april may june 2014

April-June 2014

Our NeighborhoodAn Employee Magazine

Volume 9, Issue 4711 St. Joseph Ave.P.O. Box 364Berrien Springs, MI 49103

www.berrienresa.org

ContentsFeatures Events/Workshops

In the Know 4Health Department Announces2014 Friend of Public Health Award 5MASB Solutes RESA 6Graduating Class of 2014 8Time Goes By 10Read Around the County 12Finding Your Way Home 14Certificate of Employability 15Focusing on our Youngest Learners 16Have a Heart 17Young Entrepreneurs Day 20Science at its BEST 22

The Compass 18Berrien RESA Golf Outing 24

The views and perspectives shared in “Our Neighborhood” do not necessarily reflect those of the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency, affiliated schools, staff or board members.

ContentsResources

Cover Photo: The LEC graduating class of 2014.

Details

Make a WishEmployee Birthdays 26Upcoming Events 26

Festival of Families 7Pay Schedule 25

Berrien RESA complies with all federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination, and with all requirements and regulations of the United States Department of Education and the Michigan State Department of Education.

In the Know...Updates and Information

A Message from the Superintendent

Berrien RESA Board of Education

President Sharon Kalling Vice Pres. Cathy J. Bair Trustee J. Allene Smith Treasurer Linda Holt Secretary Tom Fanning

Thank You for Your Hard WorkThey are counting on you. Each of them. Everyday. These are the children who look to you for support, not only educationally, but often as a friend. They see you as their role models; people they hope to someday emulate. These are the children we unselfishly serve-and often-give so much of ourselves that we often sacrifice our time, sometimes our personal income and even our own health. The pressure to be an excellent educator is immense. I cannot thank each of you enough for taking on this monumental task. I can remember from my teaching days that by the end of the school year, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to muster enough energy to finish all the tasks that laid ahead of me...reports, evaluations, goal setting for the following year.

As the 2013-14 school year winds down, please know that both your Board and Administration understand that this is a time of high anxiety, high stress and high exhaustion for everyone in our organization. However, now and throughout the entire school year, we continually are impressed by your positive attitudes and your commitment to the school districts and children we serve.

Generous Donations ReceivedI just received information that Mrs. Lemon at the Juvenile Center received a WNDU education grant of $1,000 for the library and Ms. Siegel, a teacher at LEC, received two tablets from Donors.com. Congratulations!

Monitor UpdateMany of you have noticed the updated look of the Administrative Building’s monitors displaying information about room locations and meeting times. Kudos to the Technology Department for the improved features!

Did you know that you can now access the same infor-mation via Berrien RESA’s website? Simply visit www.berrienresa.org and look under the About Us tab. There is a link to “Conference Center Events” that will direct you to the same display information seen on the monitors.

Last formal issue of Our NeighborhoodRecently, you had the opportunity to complete a survey about the employee newsletter. Of those responding (72 employees), half of you felt the newsletter was an important resource for you relative to RESA information. When asked if staff members would be interested in receiving information about programs and events via a new online social media outlet called Google +, the response was also spilt.

After careful consideration and weighing the amount of time needed to produce Our Neighborhood, the Communications Office felt it was best to discontinue the publication in its current format and instead offer timely articles and photos that will be posted in an online format using Google+. Many of you already use Google+. If you are familiar with the format, please join the RESA Neighborhood Community. If you are not familiar with the program, a training video will be made available to you at the beginning of the school year.

Have a wonderful summer!

Dr. Kevin M. IversSuperintendent

The Berrien County Health Department announced last month that the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency’s Lighthouse Education Center is

the awardee of the 2014 Friend of Public Health Award. The Berrien RESA Superintendent, Dr. Kevin Ivers, along with Lighthouse Education Center Principal, Mike Marinello, teacher Nicole Verniers, and several of Lighthouse Education Center’s current students were presented with the award by the Berrien County Board of Health at a ceremony held at the Health Department offices in Benton Harbor. The Friend of Public Health Award has been given annually to honor a worthy recipient, either an individual or organization, for their outstanding contributions to the health of the community while reflecting the spirit of the Berrien County Health Department’s mission and its population based approach to health status enhancement. Dr. Duane McBride, Berrien County Board of Health Chair, said “it was the unanimous feeling and vote of the entire Board of Health that no other individual or organization in the Berrien County community was more deserving to receive this year’s Friend of Public Health Award.” Lighthouse Education Center is a special education facility designed to provide programs and related services to meet the educational requirements of students with severe emotional impairments and autism spectrum disorder. The center emphasizes positive reinforcement, personal responsibility, appropriate decision making skills,

