Volume 2, Issue 2

My words for this issue of Alpha Pi State Newsletter represent an update more than an inspira-tional message. As state president, I have now visited with each of our 14 South Dakota Chapters. Thank you for your hospitality, thoughtful gifts and donations in my honor at the visits. I am so proud of the members of each chapter. You all are the inspiration, and I hope I am able to convey at the Northwest Regional Conference in July that our strength in South Dakota is our chapters, whether large or small. I trust you to convey inspiration at this time to all those, members or not, toiling in the classrooms across the state during this long stretch between winter and spring break. According to The DKG News, Jan/Feb 2011 issue, the new constitution is finalized and ready for distribution. It is my hope that the state can provide each chapter with one spiral bound copy to be mailed or to be distributed at the state convention. The Finance Committee is ruling on my request at this writing. Meanwhile, chapters or members may avail themselves of copies by means noted in the DKG News Thank you to chapters for sending me your president‟s report (Form 8), if not in, please send it now. The necrology report (Form 2) and any Form 6 reporting the death of a member need to be sent to First Vice President (membership) Lynnette Kuehl by March 1 for the member to be in-cluded in the Ceremony of Remembrance at the state convention in June. After that date, the member will be included the following year. Maintaining the March 1 deadline makes the book-keeping for her job so much easier and will help avoid ever missing the inclusion of someone in the memorial service that means so much to all. Forms are available on the DKG web site. Many of you visited with our International Guest at convention last year, Maria Vera Ferri Palerm (Mury to all of us). Sadly, her mother who lived with her passed away at Christmas time. I con-veyed condolences to her via e-mail on behave of myself and all of you. I look forward to the visit of this year‟s International Guest, Dr. Barbara Baethe. She is from Texas, the birthplace of Delta Kappa Gamma, and serves as the Southwest Regional Director and Chair of the International Speakers‟ Fund Committee. She will strive to inspire and inform us and to con-vey our thoughts and concerns to International. I know you will make her feel very welcome at our state convention. The goal is to have the new Alpha Pi State ten-year history ready for distribution at the state con-vention. State Historian Marjorie Bohn will soon determine the number of copies to order. Be ready to inform her how many copies your chapter would be likely to want, considering the chapter file(s) and individual members. The cost is not expected to be prohibitive. My current project is an update of the Convention Guidelines booklet. If you have thoughts about changes to the present guide, e-mail me in the next few days. I hope to have the rewrite ready for the Executive Board members prior the meeting in June. My next project will be to put things in good order to pass on to my successor, including bylaws if possible, with the promise of continu-ing to be helpful to her in any way I can. As always, contact me at any time with concerns or questions. LaRee Mayes President

Delta Kappa Gamma Society International South Dakota Newsletter

February, 2011

President’s Message...

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Alpha Pi-State

Invitation to Northwest Regional Conference

Dear President,

You and your DKG members are cordially invited to the NWR 2011. It will be

held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from July 27 to July 30.

The venue is the Conference Centre at the Fantasyland Hotel. The hotel is

part of the West Edmonton Mall complex which houses over 800 stores and

there’s free parking for over 20,000 vehicles. RV’s can park free but there

are no “hook-ups”.

In the mall, there is a “Galaxyland Amusement Park”, an indoor wave pool

and an indoor skating rink.. There are many other family activities as well.

All activities are “under one roof” and security is tight.

Zeta Province is working hard to ensure that all members have great ses-

sions and a terrific time.

Bring your whole family!

Sincerely,

Sheila MacKay

Chair

See article on page 3 for specific information on the

Northwest Regional Conference.

Deadline for submitting news for the Alpha Pi State Newsletter:

March 15th - Newsletter Available April 1, 2011 (Final Edition for the

year. Please send your chapter articles and pictures.

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 2

MAKE EXCITING EDMONTON YOUR DESTINATION THIS SUMMER: NORTHWEST REGIONAL 2011 Planning for the Northwest Regional 2011 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada has been based on providing our guests with a comfortable and stimulating experience. The Fantasyland Hotel, located in the gigantic West Edmonton Mall, is inviting with no-charge parking for vehicles (including RVs). Guest rooms are located on one floor and the conference centre on another—level walking, spacious halls, well-lit areas, security and no weather concerns await you.

