Holiday Edition 2021

Pictured above: Mr. Brandon Winbush's Watauga High School Honors Chorus, Dec. 6, 2021

In Harmony and Unison!

The hills are truly alive with the beautiful sounds of music this season! I have been blessed to experience some very special vocal and instrumental performances lately, and the visual of students, families, and neighbors coming together in one accord this year has touched me in ways that are both grounding and invigorating.

As many of us joined together at the beginning of the month to experience a comprehensive state-wide conference for the first time in 2 years, I was moved by the unity across our state! While sitting together in the expansive dining hall and listening to the unifying stories of student experiences in our NC public schools, I couldn't help but feel that same sense of being grounded yet invigorated once again!

What does all of this mean? It means that our communities are creating together once again! As one speaker, Mark Milliron, shared at the above-mentioned AIM Conference, it is now a time for, "A new season...a new possible!" Folks are bringing unique gifts and talents together to build beautiful harmonic blends--each instrument contributing as it can to produce a new kind of song that is true music to the ears and food for the soul!

As the RCOE community seeks to blend into your daily work in the field, read about ways we are staying connected through the Connected newsletters from the Office of the Dean! We look forward to making beautiful music with you in 2022!

November 2, 2021 Connected

November 9, 2021 Connected

November 16, 2021 Connected

November 23, 2021 Connected

November 30, 2021 Connected

December 7, 2021 Connected

Dr. Betsy Rosenbalm, NBCT

Public School Partnership, Director

NC New Teacher Support Program, Regional Director

Reich College of Eduction, Office 404 G

Appalachian State University* (704) 657-0764

rosenbalmem@appstate.edu

Congratulations to our 2021 Mountaineer Readers Winners!

Read the following article to find out how our top readers are being honored in 2021!

Mountaineer Readers Celebrated at App State Football Game on November 13

PSP Mini-Grant Update!

Can YOU use up to $1000 for classroom needs?

The Appalachian State University Partnership Mini-Grants are intended to build relationships between Appalachian State faculty members and our P-12 partners by engaging in collaborative projects that are connected to internships, student teaching, professional development of teachers, and/or student learning (P-12 and preservice teachers.) According to our evaluation process, we were able to fund 8 of the 14 project applications this fall.

The Appalachian State University Fall Partnership Mini-Grant Winners are listed below:

Spring 2022 Mini-Grant Applications are now available and due by February 25, 2022. The purpose of such grants is to create opportunities for teachers and Faculty to work together on sustainable, innovative projects for the classroom and beyond!

To apply for a mini-grant for up to $1000 towards a classroom project or research initiative in our region, please complete this form by February 28, 2022.

Let us help you put YOUR Beginning Teachers on the map!

The NC New Teacher Support Program is a comprehensive, university-based induction program offering a research-based curriculum and multiple services designed to increase teacher effectiveness, enhance skills, and reduce attrition among beginning teachers. The NC NTSP provides each teacher: (1) A comprehensive annual BT Institute; (2) Intensive, individualized classroom coaching; & (3) Aligned professional development sessions in their PSU. The goal of the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program (NC NTSP) is to improve student achievement by improving beginning teacher effectiveness and teacher retention.

Check out the map above to see where App State and our fellow UNC-System institutions are serving Beginning Teachers in 2022! Let Dr. Rosenbalm know if you are ready to discuss this option for YOUR Beginning Teachers!

NBCTApps Support Group

Congratulations to our 2020-2021 NBCTApps participants who received notification on Saturday, Dec 11th that they achieved National Board status!

If you are considering embarking on the National Board Certification process for yourself this year, check out our FREE VIRTUAL upcoming support events in the coming months! Sign up to attend at the link below!

Our schedule of virtual offerings includes:

Winter Break: Work on your own (Reading, writing, and editing with your NBCT mentors/ on your own)
January 10, 2022 (3:45-5:15): Content-Specific Meetings
February 14, 2022 (3:45-5:15): Tips and Tricks from the National Board Office!
March 14, 2022 (3:45-5:15): Self Assessment and Self-Care Processes; Content-Specific Meetings
April 11, 2022 (3:45-5:15): Finalizing Products & the e-Portfolio; Content-Specific Meetings
May 9, 2022 (3:45-5:15): Celebration of Submission!

Please fill out this brief registration survey to take advantage of these great supports! You will be contacted with more information via email, upon completion of this form. Interested Candidates Complete THIS Form!

Do YOU Want to Be a Leader??

Applications will soon be released for the 2022-2024 NC Principal Fellows Program at Appalachian State University. The App State Principal Fellows Program is a two-year program to prepare outstanding educators to serve as school administrators in NC Public Schools.

The NC Principal Fellows Program provides participants with:

Full in-state tuition and fees for the entire Masters in School Administration degree program over a 2 year period.
Salary replacement during the second year for the 10-month, full-time internship at the salary level commensurate to the position they hold in 2021-2022 (plus any relevant step increases, supplements, and raises).
Extended leadership opportunities in 12 partnering districts

......and so many more opportunities to network, grow, & expand horizons!

Participation in the Principal Fellows Program requires a commitment of service for 4 years in a NC public school as a school administrator, and candidates must repay the grant through service.

Application Deadlines:

Step 1: Application due to the Districts - January 31, 2022
Step 2: Application due to App State Graduate School (MSA Program) - March 7, 2022

The Appalachian State Principal Fellows Program is a partnership between Appalachian State University and Watauga County Schools, Ashe County Schools, Alleghany County Schools, Alexander County Schools, Avery County Schools, Caldwell County Schools, Burke County Schools, Newton-Conover Schools, Elkin-City Schools, Wilkes County Schools, Appalachian State Lab Schools, and Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools.

See your school district's Partnership Point Person for an application and more information!

AppEd Reads: Virtual Stories for Partnership Classes!

The Outreach/Philanthropy Committee of Appalachian Educators Club recently set out to put together a video collection of students reading children's books aloud for K-5 students. This project was previously named Boone Book Buddies, but it is now referred to as AppEd Reads. Due to COVID, education students haven't had many opportunities to partner with surrounding schools, especially in the volunteer capacity. Led by two dynamic education majors, Goodwin and Owens saw this as an opportunity to have students record read-alouds of some of their favorite books to share with local elementary schools!

The event ran throughout the month of October 2021 and resulted in a collection of 13 additional books to the RCOE Youtube playlist of books shared with local elementary classrooms in the Spring of 2021. Each of the books chosen was published by Scholastic Inc. and available for student check out in the IMC, or the Instructional Materials Center, located in the bottom floor of Belk Library conveniently accessible on campus. Appalachian Educators wanted their education majors to not only engage with the community by sharing some of their favorite holiday and classic children's books, but also practice accessing materials in the IMC that can be used to enrich their teaching and lesson plans in many of their curriculum and instruction classes.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the App Ed Club wanted a way for college students at App State to feel connected to the High Country and really feel like they can made a difference. The club is excited to launch a new semester of extra-curricular reading enrichment for pre-service teachers, as well as kiddos currently in classrooms throughout the region. Enjoy!

Check out the Fall 2021 Read-Alouds HERE!

Check out the Spring 2021 Read-Alouds HERE!