and the development of socially acceptable behavior. For the past 14 years, a group of high school students from Lighthouse Education Center have volunteered their time each week at the Berrien County Health Department to assist staff with a variety of tasks. The student volunteers have spent nearly 4,000 cumulative hours providing all the Berrien County Health Department program areas with valuable help organizing health education materials, labeling vaccine packets and information, assembling gift bags for home visiting clients, as well as countless other administrative and organizational tasks. Mike Mortimore, Health Officer for the Berrien County Health Department, said “the Lighthouse Education Center not only saved the Health Department an incredible amount of time in helping out with these tasks, but the students continually touch all of our staff each week with their smiles, spirit of volunteerism, and positive attitudes.” He added, “we look forward to a continued partnership with the students, teachers, and administrators of Lighthouse Education Center and we are pleased to honor their service with this year’s Friend of Public Health Award.”

Health Department Announces 2014 Friend of Public Health Awardee

O.N. April - May - June 2014• 6

MASB Salutes RESABoard members honored

The Berrien RESA School Board was recently honored by the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) for their efforts to improve their leadership skills, demonstrating their commitment to student achievement and their own continuous improvement. Their achievement has earned them the Standard of Excellence Award.

Awards are earned for classes completed in MASB’s leadership training program, as well as for conference atten-dance, years of service and leadership activities.

The training and professional development helps board members to keep pace with the fast-moving and complex changes in education. Last year, more than 900 school board members statewide participated in MASB’s professional development program for elected school leaders. Collectively, school board members spent more than 6,000 hours attending board training courses in a traditional classroom setting, and another 600+ hours were completed online. These hours are above and beyond the time members spend at their local meetings, events, and reviewing policies and board packets.

“I’ve worked with school boards and public schools for more than 15 years and am always in awe of the commitment of so many members. The time they spend being servant leaders and honing their skills are second to none,” said MASB Executive Director Kathy Hayes. “Schools are under exceptional pressure to be innovative and reinvent the way they deliver education. Training equips them with the tools necessary to make the best decisions for Michigan’s school children.”

There is strong community support for board members who participate in this training. A February 2014 EPIC-MRA survey of 600 likely Michigan voters conducted on MASB’s behalf showed that 74 percent of respondents believe board member training is “essential” or “very important.” Of those 74 percent, 80 percent favor legislation to require training and professional development.

Festival of FamiliesA FREE event for Families with children

throughout Berrien CountyFREE COUNTY-WIDE SHUTTLE SERVICE AVAILABLE!!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds

Berrien Springs, Michigan

SAVE THE DATE!Today’s Purpose - Tomorrow’s Promise.

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it is the policy of the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency to prohibit discrimination on the basis of handicap against qualified handicapped persons, in admission or access to, participation in, or treatment of employment in, its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources, Berrien RESA, 711 St. Joseph Avenue, Berrien Springs, MI 49103; telephone (269) 471- 7725; fax (269) 471-2941. This event is sponsored in part by a number of local community businesses and organizations.

Berrien RESA’s Festival of Families is an opportunity for your family to learn about the resources available in the region aimed at helping your child (and family) succeed.

Information resources include: A College Fair, Community Recreation, Education (for all students), Therapy, Employment, Transition, Parenting Support, Early Childhood Resources and Financial Literacy.

For more information, visit www.berrienresa.org!

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You Can Volunteer!Please Join the RESA Team

Interested in volunteering for the 2014 Festival of Families? Simply log on to the Berrien RESA Employee section of the website (berrienresa.org)

and fill out the volunteer form. A list of committee descriptions can also be found on that page. You are also welcome to email the event’s Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Williams directly at [email protected]. Many opportunities are still available.

If you were wondering, you do not have to work the day of the event! Many responsibilities are available that allow you to provide support throughout the school year!


The Graduating Class of 2014Best of luck in your future endeavors

With great excitement and anticipation of the future, 7 students from Berrien RESA’s center-based programs and 18 students from the Berrien County Math & Science Center graduated! With cheers

from parents, teachers and friends, the graduates received certificates signalling their transition from life at school to the adult world. Many of our students will attend a post-secondary school, obtain jobs or volunteer. Best success in all that you do!

