The Science Reflector - NCSTA Newsletter

The following district directors have submitted news items for NCSTA members:

District 1
District 2
District 3
District 5
District 8

Not sure which district you are in? Check out the district map at the bottom of this page.

News from District 1
Director: Karen Dawkins

Greetings from District 1

The 5th Annual Bennett’s Millpond Environmental Learning Project student symposium will be held on May 16th, 2007 at the Chowan County Extension Building in Edenton, North Carolina. Each year, teams of students from four Northeastern North Carolina counties test the waters and record microclimate data around Bennett’s Millpond. Under the mentorship of the Millpond teachers, these students design research questions based on their interest in the biological, geological and environmental sciences. This year, our student projects include research work about groundwater well monitoring, distribution of aquatic snails correlated to the thermocline and many other interesting topics. You are invited to join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of these student researchers as they present their work to the educational and professional community. The student presentations will be from 1:00pm to 3:00pm with time after the presentations to talk with the students about their work. This Bennett’s Millpond Project is a project of The Science House at North Carolina State University and is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Email Colleen Karl, Northeast Science House Outreach Coordinator, at Colleen_Karl@ncsu.edu or call 252-482-5769 for more information.

The Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education at ECU has developed a series of online professional development modules for science teachers in grades K-12. Specific modules are available beginning June 15 in these grades or subjects: K-2, 3-5, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, physical science, earth/environmental science, biology, and chemistry. Each module is equivalent to 12 contact hours (1.2 CEUs) and teachers may take up to four modules in each course.

The ECU Center and NCDPI are collaborating to sponsor the 6-8 Science Leadership Institute to be held at South Central HS in Pitt County June 25-29. Registration information for the online modules and the NCDPI Leadership Institute is on the Center website: www.coe.ecu.edu/csmte or you may call Karen Dawkins at 252.328.6885. District I elementary teachers should know that the closest site for the NCDPI Elementary Math and Science Leadership Institute is the Trinity Center at Pine Knoll Shores. That institute will be held August 5-10.

Beaufort County science teachers in grades 4-8 will soon begin a field-based science program, focusing on Big Ideas in Science through outdoor explorations led by Dr. Stan Riggs of the Department of Geological Sciences at ECU. For two summers and one school-year, participating teachers will address science content, teaching and assessment, and leadership. The project will take teachers to field sites throughout Beaufort County as well as a trip to the Outer Banks. Leigh Apple, former Science Facilitator with the NC-PIMS project and currently with Beaufort County Schools, will serve as master teacher for the program.

Wind Energy SCIENCE is a full-day teacher workshop to be held June 13 on the Outer Banks. This free workshop will appeal to middle/high school science and technical education teachers who are interested in renewable energy, physics, engineering and design. Participants will learn the basic principles behind wind energy and how to introduce students to wind energy concepts using standards-based activities in an engaging, hands-on manner. Classroom materials and a comprehensive curriculum package are included free of charge in the workshop. Lunch will be provided for all attendees. Space is limited to the first 30 teachers that sign up. Online Registration will be at www.kidwind.org. This workshop is sponsored by the North Carolina Solar Center, NC State Energy Office, and the Kidwind Project. For more details about the workshop or if you just want more information about our project call 781-354-2452 or visit the website.

Susan Carter and K-2 colleagues from Halifax County attended a North Carolina Energy Workshop with Dominion and the National Education Development (NEED) Project. Participation in the workshop provided teachers with free use of the NEED Science Energy Kit that allowed them to teach concepts of force,motion,light,sound, heat, magnetism, and energy and energy transformation through hands-on activities.They also got to tour the Power Plant and received NEED curriculun materials and a class supply of Energy Infobooks at grade level.

