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Showing posts with label meetings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meetings. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

MRVED Update - January 11, 2023

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings


Monday, January 16th - MELT @ LqPV
Tuesday, January 17th - Community Education Directors
Wednesday, January 25th - Superintendents' Council
Thursday, February 2nd - Teachers' Advisory Council
Friday, February 3rd - Principals' Advisory Council
Friday, February 10th - Title III Teachers

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all of you from all of us at the MRVED. We hope that 2023 will be a great year for you and your students. We know it's been a slow start for many of you with snow days. Our hope is that Mother Nature has purged the snow from her system and we will have an uninterrupted rest of the school year.

MELT Information

The MELT conference is once again knocking on our doorstep!  

The MELT (MRVED Educators Learning Together) is only days away. MELT is held at Lac qui Parle Valley High School. The conference has over 600 individuals registered with around 100 sessions throughout the day!

Please look over these important points regarding the conference:

  • First and Foremost, the WEATHER POLICY: If the weather is inclement, any cancellation or delay relating to the MELT will be posted by 6:00 am on the WCCO website under ‘School Closings’. We will be listed under MRVED (just the initials). This will also be posted on WCCO’s TV channel (CBS). It will also be listed on our MRVED website at http://www.mrved.com under “Latest News”.
  • Enter through Door #5 (follow the walkway to the left of the eagle statue). The door has the number “5” on it.
  • Be sure to stop by the registration table in the commons area to pick up your registration packet (personalized agenda with session selections, room numbers, clock hours, and lunch ticket, if applicable). We have over 600 people picking up packets, so if you would say your name when it is your turn or simply find your own registration, it will go that much faster.
  • Breakfast will be available when you arrive, compliments of your administration. Breakfast will be available until 8:40 a.m.
  • The first session will start promptly at 8:40 a.m.
  • Please DO NOT switch sessions as the sessions become overcrowded and there will not be enough seating for everyone.
  • Coats - The bleachers will be down in the gym for you to leave your coat. Please pick up your coat after lunch and bring it with you to your last session as the janitorial staff will begin cleaning up.
  • Dress in layers. The commons area (morning refreshments and lunch) could be cool because the main doors are there and people are always coming and going. In addition, some of the rooms could be warm or cool depending on the number of people in the session.
  • Coffee and hot water for tea/hot chocolate (you must bring your own tea bags and/or hot chocolate packets) will be available all morning in the commons area.
  • Lunch - There will be 2 lines so that lunch can be served in a timely fashion. Both lines will form around the outer edges of the commons area, NOT down the middle. You MUST have your lunch ticket to go through the line. If you have misplaced it, see Katie Raymo at the registration table.
  • If you are not eating the meal provided by LqPV, we suggest you bring a bag lunch. Per Minnesota Department of Health regulations, bag lunches CAN NOT be stored in the school’s cooler/refrigerator. Food CAN NOT be heated up in the school’s kitchen either. You may either carry your lunch with you or leave it in the gym with your jacket. The school is out in the country and nearby towns are not close enough to allow you to drive there, eat a relaxing lunch, and return in time for the afternoon session which begins promptly at 1:00 p.m.
  • Please be aware that there is poor cell phone reception inside of LqPV school.
  • An electronic evaluation will be sent out on Tuesday, January 17th. Please complete it as soon as possible. We listen to your suggestions and feedback.
  • If you are attending a networking session during the day, remember there is no “expert” presenting at these sessions. This is a time for you to bring items (websites, lessons, apps, projects, etc.) to share with others. The facilitators in these sessions are simply to provide guidance and order to the session.
  • There will be rooms available for nursing moms. Check with Pam Weber, in the high school principal’s office, for availability.
  • Here are the session times in case you are not arriving right away in the morning.

            o Session 1: 8:40-9:40 a.m.

            o Session 2: 9:55-10:55 a.m.

            o Session 3: 11:10-12:10 p.m.

            o Session 4: 1:00-2:00 p.m.

  • There will be students located throughout the building to assist you in getting around the building.
  • The students will be selling pop and candy in the hallways for your convenience.
  • There will be press at the conference taking photographs or video. Presenters may be taking photographs or videos as well.
  • We ask for your patience and understanding in the case that a presenter(s) becomes ill at the last minute.
We are looking forward to a great MELT!

#WeAreMRVED

MRVED Meeting Updates - Weather Woes

The Teachers Advisory Council (TAC) and Principal Advisory Council were set to meet in December. However, due to school being cancelled in all the MRVED districts on those days, these meeting were not held. The TAC meeting was rescheduled to January 11th. The group will be discussing and devising a plan for the April MRVED common in-service day. The principal meeting was not rescheduled. The Superintendents met briefly during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting, but the meeting was cut short due to many schools releasing early due to snow and wind. We are crossing our fingers that all our snow days are behind us and it's sunny and 75 very soon!

