In The ˛˘˘ ˇ - Saskatchewan Middle Years · PDF file · 2011-08-24In The!...

In TheMIDDLE

S M Y A

Volume 29, Number 3 June 2011

The Journal of theSaskatchewan Middle Years Association

école Monseigneur de LavalArtwork created by student from Weyburn Junior High

JOURNAL EDITORS: CHANTEL KAUFMANN & TINA BLAKEIn the Middle is published three times yearly. It accepts articles that are practical, accessible, and of interest toteachers of Grades 6 through 9. Articles should be from 2 to 15 pages in length. They can concern curriculumor teaching methodologies, or they can concern middle years children and suggestions for working withthem. Articles published by In the Middle reflect the views of their authors and are not necessarily those of theeditors, the Saskatchewan Middle Years Association, or the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.

We BelieveThe Saskatchewan Middle Years Association believes middle years students require educatorswho understand and advocate for their students’ physical, emotional, social and academic needs.The SMYA provides workshops, speakers for interested groups, resource materials, and an annualprovincial conference.

Our organization has the following aims:

• To further understanding of the middle years student

• To further an understanding of programs and teaching approaches for the middle years

• To provide a means of communication for teachers about middle years students

• To develop a positive attitude toward middle years students

• To provide a vehicle for sharing information with all partners in education

• To advocate school experiences that are developmentally responsive to the needs of middleyears students

S M Y A

In TheS M Y AMIDDLE

Page

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Editor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4SMYA Executive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ARTICLES/FEATURES Blogs in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Back in November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Simply the Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The Twitterverse and u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Grade 7 – Landscape Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Cathedral Facades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

OTHER MATERIALSGood Books For Middle Years Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Brain Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Teaching From the Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22SMYA Application for Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23SMYA/NMSA Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Harold Schultz Middle Years Development Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . 26SMYA President’s Award and Nomination Form . . . . . . . . . . . . 27SMYA Youth Grant Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28SMYA Application for Financial Assistance for Youth Grant . . . 29SMYA 2011 Conference Call for Presenters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30SMYA 2011 Conference Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31SMYA Privacy Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Volume 29, Number 3 June 2011

when a door opens, you need to seewhat is on the other side. Although Ihave resigned my teaching position,I know that I’ve left the door ajar incase things are not as I pictured theywould be and I can always return tomy first love...middle years.

Over the years, I’ve worked withmany talented individuals and amvery proud of the accomplishmentsthe executive have worked togetherto bring forth. We have tried several new initiatives includingprofessional development roadshows, partnerships with theUniversity of Regina, and havemoved our conference to October tobetter meet the needs of ourdelegates. Our organization is alsovery well respected among theNational Middle School Association’sdelegates as well and we haveworked to foster that relationship.I’m proud of what our executive hasaccomplished and also see the talenton our existing executive willcontinue to rise to meet the needsour members as I move on todifferent challenges.

Although I will miss many thingsabout teaching and SMYA, like

In The Middle 29:3Page 2

There are a hugenumber of quota -tions and poemsabout change andmoving in adifferent directionand as teacherswe often talkabout seizing

opportunities when they comealong. As an educator, I alwaysencouraged my students to look tothe future and make plans to meettheir goals. Along the way towardstheir goals, they will have manydoors opened for them and somemay slam shut in their face. I’vealways encouraged my students tokeep as many doors open aspossible since it’s much easier to seein when the door is open. As aneducator and parent, giving adviceseems to be easy. Following yourown advice is much harder.

This fall, I chose not to run forpresident of the SMYA and it wasnot an easy decision. After beinginvolved with the organization formany years, it was difficult to makethe choice to leave but I was offeredan opportunity to start my ownbusiness as a Sun Life FinancialAdvisor. As I told my students,

seeing the student s havethe Ah-ha moments, thefriendships I have formedalong the way will be whatI will miss the most.Teachers are a specialbreed who are willing todo everything for every -one and expect little inreturn. It is the desire tohelp others that makes ateacher a great teacherand we need to remember tocongratulate and encourage thosegreat teachers to continue to doamazing things. As you moveforward in your careers, continue toinspire and educate our society sothey can be amazing too. And as formyself, I will continue to encourageand support you every time I hearpeople talk of their child’s teacherand will proudly explain thatteachers are the hardest workingand most caring people I know.

Thank you for the amazingopportunity to lead this amazingorganization over the years and Iknow Andrew and the rest of theexecutive will continue to serveyou well.

President’s Message“Change is good, Donkey” – (Wise words of Shrek)By Mike Spicer

Journal InformationForward all journal articles and information to Chantel Kaufmann at [email protected]


Editor’s CornerAnother Year Gone By...By Tina Blake

I am always amazed at how fast the

school year seems to fly by. Although

at times it seems like the days and

weeks drag on, I can’t believe it is

June and we are once again winding

up another school year.

This has been an interesting and

trying year for teachers across

Saskatchewan. Through it all we

have shown integrity, strength and

a passion and belief in what we do

on a daily basis, which has once

again made me proud to be a

teacher! We need to continue to

stay strong, support each other and

remember why we became teachers

in the first place … for our kids!

Once again the SMYA executive

has been busy planning our annual

conference, Motivate in the

Middle! Our change to an October

date, we feel was a positive one and

will once again give teachers a

plethora of ideas that can be taken

back to the classroom and used

throughout the school year. We hope

that you will join us in October. It issure to be a huge success! We hope

to see you in Regina!

I would like to share an

inspirational story that was passed

on to me from my Principal during

our job sanctions. I believe it

reinforces what we do and moti -

vates us to continue to do what we

do on a daily bases.

Blueberry StoryA Businessman Learns a Lessonby Jamie Robert Vollmer

"If I ran my business the way youpeople operate your schools, Iwouldn't be in business very long!"I stood before an auditorium filledwith outraged teachers who werebecoming angrier by the minute.

My speech had entirely consumedtheir precious 90 minutes of in-service. Their initial icy glares hadturned to restless agitation. Youcould cut the hostility with a knife.

I represented a group of businesspeople dedicated to improvingpublic schools. I was an executiveat an ice cream company thatbecame famous in the middle 1980swhen People Magazine chose ourblueberry as the "Best Ice Cream inAmerica." I was convinced of two things:

First, public schools needed tochange; they were archaic selectingand sorting mechanisms designedfor the industrial age and out of stepwith the needs of our emerging"knowledge society."

Second, educators were a majorpart of the problem: they resistedchange, hunkered down in their

feathered nests, protected by tenureand shielded by a bureaucraticmonopoly.

They needed to look to business. Weknew how to produce quality. Zerodefects! TQM! Continuous improve -ment! In retrospect, the speech wasperfectly balanced equal partsignorance and arrogance.

As soon as I finished, a woman'shand shot up. She appeared polite,pleasant. She was, in fact, a razor-edged, veteran, high school Englishteacher who had been waiting tounload. She began quietly, "We aretold, sir, that you manage a companythat makes good ice cream."

I smugly replied, "Best ice cream inAmerica, Ma'am."

"How nice," she said. "Is it rich andsmooth?"

"Sixteen percent butterfat," I crowed.

"Premium ingredients?" she inquired.

"Super-premium! Nothing but tripleA." I was on a roll. I never saw thenext line coming.

"Mr. Vollmer," she said, leaningforward with a wicked eyebrowraised to the sky, "when you arestanding on your receiving dockand you see an inferior shipment ofblueberries arrive, what do youdo?" In the silence of that room, Icould hear the trap snap. I was dead


meat, but I wasn't going to lie. "Isend them back."