Students from the Berrien County Math & Science Center

O.N. December-March 2014• 9

LEC Graduation BLC Graduation


As Time Goes ByA salute to our long-time employees

A special congratulations and best wishes to our retirees! (From left to right): Judy Schultz, A Sandy Shunkweiller, Autumn Zick, Sue Hollis, Mike Jones and Gus Damaske.


Administration Center

5 yearKathy Hickok

10 Year Heidi CuthbertTed Hines Sue Kruck Liz OlsonMolly Pate Bud Shuler

15 YearSandy AsmusKevin Clark Vicki JuergensenLoretta LeCount Joyce Miller Shailah NowlinChar QuiriconiShelley Schmaltz

25 YearSandy HansenMike Jones Kim KnowltonPhillip Seitenstich

BlossomlandLearning Center

5 yearCheryl Leslie Larissa Morand Jason Spare

10 Year Deborah Benson Becky Boehm Tina Lawson

15 YearNancy FredricksCindy Williamson

25 YearSherri Dobbins

30 YearLarry HollisAutumn Zick

LighthouseEducation Center

5 yearVictoria Bedford Lynne Reuter Sarah Smith Lisa Yankey

10 Year Jane BarkerRhonda Fellows Kory Moore

Congratulations to our employees and thank you for your years of service and dedication to our organization.


Read Around the County: RESA’s Newest Collaborative

Books were read by costumed RESA staff members

Children up to 5 years of age along with their parents/ caregivers had the opportunity to enjoy a free literacy activity intended to develop an early love for reading. Two events were held, one in St. Joseph and one in Niles. Both events drew very large crowds!

During Read Around the County, favorite stories were read by costumed readers, including Berrien RESA’s own Wendy Mitch, Craig Blasko and Dr. Kevin M. Ivers. The activity was free, and the first 100 children at each location received a book.

Both events were coordinated by Berrien RESA Parents as Teachers program and the community libraries’ core committee: Lincoln Township Public Library of Stevensville, the New Buffalo Township Library and the Niles District Library. The partnership symbolizes the collective mission of Berrien RESA and the libraries to promote early literacy skills.

The Parents as Teachers program is a free service that is offered to families in Berrien County who are pregnant or have children under the age of three. The first three years of a child’s life are essential for laying a strong and positive foundation in all areas of their lives - education, health, behavior, and relationships.


I read through our mission statement often to remind myself of the direction I am to pursue when making decisions and determining my priorities for use of my

time. At time I play with the order of the mission statement to provide emphasis. For example, “We sup-port our school community through leadership, quality programs, and dedicated partnerships in the context of respect and compassion.” What we do is provide leadership in quality programs through dedicated partnerships. But, we go further to define the nature of how we want leadership, programs, and partnerships delivered, with respect and compassion. So what we do has to be done in a particular way for it to be considered the Berrien RESA way.

Recently, I and a group of supervisors viewed a clip by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Success, failure and the drive to keep creating.” In the clip she stresses that success can be just as disorienting as failure. We anticipate the disorientation of failure but often we are surprised by the disorientation of success. Either way she suggests that the way to “keep going” is to find your way back home or to your centering point. The place where life finds balance again and we work for the joy of work. Here is the link to take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_waBFUg_oT8

As I thought about her words I was struck by the fact that for the Berrien RESA our mission statement is home, it is the center to which we return to set direction and guide our steps. It is an excellent mission statement and it provides guidance as we move through decision and determine the steps for our future. When we become disoriented by our successes and failures it provides guid-ance to keep us on track toward leading to provide quality programs through dedicated partnerships completed with the utmost respect and compassion.

Finding Your Way HomeThe Berrien RESA Mission Statement

Guest column by Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer, Eric Hoppstock


FUTURE

TRANSITION NEWS

In Berrien County we have a dedicated group of school staff who are constantly trying to improve upon the success of students

leaving school. With the new Michigan Merit Curriculum in place, we are seeing more students struggle to receive a diploma. When these students do not receive a diploma (due to not meeting all requirements), the students struggle to have documentation of skills they have for a job. Because of this area of need, we have begun the process of making a set of guidelines that we can uniformly use within our county to show the growth and standards met for increased employment opportunities.

During the last two years we have seen the development of our county-wide “Certificate of Employability” come to life as we begin to pilot one strand in the fall. Our rubric is broken down into the following four areas, with the last being our fall pilot: General Knowledge, Daily Living, Personal/Social Skills, and Career & Employability Preparation.