MN ELA and Math Standards Update

ELA

Rulemaking Public Comment Period for Proposed K–12 Academic Standards in ELA

The public comment period for ELA’s Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR) in the statutory rulemaking process started on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and will run for 30 days, closing on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 4:30 p.m. To provide feedback on the standards as a part of the statutory rulemaking process during this period of Dual Notice, review the Request for Comments document posted on the MDE rulemaking webpage for the proposed Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts. Comments must be submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearings’ e-comments system.

Next Steps in the Statutory Rulemaking Process

The next step of the statutory rulemaking process is that MDE will review the public comments submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) during the 30-day statutory public comment period. If there are 25 requests for a hearing to discuss the K–12 Academic Standards in ELA, a public hearing will be held Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Math

Rulemaking Public Comment Period for Proposed K–12 Academic Standards in Mathematics

The initial public comment period in the statutory rulemaking process began on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and will run for 60 days, closing on Monday, Feb. 27, at 4:30 p.m. To provide feedback on the standards as a part of the statutory rulemaking process review the Request for Comments document posted on the MDE rulemaking webpage for the proposed K–12 Academic Standards in Mathematics. Comments must be submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearings’ e-comments system.

Additional Public Comment Period for Mathematics Benchmarks

The public comment period on the supporting benchmarks will last 30 days and will close on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 4:30 p.m. To provide feedback on the benchmarks as a part of MDE’s public comment process, complete this Public Comment Survey or email mde.academic-standards@state.mn.us. Comments sent via postal mail will also be accepted.

Next Steps in the Statutory Rulemaking Process

It is still early in the statutory rulemaking phase of the standards review and revision process. There are multiple opportunities throughout this phase for the public to make comments and provide feedback on the proposed standards language and for changes to be considered and made to the initial proposed standards draft. Learn more about the K–12 Academic Standards Development Process.

The next step of the statutory rulemaking process is that MDE will review the public comments submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) during the 60-day statutory public comment period. Next, MDE will draft the Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR), which has traditionally taken 14-17 months. The full statutory rulemaking process can take up to 24 months.

The statutory rulemaking process for the Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Mathematics is not complete until the Notice of Adoption is published in the State Register. Each content areas includes an implementation date in the adopted rule language. If adopted, the proposed K–12 Academic Standards in Mathematics will be implemented in the 2027-28 school year.


Resource of the Month

Minnesota Questions Tool

The Minnesota Questions Tool (MQT) provides access to the released questions from past MCAs (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) in math and reading across all grade levels. The MQT includes released items for Science MCA IV in grades 5, 8, and HS.

Users can search questions by standard, benchmark, and grade; read rationales for correct/incorrect answers; review student performance data; and download questions for use in planning classroom assessments and instruction.

  • The questions in the MQT are provided as examples of questions that probe students’ knowledge and skills of a specific content area in different ways
  • a way to see how our students have performed on the question

In order to maintain test security and ensure validity of results, a certain number of questions must be kept secure and are not released for public use. The released questions in this tool do not represent a complete assessment that meets the blueprint outlined in the test specifications, including the range of cognitive skills assessed and difficulty level. These questions are not intended to be used as practice tests for future MCA assessments. Rather, they are intended to support educators in understanding how the academic standards are assessed on the MCA, to help identify student misconceptions, and to provide examples of questions that assess student understanding at different DOK (Depth of Knowledge) levels

Interesting Read

The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2022

I found this article posted on Edutopia and compiled by Youki Terada and Stephen Merrill interesting because it covers a variety of different topics of significance to the world of education. There are studies on effective highlighting to understanding and using brain breaks in the classroom. I highly suggest glancing at the article and then digging deeper into one of the topics that interests you.







EL Resource

Language Objectives for English Learners

Teachers and administrators are familiar with content objectives, that is the specific content that will be taught in the lesson. There are also Language Objectives that can be written for the purpose of supporting Multilingual Learners (MLs, English Learners). The purpose of Language Objectives is to articulate for learners the academic language and skills they will need to fully participate and meet the grade-level content standards (Echevarria, Short, & Vogt, 2008).


Writing Language Objectives

  • Language Objectives involve one of the four domains of language, speaking, listening, reading, or writing
  • Considerations when writing Language Objectives
    • Choose key vocabulary, concept words, and other academic words
    • Think about language functions (how will students be using the language?) and language skills
    • What task or assignment will the students be completing after the lesson? What language will they need to be successful?

