From: Dr. Eugene
R. Thompson
Director of Educational Leadership
To keep you updated with activities taking place through the CSPD efforts on the Navajo Nation, I am sending you a “Friday Fax” with information about current and upcoming professional development activities.
This past week, training and technical assistance was provided as follows:
Our university partners at the Institute for Human Development at the Northern Arizona University (Diane Lenz and Genevieve Begay) made introductory visits on February 9 to Rocky Ridge Boarding School and Chilchinbeto Community School, and Kaibeto Boarding School on February 10. As mentioned in previous Friday faxes, Genevieve Begay is the new NAU Project Coordinator for the Improving Communities of Practice project who began her new work last week.
An exciting, one-day community and parent conference is coming up in the next two weeks on March 1, 2005 at the Alamo Navajo School. Planned and developed by the school, the conference will focus on reading with a theme of: Alamo Navajo Community School . . . where we love to read and we read to succeed. The agenda topics also include the importance of education, academic reports, federal programs and regulations, and a teacher panel on tips to encourage students to love reading. As a partner to this conference, two keynote speakers from the Improving Communities of Practice project will address how parents can help their children develop a love for reading and research-based information on effective reading practices. Further information on this school, parent, and community partnership conference can be obtained directly from the school.
Yesterday, our Improving Communities of Practice project participated in a Navajo Nation-wide parent conference-planning meeting in Window Rock. While still in the planning stages, the one-day reservation-wide parent conference will be held at the Navajo Nation Library & Museum (date TBA) with the focus on the New IDEA 2004. An exciting agenda is under construction that will involve stakeholders from parents, schools, self-advocates, the Navajo tribe, the BIA, university resources, and others. Further information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.
Finally, you may contact us at any time regarding professional development training plans and/or activities for the current or future school years. We always look forward to hearing from you as to how we might facilitate a plan for your agency or school or for providing technical assistance or training above and beyond what we have currently set out to do in the present scope of work.
Genevieve Begay’s introductory visits to the Chinle Boarding School and Rock Point Community School.
The UNM and NAU Improving Communities of Practice project staff will meet at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque to discuss next step education research issues.
Curriculum Mapping workshop for teachers and the curriculum director at the Rock Point Elementary School
Level I residential class for Western Navajo Agency home-living assistants and their supervisors at the Dennehotso (north schools) and at the Northern Arizona University College of Education (south schools). Topics will include: Staff Role in Student Development; Managing Behavior and Positive Behavioral Supports; and Professionalism in Residential Staff Roles.
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Implementing BEST for school staff at the Kaibeto Boarding School.
You may consult the CSPD Activity Calendar on the Navajo
Nation on the CDD website at: http://cdd.unm.edu/cspd/
for further information. Have a great week.
