MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!

Transcription

1 THE DELTA KAPPA GAMMA SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL ETA State, North Carolina Nu Chapter, Catawba County, Region X Volume XI, No. 1 NU NEWS August, 2015 FROM THE PRESIDEN T DESK Let the countdown begin as we approach a brand Nu year in Delta Kappa Gamma! For those of you still working, I m sure you are in the final panic-filled days of summer vacation. I ve realized how much I haven t gotten marked off my to do list and how those late mornings of sleeping in and nights of staying up late are going to come to an abrupt stop! Lesson plans will begin, shuttling kids to practices and back to school shopping will soon fill my days! Although summer has flown by, I have had a wonderful time representing this fine chapter at numerous DKG events. In June, I headed to Peace University in Raleigh for a 4 day leadership conference. There I learned about legislative issues threatening education, ways to prepare for a sound financial future, yoga wellness and effective leadership. I did manage to squeeze in a trip to Goodberry s for some frozen custard with Donna Rudisill after her excellent presentation on Google docs! Yummy! In July, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Southeast Regional Conference in Savannah, GA. Originally I was worried about traveling so far to a place with over 700 DKG members from 11 different states where I probably wouldn t know a soul. My prayers were answered however when Leslie Black, Carol Bostian, and Donna Rudisill decided to come along with me! We presented a session called Snap to It about photography and editing tricks, and got to sit in on other presentations. Learning about the Bee Cause Project (protecting honeybees and getting observation hives into schools) and hearing from a phenomenal speaker, Polly Letofsky, the first woman to walk around the world and the author of 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman s Walk Continued on page 2 IMPORTANT DATES FOR MARK YOUR CALENDAR!! Sunday, August 9, :00 PM New Member Initiation Ceremony September 1, 2015 Deadline for Lucile Cortenet Individual Professional Development application due (see page 5 for more information) Thursday, September 10, :30 PM St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Hickory Chapter Business Meeting Tuesday, October 6, :15 PM Fashion Extravaganza Dinner & Fashion Show CVCC Multi-purpose Complex Thursday, November 5, :30 PM Abernethy Laurels Chapter Business & Dinner Meeting Saturday, January 9, :30 AM Snow Date: January 16, 2016 Abernethy Laurels Chapter Business & Breakfast Meeting Saturday, March 12, 2016 First Presbyterian Church, Newton Chapter Business Meeting Joint Program Salad Luncheon Gamma Phi Chapter hosts April 22-24, 2016 Eta State Convention July 5-9, 2016 International Convention Gaylord Opryland Resort 9:30 AM Winston-Salem, NC Nashville, TN CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 1

2 FROM THE PRESIDEN T DESK Continued from page 1 Around the World were two of my favorites. She went through 29 pairs of shoes in the course of her 5 year journey, with the last pair being a pair of Ruby Red Slippers...because there s no place like home. For this Wizard of Oz fanatic, I instantly loved her even more! As I look forward to this year, I find myself wondering HOW can we improve Nu chapter, HOW can we get more members involved, HOW can we influence legislation, HOW can we support our beginning teachers, HOW can we impact education around the globe, HOW will we find new chapter leadership...how??? And then I think of Polly. She didn t spend her time worrying about HOW, she just put one foot in front of the other and started walking. She took one day at a time and she relied on the support of others. That s how I hope to lead this year. Thank you sisters for all you do, and I can t wait to see you at our initiation in August! You are going to love our 4 new sisters who have such interesting backgrounds to share! They are going to make amazing contributions to our chapter so please come out to support them! Love to you all, Amanda Moose DUES ARE DUE! Annual Delta Kappa Gamma, Nu Chapter dues are $70.00 ($40 international; $15 state, $14 local chapter, and $1 scholarship funds). Dues are required to be paid on or before FRIDAY September 25 th. We are required to collect all dues by September 25 th in order to meet state and international deadlines. Checks should be made payable to NU Chapter. Payment can be made at the September meeting, or you can mail your check to the following address: Leslie Black 4715 Little Mountain Road Catawba, NC By Amanda Moose Nu Chapter will welcome four new sisters on Sunday August 9 th, 2015 at 4:00 pm at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Hickory. This special time will allow the families of our new initiates to share in this event, while our new members feel a sense of importance, pride, and honor as they join our sisterhood. I am very hopeful that many of our members will be able to attend the Initiation Ceremony to show your support for our new sisters and to help convey exactly what it means to be in DKG! Please mark your calendars now for this special event! CHAPTER BUSINESS MEETING Thursday, September 10, :30 p.m. St. Andrews Lutheran Church Plans are underway for our first business meeting of the new year! This is an extremely important meeting so we need YOU to attend! After light refreshments, we will conduct a business meeting that includes committee reports, chapter business, information from the Fashion Show Committee, and a presentation of Member Excellence Awards. Members are encouraged to be on time so that you can do the following: 1. Pay your dues for ($70.00) 2. Verify &/or update your profile page (e.g. position changes; retirements; address, , phone number changes, & new awards or recognitions) 3. Pick up Fashion Show Tickets and/or sign up to decorate a table, sell tickets, or BOTH 4. Pay your Educational Foundation pledge 5. Order a Nu Chapter shirt We are looking forward to seeing you as we plan for our fall activities!! CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 2