Objective Examples



(https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-objectives-key-effective-content-area-instruction-english-learners)

Friday, March 31, 2017

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
April 13, 2017  MRVED Common Day of Professional Development
April 19, 2017  MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
April 21, 2017  Title III Teachers
April 26, 2017  Superintendents' Council


April 13 Information
April 13 will be the final Best Practice Day with MRVED.  The workshop will be held in Montevideo and there will be over 600 educators gathering for a day of professional development.  The morning session will be held at the Fine Arts Center with Todd Whitaker, a world renowned author on education topics. You will be greeted with fresh coffee, juice and an assortment of donuts. After the Whitaker presentation, a catered meal will be offered at the Training and Community Center (TACC) which is connected to the Montevideo High School.  Busses will transport teachers to the TACC.  After lunch, the elementary Best Practice groups will meet in the high school and the secondary groups will meet at the middle school.

The menu will be pulled pork sandwiches, Asian sesame chicken salad, chips, apple wedges, assorted bars, milk and water.  The cost is $6.00.  If you choose to eat at the TACC, you will need to let your district  know.  Check with your administrator as to who in your district is handling this information.  You need to make this decision by March 31 (that's today if you are reading this on Friday).  This early cut off is so that the Montevideo food service can order and plan for the 13th.  When you pay your $6.00, you will receive your meal ticket at that time.  You will need to bring that ticket on April 13th

A more detailed agenda of the day will be sent out about a week before the event with room numbers and other pertinent information.  You will not be receiving any type of agenda when you arrive that day.  You will need to refer to this email for information about the day.  With all of the moving around on this day, there just isn't any central location to hand out agendas.

We look forward to seeing everyone that day.

Friday, December 16, 2016

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
December 21, 2016  Superintendents' Council
December 21, 2016  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)

January 6, 2017  Strategic Planning - Core Planning Team (American Legion)
January 10, 2017  Title III Paras
January 16, 2017  MELT


Happy Holidays From The MRVED




Friday, September 16, 2016

About the MRVED

About the MRVED
The Minnesota River Valley Education Districts (MRVED) is a consortium of nine (9) school districts and one Area Learning Center in southwest rural Minnesota. The following districts make up this consortium: Benson, Dawson-Boyd, Lac qui Parle Valley, Lakeview, Minneota, Montevideo, Ortonville, Renville County West, and Yellow Medicine East. The mission of the MRVED is to effectively and efficiently assist the member districts in meeting the goals they have set for themselves, their students, and their staff. The MRVED strives to positively impact student learning and works to be on the cutting edge of school improvement efforts.
The MRVED employs four people:
  • Karen Jacobson - Director
  • Brandon Raymo - Assistant Director
  • Mary Brown - Administrative Assistant
  • Pam Bruns - Administrative Assistant


If you ever need any help on any of the items on the services chart, please let one of us know.  If there is something not on the services chart and you are wondering if we can help you, please contact one of us to ask.  If we cannot help you, many times we can direct you in the right direction.

Upcoming Meetings:
September 20, 2016 - Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
September 21, 2016 - MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
September 23, 2016 - Title I Teachers
September 28, 2016 - Superintendents' Council

October 7, 2016 - Title III Paraprofessionals
October 19, 2016 - MRVED Common Day for Best Practice meetings
October 26, 2016 - Superintendents' Council

October 28, 2016 - Principals' Council

Friday, January 22, 2016

MRVED Business

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
January 27, 2016  Superintendents' Council

February 3, 2016  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
February 5, 2016  Title III Teachers
February 17, 2016  Community Ed
February 19, 2016  Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start)
February 22, 2016  Science Best Practices
February 23, 2016  Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
February 24, 2016  Superintendents' Council

Friday, May 8, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
May 11, 2015  TAC/Principals (11:30 a.m. start)
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

June 10, 2015  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
June 24, 2015  Superintendents'  Council


Then and Than
By: Jeff Haden, Business Careers & Workplace, 39 Commonly Misused Words and How to Use Them Correctly.

Then refers in some way to time.  "Let's close this deal, and then we'll celebrate!"   Since the celebration comes after the sale, then is correct.

Then is also often used with if.  Think in terms of if-then statements:  "If we don't get to the office on time, then we won't be able to close the deal today."


Than involves a comparison.  "Landing Customer A will result in higher revenue than landing Customer B," or "Our sales team is more committed to building customer relationships than the competition is."