Our hope and goal is that this tool will help students not receiving a diploma to have a meaningful tool to help lead to employment opportunities.

Certificate of EmployabilityA New Path to Employment

Guest column by Transition Coordinators Craig Kuhn, Sandra Asmus and Cathy Klaer


Last fall, five special education preschool teachers in three school districts committed to implementing the STAR curriculum in their classrooms as part of a pilot

project called First Five Bellwther. The goal of First Five focuses on providing technical assistance to classrooms implementing early and intensive instruction to children with significant language, play and social delays. The classrooms participating in the pilot project accessed a variety of resources such as curriculum materials, parent training, focused professional development and consultation at no cost to their districts.

The core component of First Five is the STAR curriculum. This developmental curriculum focuses on building foundational skills such as joint attention, imitation and ‘learning-to-learn’ behaviors. Once those pivotal behaviors are established in the student, more advanced language and communication skills along with play skills are directly and systematically taught. The curriculum includes not only lesson plans, data sheets and other necessary materials but also requires teachers and related staff to deliver the lessons using strategies based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Some of the strategies implemented include discrete trial instruction, pivotal response training and functional routines.

Prior to First Five, families seeking similar services could expect to wait several months for an opening in a private setting with a price tag of several thousand dollars per month. This was unattainable for most families seeking services. Fortunately, preschool students attending

Berrien RESA’s ASD classroom, Niles Northside Early Education Center’s special education classrooms and a preschool classroom at Moccasin Elementary received similar services within a classroom setting in a public school. The teachers and staff involved in the project spent countless hours above and beyond their typical duties learning new instructional strategies, structuring and restructuring their classrooms, transitioning students to lesser restrictive environments and collecting mounds of data for instructional planning.

The dedication and persistence of the staff involved in the First Five classrooms is evident in the outcomes of the students. Results after the first year of implementation were better than expected across all developmental domains. (See table below for summary.)

Looking ahead to next school year, teachers will further refine their skills and explore other components of the STAR curriculum. Additionally, parent trainings will be offered in the fall and spring to any parent interested in learning how to develop language and play skills in their child. First Five also plans to work closely with select staff wishing to supplement their instructional practices using additional strategies from the verbal behavior approach.

Focusing on our youngest learnersSpecial Education Preschool ProgramGuest column by Danea Gorbett, Berrien RESA ASD Consultant

Full Year Attendance – Level 1 & 2 Students

% Increase Part Year Attendance --Level 1 & 2 Students

% Increase

Level 1 Receptive Language 13 Level 1 Receptive Language 17Level 1 Spontaneous Language 7 Level 1 Spontaneous Language 3Level 2 Receptive Language 33 Level 2 Receptive Language 47Level 2 Expressive Language 14 Level 2 Expressive Language 11Level 2 Spontaneous Language 20 Level 2 Spontaneous Language 5


Technology use is expanding in the traditional education classrooms, and Physical Education is no different. Historically, physical education

teachers have gone through rigorous training to observe and assess gross motor skills, sport strategies, and student effort. To date, this seems to be the most effective for gross motor skills and sport strategies assessments, but student effort has been challenging. Physical education teachers struggle with knowing the difference between a student that just doesn’t want to give effort in participation for class and a student that is giving full effort and needs to lower their intensity for health safety reasons.

Heart rate (HR) monitoring has now provided a more accurate way to assess student effort in participation for physical education class. The HR monitor program allows for individual students to have their body composition data input and connected to a HR monitor they will be using during their scheduled class time. The teacher will then be able to input lesson plans and identify types of physical activities for each class lesson. This translates into daily activity goals for the students.

Daily activity goals are categories for HR levels, identified by the program, that the teacher would like them to achieve. For example, a teacher may input that for a 30 minute class, students should achieve 9 minutes of warm up/cool down and skill instruction, and 21 minutes of moderate HR effort. During class, the teacher can have settings where if a student’s HR goes above or below a target zone, it will beep to give immediate feedback. When class is finished, students will automatically have their own HR data, for the entire class, uploaded into the system. This information is then immediately ready to be sent to parents, staff, and administration for a variety of uses.

The HR data can then be stored in a common place with fitness testing data, cognitive tests, skill tests, other informal academic area tests, formal academic testing, and behavior data etc. Any or all of these categories of information can be graphed to show correlations between them. An example would be to find a correlation between attendance, behavior, and meeting target HR zones in physical education class. These correlations, if any, can be used to better assess, teach, motivate, plan, and encourage students in school.

