The 2015 Awards: Earth Day Poster Winners

Congratulations to the 2015  Earth Day Poster Winners

Listed below are the winners of the first Region 7 ESC Earth Day Poster Contest.  We had a great response this year, as 137 students entered the contest!  Congratulations to the following winners!

2015 Earth Day Poster Winners

Student Name	Grade	Place	District
Yasmine Comacho	K-2	1st	Nacogdoches ISD
Judith Martinez	K-2	2nd	Nacogdoches ISD
Clair Tipton	K-2	3rd	Rusk ISD
Caleigh Piles	3-5	1st	Rains ISD
Adrian Lara	3-5	2nd	Chapel Hill ISD
Andrea Ortega	3-5	3rd	Chapel Hill ISD
Daisy Hillin	6-8	1st	Tatum ISD
Caed Derrick	6-8	2nd	Troup ISD
Hayden Dillon	6-8	3rd	Troup ISD
Angelica Reid	9-12	1st	Tyler ISD
Desmon Williams	9-12	2nd	Tyler ISD
Julissa Nunez	9-12	3rd	Tyler ISD
Olivia Oliver	9-12	3rd	Tyler ISD

Check out the upcoming slide show of all of the submitted posters and the date the winners on the Region 7ESC Facebook page and website by next Friday, April 24th.  The judges had a very difficult time selecting winners because so many innovative ideas were submitted.  All of the posters were creative and exciting.  Each student will receive a certificate for participating and a little "thank you" surprise.  Be sure to encourage continued participation and if you would like to be contacted about next year's contest, visit with Sonya Burnett, whose contact information is below. For more information, contact Sonya Burnett

Special Education Specialist

Region 7 Education Service Center

1909 North Longview Street

Kilgore, Texas 75662

Phone: (903) 988-6894

Fine Arts Summit: Equal pARTners in Shaping the Future

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Join art teachers across the region as we pARTner to shape the future of our students through the arts! Discover the power of art in developing connections to real life learning experiences. Don't miss the 2015 Fine Arts Summit! Presentations include Visual arts, Music Theatre and Arts Integration!

PASS THE WORD: June 22, 2015

Session #047525

Register now for Region 7 ESC’s Fine Arts Summit! Art Teachers of East Texas support the arts and arts integration! We are “Equal Partners in Shaping the Future!”

To register: You must register for the main session, then register from the grid, selecting the Keynote and your choice of breakout sessions.

Keynote:  STEAM: What Is It? How Could It Help My Students and Me?
8:30-9:30  Lucinda Presley, Chair and Executive Director of the Washington DC-based, Innovation Collaborative

STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, THE ARTS, and Math. This movement sweeping the country offers great opportunities for arts educators and students. Learn from Lucinda Presley, Chair and Executive Director of the Washington DC-based Innovation Collaborative, what’s happening nationally, how it can benefit you and your students, and how you can participate.

The Innovation Collaborative, established in Washington, D.C., in May 2013, is one outcome of the SEAD (Sciences, Engineering, Arts, and Design) Network. TheSEAD Network is a community of advocates for the importance and value of research and creative work across the arts and sciences. It was an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and grew out of meetings co-organized by the NSF, National Endowment for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Summer Learning at the Groovy Curriculum Conference: June 10-11

Save the Date 

for Summer Learning at the 

Groovy Curriculum Conference

June 10-11, 2015

>>CLICK HERE TO Register Now!!

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Statewide Parental Involvement Conference

Now is the time, as you revise budgets for 2015-16 and complete District and Campus Improvement Plans, to begin making plans to attend the Statewide Parental Involvement Conference. 

Therefore Mark Your Calendar and check out the conference website for information about the conference, http://www.implanners.com/parents/content.php?op=page&cmsid=1 , including downloadable registration forms and available online registration. 

The 2015 Statewide Parental Involvement Conference will convene at Arlington, Texas December 10-12. 