"That's right!" she barked, "and wecan never send back ourblueberries. We take them big,small, rich, poor, gifted, excep -tional, abused, and frightenedconfident, homeless, rude, andbrilliant. We take them all: GT,ADHD, ADD, SLD, EI, MMR, OHI,TBI, DD, autistic, junior rheuma -toid arthritis, English as theirsecond language, juvenile diabetes,etc. We take them all! Everyone!And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it'snot a business. It's a school!" In an explosion, all 290 teachers,

principals, bus drivers, aides,custodians and secretaries jumpedto their feet and yelled, "Yeah!Blueberries! Blueberries!"

And so began my long transforma -tion. Since then, I have visitedhundreds of schools. I have learnedthat a school is not a business.Schools are unable to control thequality of their raw material, theyare dependent upon the vagaries ofpolitics for a reliable revenuestream, and they are constantlymauled by a howling horde ofdisparate, competing customergroups that would send the bestCEO screaming into the night.

None of this negates the need forchange. We must change what,when and how we teach to give allchildren maximum opportunity tothrive in a post-industrial society.But educators cannot do this alone;these changes can occur only withthe understanding, trust, permis -sion and active support of thesurrounding community.

For the most important thing I havelearned is that schools reflect theattitudes, beliefs and health of thecommunities they serve, andtherefore, education means morethan changing our schools, it meanschanging America.

ContributorsThanks to all who contributed to the journal this month. A special thank you to Melissa and Derek who

have submitted their first articles about the importance and usefulness of Twitter for teachers and a great

idea for bulletin boards upon their new beginnings with the SMYA Executive. A very big thank you to

Meredith Churland who has submitted her last version of Good Books for Middle Years students. She has

been helping and supporting SMYA for many years. We look forward to welcoming a new writer next

September for In the Middle’s Good Books. A huge thank you and good bye to Mike Spicer who has

contributed so much of his time and energy supporting SMYA over the last 7 years but has decided to move

onto other exciting opportunites.

SMYA Needs Your Help!SMYA is always looking for engaging and innovative ideas, lesson plans and websitesto feature in our journal. We welcome and encourage all submissions. SMYA will alsoshow our appreciation to you by sending you a free middle years resource! Submit [email protected]


executive. Tina teaches grade 7/8 at ElsieMironuck in Regina and loves middle leveleducation. She believes in young people andthe rights of children. She enjoys spendingtime with her husband and her twowonderful kids!

Angela Byrnes – Member-at-Largeemail: [email protected]

Angela is a teacher and vice principal atMontmartre School in Montmartre, SK.Though she has taught subjects at grades 2-11, her heart lies with middle level studentsand that is where I consider home. I love thespontaneity of a middle years' classroom and that no two days, or two students areever the same.

Brett Reis – Member-at-Largeemail: [email protected]

Brett lives in Saskatoon, where he went toboth grade school and university. He is in hisfifth year of teaching where he presentlyteaches a split grade 5/6 class in Delisle,Saskatchewan. He enjoys being a teacherbecause of the variety of challenges that eachday brings.

Lana Steiner – Member-at-LargeRR 2 9-77, Canora, SK S0A 0L0(W) 455-2340(F) 455-2663email: [email protected]

Jackie Therres – Member-at-Largeemail: [email protected]

Jackie is currently a grade 7 homeroomteacher at Hepburn School, north ofSaskatoon. Previously, she taught overseas inSeoul, South Korea, Istanbul, Turkey, andLeysin, Switzerland. She enjoys teaching"Middle Years" because she loves toencourage students and build their self-confidence as they prepare for the demandsof high school.

Karla Warren – Member-at-Largeemail: [email protected]

Karla teaches at the Weyburn Junior High inWeyburn. She is a grade 7 homeroom teacherwho loves teaching "in the middle" becauseno day is ever the same and the kids have somuch energy.

Murray Wall – STF Liaison2317 Arlington Avenue, Saskatoon SK S7J 2H8 email: [email protected](W) 373-1660; 1-800-667-7762 (F) 374-1122

SMYA ExecutiveMike Spicer – President343 Fairview Road, Regina SK S4R 6W2(S) 781-4488 (F) 781-4530email: [email protected]

Mike has been teaching for 12 years and hasserved five years on the SMYA executive.Mike teaches technology at Pilot Butte School.Mike is a well-rounded middle years teacherwho is known affectionately as the computergeek with a messy classroom.

Andrew Longstaff – Vice President/TreasurerRobert Southey School1385 Coleridge, Southey SK S4G 4P0

Andrew was born and raised in Regina withPost-Secondary Education completed at the Uof R. He has used his education to travel someof Europe while teaching in London for a yearand has seen much of Southern Saskatchewanin the past seven years. The majority of hiscareer he has taught Middle Years andpresently is the Grade 8 homeroom teacher atRobert Southey School. Andrew is proud totake on his most exciting role this summerwhen he becomes a father for the first time.

Ryan Whalley – TreasurerGrenfell High Community SchoolGrenfell, SK S0G 2B0(W) 697-2744email: [email protected]

Ryan is one of those teachers that came to teaching later in life, having lived andworked abroad, he developed an under -standing of global consequences forindividual actions. He has spent timeteaching science, math, health and English tomiddle years students and is about to take ontechnology for his new position at GrenfellHigh Community School.

Chantel Kaufmann – Co-EditorPilot Butte School 5148 Genereux Drive, Regina SK S4X 4P2(S) 781-4488email: [email protected]

Chantel Kaufmann is serving her second yearon the SMYA Executive. She teaches Grade 7at Pilot Butte School.

Tina Blake – Co-EditorEcole Elsie Mironuck Community School18 Wakefield Drive, Regina, SK S4R 4T3email: [email protected]

Tina has been teaching with the Regina PublicSchool Board for 12 years and is serving herthird year as a member of the SMYA

Blogs in the ClassroomBy Angela Byrnes

In September, as part of a graduatecourse at the University of Regina, Ibegan a technological journey, asyou can probably tell if you readmy previous article about Twitteras a professional development tool.While on this journey, I also foundblogs to be very intriguing. Theinformation that follows is part of a blog research project that I completed as part of my graduate work. If you are inter ested in my blogging journey,you can access my blog atwww.byrnesa.wordpress.com.

This year I have started using blogswithin my grade 7/8 classoom. Youcan view both of these blogs at thefollowing sites.

Student Blogs:www.kidblog.org/missbyrnesclass

Classroom Blog:www.msbyrnes.wordpress.com

1. What is a blog?A blog (a blend of the term web log)is a type of website or part of awebsite. Blogs are usuallymaintained by an individual withregular entries of commentary,descriptions of events, or othermaterial such as graphics or video.Entries are commonly displayed inreverse-chronological order. Blogcan also be used as a verb, meaningto maintain or add content to a blog.Most blogs are interactive, allowingvisitors to leave comments and evenmessage each other via widgets onthe blogs and it is this interactivitythat distinguishes them from otherstatic websites. (taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)

2. What is the purpose of a blog?The purpose of a blog varies foreach person. Some blogs are for:

• Promotion of businesses – Someuse blogs to promote theirbusiness or to garner newbusiness. An example of this canbe found in my own community.A member of my community hasrecently launched her ownphotography business. You can view her blog atwww.helenwaller.com

• Personal Reasons – Many peopleuse blogs for personal reasonssuch as updating family on dailyevents and documenting the livesof their children. I have listed twoexamples of personal blogs.http://dearkaia.blogspot.com/and http://shelleywright-thewrightstuff.blogspot.com

• Collaboration – Some use blogsto collaborate with others.Meaning that the blog is writtenand managed by two or moreauthors. An example of this iswww.connectedprincipals.com

• Educational Reasons – this is themost common type of blog that Ihave come across. Educationalblogs are used by educators and students for a variety of reasons. I have listed two examples of educator blogshttp://ideasandthoughts.org/and http://strangethoughts-byjohn.blogspot.com/ and twoexamples of student blogshttp://melvilleroom8.blogspot.com/ and http://kidblog.org/CKHSGrade7Blog/.