3 The NC Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation PLEDGE COLLECTION BEGINS Edited from Eta Data July, 2015 Dr. Judith B. Carlson, chairman of the Foundation Board of Directors, has asked chapters to collect the money pledged to The North Carolina Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation and any additional monies others might want to contribute. President, Amanda Moose, will bring those pledges and donations to the Elon Executive Board meeting on September 12. Nu Chapter members should send or bring pledges to President Moose by THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 th. These are tax deductible donations, so checks are preferred. Make checks payable to The North Carolina Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation. Checks can also be mailed to Board Treasurer Betty Marshall at 6212 Dresden Lane, Raleigh, NC Please direct any questions to Betty at The Educational Foundation Board of Directors thanks you for supporting The 100 Challenge. PRESIDENT SHEILA S MESSAGE From Eta Data July, 2015 A NEW BIENNIUM! A NEW ADVENTURE I am honored to be your Eta State President. I stand on the strong shoulders ofall my NC sisters who encouraged, inspired, and even gave me a little push from time to time. I m delighted to serve along with First Vice-President Connie Savell, Second Vice-President Sharon Frazier, and Secretary Hilda Parlér. A new biennium! A new adventure! It s exciting to be a NC Delta Kappa Gamma member today. I am proud to belong to an organization that values the contributions of women in all roles of society, an organization that promotes self-knowledge and awareness, an organization that encourages networking and genuine fellowship. NC Delta Kappa Gamma meetings and events not only offer opportunities for personal and professional growth, but they generate meaningful relationships. Our recent state convention and Leadership Development Seminar provided time for members to share information and ideas, to laugh and to enjoy conversations. A highlight for me at both events was the opportunity to talk with some of our youngest members: engaging, informed, and uninhibited. How refreshing! Dynamic programs and projects offer ways for us to make a difference in our communities, our state, and to reach far beyond, to impact the global society. Our many service-oriented opportunities feed children and families, provide support for women s shelters, and put books and educational materials in the hands of students. Recent emphasis on beginning teacher support has moved beyond collecting supplies to include mentoring and counseling to help teachers deal with today s classroom challenges. There s no shortage of complicated legislative issues in NC. Valuable updates and explanations of proposed legislation are available to all members. It s empowering! We are taking more proactive steps - inviting local and state officials into our classrooms and chapter meetings, writing letters, and visiting legislators. We are using our voices of influence. In this biennium we will continue to live the Purposes of our Society, seeking new ways to support women, children, and excellence in education. I challenge you to imagine what we can do as active members of a community seeking solutions to problems that hinder the growth of positive educational programs. I challenge you to inspire others to join us in the work that will support the wellbeing of our children, the advancement of our schools, and the growth of women leaders. I challenge you to ignite a passion for programs and initiatives that will meet the goals of Delta Kappa Gamma and keep us forward moving ever! Let s Create the future! Sheila CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 3