International has a myriad of informative workshops, and two special focus workshops addressing recent major concerns are nearing completion. Get to know our part of the world! Diverse tours are being confirmed to educate, calm and entertain. Experience Edmonton with a visit to Edmonton City Hall, the Provincial Legislature, and Edmonton‟s new Art Gallery. On an historical note you may wish to visit Fort Edmonton Park, Ukrainian Village, Stony Plain Multicultural Centre and murals, Royal Alberta Museum, Aviation Museum, or McKay Avenue School (Edmonton‟s oldest brick schoolhouse and the wooden school which is Edmonton‟s oldest). Two venues feature plants: worldwide flora at the Muttart Conservatory and our home-grown creations at the University of Alberta Devonian Gardens. In addition, tours to the Devon Oil Discovery Centre, the most comprehensive Recycle Plant in North America, and the TELUS World of Science will round out your visit. The Night on the Town will feature a choice of venues: 1. Mayfield Dinner Theatre (buffet and play—„Sexy Laun-dry‟); 2. La Ronde--rotating restaurant overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley (the largest urban green space in North America); or 3. Edmonton Queen Riverboat. Alberta night will thrill you with a view of Alberta from Past to Present featuring local musicians and dancers. If you can find the time, West Edmonton Mall has 820 shops to satisfy your shopping appetite; food venues from fine dining to fast food and ethnic eateries; and play areas—a huge wave swimming pool with gigantic slides and a bungee jump; Galaxyland with its multitude of rides; a putting golf course; a casino; a multiplex theatre and a full sized ice skating rink. A perfect venue for the family, and just think—you don‟t have to go outside to reach any of these areas! It‟s time for you to make plans to come to meet us this summer in Edmonton!

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 3

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Mu: Mu Chapter will meet January 20, 2011 at the Avera McKennan Fitness Center for a walk-a-thon and tour of the center. The money raised from the walk-a-thon will be donated to the United Panyang Primary School in Panyang, South Sudan. In addition, the chapter will hold a garage sale in April as a fund raiser for the school in Panyang. At our February 24, 2011 meeting, Glenda Baker, a Tai Chi/Aqua Chi Instruc-tor and Cancer Fitness Specialist from the Avera McKennan Fitness Center, will speak on “Breath and Posture - Improve Your Health”. Our March 14, 2011 meeting will focus on employment trends in our community; the speaker will be Mary Medema from Forward Sioux Falls. The final meeting for the 2010-2011 program year will be a dinner and Clara Hart, a School/Home Li-ason for Refugee & Immigrant Families, will speak; her topic will be “How Par-ents Survive in a new Country”. Clara is one of our new initiates in Mu Chap-ter.

Delta: One of our long time sisters has written two books. Esther Gilchrist is the au-

thor of Billy and Becky Valcro the Squirrel Twins, a fore runner to her book, The Squir-

rel Twins go to the SD State Fair. Esther has shared her books at the 2010 SD State

Fair and the Hitchcock Craft Show. Her next display will be at the Huron Public Library

starting Feb 1st. On Feb. 9

th, she will be available at the library for a book signing. Par-

ents and children are invited. Esther currently is touring local schools and reading her

books.

We have a second long time sister, Rozella Glanzer, who has been mentoring the new staff in the Developmental Learning Classroom. She is an outstanding example of pro-fessionalize in the classroom. We compliment both of our sisters on their accomplishments. Our Delta sisters have

one other project we would like to share. We have initiated a Share a Card Program to

promote literacy and numeracy. Packets, with cards to be colored and colors, are

dropped off at local businesses during various holidays. While parents and their chil-

dren are waiting for their appointment, they have an opportunity to color a card to

share. Businesses have given positive feedback on their patients enjoying the cards.

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 4

Xi: Marilyn Kratz, Xi Chapter, Yankton, placed in six categories in the annual poetry contest sponsored by the South Dakota State Poetry Society. She re-ceived two seconds, three thirds, and an honorable mention. Kratz‟s fourth book, “Umpire in a Skirt,” a children‟s nonfiction picture book, will be released from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press in April of this year. Patricia Michels, is the proud mother of South Dakota's new Lieutenant gover-nor, Matt Michels. Matt recognizes his mother for teaching the importance of serving others. Pat received her Master's degree from USD and taught 25 years in high school special ed. She helped develop the vocational aspects of this program. While a resident of Vermillion, Pat was a member of Eta Chap-ter.

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Xi Chapter Member Honored in Washington, DC, with National Award

On Thursday, December 16, 2010, the newest recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) met with President Obama, who praised them for giving students the preparation they will need in order to devise innovative solutions to the challenges facing our Nation. Among the awardees was Dr. Angela Hejl, Yankton High School Biology Teacher and member of Xi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The PAEMST award recognizes outstanding math and science teachers and is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the Office of Sci-ence and Technology Policy. Recipients are given a $10,000 award and an ex-pense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events. Those events this year included visits with White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Associate Director for Science Carl Wieman (a noted STEM education researcher and Nobel laure-ate), Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, National Science Foundation Director Subra Suresh, and Members of Congress as well as President Obama. Dr. Hejl and other awardees were officially presented their awards at a special ceremony the evening of December 15. White House OSTP Director John Hol-dren delivered the award ceremony address for the PAEMST awardees under-scoring just how important top-notch math and science teaching is to the Nation‟s future. When asked what the Presidential Award means to her, Dr. Hejl said, “The Presi-dential Award process has aided my ongoing efforts to increase my effectiveness as a science teacher by giving me the opportunity to examine my practices against the highest standards. It has prompted me to justify effective strategies based on evidence of student achievement.”