The North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center is sponsoring the North Carolina LASER K-12 Science Education Strategic Planning Institute in Greenville, August 5 – 12. Leadership teams from throughout the state will be able to participate without having to pay the $5500 registration fee, due to the generosity of the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund and the NC SMT Education Center. The teams will explore current research on how student learn, examine exemplary inquiry-centered curricula, address five elements of reform, and receive technical assistance in the strategic planning process, and network with others. For additional information about the program access this website: http://www.ncsmt.org/

News from District 2
Director: Barbara Stroud

Greetings from District 2:

It is unbelievable that the year has almost ended. I know everyone is swamped trying to complete the NCSCOS for their courses. Some of you are planning a restful summer and some are planning a summer filled with enrichment courses. If you take an exciting workshop this summer, please share that information with us.

Congratulations to Pat Curley in Onslow County for being selected as the 2006 Governors Conservation Achievement, Environmental Educator of the year. She received her award on February 10, 2007. Ms. Curley teaches middle and high school at the Onslow County Learning Center.

Each year the NC Wildlife Federation presents this award to honor individuals or groups who have exhibited a commitment to conservation in our state. “The North Carolina Federation hopes to inspire all North Carolinians to take a more active role in protecting the natural resources of our state.”(NC Wildlife Federation)

The Wilmington Journal (William Flythe, contributing writer) reported that ROCAME held its annual Brunswick County jamboree on March 24, 2007, at South Brunswick High School. This year was the first time that South Brunswick served as host. Four middle schools and three high schools (approximately 125 students, teachers, and parents) participated in the math and science events.

The winners of middle school events were as follows: Write It Do It – first place for Mandy Galvan and Diana Uresti (Waccamaw Elementary), second place for Tiona Hill and Brianna Monroe (South Brunswick Middle), and third place for Tyrell Gibbs and Daja White (Leland Middle); Metric Mastery – first place for Cartelina Garcia and Angela Padgett (Leland Middle); second place for Kadeem Jones and Tori Colvin (LMS), and third place for Khalil Gore and Alex Ray (WES); Road Scholar – first place for Jatina Jones and Treanna Wilson (WES); second place for Aja Stanley and Janisha Gore (WES); and third place for Arienna Ray and Katlyn Ray (SBMS); Egg Drop – first place for Eva Daniels and Jamal Moody (SMS), second place for Reatta Smith and Daja White (LMS), and third place for Angela Padgett and Catelina Garcia (LMS); Aerodynamics – first place for Gary Williams and Gregory Burton-White (SBMS), second place for Kadeem Jones and James White (LMS), and third place for Jamal Jacobs and Tyquan Cox (SBMS); Mystery Architecture – first place for Jatina Jones and Treanna Wilson (WES), second place for Jo’Landa White and Barbara Graham (LMS), and third place for Mandy Galvan and Diana Uresti (WES); Science Clue – first place for Tori Colvin and Tyrell Gibbs (LMS), second place for Chantel Hankins and Tyler Hickey (LMS), and third place for Ebony Williams and Amy Butler (WES); Pentathlon – first place for Aaron Holland, Justin Hill, Gregory Burton-White and Tyquan Cox (SBMS);second place for Tashan Frink, Jamal Moody, Eva Daniels, and Scottie Melvin (SMS), and third place for Chantel Hankins, James White, Jolanda White and Emijah Willis (LMS); Quiz Bowl – first place for Tori Colvin, Emijah Willis, Angela Padgett, and Cartelina Garcia (LMS); second place for Janisha Gore, Rodnisha Gore, Donisha Bowens, and Diana Uresti (WES); and third place for Justin Hill, Gary Williams, Gregory Burton-White, and Marcus Hankins (SBMS); PowerPoint – first place for Donisha Bowens and Rodnisha Gore (WES) and second place for Reatte Smith (LMS); Oratory – first place for Daja White (LMS), second place for Jasmine Swain (SBMS) and third place for Khalil Gore (WES); Mousetrap Car – first place for James White and Emijah Willis (LMS), second place for Tyrell Gibbs and Kadeem Jones (LMS), and third place for Alex Ray, Nidjuel Freeman, and Demetri Green (WES); and Parliamentary Procedure – first place for Kadeem Jones, Emijah Willis, Tyler Hickey, and James White (LMS). The middle school championship trophy was won by Leland Middle School. Teams from Waccamaw Elementary and South Brunswick Middle School were second and third, respectively.