Purposes adapted from: http://www.geekpoint.net/blogging/5019-different-types-blogs.html

Purpose of Student Blogs: Thepurpose of my student blogs is tohave a place where students canrecord their thoughts and connectwith a global audience whilepromoting higher level thinkingskills. The student blogs allow thewalls of my classroom to comecrashing down as my studentsconnect with others from all overthe world, including New Zealand,the United States and Europe. The students are carrying onconversations with other studentsand expanding their learning onvarious topics. Some commentshave caused my students to thinkoutside of our own community andto look at issues from a globalperspective. As the studentscontinue to use the blogs, I can seethe purpose of them changing fromstudents writing on topics I assignto students writing about topics oftheir choice and thus promotingeven higher levels of thinking.

Purpose of Classroom Blog: Thepurpose of my classroom blog is toinform parents and anyone elsewho reads it, of what is going on inour classroom. At first I was theonly one putting entries onto theblog, however, I found that thestudents viewed the blog more andwere more excited about it whenthey could write the entries. So, Ichanged the purpose a bit and nowI write some posts but the majorityare done by my students.

3. Why do I want my students to blog?

I have seen such improvement inmy students’ writing over thecourse of this year. I have alwaysread my students’ work, but now


that it is being offered to a globalaudience, and that audience istaking time to not only read, butalso comment on the work, therehas been much more effort put intothe writing and more engagementin the writing tasks.

My students are from a small ruralcommunity and many of them havenever ventured farther than theboundaries of Saskatchewan.Through blogging, they have beenable to connect with students andeducators from around the world.We learned that though it is ourwinter in Saskatchewan, it issummer in New Zealand and thatthe temperature does not reallydrop low enough for New Zealandto get snow. How did we learnthis? We learned it from a studentand classroom that commented onour classroom blog. This is a muchmore authentic way of learning.This fact could have beenapproached in a traditional waywith teacher giving the fact and

students memorizing, however, Ithink because students learned thisfact through our blog, it will be afact that stays with them.

Below is a list of why othereducators from around the worlduse blogs within their classrooms.(based on research completed inOctober 2010).

1. To provide information toparents on daily classroomactivities.

2. To allow students a largeraudience for their work …making your classroom global.

3. To provide students access tohomework and other resourcesat home

4. To teach students to communicateeffectively using technology.

5. To promote educationalmaterials such as books andwebsites

6. To allow students the oppor -tunity to reflect.

7. To promote thinking outside ofthe classroom.

8. To showcase student work

I would encourage all middle yearsteachers to implement blogs withintheir classrooms. I have foundraised engagement levels and havealso seen improvements in studentwriting since doing so. Pleasecheck out my student and classblogs and leave comments. Mystudents love getting them. If youhave your own classroom blogalready, drop me an email and letme know the site and I will havemy students check them out.

If you are looking for some help on how to implement a blog, feel free to contact me [email protected] or followmy blogging journey atwww.byrnesa.wordpress.com. Onthis site you will find informationabout how I implemented myblogs and resources I used to helpme do so.

What would you like to see in the next issue?We need your input to make the journal useful and relevant to our teachers. In addition to regular subjectspecific articles, we need to know what you would like featured in the next journal. Please send an emailto [email protected] with your suggestions. Some ideas include PLCs, teaming, evaluation, differentiatedinstruction, discipline, dealing with parents, student conferences, authentic assessment, etc. The topic isup to you!


Back in November, I was luckyenough to head down to Baltimoreto take in the NMSA nationalconference. It was truly an amazingspectacle … 10,000 middle yearsteachers came together to share andlearn from each other. Thepresentations were spectacular!One specific gentleman stuck in mymind for his skill in presenting highlevel statistics and research in atruly inspiring fashion. He wasn’t ateacher. He should be!

Frank Kros is with an organizationcalled “The Upside DownOrganization”. They are a brainscience based consultant groupfocused on increasing ourunderstanding of how our brainswork. The science based under -standing was a breath of fresh airfor me. Over the years I haverealized several important selftruths and one is that I am a real“cause and effect” thinker. I like tounderstand the reason for abehaviour, not just the behaviour, inorder to work on preventing thebehaviour rather than dealing withconsequences for it.

The organization has a website anda newsletter that gets dropped tome in my email. I find eachinstallment enlightening and useful.I hope that likeminded teachers willcheck them out! If you would liketo know the science behind thebelow article, you can find thewebsite at: http://www.upside-downorganization.org/

I have borrowed extracts from theirlatest newsletter article “Have anImportant Decision to Make?”below… Enjoy! And after, askyourself, “How often do I make mystudents forget what I just taughtthem?”

Have an Important Decision toMake? Forget about it, take a walk or headto the clouds! Spring is on its way,bringing with it some big decisionsfor students, parents and educators.Many of these decisions arecomplex and have significant long-term consequences. What can youdo to make sure your brainprovides you the best possibleassistance in making a really gooddecision? The answer mightsurprise you.

Your brain's best decision-makingprocess combines thinking aboutyour options and then forgettingabout your decision for awhile. Inshort, think hard but then don'tthink at all to make the best use of your brain's decision-makingcircuitry!

Thinking HardWe like to think of our reasoning,logical and analytical brain as thenirvana of good decision making. Ifwe can only get enough relevantinformation to our "executivesystem" and let it do its computer-like data-crunching, our capacityfor finding reason will lead us to thebest decision with few -- if any --regrets about our choice. We arereasoning beings. That's whatmakes us unique as a species andgives us advantages over the otherliving things on the planet, right?

Well, sort of.

The conscious analysis of relevantdata -- thinking hard about youroptions, comparing them, gatheringadditional information and predict -ing the likely consequences of eachpotential choice -- is a critical and

necessary feature in the decision-making process. Accessing this verypowerful cognitive feature taps intosome of the functions your braindoes best: comparing, contras ting,predicting and reflect ing onmultiple pieces and sources ofinformation. But these analyticalskills have their limits.

Your brain's best decision-makingprocess combines thinking aboutyour options and then forgettingabout your decision for awhile. Inshort, think hard but then don'tthink at all to make the best use of your brain's decision-makingcircuitry!

Information OverloadTwo limitations, in particular,impact our decision-making abili -ties: overload and the recency effect. Overload is exactly what itsounds like. Our brain loves data,but there is a point at which toomuch data will turn a good decisioninto a bad one. In today's context ofconstant and immediate data via theinternet, email and texting, informa -tion overload is quickly becomingthe norm in many of our complexdecisions.

The bottom line? Too muchinformation can lead our brains tomake really poor choices.

The Recency EffectHere's where email, texting anddata-rich come in. Our brains aresusceptible to the recency effect ofthis information. The brain isengineered to notice novelty oversameness. This conditions us to givegreater weight to data that recentlyarrived, even if earlier-received data

Back in NovemberBy Ryan Whalley


was more important or moreinteresting. A new email or textbuzzing into my Blackberry isnovel, causing my brain to pay a lot of attention to it and dis -counting information that cameearlier. Sequence gets substitutedfor quality.

While these technologies and thevast increase in knowledge theyhave spawned have created manypositive benefits, the sheer volumeof information and the urgent,instant way it flows into our brainsmay in fact be causing us to bepoorer decision makers.

But there is hope for regaining andmaintaining our decision-makingprowess: Stop thinking about it!

Tapping Into the Unconscious Unconscious processes in the brain(not actively or purposely thinkingabout the problem) can actuallyhelp us improve our decision

making and find creative solutionsto challenging problems. Anotherfeature of our incredible brain is theability to make novel connectionsbetween new information andexisting data (prior knowledge). Itis difficult for the brain to buildthese new connections while newinformation continues to pour intoour brain. But once we take a breakfrom actively thinking about theissue, these powerful unconscioussystems kick-in to provideassociations, insight and "gut-level"feedback to the brain. Theseunconscious processes might occurfor some of you while in theshower, others while out for a walk,still others through purposefuldaydreaming. In other words, tomake a really good decision, youshould spend some time notthinking about it, researching it oroveranalyzing it. Instead, take awalk, daydream, go to the gym andjust forget about it. While you'renot thinking about your decision,your brain will keep working on it!

