March 23, 2022 Edition
IN THIS EDITION...MT Infinite Campus User Group Registration Open | Science Summer Institute 2022 Call for Proposals | *NEW* Women's History Month Resources | SIPPS for Summer Reading | SSoM Program Updates & Save the Dates | 2 STEM Grant Opportunities | SSoM Partner Resources | Joke of the Week | Addt'l Resources | About SSoM

MONTANA USER
GROUP MEETINGS

Monday, April 5: Havre
Tuesday, April 6: Missoula
Wednesday, April 7: Laurel
Thursday, April 8: Glendive
Explore Infinite Campus during our Spring User Group and discover new nuggets of knowledge. Bring your hidden gems to discuss and network with colleagues. Lunch will be provided. Register for the location that works best for you.
Mary Anne Skinner, Your Favorite Infinite Campus Minion | maskinner@mt-schools.org
4th ANNUAL MONTANA SCIENCE SUMMER INSTITUTE
CALL FOR PROPOSALS NOW OPEN
Connect. Collaborate. Integrate.

You are invited to join us for our summer conference to share your ideas, strategies, and resources with educators from across Montana. This year, we are seeking proposals on a variety of hot topics in STEM. We are now accepting proposals for breakout and workshop sessions – see the description in the form for more details.
Conference Dates: July 25-27, 2022
Location: Montana State Univ, Bozeman
Proposals Due By: April 6, 2022
Melissa Tovaas, SSoM Director of Education Services, mtovaas@mt-schools.org
MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
This month commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the vital role women play in American history.

The foremost goal of this month is to provide education on how women helped shape the nation, and to empower children by introducing them to historical role models.

THIS WEEK'S RESOURCES

WomensHistoryMonth.gov - For Teachers
Includes selected resources for teachers from: The Library of Congress, National Archives, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Institution.

We’ve put together this great collection of our favorite Women’s History Month activities to celebrate girls and women who have changed our world for the better. This treasure-trove of resources and activities are also perfect for lessons throughout the school year!

Who are the women in your life? Are they mothers or sisters? Daughters or friends? What about the women who inspire you? Your teachers or your coaches, even actors or athletes you look up to? We celebrate them today, this month, and always. Their ambition. Their strength. Their courage. Featuring quotes from women across all generations.
Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult
as spending our lives running from it.
— Brené Brown
A Collaborative Literacy Program
SIPPS FOR
SUMMER READING
Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness,
Phonics, and Sight Words
Working on closing reading gaps from learning loss during the pandemic, or in preventing the summer slide? Contact Melissa Tovaas for more information about how schools around the country are using the SIPPS reading intervention system to accelerate reading this summer! Click here to read more.

Details coming soon on upcoming regional SIPPS training opportunities!

Melissa Tovaas, SSoM Director of Education Services, mtovaas@mt-schools.org


SSoM PROGRAM UPDATES
& RESOURCES


CRITICAL TRUCKLOAD PAPER SALE UPDATE
We are unable to secure truckload copy paper bid pricing at this time, and will continue to monitor the situation. We will notify our member school districts as soon as we have a reliable timetable and pricing.
Pick up sites: East Helena, Manhattan, Hardin (TBD), & SW MT (TBD; Anaconda?)
Contact: Tom Franta, tfranta@mt-schools.org, or Jennifer Brekke, jbrekke@mt-schools.org
  • MECC CTE Curriculum Workshop April 26 (1/2 day morning) - details coming soon
  • Science Summer Institute 2022 July 25 - 27 @ MSU-Bozeman, IN PERSON
  • Fall 2022 Common PIR Day Sept 23; location TBD, IN PERSON
  • Contact: Melissa Tovaas, mtovaas@mt-schools.org

CO-OP FOOD PROGRAM SPRING 2022 DETAILS [more info here]
DELIVERY SCHEDULE #3: 3/21 - 4/8 | #4: 4/18 - 5/6 | #5: 5/23-6/10
Contact: Jennifer Brekke, jbrekke@mt-schools.org
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
TOSHIBA AMERICA FOUNDATION
...dedicated to promoting quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the nation's K-12 schools. The Foundation provides grants through the following two initiatives:
  1. Grants for Grades K-5 of up to $1,000 are provided to teachers in public or private schools to help them bring innovative projects into their classrooms. The application deadline is October 1, annually.
  2. Grants for Grades 6-12 are provided to teachers who have an idea for making science and mathematics more fun for their students. Requests for grants of up to $5,000 may be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed quarterly. The annual application deadlines are May 1 and November 1 for large grants of $5,000+.

Visit the Foundation's website for details about each of the grant programs.
SSoM PARTNER RESOURCES & EVENTS
Collaborative Classroom's mission as a nonprofit is to help students grow as readers, writers, and thinkers while they develop the social and emotional skills necessary to thrive. They have evolved into a partner for schools and districts that is dedicated to transforming the school experience, developing students, and empowering teachers as they engage students.
VIRTUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE
TEACHING REIMAGINED: Fostering Learning, Engagement, and Joy | June 21 - 23, 2022
CLICK HERE for a detailed schedule, session descriptions, & registration.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
MT OFFICE OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

OPI Education Compass - March 2022 Edition
PROJECT WET: WATER & CLIMATE INTERACTIVE EDUCATOR TRAINING
Saturday, April 23, 9:30am - 3pm, Bozeman Fire Station 3

Understanding climate change requires a basic understanding of water. How much do you or your students understand our local water resources? Participate in this interactive workshop with hands-on activities and learn new lessons to teach about local water resources and climate change in Montana. Educator guides, renewal units, & lunch provided!
MAKING IT REAL: A MONTANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY EDUCATOR WORKSHOP Butte - March 25 | Bozeman - April 4

Interested in engaging your students in active learning while helping them understand the world around them? Concerned about students’ inability to identify misinformation? This free workshop is for you. Resources include the newly published 4th grade MT history curriculum, Montana: A History of Our Home. For more info, detailed agenda, and registration, click here.

WORLD LANGUAGE INITIATIVE (WLI) MONTANA
SUMMER WORLD LANGUAGE & CULTURE CAMPS

WHO: kids ages 5 - 17
WHAT: Spanish, French*, German, Mandarin, & Arabic*
*French & Arabic also offered online, half days, for high schoolers
WHEN: beginning June 20th, M - TH, 9am - 3pm
SPECIAL: 10% OFF early bird registration ends April 1st
All 5 Montana CSPDs offer FREE VIRTUAL PD in their regions. Click for details:
ABOUT SCHOOL SERVICES of MONTANA
SSoM is a non-profit education service agency committed to unlocking the full potential of every child in each and every school we serve across the state. We accomplish this by providing a wide variety of professional learning activities and business services designed to meet the specific needs of Montana’s excellent educators and administrators. Interested in supporting our work? Click here to make a donation, and be sure to read all about our organization on our website.