Dear PESI Supporters,
We truly hope things are starting to look up for you and are eagerly anticipating the day when we can watch children working together and sharing their excitement about scientific phenomena all around them!
Our general meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8th, at 4:30 via Zoom. We’re hoping to keep this meeting short to have time to elect officers, find a tentative board member and review our goals for 2021. We also want to share the exciting Professional Development opportunities that are happening. Please, please try to connect with us. We value your input and contributions, even if it’s just to say, “Hey, I’m alive and well and know what PESI does!”
Attached are the agenda and committee descriptions. Please join a committee if you can find the time. Also, if you’d like to be nominated for an officer position or board member, please let us know. The only requirement is a passion for science education!
Here is your Zoom invitation – looking forward to seeing and/or hearing you on the 8th:
Warmly,
Becky and Marleen
PESI General Meeting Agenda – Feb. 8th, 2021
Welcome ALL!
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change
the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Officers’ Reports:
- Call for officer nominations, present slate and vote – Becky
- Call for board member nominations – Marleen
- Treasurer’s report – Peggy
Vote to provide scholarships for NSELA, ASTA conferences – Marleen
Committee Reports:
- PD – Happenings with Camp Cooper and summer proposals – Caryl
- Curriculum and Materials – communication with TUSD staff and SRC kit distribution – Meg
- Public Relations and Communications – Barbara, Ginny, Kirstin
New Business:
- 2021 Committee Configuration and sign-up! – Becky
- Committee Goal Setting for 2021 and 3-year goals – Marleen
PESI Goals:
- To support the use of inquiry-based curriculum and materials management (Science Centers where applicable)
- To support student learning through professional development for teachers and administrators
- To build community-wide awareness of effective science education practices and advocate for equitable science learning
- To actively promote and provide leadership development opportunities for science educators
Questions? Concerns? Ideas? – please!
PESI is actively recruiting new members.
How can you help? Join a committee!
PESI Committee Descriptions – 2021
Communication and Public Relations – The purpose of this committee is to create community-wide awareness of effective science instruction and advocate for equitable science learning. Community wide awareness of effective science education practices will be sustained through organizing mass media (FB, website, newsletter), by providing annual social events to build awareness and support, collaborating with other community-wide programs and educational institutions, and building a relationship with the TUSD board. Ways to maintain PESI membership and recruit new members also falls under this committee. Parent education and advocacy needs to be a priority this year. Parents need to have a good understanding of what effective science instruction looks like and should be provided for their children. The parents’ voice is essential in ensuring equitable science instruction for all students.
Curriculum and Management- The purpose of this committee is to help ensure that TUSD is providing equitable distribution of standards-based curriculum to K-8 schools by collaborating with TUSD to support maintenance and management of the curriculum by the Science Resource Center. Ongoing communication with TUSD leadership will be maintained. Curriculum support to other districts will also be available upon request.
Professional Development and Leadership – The responsibilities of the Professional Development Committee include planning and delivering professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators aimed at developing expertise in the use of inquiry-based curriculum employing effective science education practices at all levels. Our work will support and assist teachers in engaging their students with the science core curriculum and in meeting state standards for 3-D science learning. In addition, we will actively promote and provide leadership development opportunities for science educators by seeking out future science education leaders, training them, and providing opportunities to practice their new skills.
Grants, Partnerships and Fundraising – The purpose of this committee is to develop partnerships and and secure funding needed by PESI to fulfill its goal of supporting classroom teachers in equitable science learning. The duties will be to facilitate grant writing, seek out and nurture partnerships with other science educator groups, and organize fundraising.
(Interwoven among all committees is the idea of SUSTAINABILITY – sustainability of PESI’s mission, goals and sustainability of our group of passionate science educators.)