So, when making a difficult orcomplex decision, consider usingthese guidelines to take advantageof your brain's best processes

1. Prevent Information Overload.Select only trusted sources forinformation, prioritize thecriteria for the decision andconsider data only on thosecriteria, and stop the intake ofinformation as soon as you startto feel overwhelmed.

2. Beware the Recency Effect.Assess the information you arecollecting to help with yourdecision in batches rather thanas it comes in.

3. Remember to Forget. Take awalk, daydream or engage inactivity other than ruminatingabout your decision. This willpermit the unconscious systemsin your brain to integrate newinformation with prior know -ledge, make creative con nections,and develop practical insightsabout reaching the best decisionfor you.

Hours upon hours can be wasted on the internet looking for the perfect lesson or unit plan. Yet, there isnothing better than finding material that does not need to be ‘tweaked.’ Now, you need not look anyfurther than http://blogs.gssd.ca/mmorley/ when looking for great online resources. Michelle hascreated a ‘digital classroom’ with resources for every grade and subject. What’s particularly great aboutMichelle’s work is that math resources are organized into the curriculum outcomes that they help achieve.There are not enough words to express how helpful, user-friendly and time saving this website is. Be sureto check it out!

“Simply the Best”By Lana Steiner


Twitter. We’ve all heard of it. 140characters to tell the world whatyou’re doing or thinking. Ellen usesit. Demi Moore uses it. Even JustinBieber tweets. I figured it was timefor me tweet too.

About five years ago I signed up forTwitter to see what it was about.The question I kept asking was“Who cares what my friends aredoing all the time?”. I was, at thistime, already an avid Facebookuser, and I couldn’t see a differencebetween a Facebook status updateand a Tweet. After a few weeks Icancelled my account.

This past year I decided to give itsecond chance, and here’s what Ihave discovered: Twitter is a greatway for educators to create a virtualProfessional Learning Network.However, to quote another twitteruser, @tomwhitby, “The problemwith Twitter is that it is confusingto explain, difficult to understand,and only learned when one beginsto use it regularly.” This being said,I will attempt to explain.

Most people in Education thesedays believe in the value ofprofessional dialogue. There is agreat deal of value in gettingtogether to talk about struggles andtriumphs in the classroom. The onlyproblem is that these conversationsdon’t get to happen often, and veryrarely do they cross the confines ofschool divisions. Twitter allows usnot only to engage in professionaldiscussion outside of the borders ofthe school division, but also outsidethe borders of the country and thecontinent.

By using twitter to follow othereducators, I have been able toconnect with both new andexperienced teachers all aroundNorth America and beyond. Asthose teachers tweet about tips,tricks, books that they recommend,or technology tools, I am able tolearn from them. It was throughTwitter that I discovered Educon,an educational conference inPhiladelphia that allows teachersto participate online for free. FreeConferences? That hooked me rightaway. When I find an interestingwebsite, or journal article, I oftentake a moment to tweet it out toshare with others.

Hashtags (#) are another source forfollows. By following a hashtag,Twitter users can follow all tweetson a specific topic. Some beneficialones that I have found have been#edchat (all tweets concerneducational discussion), #edtech(all tweets concern educationaltechnology), and #ntchat (adialogue page between new andexperienced teachers who act asmentors)

Twitter allows educators to developa stronger network with each other,and helps us to engage inmeaningful discussion with like-minded professionals. It is bestlearned when used. Try it out. Letme know how it goes. Drop me anemail if you have questions. I hopethat I haven’t confused you more,but encouraged you to consider thisvaluable tool in creating a PersonalLearning Network. It has been anamazing experience for me so far. Ihope you’ll give it a shot.

It can seem overwhelming to try out

new technologies, but with Twitter,

the best way to learn is to sign up

and play around a bit. If you’re

thinking about taking the Twitter

plunge, here are a few users that I

recommend you follow:

@mrhyland (me)

@Skmiddleyears

@teachingwthsoul

@cybraryman1

@courosa

@shellterrell

@byrnesa

@web20classroom

@shareski

@gcouros

@saskateach

@tomwhitby

@jonbecker

@mollybmom

@Nunavut_Teacher

For more info on educators that

use Twitter to connect with other

educators, check out the videos on this

link: http://bit.ly/twitter4teachers

Terminology

Twitter – A web 2.0 Social

Networking tool that gives you 140

characters to tell the world what

you’re doing or thinking.

Tweet – What they call a post, or

update in the world of Twitter.

Follow – subscribing to another

Twitter User, which allows you to

see what they “Tweet” about.

The Twitterverse and uBy Derek Hyland (@mrhyland)


Artists are often inspired by theworld they live in and what isaround them. In this assignment wewill create landscapes which havebeen inspired by the Saskatchewanlandscape. We will be using penciland oil pastel to complete thisassignment.

Begin drawing your landscape byusing pencil. After you haveoutlined (or drawn the contour) ofyour image you can then begin tofill it in with oil pastel using thetechniques you learned in class.When completing this assignmentyou must keep in mind thefollowing:

1. There are four main parts toevery landscape (you mustshow all four of these):

• A Horizon Line

• A Background

• A Middle ground

• A Foreground (Or point ofemphasis)

2. Your image must include a lightsource. This means that youmust shade in all objectsaccording to the direction of thelight that is present and showmatching cast shadows!

3. You should create a point ofemphasis (focal point) in yourartwork. Think back to how youcreated an example of emphasison your folder to help you dothis. Pick a part of your imagethat you can colour in brightlyor add extra detail to. Whenchoosing your point of emphasisyou should pick what you thinkis the most important or mostinteresting part of your image!

4. This image does not need to looklike a photograph! Many artistshave created beautiful landscapeswithout creating photographicrealism. Reference the landscape

images at the side of the roomoften. These were created byCanadian artists of Canada’slandscape!

Grade Seven – Landscape AssignmentSubmitted by Kara Deshaies, Weyburn Junior High School

The following artwork was created by students at Weyburn Junior High.


Lightsource A stronglightsource isevident. Propercast shadows existon all objectsdrawn. All objectsshow a transitionfrom light to dark.

A lightsource isevident. Castshadows exist onmost objectsdrawn. Mostobjects show atransition fromlight to dark.

A weaklightsource isevident. Some castshadows exist.Objects do notshow a propertransition fromlight to dark.

No lightsource isevident. Objectshave not beenshaded in. No castshadows exist.

Originality

Parts of ALandscape

Point of Emphasis

Natural objects inlandscape havebeen drawnaccording to theirtrue form. Nosymbols of trees,flowers, or otherobjects exist in theimage.

All four parts of alandscape areshown. (AHorizon line, aforeground,midground andbackground)

A point ofemphasis ispresent. It hasbeen accented withadditional colourand detail andstands out fromthe rest of thelandscape.

Natural objectshave been drawnaccording to theirtrue form most ofthe time. A fewmodifications havebeen made toobjects to simplifythe way they havebeen drawn.

Only 3 of the 4parts of alandscape areshown.

A point ofemphasis ispresent but has notbeen accented inany way.Emphasis has onlyoccurred due toplacement or size.

Natural objects inlandscape havebeen simplified.Many of theobjects have beendrawnsymbolically anddo not resemblethose in theoriginal photo.

Only 2 of the 4parts of alandscape areshown.

Point of emphasisis unclear.Different parts ofthe landscape are“fighting” forattention.

All objects drawnhave beensimplified and donot resemble thosein the originalphotograph.

