Are you staying with us during the NCAEE Conference in October?

NCAEE Fall Conference October 18-20, 2015 Here are 5 reasons why you should stay at the Embassy Suites during the conference: Luxury and Convenience - Staying onsite during a conference means you can relax and enjoy yourself. No need to get up early to drive to the event and look for parking! You might even want to check out the spa, golf course, or one of their great restaurants! Free Manager's Evening Reception - Network with colleagues, presenters and NCAEE board members during the manager's reception where you'll enjoy free drinks and snacks. Beverages offered include wine, beer, and mixed drinks. Free Hot Breakfast - The Embassy Suites offers a full, cook-to-order breakfast for all registered guests. Discounted Room Rate - Our discounted room rate makes the price reasonable, especially if you share a room with a friend. To get that rate, register with Group Code AEE. Great Shopping - The hotel is located near the Concord Mills Mall, so after the conference and manager’s reception ends each day, you can shop till you drop! Reserve your hotel room today! Limited Availability 1-800-362-2779 or 704-455-8200 TO MAKE HOTEL RESERVATIONS: The Embassy Suites has a conference rate of $140 plus tax, which remains valid for reservations made on or before September 18, 2015. This rate includes a complimentary hot breakfast and an evening manager's reception each day! When phoning in your reservation, please be sure to tell the hotel that you're with the "AEE" group. TO REGISTER ONLINE: Click this link to go to the hotel webpage:  www.embassysuitesconcord.com Click Book a Room Verify the conference dates: October 18-20, 2015 Verify that the Group code is AEE Enter number of rooms and people Then click Continue Then select your bed type Hope to see you there!!

Enter to Win a Free Conference Registration!

How would you like to win a free registration to the Elementary School Conference valued at $175? Check out Past President Laura Candler's article, Don't Miss the Elementary School Conference to learn how you can enter! The contest ends September 13th at 6 pm EST, so take a moment now to visit Corkboard Connections and enter.

Collaborating with University Partners for Global Opportunities

Global and cultural connections for students have been a theme in North Carolina elementary schools for nearly a decade. Organizations throughout North Carolina have emerged to provide professional development and curricular support through lesson plan databases and access to supplemental materials such as Cultural Kits and opportunities to web-conference with students who are studying abroad.  Study abroad programs have emerged as a cornerstone of undergraduate preparation programs and more and more teacher candidates understand the marketability of such experiences as they look for employment upon graduation.

Elementary educators in Onslow County Schools took advantage of existing university study abroad programs to provide opportunities for existing teachers to have similar experiences.  In 2011, Carolina Forest and Jacksonville Commons Elementary Schools along with Jacksonville Commons Middle and Northside High School partnered with the University of North Carolina Wilmington Watson School of Education to send a group of educators to work alongside partner teachers in San Pedro, Belize for a week as part of their undergraduate/graduate exchange to San Pedro, Belize. The local school district took advantage of this existing program structure and has worked in collaboration with the university to send groups of teachers along each year.  The spring of 2016 will mark 5 years of this partnership which has been expanded to include yearly service learning projects for the local elementary schools and scholarships for Belize teachers to visit schools in Onslow County.  During 2015, the schools conducted a book drive and shipped hundreds of books to help create classroom libraries.    

As schools across North Carolina cope with budget and personnel cuts, looking at existing programs with our university partners are efficient and practical approaches to providing global learning experiences for teachers.  The average expense for each participant is $1500 yearly which is a bargain for a life-changing experience that will impact teachers and students for years to come.

Just a few of the schools in North Carolina with current study abroad programs worth investigating:

University of North Carolina Wilmington:     http://uncw.edu/ed/international/

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill: http://soe.unc.edu/outreach/global/study_abroad.php

Appalachian State University: http://international.appstate.edu/

Dr. Helen Gross has served as the principal of Carolina Forest International Elementary for the past six years.  Carolina Forest International Elementary was recognized as a Partnership for 21st Century Learning Exemplar Model School because of their globalization efforts.  She can be reached at Helen.Gross@onslow.k12.nc.us.