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Creek Valley Principal Honored
Ningen Named “Outstanding New Principal” For Region 5
with permission from Tonia Copeland of the Sidney Sun-Telegraph
with permission from Tonia Copeland of the Sidney Sun-Telegraph
Patrick Ningen, Creek Valley Principal for kindergarten through fourth grade and ninth through 12th grades, was selected the “Outstanding New Principal” for Region 5 of the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP).
Principals considered for the appointment must be from the region, a member of NSASSP and within the first five years of their administrative duties. The selection was made at the regional meeting on March 27, at WNCC in Sidney by open vote.
Ningen was nominated by other principals in Region 5, which encompasses all of Western Nebraska.
“Region 5 is basically the Panhandle including Perkins County and Grant through Ogallala and up to Valentine,” Ningen said.
There are more than 1,000 administrators in the NSASSP which is affiliated with the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, with 60 principals in Region 5.
Ningen will represent the region next year at the state level and later this year he will be considered for the Nebraska State Outstanding New Principal, along with four other principals from the state.
Youth First Technology Conference
On April 3, 2012, ESU coordinated and hosted The Youth First Technology Conference-Western Region at The Harms Advanced Technology Center in Scottsbluff. This is the fifth annual event funded entirely by The Nebraska Department of Education-Assistive Technology Partnership. Two hundred two students with disabilities of transition age (16-21), attended the day-long event representing 20 schools. Students were accompanied by 40 staff members and 3 parents to sessions throughout the day.
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Presenters for the day were: · Dan Herlihy – Connective Technology Solutions of Hoosick, NY
Stay Organized With Help from the Cloud
· Philippe Ernewein – The Denver Academy
Attention and Memory Assists in the Digital Age
· LifeLink-Nebraska Students – Electronic Portfolios & Self-Determination
· Assistive Technology Partnership Staff - Investigate, Using Devices
· Mary O’Hare & Lloya Fritz – State DD Council Project – Ready, Set, Go!
· Nina Baker – PIT Nebraska – Teaching Teens to Manage Healthcare
· Martin Perales – ESU 13 – APPS for Life
· Betsy Skelcher & Janine Barber – Scottsbluff High and ESU 13 - Cyberbullying
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Upon arrival, all participants were greeted by Lil’ Red from The University of Nebraska. The keynote speaker was Dean Gorsuch, World Champion steer wrestler from Gering. Lunch time entertainment included the Scottsbluff High School Drill Team. |
For complete conference information, and more photos, we invite you to visit the conference blog at:
VALTS Students Learning Plant Science
VALTS (Valley Alternative Learning Transitioning School) students are learning Science concepts and applying them in a real world environment as they work at the Ever Green House this quarter. For example, Mrs. Stacey Meisner is using the Junior Master Gardener High School Level curriculum to teach the students plant science. Once a week, the students journey to the Ever Green House to apply what they have been taught.
This week found the students learning about plant identification and classification. In the classroom, they were taught skills to use in identifying plants. When they came to the greenhouse, the students used their newly acquired skills with the addition of resources such as field guides, seed catalogs, Internet printouts, etc. to identify plant names. Based on their discoveries, the plants in the greenhouse will be labeled and organized so visitors can enjoy seeing a plant and knowing its name.
As the students worked through this activity, they discovered how difficult it can be to identify plants. First, they had to determine the category of the plant: monocot, dicot, succulent or conifer. From there, they had to examine leaf placement on the stem, leaf shape and structure, vein design, coloring and texture of the plant, flower type, and plant shape, just to name a few. Many plants are very similar in several of these categories which made identification a challenge at times.
The Junior Master Gardener curriculum encourages the presentation of concepts through many hands on, real world lessons that are Standards-based. It involves the students in individual, group, and community activities for each of its eight units. Service learning activities include using learned academic skills to solve a community problem and is done over-time. It cements the learning by having students apply what they have learned in the classroom.
Through Moodle, Mrs. Stacey Meisner and Lois Herbel, co-coordinator at the greenhouse, are able to coordinate the classroom and greenhouse experiences for the students. Mrs. Meisner has placed her lesson plans and activities on Moodle. Mrs. Herbel has privileges to access these lesson plans so she can develop the greenhouse experience to support them. As a result, the students experience a relevancy in their learning by using their skills in the real world.
During the orientation session at the greenhouse, students were asked to name their interests. It was during this exercise that the teachers gained insight to student needs and desires so lessons better meet the learning styles of the students. Some students are very interested in Art, construction and welding. Therefore, students will be introduced to the significance of these disciplines in the operation of a greenhouse.
Nebraska Department of Education is partially funding his project through a Learn and Serve America Grant that encourages service learning.
Lois Herbel, Co-Coordinator at the Ever Green House, contributed to this article.