The high school winners were as follows: Write It Do It – first place for William Stumph and Tenesia Sealy (North Brunswick High School), second place for Julissa Melgar and Jessica Shakespeare (Early College High School), and third place for Santha Galloway and Jasmine Jenkins (South Brunswick High School); Metric Mastery – first place for Danielle Graham and Shaniece McNeil (NBHS); second place for Kwame Johnson and Sheniqua Bryant (NBHS), and third place for Kalon Marlowe and Harry Bryant (West Brunswick High School); Road Scholar – first place for Titus Bryant and Quinten Johnson (NBHS); second place for Johnathan Blue and Monique Bryant (WBHS); and third place for Kelly Tooley and Danielle Evans (SBHS); Egg Drop – first place for Arielle Sidberry and Jessica Shakespeare (ECHS); second place for Kalon Marlowe and Shashu Hewett (WBHS); and third place for Derrick Smith and Julissa Melgar (ECHS); Aerodynamics –first place for Akeem Merrick and Titus Bryant (NBHS), second place for Shakeda Gibbs and LaCoya Everett (NBHS) and third place for David Edwards (ECHS); Mystery Architecture – first place for Darrius Jenkins and Kenny Bryant (ECHS), second place for Josh McMillian and Melissa Moore(NBHS), and third place for Kenya Hewett and Lillian Bryant (WBHS); Chemistry Clue – first place for Johnathan Blue and Monique Bryant (WBHS), second place for William Lee and Danielle Graham (NBHS) and third place for Rowanty Jenkins and Shawanna Mosley (NBHS)); Pentathlon – first place for Kayla Knox, Tyrone Robbins, Shatima Parish and Akeem Merrick (NBHS); and second place for Derrick Smith, Kenny Bryant, Julissa Melgar, and Arielle Sidberry (ECHS); Quiz Bowl – first place for William Stumph, Rowanty Jenkins, Danielle Graham, and William Lee (NBHS); second place for Harry Bryant, Monique Bryant, Shashu Hewett, and Johnathan Blue (WBHS); and third place for Danielle Evans, Santha Galloway, Crystal Jones, and Kelly Tooley (SBHS); PowerPoint – first place for Shaniece McNeil (NBHS); and Parliamentary Procedure – first place for Danielle Evans, Jasmine Jenkins, Crystal Jones, and Kelly Tooley (SBHS). The high school championship trophy was won by North Brunswick High School. Teams from Early College High School and West Brunswick High School were second and third, respectively.

Congratulations also to the Bright Idea winners in our district! In Duplin County, Tri-County EMC awarded:

Amy R. Howard, B.F.Grady Elementary, “Outdoor Learning Center”
Jo Flowers, B.F. Grady, “Making Healthy Food Choices”
Betty Burgess, B.F. Grady, “Investigating the ‘Micro-World’”
Mary E. West, E.E. Smith, “Science Search for Knowledge”
Joseph Buckner, East Duplin High School,”’1/1000th of an Inch of Air Can Cause Bleeding’”
Ida Batts, North Duplin Elementary, “Wild About Weather”

In Wayne County,

Leigh Tanner, Wayne Country Day School,”Science Literacy Through a Lens”
Sherry Jones, Meredith Karcher, Brian Weeks, April Delcour, Brogden Middle, “Plant and Explore Through the Classroom Door”
Elaine Ivey, Brogden Primary, “Science Center”
Stephanie S. Lane and Kathy Capen, Brogden Primary, “Bones, Bones and More Bones”
Melissa O’Neal, Carver Elementary, Loops, Turns, Funnels and Tunnels’

Wayne County science teachers have been busy all year with super staff developments under the leadership of Dr. Ralph Smith, Lead Science Teacher. One of the favorites was a canoe trip down the Neuse River. Larry Baldwin from Neuse River Foundation and Carla Edwards from Cliffs of the Neuse State Park took us on this excursion. After we learned how to maneuver the canoes it was fascinating to look at the flora and fauna from that perspective.

