COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 3
January 11, 2002
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo
Lynne DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Virginia
Middle School Association Annual Conference |
The
Virginia Middle School Association (VMSA) and the Virginia Department of
Education (VDOE) are pleased to provide you with registration information and a
preliminary agenda for the 2002 Virginia Middle School Association Annual
Conference, to be held March 14-16 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel. The
VMSA sponsors this outstanding professional development opportunity on an
annual basis. Middle Schools in Motion:
Growing, Changing & Achieving is the theme of this years conference,
which is designed for teachers, principals, assistant principals, directors of
instruction, supervisors, college personnel, and administrators of public and
nonpublic middle schools.
Thursday, March 14,
2002
Conference
workshops are scheduled for Thursday afternoon and evening. An opening session
from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. will feature Bill Ecker, who has served middle school
students for more than 30 years as teacher, counselor, principal, and
superintendent. Concurrent workshop sessions follow the opening session from
6:30 to 8:20 p.m. with a variety of presentations by well-known Virginia middle
school educators.
Friday, March 15,
2002
The
general session that begins at 8:15 a.m. will again feature Bill Ecker who will
present Frog Kissing - Bringing Out the
Best in our Middle School Students. Regional meetings will be held from
9:45 to 10:10 a. m. followed by 100 concurrent workshop sessions for the
remainder of the day. The annual banquet will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature
Monte Selby, professor of middle and secondary education, as the keynote
speaker.
Workshop
sessions, which also will continue Saturday morning, feature a variety of
topics: brain research, state standards, strategies, teaming, scheduling,
technology, transitions to and from the middle level, discipline, alternative
education, and school climate.
Saturday, March 16,
2002
Following
the early bird workshops and concurrent sessions the conference will conclude
with an annual panel discussion scheduled to begin at 10:20 a.m.
The
Norfolk Waterside Marriott will house all the conference programs this year.
Hotel accommodations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and we
encourage you to make your reservations as soon as possible. Please contact The
Marriott at 1-757-627-4200 and ask for the VMSA conference rate. All rooms
not confirmed with a reservation by February 17, 2002, will be released to the
public.
The
registration form, which is found at www.vmsa.org/aconf.html, must be completed and returned to Tina Kiracofe, VMSA associate
executive director, 244 Chapel Road, Churchville, VA 24421 no later than
February 16, 2002.
We look forward
to seeing you in March. If you have questions about the conference or desire
additional information, please contact Ms. Kiracofe at kiracofe@cfw.com, (540) 245-5046, or fax (540)
245-5049.
JLD/cgr