The 10th Annual DCIU Education Foundation Golf Outing, held on September 29, was a huge success, thanks to the dozens of sponsors and supporters, golfers, volunteers and planning committee members who contributed to this annual event.

The golf outing is the premier fundraiser for the Foundation, bringing in funds used for mini grants of up to $1,000 for DCIU’s classroom teachers. Throughout the years, grant monies have been approved for numerous programs, including a music program for children with hearing loss, vocational training and books for students with disabilities, and equipment, such as special computers and software, digital and video cam-eras, and more.

The Foundation is gearing up for another round of grant applications for the Spring.

Education Foundation Golf Outing a Success

New DCIU Executive Director Tapped

I am pleased to inform you, if you haven’t already heard, that the DCIU Executive Director Search Committee has identified a finalist for the position — Larry O'Shea, Ph.D. DCIU stake-holders were invited to meet Dr. O’Shea last week and give their input on his potential as the next Executive Director. As a result of the positive feedback received, the Board will officially appoint Dr. O’Shea as your new Executive Director at a special meeting on Monday, October 20.

Dr. O'Shea is currently the Executive Director of IU 1, Coal Center, PA, a position he has held since 2002. He has a great deal of education, training and experience in special education, has held numerous teaching, administrative and leadership positions, has published many articles and presentations and is active in numerous professional associations and community organizations. Dr. O’Shea is expected to begin his tenure with DCIU around December 1.

I share the Board’s confidence in Dr. O’Shea’s capability to help carry out DCIU’s mission and goals, and to lead this wonderful organization into the future.

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October 2008

Within the next few weeks, we have some major work scheduled for our building. This will entail a COMPLETE replacement of the roof as well as work on the EIFS (Stucco) exterior walls of the facility. Among other things, this work will require the delivery of material and dumpsters. Consequently, we will need everyone’s patience and cooperation during this time.

Between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., the roofers will be removing part of the roofing material (demolition), so there will be some amount of noise. Throughout the remainder of the day, the installation of the new membrane will occur. You will be kept abreast of any changes. Should you have any questions please contact George Illicher at ext. 2015.

Building Improvements to Morton

‘Tis the season to be jolly...

Experience the warm feeling of gift giving and the holiday spirit by helping a teen parent and child with holiday gifts. Please contact Project ELECT/TAPP Teen Parent Program at 610-447-3978 to let them know you want to adopt a teen and child.

You will be sent a personal request letter written by a teen parent participant which will include the gender, size and age of the child. The gifts will be given to Project ELECT participants in the Chester Upland , Upper Darby, Southeast Delco and William Penn School Districts. If possible, please contact Project ELECT/TAPP by Oc-tober 20.

Their hope is to have the gifts by December 12. Gifts may be dropped off with Barb Darkow in the Morton building.

Project ELECT/TAPP will also be the beneficiaries of the Dress Down Friday proceeds on October 17.

The flu season is (unfortunately) quickly approaching. DCIU has scheduled influenza vaccinations for interested employees at a cost of $25 (reimbursable through the DCIU medical insurance) at the following locations, dates and times:

Folcroft Technical School-Thursday, October 23—2:30 to 4:30 pm

Morton Education Service Center-Wednesday, October 29—2:30 to 4:30 pm

Pennington School-Thursday, November 6—2:30 to 4:30 pm

Consent forms were mailed to all DCIU employees; however, if you did not receive one, you may obtain the form in advance by contacting Michele Karpyn at ext 2057. Forms will also be available at the three sites.

Checks should be made payable to The Centers for Occupational Health.

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Adopt-A-Teen Parent and Child for the Holidays

American Education Week November 16-22, 2008

DCIU UPDATE

DCIU Flu Vaccine Program 2008

Each year, American Education Week (AEW) spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. This week presents an opportunity for all of us to celebrate public education and honor individuals, such as the hundreds of dedicated DCIU employees, who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education.

We hope you will take time out during this week to celebrate our collective efforts in some way. For example, you can nominate a colleague for STARS, hang an American Education Week banner in your building or classroom, send a card or note of appreciation to a teacher or administrator, student or parent, recognize education support personnel for their important work, invite parents and grandparents into your classroom or plan some classroom events with your students. Whatever you do, please keep in mind the importance of highlighting what we all do on a daily basis—educate students and families and help build great public schools.