The HR monitors provide immediate feedback for both students and teacher, as well as parents. They also help students to gain a functional understanding of the impact exercise has on their overall health for everyday life. Lighthouse Education Center is very fortunate to have received a grant through Berrien RESA to fund the initial program. LEC looks forward to implementing the program in the Fall of 2014. The support and opportunity to expand and advance the physical educationprogram is very much appreciated. It is our hope that every student in physical education will have a heart rate monitor, to help them be healthy for life.

Full Year Attendance – Level 1 & 2 Students

% Increase Part Year Attendance --Level 1 & 2 Students

% Increase

Level 1 Receptive Language 13 Level 1 Receptive Language 17Level 1 Spontaneous Language 7 Level 1 Spontaneous Language 3Level 2 Receptive Language 33 Level 2 Receptive Language 47Level 2 Expressive Language 14 Level 2 Expressive Language 11Level 2 Spontaneous Language 20 Level 2 Spontaneous Language 5

Have A Heart...Rate Monitor!Guest column by Emily F. Savickis, M.Ed., CAPE

Adapted Physical Education Teacher, Lighthouse Education Center

Learning OpportunitiesUpcoming Professional Development Sessions

THE BERRIEN RESA

COMPASSA Professional Development Catalog

For a complete menu of upcoming workshops, please visit “The Compass” on the Berrien RESA homepage!

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CANCELLATIONS: Registration fee will be refunded only if cancellation is received two working days prior to the workshop start date. You must send an e-mail cancellation notice to [email protected] containing the title of the workshop. Your reply message will be your confirmation.

To view all of Berrien RESA’s professional development opportunities, please visit www.berrienresa.org/development

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it is the policy of the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency to prohibit discrimination on the basis of handicap against qualified handicapped persons, in admission or access to, participation in, or treatment of employment in, its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources, Berrien RESA, 711 St. Joseph Avenue, Berrien Springs, MI 49103; telephone (269) 471- 7725; fax (269) 471-2941.

Please note: Participants with physical or dietary limitations or requirements are asked to notify the workshop coordinator with any specific need before the workshop/event so appropriate accommodations can be made.

Berrien RESAToday’s Purpose - Tomorrow’s Promise.

TO REGISTER, VISIT: http://www.solutionwhere.com/berrienresa/cw/showcourse.asp?240

Student Achievement Focus Area:

InstructionSchool Im

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ategory: Personnel and Professional Learning

Teaching for Learning

Subject: Instruction

Use your smart phone to scan the QR Code to register!Questions? Call Kelli Campbell, Director of General Education, at 269-471-7725 ext. 1343

Part of the 2014-2015 Berrien RESA Professional Development Series

"Whole Brain

Teaching"Presented by Author Chris Biffle

August 26th 2014 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Berrien RESA

For K-6 Administrators and Teachers Registration fee is $65Total SCECHs: 5 hours

Chris Biffle, Author of "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids" will teach participants

how to begin using the Whole Brain teaching methodologies in their classrooms. All participants will also receive a copy of

his book.

Spotlight on Assessment

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TO REGISTER, VISIT: https://www.solutionwhere.com/berrienresa/cw/showconference.asp?239



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Spotlight on AssessmentFeaturing Susan Brookhart and Thomas Guskey

Event will be held at the Berrien Springs Community Center located in the Mars Elementary building in Berrien Springs

Audience: K-12 Administrators and Teachers

Registration Fee: $165 for both days, Wednesday Only $100, Thursday Only $100

Number of Workshop Hours: 10 total or 5 hours per day

Wednesday, August 20th 2014 - Presenter: Susan Brookhart Topic: Formative Assessment

Thursday, August 21st 2014 - Presenter: Thomas Guskey Topic: Standards-Based Grading

COMPASS



In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it is the policy of the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency to prohibit dis-crimination on the basis of handicap against qualified handicapped persons, in admission or access to, participation in, or treatment of employment in, its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources, Berrien RESA, 711 St. Joseph Avenue, Berrien Springs, MI 49103; telephone (269) 471- 7725; fax (269) 471-2941.




Student A

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Use your smart phone to scan the QR Code to register!Questions? Call Heidi Cuthbert at 269-471-7725 ext 1308

Being a PowerSchool Secretary

PEARSON ALWAYS LEARNING

Offered to Building Secretaries l Berrien RESA Tech CenterPresented by Berrien RESA Staff.