Only 1 of the fourparts of alandscape isshown. Drawing isincomplete.

A point ofemphasis has notbeen included.

M A B E


Materials• Foam Core used for mounting prints. (scrap pieces are available from framing places) Cut the foam core into long

narrow strips.

• Rose window patterns copied on white tag (included)

• pencil crayons

• fine tipped roller ball pens

• glue guns

• white glue

• Foam core cut into large right angle triangles

• A&E video – Michelangelo Artist and Man (Due to air on A&E on November 23. list of timeswww.AandE.com/class or www.cableducation.ca)

Procedure1. Have the children trace a pattern for their cathedral on scrap paper. The cathedral can be any different shapes.

(See diagrams) However, the rose window must fit nicely on to the facade. Facade is a key word in this lesson.

Cathedral FacadesSubmitted by Monique Martin, Georges Vanier School


2. The children select pieces of precut foam core and lay it into the existing plan with the narrow side up (seediagram). All pieces must be lined up on what will be the bottom of the cathedral.

3. The students can glue it together using white glue if they are young or with glue guns if they are older. If usingwhite glue you may need to use masking tape to hold the structure together while it dries. It seems that theywork slowly enough that it dries effectively.

4. When it is dry the side pieces (triangles) will be glued in place to hold it up. (see diagram)

5. The front doors of the cathedral can then be created using scraps of foam core and glue. The keyword here to beintroduced is keystone. A keystone is the final stone on the top of the arch taht equally distributes the weight ofthe other stones so that an arch can stand. I had the children create the arches for the doorways using brick likeshapes and a keystone.

6. The next keyword to be introduced is Rose Window. The pattern included is a basic shape for a rose window.Rose windows are often found on the facades of large churches. They may make more intricate designs within thepattern using the roller ball fine tip pens. They can then add the colour of the stained glass with pencil crayon.

7. Glue the rose window on and do any other decorating they desire. Ex. sculptures, columns and doors.

8. Title their church.

ResourcesBrimber, Christiane. Introducing Castles. Young Library: East Sussex, 1989Fragher, Benjiman. The Illustrated History of Architecture. Aventinum: Prague, 1994.Howarth, Era. Crash Course in Architecture. Doubleday: Toronto, 1990


cutting classes, collecting pills,sniffing glue, but she doesn’t wantto betray her sister and have hersent back to the hospital. ThenJimmy tells Elena’s parents aboutthe pills and Dora is sent awayagain. Elena is furious with Jimmy,with Dora, and with her parents.She is also sad, and guilty.

One helpful and interesting thingabout this story is that Elena has atherapist of her own. Her parentsdo understand that Dora’s illness ishard on Elena, who needs someoneto talk to about it. Elena’s therapist

trouble. The story is toldfrom the point of view ofElena, who is fourteen andin grade nine, the youngersister in a family of twogirls. Her seventeen yearold sister Dora becomesseverely depressed and hasto be hospitalized. Elenaand Dora have always beenclose, and shared every -thing. But now Dora isclearly very ill, distant andunpredictable, andElena’s parents arearguing late atnight. Elena feelsresponsible, andtakes on the task ofhelping her sisterrecover, the task ofgetting her familyback to normal. But thepressure mounts, and theresponsibility becomes too muchfor Elena to bear.

Much of the story takes place atschool, where Elena’s teachersknow about the family’s crisis, butdon’t understand its effect on Elena.There is also a boy named Jimmy,who asks Elena every day howDora is doing, and who offers totalk to Elena whenever she needsthat. Jimmy’s mom is a therapist,and Jimmy knows aboutdepression. The story builds towardits climax when Dora comes homefrom the hospital and things don’tgo well. Elena knows that Dora is

I feel a little sad as I begin writingthis column, because it is my last. Iwill be retiring on June 30, 2011after 41 years of teaching (eight inmiddle years classrooms and 33 atthe University of Regina). But inspite of my sadness at timepassing, I also feel satisfied withmy career, and grateful to theSMYA and the many teachers whohave kept me grounded in whatgood literature can mean formiddle years students. And I amgrateful to my colleague Dr.

Barbara McNeil, the Children’sLiterature professor at theUniversity of Regina, who is nowtaking over the “Good Books”column and will be writing to youfrom now on.

In this last column, the emphasis ison middle years kids and theirfamilies, in all their variety. It’scoincidental that all four booksfeature a middle years girl as themain character. I didn’t plan that.But each book includes at least oneinteresting male character at theheart of the story, and I think allthese books will have wide appeal.

Blackbox by Julie Schumacher.2008. New York: Delacourte Press(Random House). ISBN 978-0-440-24064-8 paperback.

One reviewer has said that this isthe story of a good family thatsuddenly finds itself in bad

Good Books ForMiddle Years KidsBy Meredith Cherland


is an older woman who listens welland offers useful, nonjudgmentalsuggestions. Her conversations withElena are helpful to us all. I alsoenjoyed Elena’s relationship withJimmy, who is a funny and caringgrade nine boy, a friend to Elenawho might also be interested inromance. That hint of attraction willinterest many middle years kids.(There is even a kiss.)

If you’d like some chances to talkwith your middle years studentsabout complicated family dynamicsor mental illness, then this book isfor you. It will increase theirunderstanding of a problem thataffects many families, and increasetheir empathy for people whosuffer.

A Perfect Gentle Knight by KitPearson. 2008. Toronto: PearsonCanada Inc. ISBN 978-0-14-331258-1.

There are six Bell children, all ofthem trying to adjust to theirmother’s recent death and theirfather’s increasing remoteness fromthe family. The children havealways shared an imaginative gamein which they are each a differentKnight of the Roundtable. Thesecond sister Corrie, age eleven andin Grade Six, is the central character.We see the story unfold from herpoint of view. Corrie’s eldestbrother Sebastian (age 15) leads theKnights of the Round Table game asSir Lancelot, and seems to need thefantasy to get through daily life.Corrie’s oldest sister Roz (age 13) isgrowing up and thinks the game isfoolish. Her younger brother Harryloves the game, and the neglectedtwins, in Grade One, are runningwild. Corrie tries to hold the familytogether.

In this book too we have a middleyears girl taking on more responsi -bility for her family than is good forher. But Canadian author Kit

Pearson has given us more than isusual of Corrie’s interior life. Shenarrates Corrie’s thoughts andfeelings and worries with greatsensitivity. The story is not plotdriven, although there is suspense,and eventually a hopeful ending. Inthis book it’s the characters andtheir relationships that create theinterest and keep us reading.

The grieving children are thenovel’s most compelling characters.The adults play minor parts: afather who can hardly manage tokeep going, a housekeeper whodoesn’t care, a concerned aunt, afriend’s loving mother. But it’s thechildren’s lives that matter to thestory. They all conspire to protecttheir father by keeping him ignorantof what’s happening to Sebastian ashe sinks into grief, loneliness anddepression. But Corrie’s schoolfriend Meredith adds acounterpoint to the sadness of thestory: She’s an only child withconventional parents, and sheenvies Corrie her imaginativesiblings, her freedom, and her largeuntidy house. We readers can seethen that Corrie’s life isn’t all bad.

It might not be every middle yearskid who enjoys this of story of afamily’s complicated life. But I thinksome middle years readers will findit compelling and memorable.

The City of Ember by JeanneDuPrau. 2003. New York: RandomHouse. ISBN 978-0-375-82274-2.

This was a book I couldn’t put down!It’s action packed science fiction, thestory of a city called Ember wheregreat electric lights have kept thedarkness at bay for as long as anyonecan remember. In this world thechildren are assigned adult jobs onthe day they graduate from Grade 8.Lina Mayfleet would like to be amessenger, but instead she drawsthe job of Pipeworks labourer, which

means that she will spend her lifeworking in damp tunnels deepunder the ground. Doon Harrowdraws the job of messenger, andsurprises Lina by asking her to trade.Doon wants to be under the groundbecause that’s where the generatoris. The great lights of Ember arebeginning to flicker, and there aremore frequent blackouts that terrifyeveryone. Doon has some ideasabout how to fix the generator, andhe wants to try.