4 MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT By Sonia Foster In August we will welcome four new members and will reinstate one member to Nu Chapter. Orientation was held for the new members on July 27 th and August 4 th at Yvonne Barnhardt s home. The nominees then accepted our invitation to join Nu Chapter. Joining us this fall are: Amanda Summerlin 7 years experience Third Grade Teacher Snow Creek Elementary School Maria Wright 23 years experience Second Grade Teacher Claremont Elementary School April Icard 12 years experience Pre-K Teacher Hickory High School Kerri Wimberly 4 years experience Math Teacher Alexander Central High School JoAnn Watters - Reinstatement All Nu chapter sisters, new and current, are reminded that there are numerous benefits to membership in Delta Kappa Gamma. Did you know you can receive: Scholarships Teaching Grants Insurance discounts Emergency Financial Assistance Funds for educational projects and staff development Ask me how for more information: Sonia Foster, Nu Membership Chair sktfoster@yahoo.com SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE Pictured from left to right: Linda Little past Eta State President; Nu members Carol Bostian, Leslie Black, Amanda Moose, Donna Rudisill, and Eta State President Sheila Groves Nu Chapter president Amanda Moose and sisters Leslie Black, Carol Bostian, and Donna Rudisill attended the Delta Kappa Gamma Southeast Regional Conference in Savannah on July 14-17, They were part of fifty-five members attending from Eta State. The conference theme, 85 Years and Beyond: Advancing Key Women Educators For Life, is also International President Dr. Lyn Babb Schmid s theme for the biennium. Conference highlights included attending general sessions, luncheons, and breakout presentations. These featured presentation of the state presidents, celebrating Georgia Night with treats from the host state, hearing featured speaker Polly Letofsky, the first woman to walk around the world whose inspirational message encouraged each of us to conquer life s challenges... one step at a time, and learning about the Savannah Bee Cause project from Tami Enright who works to educate children about the importance of honeybees and hopes to place 1,000 hives in schools across the United States. On Thursday evening Nu chapter attendees joined members of the NC delegation for dinner at The Pirate s House in genuine spiritual fellowship. The Pirate s House is one of the most historic buildings in Georgia, boasting the first experimental garden in America and tales of sailors who were drugged and kidnapped to serve on pirate ships. Amanda, Donna, and Carol presented the break-out session Snap to It. The session shared information about how to use cameras and/or smart phones with suggestions for taking better pictures. The Southeast Regional Conference was an awesome time to network with our DKG sisters and see a beautiful southern city! CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 4

5 HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE NOTES By Jeana Link The Hospitality Committee has two important dates for the coming year: August 9, 4:00, St. Andrews - Initiation Sept. 10, 5:30, St. Andrews Opening Meeting There will be light refreshments served at the Initiation Ceremony on August 9 th. Hospitality Committee members are asked to help set up and clean up the refreshments for this event. For the September meeting, Hospitality Committee members should watch for a Google Form from Jeana in August to sign up to bring one or two food items for the pre-meeting refreshments. Committee members need to arrive no later than 5:00pm, but help would be greatly appreciated at 4:30pm. All committee members are expected to help. If non-committee members would like to bring an item, it would be greatly appreciated. Just contact Jeana Link. 75 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION By Candy Moretz We will be celebrating Nu Chapter's 75th Anniversary in The History and Archive's Committee has started planning a celebration to honor this very special anniversary. Nu Chapter funds will not be sufficient to fund this event, so the Archives Committee has suggested that we hold a raffle at each meeting with proceeds used towards the anniversary celebration. We had our very first raffle at our March meeting and plan to continue to have a raffle at each meeting to fund our special 75th year celebration. If you would like to donate an item to raffle at a meeting please (cfm@charter.net) or call ( ) Candy Moretz and together we will work to raise the money we will need to have a worthy celebration in IT S TIME!! APPLY FOR CORNETET GRANTS NOW!! From Eta Data July, 2014 an Eta State publication Three times a year the DKG Educational Foundation awards the Lucile Cornetet Individual Professional Development Awards. The grants are awarded for non-degree opportunities, such as seminars, workshops, or national certifications. The Cornetet Award may pay for registration fees and conference-related materials, travel, lodging, food, substitute teacher, if not provided by the district, and other expenses necessary for participation in professional development activities. Information and a link to the application can be found at: Fall applications are due no later than September 1, NOTABLE NU NOTES There are several Nu Notes of interest since our last newsletter and meeting....our prayers are with Martha Rice whose husband, Gene, is having surgery to remove a mass on his thyroid.... Remember Jeana Link who is recovering from a dislocated knee. Please notify Amanda Moose or Carol Bostian at any time with news for the newsletter. REGION X Notable Nu Notes SUMMER EVENT President Amanda Moose and Carol Bostian attended the Region X Summer Event, A Day in Historic Valdese, on Saturday August 1 st. We toured the Waldensian Heritage Museum, visited a train museum, and walked the Trail of Faith. We were awed by the determination of the Waldenses to share their faith while overcoming persecution and building a strong commitment to sharing God s word since the 1100 s. CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 5

