grant Program. Doug Prouty was an active member of EBCUE, CUE, and a believer that technology could be a source of motivation, excitement, and engagement in the classroom. In that spirit, the Doug Prouty Classroom Grant Program seeks to fund K-12 classroom teachers who want to implement creative, innovative, and student-centered uses of technology that support student achievement in the core curriculum-English/language arts, math, history/social science, and science. The grant seeks to fund specific, curriculum-based activities/projects that a classroom teacher wishes to implement in his/her classroom. To receive a $1,500 grant, you must be an EBCUE member.
For info: To learn more about this grant opportunity, visit their website
Deadline: March 10
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The Warren W. Eukel Teacher Trust Fund
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The Warren W. Eukel Teacher Trust Fund annually distributes three separate $10,000 grants to outstanding teachers. The Trust will select nominees who exhibit extraordinary commitment of personal time and energy on behalf of their students. Teachers can self-nominate, or be nominated by an administrator, colleague, or student. The award may be used in any manner the recipient wishes.
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The Synopsys Outreach Foundation Grants
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The non-profit Synopsys Outreach Foundation is awarding 10 grants to California K-8 teachers in the amount of $2,000 each to help them undertake class or school-wide projects intended to have a positive and measurable impact on the environment.
For info: visit their website for details
Deadline: April 16
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Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS)
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All across Contra Costa County, IRS certified volunteer tax preparers help individuals and families claim their maximum tax refund through two programs: the EKS Contra Costa Campaign and AARP's Tax-Aide -- and it's absolutely free. You may also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which could mean a refund of up to $5,751. EKS Contra Costa serves individuals and families who earned less than $50,000 in 2011; Tax-Aide serves low and moderate income taxpayers of any age (income limit not specified) with special attention to seniors 60-plus.
For info: Dial 2-1-1 or visit their website
Fee: Free
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A New East County CalSTRS Member Service Center
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The CalSTRS Member Service Center is happy to announce that in order to better serve our educators who live and work in the East Bay, CalSTRS has opened a satellite counseling site in Brentwood. They will be offering both individual and group counseling sessions. (CalSTRS counseling appointments will also continue to be offered at the Contra Costa County Office of Education, Pleasant Hill.)
Dates and location: Tuesdays; at the Joseph A. Ovick School, 120 Middlefield Ct., Brentwood.
For info: CalSTRS Appointments (for either locations) may be scheduled online or by calling (800) 228-5453
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3rd Annual First Amendment Cartoon Contest
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Join the Judiciary of California and Constitutional Rights Foundation in celebrating the Bill of Rights with the Third Annual First Amendment Cartoon Contest. The contest is open to K-12 students nationwide. Six winners will each receive a $50 gift certificate. In addition, up to five entries will receive honorable mentions. Winners and honorable mentions will be announced on Law Day, May 1, 2012.
For info: Visit their website and/or download the contest flyer
Deadline: March 18
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Google Science Fair
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The Google Science Fair (GSF) is a global competition that any student, aged 13-18, from around the world is eligible to enter. Students can enter as individuals or as teams of up to three, submission will be made online. The competition will culminate in a "once in a lifetime" celebratory event at Google headquarters, in California, in July 2012, where finalists will compete for internships, scholarships, and prizes in front of a panel of celebrity scientist judges including Nobel Laureates, tech visionaries, and household names.
For info: To sign up for fun and free resource kits for your classroom or school, visit their website
Deadline: April 1
Fee: Free
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Fight the Bite Poster Contest
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Through this national contest, students, grades 5-6, across the country are encouraged to help others learn ways to protect against tick and mosquito bites and the diseases they can transmit. State-contest-winning students, one from each grade, will earn a $50 prize, and will then be eligible for the national grand prize of $1,000.
For info: Contact contest administrator at (800) 789-3300 or visit the event's website
Deadline: April 18
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Visuals and Voices Contest
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KidsGardening.com
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KidsGardening.com is a website that has plenty ideas about plants and gardens, teacher resources, and grant opportunities.
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Published by the Contra Costa County Office of Education Communications Office77 Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill, California 94523Joseph A. Ovick, Ed.D., Superintendent of SchoolsEditor: Peggy Marshburn; Writer/Layout: Jonathan Lance, (925) 942-3429;Diane Morrell, Designer; June Stephens, Web Developer Dateline is distributed during the school year to all public schools in the county by the Communications Office. Information must be received by the first of the preceding month. Publication does not signify the Contra Costa County Office of Education endorses the event or program mentioned. Sincerely,
Jonathan Lance CCCOE
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