February 16, 2022 Edition
IN THIS EDITION...Flathead Valley IEFA Institute | IEFA Lesson Demonstrations | NEW Black History Month Resources | SSoM Program Updates & Resources | Send a Message to the Moon! | SSoM Partner Resources | Joke of the Week | Addt'l Resources | About SSoM
FLATHEAD VALLEY
IEFA INSTITUTE
March 16, 2022 | 8:30am - 3pm | Kalispell, MT

Join us for a day of IEFA learning with award-winning Montana educators, Jordann Lankford-Forster (Bright Trail Woman) and Miranda Murray.

The Flathead Valley IEFA Institute, hosted by School Services of Montana and Kalispell Public Schools, will provide foundational information concerning the seven “Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians” and tools to implement Indigenous content into your curriculum.

Participants may not feel comfortable or know where to begin, and that is okay! The facilitators will provide you with the support and sustainable resources to advance cultural content and Native resources in your classrooms, no matter where you are in your IEFA implementation. Participants will gain instruction and crucial essential understandings as diverse perspectives are important for all students’ success.

LOCATION: Flathead Valley Community College Arts & Technology Building
777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell MT, 59901
SSoM MEMBER PROMO CODE: getssom
Not sure if your district is a member? Click here for a current list of member districts.
IEFA LESSON DEMONSTRATIONS
with DOTTIE SUSAG
Jan 18* | Feb 1* | Feb 15 | Mar 1


Join us for a series of (4) 2-hour webinars facilitated by Dottie Susag. The goal of the series is to experience lessons that authentically integrate the Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians. After an interactive lesson, participants will debrief and discuss ideas for adapting and integrating the lesson into your classroom. Sessions will be recorded; join live *or watch the recorded sessions.

DATES & LESSON TOPICS
  • Jan 18* - Nature and Gifts Through Montana Indian Poetry (5-12)
  • Feb 1* - Living the Now in the Presence of the Past, Joy Harjo's Poetry (9-12)
  • Feb 15* - Healing Power of Indian Poetry and Film (6-12)
  • Mar 1 - Critical Literacy: Reading and Viewing Beyond Bias and Stereotypes (6-12)

OPI RENEWAL UNITS: earn 2 for each 2-hour session you join OR 4 per session by implementing the lesson in your classroom and completing a follow-up reflection form.
A Word from Our Tech Education Director...
FEBRUARY IS BLACK
HISTORY MONTH


As we continue in Black History Month, I'd like to take this week to focus on opportunities for Black students, students of color, and other underrepresented groups in the tech fields.

There are a growing number of organizations and programs centered around extending opportunities and encouraging engagement in technology. I encourage you to check out this incredible list, compiled by the UCI Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, and share these programs and opportunities with your students as you see fit.

Do you have tech-based ideas and resources to share for Black History Month? Please email them to me, and thank you!

Sabrina Holland-Kump
Director of Technology Education Services
School Services of Montana
sholland@mt-schools.org
(406) 272-0046

Google for Education Level II. Certified Educator


SSoM PROGRAM UPDATES
& RESOURCES


FREE Suicide Screening & Prevention in Montana's Schools - Virtual Panel Discussion Wed. Feb. 23, 2022, 1 - 2pm: brought to you by the Rural Behavioral Health Institute and School Services of Montana

Science Summer Institute 2022 July 25 - 27 @ MSU-Bozeman Campus; IN PERSON
Fall 2022 Common PIR Day Sept. 23, 2022; location TBD; IN PERSON
Contact: Melissa Tovaas, Director of Education Services, mtovaas@mt-schools.org

INFINITE CAMPUS DATA DAYS & MASTER SCHEDULING March 1-3, 2022
200+ Districts, 10 sessions per day, 3 days of training on data and scheduling, 1 flat fee covers your entire district, and your favorite Tech Minion will be leading a few sessions!