Both Lina and Doon have lostparents. Doon still has a father, butboth Lina’s parents have died. Shelives with her grandmother andwith her baby sister Poppy. As thestory unfolds and Lina beginsdelivering messages around thecity, she uncovers a plot. The mayorand his henchman are hoardingprecious supplies, and are doingnothing at all to fix the generator.Doon searches desperately for thegenerator, and Lina’s aginggrandmother searches in herdementia for something lost thatshe knows she must find. With thehelp of the prologue, we readerscome to realize that she is searchingfor the written instructions,generations old, that explain how toleave Ember and escape into aworld of light.

How Lina and Doon join forces tofind “the instructions” and savethemselves and others is at the heartof a suspenseful and engagingstory. There’s a map of the City ofEmber at the beginning of the book,so it’s easy to follow Lina and Doonas they move around the shadowystreets. And the details of daily lifein Ember are evocative: everyoneeats vegetables, and not much else;there are very few books in thecity’s library; and on the onlynational holiday everyone gathersin the town square to sing. There arealso some interesting moraldilemmas for Lina and Doon to


Call for ArtworkWe are looking for student artwork to showcase in the journal. Please send artwork (preferablyblack and white) to:

Chantel Kaufmann5148 Genereux DriveRegina SK S4X 4P2

Please include the student’s name, grade and school on the back of work.

negotiate. Should they tell Doon’sfather what they’re up to? Can theytake the baby Poppy with them ontheir adventures? This is the first offour “Books of Ember,” and I’mlooking forward to reading theothers very soon!

Dear Toni by Cyndi Sand-Eveland. 2008. Toronto: TundraBooks. ISBN 978-0-88776-876-7.

Grade Six student Gene Tucks hasjust moved to town from up north,and she’s now the new kid atschool. The other kids aren’tfriendly, but she likes her teacherMr. Mackenzie – that is, until hegives the class a hundred-dayjournal-writing assignment. Theyare all to write a daily journal entryabout their lives, and then after 100days the journals will be locked inthe town’s museum vault for 40years. Gene finds it very hard towrite to someone who isn’t evenborn yet, but little by little shediscovers how to do it. She begins

to write to an imaginary figurecalled Toni, and finds out as thedays go by that “Toni” is a goodlistener, and a reliable friend towhom she can tell everything.

Because this novel is written injournal format, its pages aredecorated with doodles and funnydrawings. A story unwinds in thedaily writing, funny, lively, andsometimes sad. At first Mr.Mackenzie’s journal prompts giveus information. We find out howGene got her name, who themembers of her family are, andwhat she misses about her home inthe north. We learn that Gene’sparents are struggling to make aliving, that she has a youngerbrother she doesn’t like very much,and that she’s lonely and needs afriend. Gene learns to play fieldhockey and has a lonelyHalloween. But then good thingsbegin to happen. Gene gets to takecare of three lively puppies, andshe makes a friend of another newgirl at school named Winn.

Over the course of the story Gene’srelationship with her parentschanges, her relationship with herbrother changes, and her relation -ship with Winn changes. Generemains her fresh and funny self,but she learns to value other peoplemore, and that brings its ownrewards. I smiled right through tothe last page, when Gene’s journalconcludes because it has to beburied in the vault. I was sorry tosee it end!

ConclusionAnd there’s my last column! It’stime to go. I have been a member ofthe SMYA since it began in 1981,and writing this column for In theMiddle has been a pleasure and anoutlet for me over the years. Thankyou, middle years teachers, forgiving me the opportunity to sharethese books. Thank you for beingsuch an appreciative audience.Thank you for the wonderful workthat you do. I wish you and yourstudents the very best.


Brain Boostersfor Teachers

Compiled by: Alison Newman

Hopping SquaredNo materials are needed, just asection of four floor tiles per child.Starting off, the teacher shouldinstruct the class to stand up andspread out because they will beoccupying a four square area. Theteacher should explain to the classthat the upper left square will be“square one” followed by the upperright square being “square two,” thebottom left being “square three,” andthe bottom right being “square four.”The teacher should then instruct theclass to stand on their left foot in“square one.” Then, as the teachercalls out square numbers (1,3,4,2,4,etc.) the students should hop on theirleft foot to the designated square.This will demand a sense of balanceand body image while requiring thestudents to be attentive to theteacher’s directions.

Developed by: Dan Deegan, AlbionCollege

52 Pick UpThe materials needed for thisactivity include: a deck of playingcards, a room, and children.

To begin this activity, have studentsform pairs and each person picks upa playing card found in the middleof the room. Once the students havea playing card, together with theirpartner, they will decide what

station to go to based on the suits oftheir playing cards. For example, ifone person had hearts as his/her suitand the partner had diamonds ashis/her suit the two of them wouldhave to decide as a team to go eitherto the heart’s station or diamond’sstation. If both people in a group hadclubs, then they could only go to theclub’s station.

At each station, students are requiredto do the activity that is listed. Forexample, at the heart’s stationstudents would be required to do tenjumping jacks. After each pairdecides on which station they aregoing to, the teacher will call outeither to add, subtract, or multiplythe pair’s cards together. Once thepair has come up with their number,they will see if that is the highestnumber amongst the other pairs attheir station. If it is the highestnumber, then that pair only has to dohalf the amount of work that isrequired. For example, instead ofdoing ten jumping jacks, the pairwould only have to do five.Everyone else would have to do tenjumping jacks at the station. After apair finishes at a station, they willreturn their playing cards to thecenter of the room and each personwould select another card.

This activity is then repeated.

Developed by: Colette Burcar, Universityof Michigan


Planet XThere is no equipment needed forthis activity, however an open spaceis necessary for planet formationand rotation. Take the students to aplace with a lot of room and definethe boundaries for the activity usinglines on the floor or landmarks.Have the students spread out withinthe boundary, making sure that notwo students are standing too closeto each other. Explain to thestudents that they will be listeningto you give instructions on how tomove throughout the boundary.There will be a series of instructionsand the students must listen closelyto find out how to move. Anexample of how you might have thestudents move is to tell them to turn90 degrees to the right and then taketwo steps forward. Explain to themthat after each movement, anystudents who can reach out andtouch each other without taking astep are to move together and standnext to each other. Once thesestudents come together, they mustalso move together.

Once three students are standingtogether, any student who can touchthat group by taking one steptowards them in any direction willmove and join that group. Once 5students are standing together, anystudent who can take two steps andreach them will go and stand withthat group and move along withthat group. The game continuesuntil all students have formed onelarge group or a planet. Explain tothe students that this activitymimics the way

gravity would work to form theSun, Earth, and other planets. Tellthem that they each representedparticles of dust, and as they movedaround they stuck to each other dueto gravity. The larger the particlesbecame, the more they attractedother particles. Eventually, all theparticles moved together and, ifthere were enough of them, theyformed a planet.

Adaptations

A.Variations to this activitywould include having thechildren move in differentways.

B. You could also have studentsclose their eyes and try to do itfor a more difficult task.

Developed by: Tom Weinmann, AlbionCollege

References

Kenneth Lowrey’s Science Demosat: http://home.earthlink.net

Knots of PeopleNo materials are needed for thisactivity. Divide the students intoteams of 6-12 members, dependingon how difficult you would like tomake the exercise.

Have each person join right handswith another person in the group,but it has to be someone who is notstanding immediately to the left orright. Then have

each person join left hands withanother person in a group, but it hasto be someone who is NOT standingimmediately to the left or right andsomeone other than before. Now thegroups have to untangle themselveswithout letting go of hands. Theymay have to loosen their grips alittle to allow for twisting andturning. They may also have to stepover or under other people. The firstgroup to untangle their knot is thewinner. There are four possiblesolutions to

the knot.