August 13, 14 or 15, 2014 (3 independent sessions are being offered) 8:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.

Registration Deadline is August 1, 2014 l Registration Fee: $10

This workshop examines a typical day for a secretary using PowerSchool. The workshop will demonstrate features used on a regular basis.

The Berrien RESA Staff will share tips on how PowerSchool works best for office personnel and what to do to manage daily tasks in PowerSchool. Topics covered will include personalization, attendance, reports, daily bulletin, log entries, PowerLunch and getting data out for daily inquiries. You will

gain a better understanding of the typical secretarial tasks performed over the course of a year using PowerSchool. Mrs. Cuthbert will also share stories of how she has learned to manage tasks, what works, what didn’t work.

The conference will also provide you with count day tips, annual task suggestions and pointers for enrolling students (monthly and by term).

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BERRIEN RESA'S STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SERIES

Lunch will be provided each day from Noon to 1 p.m.

"Tools for Engagement"

Eric Jensen

Day 1: October 20th, 2014

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

at Berrien RESA

"Monitoring Engagement"

Ann Shell and Mark Fynewever

Day 2: November 18th, 2014

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

at Berrien RESA

"Student Engagement"

Spence Rogers

Day 3: March 19th, 2015

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

at Berrien RESA

Participants will learn strategies

to increase student engagement

and how to monitor the level of

engagement in their classrooms

Registration Fee:

$190 for all 3 days

Day 1 only............... $125

Day 2 only ............. $50

Day 3 only ........ $100

*select the first option for the full series (at a special rate)*

Number of workshop hours:

6 hours per day or

18 hours total

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Use your smart phone to scan the QR Code to register!

Questions? Call Kelli Campbell, Director of General Education, at

269-471-7725 ext. 1343


Berrien RESA's

Literacy Series

Presented by

Donalyn Miller, Author of "The Book Whisperer," Jeff Anderson, Author of "10 Things Every Writer

Needs to Know," and Amy Williams, Berrien RESA English Language

Arts Consultant

All sessions will be held from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Located at Berrien RESA

For K-12 Administrators and Teachers

Number of Workshop Hours: 6 hours per day or 30 hours total

Registration Fee: All 5 days................$200

Donalyn Miller ................$100

Amy Williams 1/15/15 .....$502/12/15 .....$50 3/12/15 .....$50

Jeff Anderson................$100

Day 1: November 4th, 2014 Donalyn MillerDay 2: January 15, 2015 Amy Williams

Topic: Grammar and Word StudyDay 3: February 12, 2015 Amy Williams

Topic: VocabularyDay 4: March 12, 2015 Amy Williams

Topic: ComprehensionDay 5: April 30, 2015 Jeff Anderson

Participants who register for the series will receive all 5 days of professional development as well as two books "The Book Whisperer" and "10 Things Every

Writer Needs to Know"

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Use your smart phone to scan the QR Code to register! Questions? Call Kelli Campbell, Director of General Education, at 269-471-7725 ext. 1343

PROJECT BASED LEARNING PD SERIES

For 7-12 grade teachersPresented by John McCarthy of the Buck Institute for Education

Monday August 11 - Wednesday August 13, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day with two additional days scheduled during the 2014-15 school year

The Project Based Learning Series provides attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to design, assess and manage a rigorous, relevent and standards-based project. The workshop is a balanced blend of direct instruction, video analysis, hands-on work, resource sharing, peer collaboration and feedback.

30 SCECH's

$420 per person which includes: • 3 consecutive days in August 2014 • 2 additional days during the 2014-2015 school year • PBL 101 Workbook • Lunch all 5 days

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Use your smart phone to scan the QR Code to register! Questions? Call Kelli Campbell, Director of General Education, at 269-471-7725 ext. 1343

PROJECT BASED LEARNING PD SERIES

For K-6 grade teachersPresented by John McCarthy of the Buck Institute for Education

Thursday August 14th - Saturday August 16th, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day with two additional days scheduled during the 2014-15 school year at Berrien RESA

The Project Based Learning Series provides attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to design, assess and manage a rigorous relevent, and standards-based project. The workshop is a balanced blend of direct instruction, video analysis, hands-on work, resource sharing, and peer collaboration and feedback.