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 5

Dr. Angela Hejl (center) holding the Presidential citation. On the left is Director of the National Science Founda-tion, Dr. Subra Suresh, and on the right the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Pol-

icy, Dr. John P. Holdren.

Educatio

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xcellence

International Educational Excellence Committee The room buzzed with excitement as the 15 members of the new Educational

Excellence Committee met for the first time to build on the wisdom of the past as

it charted its new course.

Focusing on the Society‟s mission and vision statements, the committee

adopted a self-definition, which will be equally appropriate for state organization

and chapter committees: “The Educational Excellence Committee promotes Inter-

national projects, supports early-career educators, and encourages programs and

activities that further educational excellence worldwide.”

For the Society to have the greatest impact on education, chapters and state

organizations need to focus on no more than two Society-wide initiatives. In addi-

tion, chapters and state organizations will benefit form resources for programs

and activities that encourage educational excellence by addressing the profes-

sional and personal growth of women educators and the diverse interests of

members.

To embrace our vision, “Leading Women Educators Impacting Education

Worldwide,” the Educational Excellence Committee urges every chapter and state

organization throughout the Society to focus on two major initiatives:

Support for the Society’s official Schools for Africa project, and

Support for early-career educators. Information on these initiatives is readily available on the DKG website and in its

publications. UNICEF will maintain records of DKG‟s support for the Schools for

Africa project. Chapters, on the other hand, should maintain a record of the

money and the number of hours members spend in support for early-career edu-

cators. Recognition for support of both initiatives will be showcased at the 2012

convention

To assist chapters, the Educational Excellence Committee will use the DKG

Web site library, the DKGNetwork and Society publications to offer ideas for pro-

grams and activities that focus on educational excellence, promote the DKG/UN

relationship, increase members‟ global awareness, impact educational law and

policy, and increase members‟ personal and professional pride.

Join the excitement! Unite with other Delta Kappa Gamma members as we

become a global force in achieving educational excellence.

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 6

2011 Alpha Pi State Convention….

Where will you be June 3rd and 4th? We hope you will be in Mitchell at the 2011 Delta Kappa Gamma State Convention. Gamma chapter has been working to make this year‟s conven-tion a fun and educational time for our members. The conven-tion headquarters will be First Lutheran Church and there will be many opportunities for you to visit local places of interest.

Mitchell is the home of the world‟s only Corn Palace, the Pre-historic Indian Village, the McGovern Library, the Dakota Dis-covery Museum and many unique places to shop. If you want to bring your family there are things for them to do also. Mitchell has a new water park/swimming pool that would be great fun for your family. Coming to con-vention will be a great way for you to start your summer vacation. We hope to see you there!

Mark Your Calendars Now…

Alpha Pi State Convention International Convention

June 3-4, 2011 July 24-28, 2012

Mitchell, SD Syracuse, NY

Northwest Regional Conference

July 27-30, 2011

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

The Achievement Award Committee is seeking nominations from members of Delta Kappa

Gamma for the Alpha Pi State Achievement Award. These nominations need to be sent to the acting

chairperson by March 31, 2011. Please send an email to jstockland@hotmail.com so the acting

chairperson can send you a nomination form. If possible send the completed form to the above email

address or to JoAnn Stockland, 113 N. Pine St., Vermillion, SD 57069. Remember that all forms are

due by March 31, 2011.

Alpha Pi State Achievement Committee

JoAnn Stockland, Acting Chairperson---Eta Mary Ann Slanina---Alpha

Julia Jaeger---Tau Dawn Rux---Epsilon

Glenyta Hanson---Mu

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 7

From Your State Historian:

Ten-Year History Progress

Thanks for all of you who have your information to me. There are some items I am awaiting, but I had a glitch in my computer. If you “reply-ed” me recently, it didn‟t come through. So if I appear to be nagging and you have already sent the info, please forgive me, but re-send it, please. I am getting the text portions of the history together. After completing this, I will go back and insert the photos. At that point I will need to contact some of you to get the proper identification of individuals, cutline informa-tion etc. Crystal Pauli has sent me some graphic inserts; I will have her do some more of that. Jane Green is developing some items to fill in the white spaces, etc. She has also developed the theme. Candace Danek and her chapter are using the “history” theme for our state convention in June. I am feeling the pressure to make sure it is complete by then—that has been our goal all along. Now I need to have you help to determine the number of copies to print. Will you chapter chairpersons give me your best estimate of how many copies your chapter may want? Marjorie Bohn Historian

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 8

Theresa Weigel, Editor theresa.weigel@k12.sd.us 605/996-1591 Crystal Pauli, Webmaster crystal.pauli@dsu.edu 605/636-9323

Alpha Pi State

Newsletter

Contacts:

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included in the newsletter, and/or information included on the state

website.

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