On Dec. 8 and 9, educators from the Albert Lea School District joined more than 2,000 other educators, administrators and technology specialists from across the Midwest at the TIES 2008 Education Technology Conference to explore the latest developments and best practices in student achievement. Educators attending the conference were Mark Blong, Mike Sundblad, Jim Quiram, Peggy Bennett, Cory Alfson and Floyd Harves.

At the conference, Bennett, a first-grade teacher at Sibley Elementary, gave a presentation at the conference to more than 200 teachers. Her topic was how to deliver reading and math lessons using Smart Board technologies. As a building leader in technology and a member of the district technology team, Bennett was instrumental in the implementation of Smart Board technology throughout the Albert Lea School District.

Knowledge Bowl teams compete

The two ALHS Knowledge Bowl teams competed in Rochester on Dec. 12 and both finished tied for 11th place out of 18 teams. During a Knowledge Bowl competition, students are tested in all major curriculum areas. The two rounds of questions (written and oral) are geared toward the top 5-10 percent of students. There are five students on a team. Statewide, there are almost 300 school districts and over 800 teams that participate in Knowledge Bowl. There are currently 18 students who are participating in the ALHS program advised by Jerry Bizjak. There will be at least three more competitions before the end of the season.

Screening set

Early childhood screening will take place on Tuesday, January 20th from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Brookside Education Center. The state of Minnesota requires a check of vision, hearing, and developmental growth for all children 3-4 years old. If your child has not been screened, call Julie Sager at 507-379-4843 or e-mail jsager@albertlea.k12.mn.us to schedule your child’s 60- to 75-minute appointment.

Retreat set for eighth-graders

Southwest Middle School will have a day-long retreat for eighth-graders in January. This retreat will focus on the value of courage. Youth Frontiers Inc. of Minneapolis will present the retreat. This non-profit organization has been working with students in grades four through 12 for 15 years to provide retreats on important values such as kindness, courage and respect. Their purpose is to build the character of young people, and by doing so, they work to improve the climate of schools.

Youth Frontier’s staff members will focus on helping students overcome fear and act with courage at school. We feel this retreat will build class unity and form new relationships among our students.

G’s Crew hosts Christmas party

G’s Crew AmeriCorps Hispanic Boys’ Club hosted a Christmas party on Dec. 6 at the Salvation Army Community Center. Each of the members brought a dish to pass of home cooked Mexican food, a piñata or a cash donation for supplies. The group also invited other Southwest students.