Vol. 11   No. 2  P.O. Box 100547, Florence, SC  29502   (843) 661-1828
October 2015 E-Newsletter
Poverty Graduate Course Begins in January:

EDUC 599 - "Teaching and Assessing in High Poverty Schools"
  • Open to anyone who has completed EDUC 555 or permission of the Graduate School.
  • Start Date:  January 11, 2016.
  • End Date:   June 30, 2016.
  • Grades Posted:  End of Summer I, 2016.
  • Class Format:  This course will include Face-to-Face and Distance Sessions
    • Distance Sessions:  Asynchronous--complete independently within a window of time.
    • Face-to-Face Sessions:
      • January 25, 2016 and March 21, 2016 
                        SC Archives Building in Columbia, SC (Tentative)
      • June 22, 2016 and June 23, 2016
                        Francis Marion University, Florence, SC
  • Registration:
    • Tuition:  $800
    • Ensure you have a current Graduate Application Form on file or complete the Graduate Application Form
    • Submit Application or written request to enroll along with payment (checks made payable to:  PDEC) and mail to the Center of Excellence, 4822 E. Palmetto Street, Florence, SC 29506 (Founders Hall 220A)
  • The 35 available seats will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
  • NOTE:  This course requires field assignments in a school environment that serves children of poverty. You must have extended opportunities for field work in schools in order to complete course assignments.
Questions?  Call the Center at 843.661.1828 or email coe@fmarion.edu 


 
October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month  



Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior, in which one may seek to verbally, physically, or socially harm another person. Bullying can have a lasting effect on both the victim and the aggressive one. For teac hers it is important to know the signs of bullying so that they can detect when o ne is being effected. It is also especially important for parents to take control before it is progressed out of their control. Here's a helpful infographic from the National Crime Prevention Council that can help us better understand and help prevent bullying.
 


Activities and ideas that can encourage kindness and bullying prevention in your classroom:


Be a Bucket Filling Class
  
If you don't have Carol McCloud's book already, go get it! It's called "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" It will help you teach your students about the importance of positive behavior and kind expression towards one another.

To learn more about how to be a "Bucket Filling" Class:
Click Here

 
 
                        
Take the Kindness Challenge
 
Challenge not only your students but yourself to a month of kindness that will turn into a lifetime of kindness. Try to do at least one good act out of kindness each day of this month and have your students record their kindness in a book or on a poster board and have several share at the end of each week. If a month seems too long, start with a week because kindness will carry on.

For a kindness check list of ideas and some more information visit:  

Life Skills Program for Middle and High Students  
       

With the Anti-Bullying Handbook, Overcoming Obstacles offers easy to implement lessons that will help you create a positive classroom and teach your students how to identify bullying, help victims, and deal with violence.

Click here to register and download the free handbook today along with other free sets of middle and high school materials.   
 
                       For more information on bullying, visit stopbullying.gov! 
School, Family, and Community Partnerships 


Research has proven that children are more successful in school when their families a nd  communities are supportive of, and involved in, the work of the schools. The National PTA has a new initiative called "Be a Learning Hero." This informative website can be shared with parents.  It will help them learn more about the new standards, how to help at home with the children's learning, how to get more information from the National PTA, and ways to help boost homework skills.
 
                   

The Center of Excellence, in partnership with the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University, uses a research based model to equip teachers with knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with families and community resources. For more information, visit the NNPS website or call the Center of Excellence. 
 
A Wealth of Resources!  

Need Resources? We have many new resources that might be just right!

Did you know you can checkout resources from the Center library that includes more than 400 books? 

Take a glance at some of our recent additions to our resource library:
Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom
     by Rick Wormeli
Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner
     by Persida Himmele
Embedding Formative Assessment: Practical Techniques for K-12 Classrooms
     by Dylan Wiliam

Want more?
The COE has hundreds of helpful articles that are free and just a click away! 
       Visit our website and discover our research article database!