Also in Wayne County, Melissa Ricker and Sarah Compton won first place in Medical Technology at the North Carolin Technology Student Association. They will compete at the national level in Nashville, TN June 24 through the 28. Good luck!

Congratulations to Arendell Parrott Academy (Lenoir County) on their win at the local level and state level in Science Olympiad. They will be going on to Wichita, Kansas May 18 and 19.

Please do not forget to send a representative from your county to the Science Leadership conference being held in New Bern in mid-July. This is the place to come and talk with people from across the state in a close-nit setting and learn what is happening in science education. This is one conference that is definitely worth your time.

News from District 3
Director: Carrie Jones

Hard to believe, but another year has come and gone and we’ll soon have the summer to relax a little (haha!). If you are like me you use this time to get organized, weed out paperwork, and attend professional development opportunities to renew your lesson plans, as well as network with other teachers.

Just to let you know of some upcoming events in the area here they are:

The Science House: (Environmental Workshops, Science Olympiad Coaches Clinic…)
www.science-house.org/
NC Biotechnology Center: (Introduction to Biotechnology, Microbiology and Biotechnology…)
www.ncbiotech.org/summerworkshops.
Morehead Planetarium: (OBSERVE Summer Workshop
www.moreheadplanetarium.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&filename=outreach_observe.htm
Grandfather Mountain Workshop sponsored by NC State
www.ncsu.edu/cpss/ss_bulletin/specialCourses.html
Destiny Bus Workshops
destiny.unc.edu/foreducators/workshops.html
MSEN Teacher Workshops
www.unc.edu/depts/cmse/MSEN.html
NC Museum of Natural Science (Raleigh):
www.naturalsciences.org/
Museum of Life and Science (Durham)
www.northcarolinatravels.com/museums/nc-museum-of-life-and-science/index.htm
NCEE Centers
www.eenorthcarolina.org/eecenters.htm
LEARN NC Online Courses
www.learnnc.org/courses/

Don’t forget the deadline for the District 3 Awards Nominations are due soon! www.ncsta.org/awards/index.html
Please e-mail me at: ncscienceteacher@yahoo.com with names of nominees.

Rebecca Mercadoocasio of Chapel Hill High was recognized with the Burton Stuart Chair for Promising New Teachers in Math or Science. The endowed fund was created by his son to honor Bud Stuart, a long-time math teacher at Chapel Hill High School and the first recipient of the first teaching chair awarded in the district. The Stuart Chair is presented in a three-year cycle to a non-tenured teacher who shows great promise in teaching math or science. Ms. Mercadoocasio teaches Biology and Earth Science.

The Glaxo Chair for Excellence in Teaching Middle School Science was presented to Patty Berge of McDougle Middle School. The Glaxo Chair was the first middle school teaching chair established by the foundation. It is awarded in a three-year cycle to honor outstanding middle school science teachers and was first awarded in 1988-89. Ms. Berge teaches eighth grade science.

Several Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools teachers were recognized at the Spring Meeting of the North Carolina Science Leadership Association. First grade teachers Kim Fearrington, Carrboro Elementary School, and Courtney Sears, Frank Porter Graham Elementary School, were commended for participation in and completion of the Science Leadership Fellows program. In addition, Judy Jones, Biology and Biology II teacher at East Chapel Hill High, was honored with the NCSLA Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented annually to the person who has performed a great service to science education in North Carolina. A colleague said about Mrs. Jones, “Judy has left a legacy for North Carolina science that will persist years after she retires. Students will feel her presence in classrooms even when she is not there instructing.”

