2011+Convention+Workshops

Convention Workshops March 26, 2011   Morning 10:30 – 11:45 AM   __ Financial Strategies for Successful Women __ PRESENTER: ** Daniel Roccato ** MBA, CPM, President - Quaker Wealth Management/Adjunct Professor of Finance Rutgers University School of Business Dan will explore the unique challenges that women face today with regard to personal financial management. This session will improve your financial health with practical advice to build wealth, protect it and ultimately transition it. Using “plain” English, Dan will debunk some of the myths surrounding wealth creation and management. He will provide some basic, common sense strategies that will enable women to take control of their financial futures. If you have questions about retirement, insurance and/or investments, bring them with you. Whether you are the ** CFO ** of your own business or your household, you will benefit from this lively interactive workshop. Dan has more than 20 years experience as an investment banking executive. He has published many articles and is a regular media contributor. Dan is a graduate of Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and Drexel University. __ Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope, Optimism and “GRIT” __ PRESENTER: ** Rick Ellis ** M. Ed. /Clinical Adjunct Professor and Student-Teacher Supervisor Rider University/Retired technology teacher West Windsor-Plainsboro Public Schools/ Consultant for The Coalition of Essential Schools There is a direct correlation between success and those people who have resilience and who have developed “grit”. We are noticing in today’s young people the lack of perseverance and ability to overcome obstacles in day-to-day living. What are the factors that help build resilience? What does the research show? And how has over-praising damaged the desire to intrinsically do one’s best? These are some of the issues that we will examine in this workshop. This presentation is based on the work of Robert Brooks, Sam Goldstein and Angela Lee Duckworth. Rick has been involved in the fields of early childhood and elementary education for 36 years. He has taught infants through nine-year olds and has also worked in educational administration as a teaching coach/unit leader, mentor, administrator, and instructional computer coordinator. Trained through Bank Street College, Rider University, and The College of New Jersey, he also has served as the Head Teacher and Project Director for the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. He is also trained in The Responsive Classroom through The Northeast Foundation for Children. __L __ __ et Food Be Thy Medicine: Managing Health with Diet and Exercise __ PRESENTER: ** Amy Regina ** Registered and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist/Certified Adult Weight Management - American Dietetic Association/ Certified Personal Trainer - American Council on Exercise Lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise can play a significant role in preventing and treating diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis. Gain insight on how to use food and nutrition supplements to manage various disease states naturally, reducing the need for many medications. You will learn how women’s nutrient needs change throughout life and how to make adjustments to the diet to meet these needs. Amy runs the outpatient Nutrition Program at the Hartzband Center for Hip and Knee replacements in Paramus, NJ. In this position, she provides one-on-one nutrition counseling to help individuals achieve their unique nutrition goals whether it is for weight loss, disease management or improving overall health. Prior to her position at the Hartzband Center, Amy spent several years as head dietitian at the Rothman Institute’s Wellness Program serving the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas.   __ Take a Vicarious Trip to Canada, Iceland and Norway… __  PRESENTER: ** Judy Jordan ** (LAMBDA Chapter) BA English/MA Reading Education/Retired Middle School Reading Teacher Are you planning to travel in the near or distant future? Visit possible vacation spots vicariously through the eyes of our very own world traveler – Judy Jordan! Spend three days in Churchill, Canada on the tundra with the polar bears. Cruise to Iceland and observe a country only 10,000 years young. View the beauty of Norway’s mountains and its magnificent fjords which were formed by its glaciers. Judy will provide an informative presentation. She will entertain questions about her travel adventures and ask you to share yours. Judy is a familiar convention presenter to many members of Alpha Zeta State. __ Book Discussion: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon __ LEADER: ** Barbara Ann Ellert ** (President ALPHA Chapter) Past Second Vice President AZS-DKG/ BA Elementary Education/Retired Teacher Gifted and Talented Bloomfield and Cedar Grove Public Schools/Volunteer- Ombudsman NJ State Department of Health Barbara Ann returns by popular demand to lead this book discussion session. Author, Mark Haddon writes a story about Christopher, a fifteen year old with Asperger’s Syndrome. He sets out to find out who killed a neighbor’s dog in such a way that he does not have the words to describe the emotional pain. Past reviews include the words ‘// Captivating, smart, imagined and observant’. //Join Barbara Ann as the group discusses the fascinating glimpse into Christopher’s mind. Barbara Ann led the interactive discussion for ** The Shack ** at last year’s convention. Limit: 20 Participants __ Empowering Young Women through Women’s History…Panel Discussion __ __ Moderator and Speaker 1: __ ** Dorothy P. Guzzo **, Executive Director, NJ Historic Trust/ Former Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer/ Coordinator - Women’s History Trail project/Board of Directors -Crossroads of the American Revolution Association/Ex-officio to the NJ Historical Commission, NJ Historic Trust and Main Street NJ Board of Advisors/ BS/MS Historic Preservation __ Speaker 2: __** Ellen Freedman Schultz **, Preservation Partners - Specializes in historic preservation research and educational programming development/Adjunct professor at Bucks County Community College American