• One large circle with peoplefacing either direction.

• Two interlocking circles

• A figure eight

• A circle within a circle

Source

Kimberly Steel. “Kim’s Korner forTeacher Talk.” 1997-2000

Developed by: Katie Jazwinski, Universityof Michigan

Frozen VocabularyNo materials are necessary for thisactivity. Before beginning make surestudents are at least an arm’s lengthaway from each other and haveenough room for movement. Beginby having your students do anactivity in place next to their desks.This can include jogging in place,jumping jacks, toe touches, etc. Theywill continue the physical activityuntil you call out a vocabularyword, at which point they have to“freeze”. They may not resumeactivity until someone uses theword properly in a sentence.

Developed by: Cathy Johnson, ProjectFirst Step

Beachball ReviewYou will need a beach ball or a bagball for this activity. Use the beachball to review lessons and concepts.Have the teacher begin by asking aquestion and then tossing the ball toa student who will answer thequestion as they toss it back to theteacher.

Adaptations

To increase the difficulty of thereview or discussion, have eachstudent answer the question andthen think of another question to aska student as they pass the ball tothem. Continue by passing fromstudent to student rather thanthrough the teacher.

You could also try using multipleballs or divide your class intogroups. Change the size of the ballfor older students.

Developed by: Cathy Johnson, ProjectFirst Step


Everyone knows a teacher who does an outstanding job in the middle. Please give that person therecognition they deserve. Fill out the attached information, and send it to the address below or email theinformation to [email protected].

Teacher’s Name: _____________________________________________________________________________

School: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Teaching Assignment: ________________________________________________________________________

Three words describing the teacher’s personality:

A sentence or two describing the teacher’s relationship with:

a) Students:

b) Colleagues:

c) Community:

Anything else you would like mentioned?


SASKATCHEWAN MIDDLE YEARS ASSOCIATION

Application for Membership

WHAT CAN THE SMYA DO FOR YOU???Members receive:

• Three issues of In the Middle – the only professional middle years journal published in Canada• Three issues of President’s News – keeping you up-to-date on middle years news• Inservice up-dates across the province

Name

Mailing Address

Employed By

Present Position

Are you an STF member? ❑ Yes ❑ No Teaching Certificate Number: ________________________________________

I have enclosed a cheque or money order for $25.00 I understand this is my membership fee for one year.

I hereby consent to the collection, storage and use of personal information by and for the executive of the SMYA forpurposes of receiving “In The Middle”, the journal of the Association, the “President’s Newsletter” and periodicnotification of upcoming professional development opportunities. Information is processed and maintained in aconfidential database by the STF.

DATE SIGNATURE

Please mail this application form when completed to:Chantel Kaufmann

Saskatchewan Middle Years Association5148 Genereux DriveRegina SK S4X 4P2

✔

S M Y A

✔

❍ I hereby apply for membership in the Saskatchewan Middle Years Association.Membership for one year is $25.00

❍ I hereby apply for membership renewal in the Saskatchewan Middle Years Association. Renewal for one year is $25.00


Title Quantity Price TotalAcademic Success Through Empowering Students $15.00 Authentic Assessment From A-Z $20.00 A Vision of Excellence $10.00 Connecting The Curriculum Through Interdisciplinary Instruction $20.00 Day One and Beyond $25.00 Drumming To The Beat of Different Marchers $25.00 Dynamite In The Classroom: How-To Handbook For Teachers $25.00 Essential Questions- With Answers- for Middle Level Teachers $9.00 Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessing and Grading In A Differentiated Classroom $30.00 For the Love of Books $16.00 Grounded For Life $22.00 H.E.L.P. For Teachers $1.00 H.E.L.P. How to Enjoy Living With A Preadolescent $1.00 How To Become An Exemplary Middle School Principal $12.00 If You Don’t Feed The Teachers The Eat The Students $20.00 Implementing and Improving Teaming $30.00 “In The Middle: Writing, Reading, and Learning with Adolescents” $24.00 Inside-Outside in the Middle $30.00 Integrated Studies in The Middle Grades $25.00 Integrating Instuction In Language Arts $20.00 Integrating Instruction In Math $20.00 Integrating Instruction In Science $20.00 Integrating Instruction In Social Studies $20.00 Interdisciplinary Units and Projects for Thematic Instruction $30.00 Living With A Work In Progress $15.00 Middle Level Education in Small Rural Schools $12.00 The Middle Years: A Parent’s Handbook $1.00 Mr. DeVore’s Do-Over $12.00 More H.E.L.P. $1.00 Not Much Just Chillin’: The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers $20.00 Parenting 911 $25.00 Prescriptions For Success in Heterogeneous Classrooms $25.00 Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men $24.00 The Rebooting of a Teacher’s Mind $21.00 Reflections From A Teacher’s Heart $6.00 Research and Resources in Support of This We Believe $10.00 The Roller Coaster Years $22.00 A School-Wide Approach to Student-Led Conferences $20.00 Service Learning In The Middle School: Building A Culture of Service $12.00 Staff Development Kit: Implementing The Middle School Concept $24.00 Starting Points: How To Set Up And Run A Writer’s Workshop $22.00 Student-Oriented Curriculum: Asking The Right Questions $20.00 Teacher’s Teaming Handbook: A Middle Level Planning Guide $30.00 Teaching 10-14 Year Olds $30.00 Team Organization: Promise-Practices and Possibilties $15.00 The Team Process $22.00 This I Believe Flyer $1.00

SMYA/NMSA Resources


Plus shipping and handling.

Title Quantity Price TotalThis We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents $8.00 This We Believe In Action $25.00 Tools for Teaching Content Literacy $14.00 Treasure Chest: A Teacher Advisory Source Book $30.00 Turning Points 2000: Educationg Adolescents in the 21st Century $25.00 Using Portfolios Across the Curriculum $20.00 Watershed: A Successful Voyage Into Integrative Learning $25.00 Watershed: Whole Learning Activities Book $27.00 What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know $30.00 Writing For Real: Strategies for Engaging Adolescent Writers $25.00

TOTALTo Order:Lana SteinerRR 2 9-77Canora, SKS0A 0L0email: [email protected]


Saskatchewan Middle Years Association

Harold SchultzMiddle YearsDevelopment Fund

IntroductionThe need exists in Saskatchewan to encouragecontinued development in the Middle Yearsarea. The SMYA is the logical organization toinitiate and encourage such development.

This development fund was established toencourage Saskatchewan based projects and/or programs related to the Middle Years child.The fund is named in honour of Mr. HaroldSchultz who was a driving force in starting theMiddle Years concept in Saskatchewan. It wasthrough his research, his encouragement and hisdedication that the philosophy of Middle Years Education took hold and continues togrow today.

Objectives of the FundThe monies of the fund are to assist, financially,individuals, groups and/or schools in develop -ing programs or research projects that increasethe understanding and awareness of the MiddleYears child in Saskatchewan.

The monies of the fund may be awarded to thoseprojects, ideas or programs that help to increasethe understanding and awareness of the MiddleYears child and/or promote effectiveness of theMiddle Years teacher.

PLEASE NOTE:There is no application form for this award. Candidates must submit a written applicationmeeting the guidelines below.

General Guidelines for Selection1. The results of such projects, programs, or practices

supported by this fund must be made available forthe use of the SMYA and its members.

2. The recipient(s) of monies from the fund mustsubmit a comprehensive typewritten report tothe SMYA executive upon completion of theprojects.

3. The SMYA journal, In the Middle, must beprovided with a synopsis of useful andrelevant results of the funded project(s) forpublishing purposes.

4. The recipients must acknowledge the financialassistance of the SMYA in the text of thecomprehensive typewritten report.