Friday, May 1, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

May 8, 2015  Community Ed
May 11, 2015  TAC/Principals (11:30 a.m. start)
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

June 10, 2015  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
June 24, 2015   Superintendent's Council



Friday, April 24, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
May 8, 2015  Community Ed
May 11, 2015  Principals/TAC combined meeting (11:30 a.m. start time)
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

June 10, 2015  MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
June 24, 2015  Superintendents' Council

Communication Tip


Read and Respond to the Entire Email
By Kevin Daum, Inc 500 Entrepreneur and best-selling author

I find people who only read the first line of their email incredibly frustrating. This forces their colleagues to send additional emails just to get issues addressed. Nobody saves any time this way. It just creates angst and extra work. Slow down, read the whole email, and respond to all items. When sending emails, keep them short and to the point or you deserve to be ignored. Use numbered lists and bullet points to make your ideas clear and simple to address. If you have tons to discuss, pick up the phone.



Friday, April 17, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
April 22, 2015  Superintendents' Council

May 8, 2015  Community Ed
May 11, 2015  TAC/Principals combined meeting
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

Communication Briefings
People often use the word "literally" to emphasize a point:  "It is literally a jungle out there," you might say, in an effort show the direness of the situation.  But "literally" is an overused word that adds little to any sentence.  In fact, its use can be confusing when, as in the example above, it is used in combination with a metaphor:  In that case, a better word choice would be "figuratively" - although the sentence will be stronger without either word.

Friday, April 10, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

April 17, 2015  Title III Teachers
April 22, 2015  Superintendents' Council
May 8, 2015  Community Ed
May 11, 2015  Principals'  Council/TAC Combined Meeting
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

Thursday, April 2, 2015

MRVED Business

Happy Easter
The MRVED would like to wish you and your family a Happy Easter.  Whether you are spending time with family, doing outside chores, or relaxing, enjoy the weekend ahead.



Upcoming Meetings
April 8, 2015  MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
April 10, 2015  Community Ed
April 17, 2015  Title III Teachers
April 22, 2015  Superintendents' Council

May 8, 2015  Community Ed
May 11, 2015  Principals' Council/TAC Combined Meeting (NEW DATE)
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

Grey vs. Gray
Have you ever wondered why you see gray spelled two different ways.  "Grey" is the preferred spelling in British English; while "gray" is more common in American English.

Remember the difference by associating the a in gray with America and the e in grey with England. 
(By Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl)


Friday, March 27, 2015

MRVED Business

FACS Meeting
The Family and Consumer Science teachers gathered for their annual best practice meeting on Tuesday, March 24.  The group had the opportunity to tour CashWise Foods in Willmar and learn about the grocery business.  After the grocery store tour the group ate and shared ideas.  In the afternoon the group toured Mr. B's Chocolates in Willmar.  Overall it was a great day and much was learned.

Upcoming Meetings

April 8, 2015  MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
April 10, 2015  Community Ed
April 17, 2015  Title III Teachers
April 22, 2015  Superintendents' Council

May 8, 2015  Community Ed
May 11, 2015  Principals' Council/TAC Combined Meeting (NEW DATE)
May 27, 2015  Superintendents' Council

6 Ways to Be a Stronger Communicator (from Practical Business Training)
1. You don't always need to be "right." It's unrealistic to think you will never make a mistake. How you handle it says a great deal about who you are as a professional. Don't try and shift the blame or go radio silent, hoping no one will notice. Own your error, come up with a solution and apologize for the inconvenience it may have caused. This shows maturity and tells your boss you can be trusted to handle a difficult situation under pressure.
2. It's not necessary to one up your coworker. Friendly competition is healthy and challenges others to step up their pace.  Make every effort to congratulate peers on a job well done and keep the conversation focused on their success. Steer away from bringing conversations back to you and your own achievements.
3. You learn more by listening.  If someone is taking the time to offer you constructive criticism, mentor you, or give you a piece of sound business advice, take advantage of the opportunity to listen and learn. Jot down notes to review later.
4. Know-it-alls are annoying. If you are good at your job, there is no need to brag about your expert status. Your reputation will speak for itself loud and clear.
5. No one respects a gossip. Being part of the "in the know" crowd may seem exciting and fun, until you are the subject of conversation. Rest assured, if they are trash talking someone else with you, they are surely talking about you when you are gone. Avoid water cooler chit chat and aspire to be the person who can be counted on to keep their mouth shut. At the end of the day your associates will view you as a trustworthy friend and coworker.
6. Keep your language clean. Cursing in the workplace is a habit worth breaking. Even if your boss regularly uses curse words at the office, you can't go wrong by keeping a civil tongue. If tough situations bring out the profanity, find other ways to cope.