30 SCECH's

$420 per person which includes: • 3 consecutive days in August 2014 • 2 additional days during the 2014-2015 school year • PBL 101 Workbook • Lunch all 5 days


A201

Submitted by Kelli Campbell, Director of General Education


On Tuesday, May 6, 2014, students from Berrien and Van Buren counties shared their entrepreneurial ideas with members

of the business community during the 9th Annual Edward Lowe Foundation Young Entrepreneurs Day. The event, which was coordinated by Berrien Regional Education Service Agency, Van Buren Intermediate School District and Lake Michigan College and was sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation, showcased student business plans through interactive sessions with experts in the business field. The event also allowed students to gain insight on how they can take their plans from the classroom to the business world.

The event is the result of the Entrepreneurship program that is offered through Career & Technical Education (CTE), a collection of 71 courses that are available to students in 12 school districts and three Lake Michigan College campuses. Thanks to a partnership with Lake Michigan College, students who participate in the entrepreneurship experience will also have the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school.

Coinciding with the business plan presentations was Portfolio Day, an opportunity for high school students to share their accomplishments with portfolio assessors. This review allowed students to practice their interview skills and highlight their academic achievements. For some students, the assessment was a requirement for graduation.

Additionally, student seminars were offered. Seminar topics include: Building Your Resume, Creating Online; Dining Etiquette; Team Building; Tips, Tricks and a Taxi Ride to Successful Resume Writing; and the Full College Experience.

2014 Edward LoweYoung Entrepreneurs Day EventBusiness Plans and Portfolios Reviewed


Science at its BEST2014 Best Early Research Symposium

This spring, Berrien Regional Education Service Agency, Andrews University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, BEST, and the Benton Spirit Community Newspaper hosted

the 2014 BEST Early Research Symposium on the campus of Andrews University.

The event showcased Berrien RESA’s Berrien County Mathematics & Science Center (BCMSC) students as they formally presented research, engaged in discussions about their experience, and demonstrated college-level lab techniques.

“One of the unique aspects of our early research program that stu-dents learn is the value of failure,” said Dr. Desmond Murray, Associate Chemistry Professor and Math & Science Center Instructor. “This is particularly important since failure happens in research but the careful researcher can sometimes turn that failure into success, discovery and invention. Failure often happens when we are pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Learning from failure is a transferable lesson that applies to all other aspects of life, not just science and research.”

The event represented a capstone project for the BEST Early Research Program, providing a public showcase that emphasizes the research achievements of BCMSC seniors.

For over ten years the BEST Early Research Program has been engaging high school students in high-level scientific research and discovery that allows them to become excited about science and to pursue scientific careers. In addition to the possibility of students making scientific breakthroughs, the program acts as an ‘incubator of innovators’ by potentially building the research and development workforce.


A R UNDFOR RESA

It’s back...

An informal golf scramble for staff members

and their families.Save the Date!

Sunday, September 21, 2014Shotgun start at 9 a.m.

Indian Lake Hills, Eau Claire

The Berrien RESA Golf Outing!