Dianne Affleck, Assistant Director for the UNC-CH Center for Math Science Education and Pre-College Program, was elected District C Director for the National Science Education Leadership Association covering the mid-eastern region (DE, DC, MD, VA, NC, SC, WV, FL, GA, TN, KY). Ms. Affleck has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Smith College and both bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from Pratt Institute. Prior to entering the teaching profession she worked six years as a chemical engineer with the Mobil Chemical. Ms. Affleck was recently recognized at the North Carolina Science Leadership Association Spring Meeting for participation and completion of the Science Leadership Fellows program.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center offers shows on all types of science topics including DNA, extinction, space and soil. Morehead also offers summer science camps for students pre-K through 8th grade. There are only a few slots left for this summer’s camp. Sign up to receive MPSC's monthly electronic newsletter -- a great source of information on upcoming special events, classes, skywatching tips and science news. There's even a special section packed with updates especially for teachers and informal science educators. See their website: www.moreheadplanetarium.org

Donna Melpolder, Carlene White, and Keri Randolph were recognized at the spring meeting of the North Carolina Science Leadership Association for participation and completion of the Science Leadership Fellows program. Donna Melpolder is the Science Curriculum Resource Teacher for Chatham County Schools. Carlene White is currently the K-8 Language Arts Curriculum Resource teacher for Chatham County. Keri Randolph is the science department chair at Northwood High School in Pittsboro.

The SciWorks Planetarium in Winston-Salem is currently featuring several shows including: The Case of the Disappearing Dinosaurs, Mystery of Missing Seasons, The Mars Show, Spring Sky Tour, and the Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite. They also feature a program called Second Saturday Science. On May 12 the program will focus on the effects of space travel on the human body. The June 9 program will feature owls. SciWorks also sponsors summer science camps for children age 4 through grade 5. See www.sciworks.org for more details.

News From District 8
Director: Teresa Cowan

It is hard to believe that SPRING is upon us and that the school year is quickly drawing to a close. We are counting the days until…. EOG’s and EOC’s. May there be fruits from your year long labors. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all in the fall at the Professional Development Institute. It will then be time to celebrate planet EARTH. My favorite bumper sticker is “Save planet EARTH, it is the only planet that has chocolate.” I am sure the PDI will provide awesome tools to all attendees; tools that can be shared with the “planet-saving” students of the future.

Enough of that, now on with the news:

Science Olympiad
District 8 Science Olympiad winners at the March event held at UNCA.
The event includes 13 middle school teams and 6 high school teams. The event proved to be a spectacular event for all that participated as competitors, coaches, event leaders, and volunteers. Thanks to UNCA for an amazing job, once again.

Division B winners: Polk County MS (1st), AC Reynolds MS (2nd), Evergreen Charter (3rd), and C.D. Owen MS (4th).

Division C winners: Polk County HS (1st), Carolina Day (2nd), and North Buncombe HS (3rd), C.D. Owen HS (4th).

These teams represented our region at the state tournament hosted by NC State University. The April event was a first for some and a repeat experience for others. Either way various Olympians from the region brought home state medals. Congratulations for representing us well.

Check out Science Olympiad for your students. It is a tremendous vehicle to teach and engage students.

National Board Certified Teachers
Congratulations to the 2006 NBCT in Science:
Science- Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Frances Bivens
Norma Pattillo
Pamela Sutton
Brian Schultz

Science- Early Adolescence

Donna Marcelo
Ronday Seay

Hope I have not missed anyone. If so, please let me know. Congratulations and welcome to the ranks.

Watch for mailings concerning upcoming events for the NCSTA. Presenters are being organized for the fall conference; bring a friend and stay at the conference hotel. Experience all the conference has to offer.

Check the NCSTA (http://ncsta.org/) and the NSTA (http://nsta.org/) websites for information on upcoming events, “freebies”, and news.

Remember to contact me (teresa.hembree@bcsemail.org) with news, celebrations, workshops, and questions. Try to recruit a new member. Share with them all the association has to offer.