The event will highlight:

Three inspiring keynote sessions

o Dan Clark, a master motivator and team builder

o Hanoch McCarty, Chicken Soup for the Soul author

o Andres Lara, “The Cuban Guy”

· Approximately 45 relevant and practical breakout sessions

o Legislative Updates and Compliance Requirements

o Best Practices for effective parental involvement

o Enriching Parenting Skills

o Hot Topics, such as bullying, cyber safety, and college readiness

· More than 30 exhibitors with products and services to strengthen existing family engagement programs

Ø Conference website, http://www.implanners.com/parents/content.php?op=page&cmsid=1

http://www.implanners.com/parents/pdfs/2015-Mark-Your-Calendar-English-Spanish.pdf,

TCEA Area 7 Technology Conference for East Texas

SAVE THE DATE for a loads of learning at this summer's TCEA Area 7 Technology Conference.  Check out the  website for details and information about presenting.  The conference committee is accepting session proposals, and has opened registration. 

White Oak ISD in 

White Oak, TX, 

on June 12, 2015.  

Lunch and door prizes provided.

The keynote speaker will be Dean Shareski. He is a skilled educator who will entertain and engage you. We are also happy to have Beth Still who will do a wonderful job of introducing you to excellent Google tools in the classroom.

Find out more information here: https://sites.google.com/a/tcea.org/ta7tc/
Register HERE.

For more information, contact:
Scott S. Floyd, M. Ed.
White Oak ISD Instructional Technology
http://scottsfloyd.com

Nominations Now Open for SBOE Heroes for Children Program

The State Board of Education for Texas is accepting nominations through May 29 for the 2015 Heroes for Children Award, which recognizes public school volunteers who have been strong advocates for Texas schoolchildren. 

Organizations or individuals may make nominations.

Read more.

STAAR® Reading Reveals 5th & 8th Graders Perform Well on First 2015 Administration

More than three-quarters of the state’s fifth and eighth graders successfully passed the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR^®) reading tests, according to preliminary results released today by the Texas Education Agency. The results reflect passing rates for the spring 2015 administration of STAAR in March.

Seventy-eight percent of fifth and eighth-grade students passed the STAAR reading test on their first attempt. The percentage of fifth graders passing STAAR reading on their first attempt has remained relatively stable over the past four years. In eighth grade, the percentage of students passing STAAR reading on their first attempt has seen a slight decline over the past four years.

READING	GRADE	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015
	5	77%	77%	76%	78%
	8	80%	84%	83%	78%

Under state law, Texas students in grades 5 and 8 must pass the STAAR reading test to be promoted to the next grade. Those students who did not pass these exams have the opportunity to retake the tests in mid-May and will have a third opportunity in June. State law requires students who do not pass these tests to be retained in their current grade – unless a parent appeals the retention and a local, campus-based grade placement committee unanimously agrees to promote them.

To review STAAR state-level reports for all grades, visit the Texas Education Agency website at  http://tea.texas.gov/staar/rpt/sum/.

Bullying and Safety Symposium: June 17, 2015

When students don’t feel safe, it undermines learning and healthy development. The best way to provide a safe, healthy, and peaceful learning environment is to make prevention, school safety, and school culture the highest priority. The 2015 Bullying Symposium will focus on "Taking a Closer Look". Experts will provide insight into what causes students to feel unsafe and share best practices for how you can make a positive change on your campus.  Register Today.

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For more information, contact:

Sherri Wright

Counseling Specialist

swright@esc7.net

Phone: (903) 988-6809

ILD is now AEL: Advancing Educational Leadership - July 2015 Launch

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This 3 day training supports the Professional Development Appraisal System and the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System training. This session is a total redesign rather than an update of instructional leadership principals. Content will focus on leadership experiences and provide opportunities for application. Training will include an on-line portal containing materials, resources and support documents.  For more information, contact:

Regina Davis, Ed. D

Assistant Director, Curriculum Services

Region 7 Education Service Center

rdavis@esc7.net

Phone: (903) 988-6841

A Treasure Quest: Bilingual / ELL Summer Conference, Aug. 11-12

Save the date for an experience you will really treasure: August 11-12, 2015

Bilingual / English Language Learner Summer Conference

Register Here. 

Follow this link to get more information.

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The 2015 Bilingual / English Language Learner Summer Conference will provide teachers & administrators working with cutting-edge information & strategies to help districts meet the needs of their English Language Learner. Session topics are designed to improve the educational outcome for the growing population of students.  For more information, contact:

Joseph Pino

Specialist, Federal Programs jpino@esc7.net Phone: (903) 988-6793