6 FASHION EXTRAVAGANZA 2015 By Marilyn Futrelle Our annual Fashion Extravaganza is quickly approaching! Committees have already been working to prepare. Merchants displaying fashions are HiLites, J.C. Penney's, Kohl's, L Squared, Tracy's, Christopher and Banks, and Talbot's. I hope each member is planning to participate because Nu Chapter needs ALL MEMBERS working together to be successful in our efforts to raise money for our chapter initiatives (teacher grants, scholarships, etc.) Please let Denise Wyant know how many tables you will decorate and/or how many tickets you can sell before the September 10 th meeting. Her contact information is: Phone number: DeniseH_Wyant@catawbaschools.net Ticket envelopes will be available to pick up at the September meeting. If you are unable to attend, please ask someone to pick up your tickets for you. REMEMBER! You can sell your tickets before you actually pick them up in September. Just be sure to tell guests about the book raffle for the Parents as Teachers book collection (early childhood books only!) Guests do not have to have their ticket to get in the door. Tickets can even be distributed when guests arrive to your table the evening of the Fashion Show. We need YOU to participate!! You can, of course, decorate a table and sell the 8 tickets to friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, etc. It is possible to just decorate or sell tickets, but arrangements must be made with Denise Wyant. Other ways to participate?... Make sure you buy a ticket... Help a hostess with a table... Gather raffle prizes or door prizes... Volunteer to help sell raffle tickets the night of the show... Help with distribution of door prizes... Ask Marilyn for other suggestions Profits are used to fund grants to teachers in our county to enhance their teaching of literacy and numeracy as well as scholarship funds, other donations, and chapter business. Thank you for your efforts on behalf of these projects. Thank you! Marilyn Futrelle, chairman IMPORTANT!!! FASHION SHOW INFORMATION Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2015 Place: CVCC s Multi-Purpose Building Time: 5:15 PM Doors open 6:15 PM Dinner 7:15 PM Fashion Show Cost: $20.00 per ticket ($160 for the entire table) ALL ticket money is DUE BY OCTOBER 5 th!! DECORATING INFORMATION The Multi-Purpose Building will be open on Monday, October 5 th, from 3:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and all day on Tuesday, October 6 th, for decorating tables. For ALL Fashion Show details see the information attached to the newsletter . DELTA KAPPA GAMMA INTERNATIONAL DEBUTS THE NEW PUBLICATION COLLEGIAL EXCHANGE From the DKG International Website Unlike the Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin journal, the new, collegial magazine will not have a predetermined theme. The goal is to publish articles of practical and personal interest for educators. Submissions should be sent to bulletin@dkg.org. Submit articles in Word format and include a photo (in jpg format) and a brief bio specifying your chapter and state. See the website below to view a list of submission categories: CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 6