A R UND

Payroll Date ChangesTransitioning to Bi-Monthly Payments

2014-2015 Payroll ScheduleWeek of Time Sheets Due Payroll Date

6/9-6/13

6/16/-6/20 6/23 7/1/2014

6/23-6/27

6/30-7/4 7/7 7/15/2014

7/7-7/11

7/14-7/18 7/21 8/1/2014

7/21-7/25

7/28-8/1 8/4 8/15/2014

8/4-8/8

8/11-8/15 8/18 9/2/2014

8/18-8/22

8/25-8/29 9/2 9/15/2014

9/1-9/5

9/8-9/12

9/15-9/19 9/22 10/1/2014

9/22-9/26

9/29-10/3 10/6 10/15/2014

10/6-10/10

10/13-10/17 10/20 10/31/2014

10/20-10/24

10/27-10/31 11/3 11/14/2014

11/3-11/7

11/10-11/14 11/17 12/1/2014

11/17-11/21

11/24-11/28 12/1 12/15/2014

12/1-12/5

12/8-12/12 12/15 1/2/2015

12/15-12/19

12/22-12/26

12/29-1/2 1/5 1/15/2015

Week of Time Sheets Due Payroll Date

1/5-1/9

1/12-1/16 1/20 2/2/2015

1/19-1/23

1/26-1/30 2/2 2/17/2015

2/2-2/6

2/9-2/13 2/17 3/2/2015

2/16-2/20

2/23-2/27 3/2 3/16/2015

3/2-3/6

3/9-3/13

3/16-3/20 3/23 4/1/2015

3/23-3/27

3/30-4/3 4/6 4/15/2015

4/6-4/10

4/13-4/17 4/20 5/1/2015

4/20-4/24

4/27-5/1 5/4 5/15/2015

5/4-5/8

5/11-5/15 5/18 6/1/2015

5/18-5/22

5/25-5/29

6/1-6/5 6/8 6/15/2015


A publication of

JuneWayne Prillwitz 6/1Rosanne Burden 6/1Mark Cudanin 6/1Suzanne Hipshear 6/1Jamie Peloquin 6/3Jennifer Noll 6/4Karla Flood 6/4Cathy Levy 6/5Rebecca Ruff 6/5Craig Blasko 6/6Jan Brown 6/8Nicole Mott 6/8Sherri Dobbins 6/11Sandy Hansen 6/11Jason Spare 6/12Melissa Beaudoin 6/14Brenda Ellsworth 6/14Bill Crandell 6/15Laurieanne Eckerly 6/15Danea Gorbett 6/15Emily Savickis 6/16Sally Bell 6/16Jessica McAuliffe 6/18Gini McIlroy 6/18Brian Kelly 6/19Alicia Andree 6/21Eric Hoppstock 6/21Karen Heath 6/21Allene Smith 6/21Amy Hume 6/22Karen Koch 6/24Kandi Kolberg 6/26Carla Norwood 6/27Mark Motton 6/29Tina Deveney 6/30

JulyHilda Montey 7/2Jim Rose 7/2Kerenda Applebey 7/3Doug Montey 7/3Karol Banyon 7/7Liz Olson 7/7Jasmine Good 7/8Mitzi Jones 7/8Jim Mann 7/10Sangeetha Harikrishnan 7/10Bill Williams 7/12Kimberly Deitrich 7/13Tammy Shembarger 7/13Joel Thompson 7/14Pam Montgomery 7/15Terry Anserello 7/15Ann Marie Shell 7/16Mary Sue Weis 7/20Janis Dowell-Wold 7/20Rick Lewis 7/26Amy Stier 7/26Tim Matthews 7/27Liz Pockrandt 7/27Reneta Mais 7/30

AugustGreg Street 8/1Cynthia Paquette 8/2Carol Sink 8/3Dan Betts 8/6Tamara Claes 8/9Kimberly Meyer 8/9Amanda jones 8/10Tonya Hendershot 8/11Cindy Williamson 8/11David Wilkinson 8/15Nichole Carolla 8/16Nicole Verniers 8/18Cathy Klaer 8/20Larry Hollis 8/22Edith Townsley 8/22Craig Kuhn 8/23Becky Lewis 8/23Kathy Hickok 8/27Ann Veine 8/27Megan Shriver 8/28Judy Schultz 8/29Joan Kerber 8/31

SeptemberEvelyn Mendoza 9/5Kerri Walvort 9/5Laura Reynolds 9/6Anna Romeo 9/9Pam Crumb 9/14Loretta LeCount 9/14Sandy Shunkwiler 9/14Robin Bourgeois 9/16Susan Newitt 9/18Dawn Rappette 9/18Lisa Adcock 9/20Kelly Dargus 9/20Joan Rodell 9/21Brian Pyles 9/22Robert Thompson 9/23Sandra Asmus 9/24Rochelle Necas 9/24Ted Hines 9/26Nancy Mason 9/26Autumn Poole 9/26Cindy Kenny 9/27Claudia Davisson 9/29Denise Wagner 9/29Kathy Zuraw 9/29Julie Boyle 9/30Amanda Harris 9/30

Make a Wish Employee Birthdays

• June 6-Last day of School for RESA programs until summer school begins.

• June 9-Board meeting at 10 a.m.

• June 9-Summer hours begin for Administrative Office (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

• June 12-South Bend Silver Hawks Group Outing at 6:05 p.m.

• July 4- Independence Day Holiday-Offices closed

• July 14 - Organizational & Regular Board meeting at 10 a.m. at the Administrative Center

• August 11-Board meeting at 10 a.m.

• August 27- Opening Day Ac-tivities at 8:30 a.m. at the Howard Performing Arts Center, Andrews University

• August 29-Labor Day Holiday-Offices closed

Next Upcoming Activities

april may june 2014

Documents

berrien springs

berrien resa golf outing

school year winds

entire school year

berrien resas website

technology department

following year

school districts