COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Department of Education

September 23, 2011

TO:  Division Superintendents

FROM:  Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUBJECT:  2011 Virginia Association of Science Teachers Annual Professional Development Institute

The Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST) will hold its annual statewide Professional Development Institute (PDI) on November 17-19, 2011, at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, Virginia. This year's PDI supports the 2010 Science Standards of Learning by offering over 200 concurrent sessions, several field trips, and nationally known keynote speakers. Educators will be able to network with colleagues from all over the state, gain new ideas to enhance their content knowledge, and experience cutting-edge technology. Educators at every level of science will find many topics of interest with which to build their expertise.

Registration and the PDI schedule of events can be found on the VAST Web site at http://www.vast.org. The PDI also provides educators the opportunity to earn recertification points, and they may choose the option of earning college credit.

For further information, please contact Eric M. Rhoades, science coordinator, Office of Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction, by e-mail at Eric.Rhoades@doe.virginia.gov  or by telephone at (804) 786-2481.

PIW/ER/rt