OCTOBER 2008

DCIU’s own Rebecca Challenger traveled to China over the summer as a participant in the Wuhan University Summer Intensive English Program (WUSIEP), a collaborative project between Wuhan University and The Ohio State University. In this 5th year of the partnership OSU hired 30 instructors from the US to teach intensive English and American culture for four weeks at Wuhan University.

The participating students were selected undergraduates of Wuhan University (ages 18-20), with an English proficiency level equal to TOEFL 450 and higher (Intermediate Level Proficiency). Wuhan University, located in central China, is a large university with 50,000 students. The objectives of this program are to provide intensive spoken English language and American culture instruction with the following goals: 1) to improve students' spoken English; 2) to implement quality education on American cultural topics; 3) to provide a meaningful, communicative, content-based learning experience for students.

Rebecca’s theme over the four weeks was “Americans and Travel.” She taught various topics under this theme (including road trips, adventure travel, business travel) with central goals related to public speaking and oral English.

Date: Saturday, October 18, 2008 Time: 8:30 am

Where: Ridley Creek State Park, Pavilion 11A Entry fees:

$10 per runner $40 for a team of 5

$80 for a team of 10

1st, 2nd & 3rd Place Prizes! Participant gifts!

For more information or to register call Barb Darkow at 610-938-9000 ext. 2058 or email bdarkow@dciu.org.

Proceeds will benefit the DCIU Education Foundation.

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DCIU’s Presence Felt in China

DCIU Education Foundation Fun Run (Walkers Welcome!)

Rebecca’s homeroom class – dumpling party

Rebecca at the Great Wall

Rebecca visiting the Forbidden City Backstage at the Beijing Opera

After months and months of planning, fundraising and construction, a new sensory garden at Coopertown was finally completed and recently opened officially with a ribbon cutting and dedication. The idea for the sensory garden started in late 2005 when DCIU’s MDS teacher, Mary Acchione, began advocating for an “outdoor learning opportunity that would be accessible to all

students and that would offer a variety of sensory experiences and an opportunity to practice functional life skills in a natural setting.” The sensory garden is a serene, lovely setting that includes a bench dedicated to a former student, Andrew Scheck, who passed away before he could graduate with his class in 2006, a birdbath and lots of brightly colored flowers. The centerpiece of the garden is a stone fountain, eye-level with students in wheelchairs, dedicated to the grandmother of Frankie Gentile, a student in Mary’s class, who at age 85, learned to do sign language and massage to help her grandson.

Sharing Talent and Recognizing Service

DCIU October Spotlight: MDS at Coopertown

STARS is an employee recognition program developed in response to the Future Search Initiative. As you know, the responsibilities of the Delaware County Intermediate Unit are as diverse as our staff, students, parents and friends who are involved with the organization and who all work hard to make DCIU successful. That rich diversity creates an opportunity and some challenges in producing a recognition program for the overall DCIU community. And so, because of our diversity, STARS is very broad in the nomination criteria. Therefore, anyone involved with DCIU can nominate anyone else involved with DCIU! A parent can nominate a parent; staff can nominate a student; a teacher can nominate a volunteer -- the combinations are endless. If someone you know has actively participated in the work of DCIU in a way that stands out, or if the individual’s work has contributed toward a positive organization or to those we serve, or if that person has shown leadership, responsibility, creativity and a positive attitude, or if he/she works well with others and continually upholds the mission and values of DCIU, then please nominate that individual for STARS recognition.

The DCIU STARS are recognized monthly at our Board of Directors meeting; what a great opportunity to showcase the quality of our staff and our work to our board! They are also listed in this newsletter each month.

The STARS form can be found on the website. Just click on the STARS quick link on the homepage.

Satellite Program at Paxon Hollow

Kudos to Kathleen Tiberio and the DCIU satellite classroom at Paxon Hollow Middle School for a job well done on the very first edition of their newsletter, Out and About. The theme of the newsletter was individuality and features wonderful photos and interviews with staff on their favorite hobbies, an article on the students’ cooking class along with a recipe for pizza, a report on their “silly faces” craft project, a funny, creative “Mad Libs” story about a trip to Mars with a magician, jokes and more — all written by the students! Here’s an example of their work:

Q: Why did the gum cross the road?

A: Because it was stuck on the bottom of the chicken’s foot. Keep up the great work!