Friday, March 20, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

March 24, 2015  FACS (Willmar tours)
March 25, 2015  Superintendents' Council

April 8, 2015  MRVED Board meeting (7:00 p.m.)
April 10, 2015  Community Ed
April 17, 2015  Title III Teachers
April 22, 2015  Superintendents' Council

***April 24, 2015 TAC/Principal meeting MOVED TO MAY 11, 2015***



Friday, March 13, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

March 17, 2015  Guidance Counselors
March 19, 2015  Social Workers
March 20, 2015  Title III Paraprofessionals
March 24, 2015  FACS (Willmar)
March 25, 2015  Superintendents' Council

Communication Briefings
The word pair "bring/take" confuses many writers.  Remember these guidelines and you will be sure to choose the right word:  When you go, you take, and when you come, you bring.

Wrong:  "When we go to lunch, I will bring a copy of the report."

Right:  "When we go to lunch, I will take my copy of the report."

Right:  "When I come to the restaurant, I will bring my copy of the report."

I don't think anyone would really know if you used the wrong word, especially when speaking, but thought I would share this little tip.  It does make sense.  I'm going to take this one to heart.

Friday, March 6, 2015

MRVED Business

Business Meeting Recap
The Business teachers met at the MRVED on Thursday.  The day started with a presentation from Julie Redepenning from DEED on business trends in Southwest Minnesota.  After the presentation the group had an opportunity to digest some of the information from DEED and network.  Lunch was great as usual.  In the afternoon the group had the opportunity to meet with Gail Polejewski to talk Perkins.  The day ended with a little curriculum work.  Overall it was a great informational day.


Upcoming Meetings
March 13, 2015  Community Ed
March 17, 2015  Guidance Counselors
March 19, 2015  Social Workers
March 20, 2015  Title III Paraprofessionals
March 24, 2015  FACS (Willmar field trip)
March 25, 2015  Superintendents' Council

Communication Briefing

Home in vs. hone in.  Home in means "to direct attention toward an objective."  Hone means to "to sharpen with a hard stone."  Note:  If you have trouble remembering which is correct, think of a homing pigeon who is flying toward a specific place or said another way, toward an objective.

Friday, February 27, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

March 2, 2015 - Agriculture - CANCELLED
March 3, 2015 - Industrial Technology - CANCELLED
March 5, 2015 - Business
March 13, 2015 - Community Ed
March 17, 2015 - Guidance Counselors
March 19, 2015 - Social Workers
March 20, 2015 - Title III Paraprofessionals
March 24, 2015 - FACS
March 25, 2015 - Superintendents' Council

Communication Briefings
There is some confusion over which article a or an to use with nouns and adjectives beginning with the letter H.  The rule of thumb is to use the word "a" when  the "h" sound is hard like in history or hippopotamus.  Use the word "an" before H words that begin with a vowel sound like honor.

Friday, February 20, 2015

MRVED Business

Meeting Recap
Teachers' Advisory Council
The Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC) met at the MRVED on Thursday February 19.  The morning consisted of learning more about the coaching and observation process.  The teachers had the opportunity to learn about their own personalities and how to work with people with like and different personalities.  Lunch was delicious and lots of great conversation was had.  The afternoon was spent looking over MELT evaluations and providing feedback on how to make the day better.  The group had great insight into what the MRVED can do to help make our teachers better.

Upcoming Meetings

February 25, 2015  Superintendents' Council

March 2, 2015  Agriculture
March 3, 2015  Industrial Technology
March 5, 2015  Business
March 13, 2015  Community Ed
March 17, 2015  Guidance Counselors
March 19, 2015  Social Workers

Thursday, February 12, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
February 19, 2015  Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
February 20, 2015  Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start time)
February 25, 2015  Superintendents' Council

March 2, 2015 Agriculture
March 3, 2015  Industrial Technology
March 5, 2015  Business
March 13, 2015  Community Ed
March 17, 2015  Guidance Counselors
March 19, 2015  Social Workers

Friday, February 6, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
February 9, 2015  Title III Teachers
February 11, 2015  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
February 19, 2015  Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
February 20, 2015  Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start)
February 25, 2015  Superintendents' Council

March 2, 2015  Agriculture
March 3, 2015  Industrial Technology
March 5, 2015  Business
March 24, 2015  FACS (Willmar tours)

Friday, January 30, 2015

MRVED Business

MELT
Thank you to the 350 people that provided feedback on the MELT.  There was lots of great feedback and overall the MELT had 90% of the respondents give it a 4 or 5 on a 5 point scale.  The Superintendents have seen the feedback and the Teacher Advisory Council will be going over all the feedback and making recommendations for next year.

Upcoming Meetings
February 9 - Title III Teachers
February 11 - MRVED Board - 7 p.m.
February 19 - Teachers' Advisory Council