CO-OP FOOD PROGRAM SPRING 2022 DETAILS
SCHEDULE Delivery 1: 1/31 - 2/18 | Delivery 2: 2/21 - 3/11 | Delivery 3: 3/21 - 4/8 | Delivery 4: 4/18 - 5/6 | Delivery 5: 5/23 - 6/10
Contact: Jennifer Brekke, Co-op Purchasing Manager, jbrekke@mt-schools.org

MSU Invites Public to...
SEND A MESSAGE TO THE MOON


The Bobcats are going to the moon! Or at least their computer is. Through over a decade of research, MSU has created a new type of space computer that can operate in the harsh radiation environment of space while performing faster than existing space computers. It is called RadPC. NASA has selected RadPC to go to the Moon on an unmanned mission to really test it out. We put some extra memory on our computer to give you the opportunity to send a message along for the ride! Deadline: March 11, 2022
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
RILEY'S WAY FOUNDATION'S CALL FOR KINDNESS PROGRAM GRANTS
...empowering young leaders throughout the country to use kindness and empathy to create meaningful connections and positive change. The program will provide grants of up to $3,000 to up to 35 youth-led projects in 2022. Funded projects may tackle anything from pressing equity and social justice issues to building meaningful connections in schools or communities. The 2022 special topic will support ten projects specifically focused on mental health. Youth living in the United States, ages 13-22, may enter by essay or video describing a new project, or an improvement to an existing project. Each project is required to have both a partner organization and an adult mentor. Winners will also join a cohort of fellows from across the country to participate in a dynamic leadership development experience.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2022.
Review program guidelines on the Foundation's website.
GAMMA MU FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANTS IN 3 PROGRAM AREAS
The mission of the Gamma Mu Foundation is to make a positive difference in the lives of the LGBT community, primarily in rural and other underserved populations of the United States. The Foundation's vision is the creation of an environment that promotes health, acceptance, and pride in the LGBT community and a more accepting and inclusive environment for people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Grants are awarded in the following program areas: HIV/AIDS Services, Community Services, and Research and Public Education.
Application deadline: March 31, 2022.
Review proposal guidelines on the Foundation's website.
SSoM PARTNER RESOURCES
COALITION TO SUPPORT
GRIEVING STUDENTS
Discussions with Fellow Educators About Grief & Losses During the Pandemic
The losses caused by the pandemic are shared by everyone.

As educators, we often focus on the needs of others, which can create an environment that does not enable communicating about their own challenges and struggles.

The need for educators to offer support to fellow educators and to accept support personally is paramount as students need instruction and guidance delivered by emotionally available adults during critical periods of their development.

In this document, the Coalition presents a discussion guide on how to talk about the impacts of grief with your co-workers and colleagues.
NEW BLOG POST "The Power of Continuous Blending: How Do We Use Connected Phonation to Support Decoding?" by guest author Dr. Valentina Contesse of the Univ. of Florida Literacy Institute

This post is the latest in an 8-part series about a structured literacy approach, "Unpacking Eight Key Questions for Transforming Reading Instruction & Outcomes for Readers."

BEING A READER PROGRAM

Visit the Events Calendar for a full listing of offerings, or click their logo for more.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
I asked my kids to take some books upstairs.
This is my bedroom door.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
MT OFFICE OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

OPI Monthly Compass - Feb. 2022 Edition; Calendar of Events Feb-May
NEW OPI HUB COURSE: 3-D LEARNING IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Facilitated by Bill Stockton, Arlee, MT; Montana Science Teacher of the Year!
March 7 - April 17, 2022

This course will introduce the NGSS Framework which focuses on the science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, core ideas and the journey of becoming a 3D Science Teacher. Designed for all grade levels, K-12!

Click here for details. Enrollment NOW OPEN! 24 OPI Renewal Units available!
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK OFFERING FREE K-12 RANGER-LED DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS!
Registration for the 2022 winter season began February 1st

Talk to our knowledgeable National Park Service Staff! Our educators have a wealth of knowledge about Glacier National Park and great stories about living and working in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem. Five distance learning programs are available:

  • Ask a Ranger - living and working in GNP (gr. K-12)
  • Bears in Glacier - our most famous residents (gr. 3-8)
  • Making the Mountains - the dynamic forces that shaped the park (gr. 4-6)
  • Habitat Adventure - explore GNP's habitats & the animals that live in them(gr. K-2)
  • Disappearing Glaciers - how the park is experiencing climate change (gr. 6-8)
All 5 Montana CSPDs offer FREE VIRTUAL PD in their regions. Click for details:
ABOUT SCHOOL SERVICES of MONTANA
SSoM is a non-profit education service agency committed to unlocking the full potential of every child in each and every school we serve across the state. We accomplish this by providing a wide variety of professional learning activities and business services designed to meet the specific needs of Montana’s excellent educators and administrators. Interested in supporting our work? Click here to make a donation, and be sure to read all about our organization on our website.