5. The executive of the SMYA has the right tochange, delete, or add any conditions related tothe awarding of monies related to the fund.

Conditions1. Payment of the monies of the fund will be 50

per cent when the project is approved by theSMYA Selection Committee and 50 per centupon completion of the project and thesubmission of an article suitable for publicationin our journal.

2. The allocation of the monies granted will bemade at the discretion of the SMYA SelectionCommittee.

3. Applications for the 2010 award can be madeany time prior to October 1, 2011.

4. Each application will be acknowledged andrecipients will be notified of decisionsimmediately following the SelectionCommittee’s meeting.

5. The amount of the monies of the fund to beallocated at the discretion of the SelectionCommittee shall not exceed $1000.00.

6. Applications will be received in a formatapproved by the SMYA Selection Committee.Interested persons should forward inquiries to:

Harold Schultz Middle Years Development FundATTENTION: Chantel Kaufmann Pilot Butte School, 5148 Genereux Drive, Regina SK S4X 4P2(S) 781-4488 email: [email protected]

S M Y A


The Saskatchewan Middle Years Association strives to promote an understanding of Middle YearsEducation within the province of Saskatchewan. Therefore, the President, on behalf of the Association, annually presents “The President’s Award” to recognize individual excellence in middle years education.

Members of SMYA are invited to nominate an individual to be considered as a recipient of this award.

Criteria1. The award will be presented to an educator who has made meritorious contribution to middle years

education both locally and provincially.

2. Nomination must be made by a current member of SMYA.

TimelineApplications for the 2010 award must be submitted to the President by October 1, 2011.


President’s Award

A. NOMINEE INFORMATIONName Address Work Address Position HeldTelephone – Home Office

B. NOMINATOR INFORMATIONName Address Work Address Position HeldTelephone – Home Office

C. POINT FORM OUTLINE OF THE CANDIDATE’S CONTRIBUTIONS:

D. ATTACH A STATEMENT SUPPORTING YOUR NOMINATION (MAXIMUM 1,000 WORDS)

Mail all submissions to: Mike Spicer, 343 Fairview Road, Regina SK S4R 6W2 Email: [email protected]

Nomination Form

S M Y A


The SMYA supports and encourages special projects, initiatives, and student conferences. Because of this,

SMYA has established a grant fund, which will allow our organization to support such ventures. Money will

be awarded in two installments. Fifty per cent of the grant will be paid up front while the remaining 50 per

cent will be awarded on submission of a written report that can be published in In the Middle, the SMYA

journal. Applications should show how the project, initiative, or conference would enhance the education of

the middle level students involved. Priority will be given to those applicants which are organized by

students, for students, or that go beyond regular classroom excursions/trips.

1. Applications for funds must be made BEFORE the project, initiative, or conference takes place AND

before an SMYA executive meeting. The deadlines for consideration at an executive meeting are:

a. April 30

b. June 30

c. December 30

2. Applicants must fill in the form and include a half to one-page summary or outline of the project,

initiative, or conference on a separate piece of paper.

3. Applicants must be SMYA members.

4. Funds for grants will be set aside by the executive in the annual budget.

5. The maximum amount available for the grants in $1000 per year. Amounts awarded are at the discretion

of the SMYA executive.

6. All special projects receiving the initial SMYA financial support will be required to provide SMYA with a

written report suitable for publication in the SMYA journal in order to receive their second installment.


Youth Grant

S M Y A


Application for Financial Assistance forSMYA Youth Grant

Deadlines for applications are: June 30, December 30, April 30

School Name/Group Name

School Address

School Phone Number Postal Code

Teacher Contact

Type of Event Date

Location

Number of Participants For Students and/or Teachers

Anticipated Costs Sources of Funding

Food Amount

Speakers Source

Accommodation

Travel

Other (specify)

Total

Outline of EventPlease include a brief description of the project including rationale for the project, format and anticipated activities.

Do you have an active SMYA membership? ❑ Yes ❑ NoHave you received SMYA funding before? ❑ Yes ❑ NoAre you willing to:a) Provide a report suitable for publication in the SMYA journal? ❑ Yes ❑ Nob) Make a presentation at our Annual Conference? ❑ Yes ❑ No

Please provide any additional information that will assist us in processing your request and attach it to the form.

DateSignature

Saskatchewan Middle Years Associationc/o Chantel Kaufmann Pilot Butte School 5148 Genereux Drive, Regina SK S4X 4P2(S) 781-4488email: [email protected]



From time to time, the SaskatchewanMiddle Years Association (SMYA) willgather, maintain, and use personal infor-mation about its members. This policyoutlines the steps that the SMYA willundertake to safeguard the privacy ofthis information.

1. Accountability

a. The Executive shall appoint one of itsmembers as the SMYA PrivacyCompliance Officer.

b. The Executive may appoint othermembers of the Executive to beresponsible for collecting personalinformation subject to the terms setout in this policy.

c. Complaints and/or inquiries arisingfrom the collection of personal infor-mation shall be directed to the PrivacyCompliance Officer of the organiza-tion.

d. Personal information of the member-ship shall be shared with and main-tained by the Saskatchewan Teachers’Federation (STF) for grant purposes.

e. Personal information shall not beshared with any other third parties.

2. Purposes

a. Personal information will be used forcommunication purposes only. Thesecommunication vehicles will includethe SMYA journal, the President’snewsletter, and periodic mail outs,which may advise the membership ofupcoming professional developmentopportunities.

3. Consent

a. Consent to gather personal informa-tion shall be obtained annually fromthe membership at conference.

b. Registration forms for new orrenewed memberships shall contain a“Consent for Release of PersonalInformation” section.

c. This policy shall be made available toall members.

d. Information collected by the SMYAmay be disclosed to the STF for grantpurposes and/or to the members ofthe SMYA Executive only.

4. Limiting Collection

a. The information collected shall be limited to:

i. Nameii. Addressiii. Postal Codeiv. Teaching Certificate Numberv. Telephone Number

b. Name, Address, and Postal Codeinformation are needed to send com-munication to the member

c. A teaching certificate number isrequired by the STF for grant purposes.

d. Telephone numbers are required tocommunicate with members quickly(i.e. in the event of a program cancel-lation).

5. Limiting Use, Disclosure andRetention

a. Membership information shall beretained for as long as a person is amember of the organization.

b. Lapsed membership information willbe retained for a maximum of oneyear.

c. Lapsed information in electronic or“hard copy” form shall be securelydestroyed.

6. Accuracy

a. Membership renewal information willbe checked for accuracy with the indi-vidual member.

b. Individual members of the SMYAshall be responsible for informing theorganization’s Privacy ComplianceOfficer with appropriate updates totheir personal information.

SMYA Privacy Policy7. Safeguards

a. All reasonable measures shall be takento protect members’ personal infor-mation against loss or theft.

b. Access to electronically stored infor-mation shall be limited to members ofthe organization’s Executive only.

c. Executive members shall annually bemade aware of the need to protect theprivacy of members’ personal infor-mation.

d. This policy shall be reviewed annually.

8. Openness

a. This policy shall be published on theorganization’s website.

b. This policy shall be published annual-ly in the Association journal.

9. Individual Access

a. Upon a request by a member, thePresident shall confirm the existenceof a member’s personal informationand shall provide a copy of this policyto the member.

b. If a member deems her/his personalinformation to be inaccurate, themember shall be given the opportuni-ty to correct any inaccuracy.

10. Challenging Compliance

a. Complaints and/or inquires regardingthis policy shall be directed to thePrivacy Compliance Officer of theorganization.

b. Upon receiving a complaint and/orinquiry, the Privacy ComplianceOfficer shall attempt to resolve theissue as expeditiously as possible.

ISSN: 0823-695X Volume 29, Number 3 June 2011

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