7 RELAY FOR LIFE 2015 By Willie Harrison Relay for Life was an exciting event for Nu Chapter again this year. Even though the weather was very wet, those in attendance had a great time! The three prizes in the raffle were quilts made by Willie Harrison. The lucky winners were: Linda Fisher, Madeline Murr, and Martha Brown. Nu Chapter donated a total of $1, The Relay for Life committee wants to thank all Nu Chapter members who participated this year and encourages everyone to join us in supporting this community event in the coming year. The July/August 2015 DKG News is now online! There is much to explore in this online-only issue of DKG News, including the announcement of Sandra Smith Bull as the new Executive Director of DKG and It s Com-plicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens as the 2015 Educators Book Award winner, and part two of Dr. Schmid s president s column about her webinar conver-sation with GenY members. It also includes an article on membership, a list of the Cornetet and Educational Foundation award winners (including our NC winners), and a recap of the May 2015 executive board meeting actions. You can view the entire newsletter online at: NU CHAPTER SHIRTS By Dee Snyder Did you miss getting one of Nu Chapter s golf shirts? Dee Snyder will take orders at the September meeting. Bring your checkbook so you can order one of these great shirts! STATE BUDGET UPDATE By: Dr. Elaine Jenkins, Chair, Educational Law and Policy Committee The NC House and Senate have offered two very different versions of the state budget for the next two years. While both budgets have issues with which Eta State has some concern, the House budget is much closer to the priorities which members of Eta State have identified. Note the proposed percentage increase in funds from each chamber to the three major areas of education: House Version Senate Version K %+ 2.18%+ Community College 3.74%+.29%+ UNC System 5.26%+ 2.56% The House version raises beginning teacher pay to $35,000 and calls for a 2% salary increase for certified educators at each tier along with 2% for non-certified employees. It also calls for a 2% cost of living raise for retirees. The House version maintains the current level of teacher assistants. The Senate version includes pay raises for teachers but concentrates those raises in teachers in the early years. This version eliminates 8,500 teacher assistants over the next two years with a plan to hire more teachers in the lower grades and lower the pupil teacher ratio. The Senate also proposes to eliminate medical insurance for educators and state employees hired after January 1, 2016 after they retire and until they qualify for Medicare. There are a number of other differences in the two budget proposals which you may want to research. Because the differences are significant, budget negotiations could be long, making local hiring decisions problematic. I encourage you to contact your legislators to support the House version. **NOTE: It is extremely important that you contact your legislators NOW and voice your concerns about the budget and the proposals that will effect classroom teachers and retirees. NC House of Representatives: Mitchell Setzer District 89 Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net or Jay Adams District 96 Jay.Adams@ncleg.net NC Senate: Andy Wells District Andy.Wells@ncleg.net or CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 7

8 TECH TIP From Get Connected! July/August, 2015 a DKG International publication A new, improved DKG app is scheduled for release just in time for the 2015 regional conferences! Although not a simple mobile version of the DKG website, the new app will provide considerable important information. It will feature a quick interface via tiles similar to the ones in the prototype pictured. Members can use the app to check out news and events, including dates for conferences, conventions, and meetings. For the regionals, a schedule of sessions and activities will make planning easier and will allow organizers to issue timely and important announcements along the way! A bubble in the upper right corner of the app will alert members to a message. The app can be found in the Apple Store and Google Play. NOTES FROM JULY S NU CHAPTER BOARD MEETING The following are notes of interest from our July 30, 2015 Executive Board Meeting. (See the complete minutes document attached to the newsletter .) 1. Received President s Report including details about: a. Eta State Convention b. Chapter Achievement Award c. Leadership Conference d. Southeast Regional Conference 2. Reviewed Nu Chapter s Strategic Plan and voted to continue the goals set in July, Discussed date for September meeting & voted to move the date to September 10, 2015 due to the first Thursday falling immediately prior to Labor Day weekend 4. Received committee reports 5. Voted to raise Nu Chapter (local) dues from $14 to $24 beginning in making total dues $80.00 From - Successful leaders can not work in isolation. Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. Author ~~ Mattie Stepanek Nu Chapter Website: International Website: Eta State Website: President: Amanda Moose nupresidentdkg@gmail.com Editor: Carol Bostian cdbostian@gmail.com Please send , address, or other demographic updates to Carol so she can make sure the newsletter gets to you timely. Also, news items need to be in to Carol at least three weeks prior to the next meeting date in order to be included in the newsletter. CREATE THE FUTURE IMAGINE, INSPIRE, IGNITE Page 8