history and historic preservation/ //Completed The New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail// Project in 2003/ Currently working on Multiple Property State and National Register nomination for historic Woman’s Club’s Clubhouses in New Jersey/BA History/MS Historic Preservation __ Speaker 3: __** Valerie Buickerood **, Acting Executive Director - Alice Paul Institute/BA History Rowan University/Graduate work in American History at Temple University This workshop is intended to present the importance of women in history through education and historic preservation. An overview of the Heritage Trail, highlighting the many historic sites uncovered during the project will be followed by an overview of the curriculum guidelines and discussion on how to use historic places as part of lesson planning. The Alice Paul Institute will highlight the successful leadership development program they have created using the life and work of Alice Paul to foster self-reliance and self-esteem in young women. Time will be allotted for questions and discussion. Afternoon 2:45 – 4:00 PM      __ Does your chapter need a web site? Help is here! __     LEADER: ** Jan Paxton ** (ALPHA Chapter) BA and MA Mathematics/ Retired teacher / Alpha Chapter and Alpha Zeta State Web master /Free-lance Web master This workshop will explore the rationale behind making a web site for a chapter, the purpose and design work behind a web site and the on-going maintenance required. The requirements of the new DKG International Communications Policy will be presented and explained. The process of using free/inexpensive hosting and development options will be demonstrated – you can have a nice web site without having even one “techno-dweeb” in your chapter! Jan serves our state in many roles including state convention chair and treasurer. Jan retired after 24 years of teaching mathematics. She is efficient, methodical, organized and will take your chapter to the next level whether or not you have a web site. We hope all ** nineteen chapters ** will have a representative attend this workshop so every chapter will have a website. AZS is indebted to Jan for her dedication and enthusiasm. If you have designed your chapter website, plan to attend to share your thoughts and needs for the future.** Participants will receive hand-outs of the resources presented as well as a CD of web site development resources. **     Limit: 18 Participants (One representative per chapter – Jan represents Alpha Chapter) __ Building Professional Learning Communities - Productive, Informative and Enjoyable  __ PRESENTER: ** Denise Serico ** ( Sigma Chapter) University Supervisor Student Teachers and Adjunct Professor/BA Health Education and Elementary Education/MS Corrective Reading/Administrative Certification This lively session will include an interactive presentation and an open forum for discussing how to increase the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and add enjoyment to community meetings. The many formats that Professional Learning Communities can take will be presented and participants will experience firsthand some of the modes of operation. Denise has worked in public school systems in NY, PA and NJ for the last 37 years. She has experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, elementary school principal, curriculum director, college instructor and educational consultant. Denise is known for her warm and approachable demeanor as a school principal. __ Translating Teaching Experience into Publication Payoff __ PRESENTER: ** Keri Mikulski ** (Initiate - Delta Chapter) Grade 6 Teacher/Author/ BS Nursing/ MA Teaching/Adjunct Instructor Creative Writing Atlantic Cape Community College   Is there a story you’re itching to tell? Do you have specific knowledge you’d like to share? Have you always wanted to write for children? Join multi-published author and educator, Keri Mikulski as she guides participants through the world of children’s writing. Explore drafting, scheduling time to write, critique groups, targeting work, genres, organizations, queries, agents, publishers, and much more during this peek into the business of writing for children. Keri is the young adult author of ** Head Games **, ** Pretty Tough Books 4-6 **, ** Screwball ** and ** Change Up **. A three-sport athlete in high school and two-sport athlete in college, Keri worked as a personal trainer, lifeguard, registered nurse, middle school teacher, and high school coach. She has sold over thirty articles to // Current Health 1 and 2, Highlights for Children, Golfer Girl, Fast Pitch Forever, Softball Youth, Live Strong // and many other publications. Keri currently teaches in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Paperback copies of ** Head Games ** will be available for sale and Keri will be happy to sign books following the workshop.   __ Preserve Your Past…Get Photographs into Your Life __ PRESENTER: ** Schuyler McClain ** (SIGMA Chapter) BA Art Education/MA Environmental Education/Retired art teacher /Expert digital scrap booker/ Photo journaling storyteller Sky will begin the workshop by showing participants some of the albums and ** // Storybooks // ** she has made to preserve her personal family history. She will share special techniques and demonstrate the tools, papers and albums she uses for her projects. All items will be available for participants to order during the workshop or at a future time. There will be a question and answer period following the demonstration presentation. Sky is a multi-talented artist. She has a unique way of prioritizing and organizing photographs in any form. She serves as a consultant for many people making personal house calls to preserve important letters, notes and photographs. Sky is available for “hands-on” interactive workshops at the chapter level. __ Book Discussion: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett __ Leader: ** Wilhelmina Bryant ** (LAMBDA Chapter) BA and MA Speech Pathology/Retired Speech Language Specialist Piscataway Township Schools/ Director - James O. Bryant Food Pantry- Piscataway/ Site director - North Stelton Economic Development’s Angel Food Ministries Program/ Volunteer - Contact We Care Author, Kathryn Stockett has displayed a unique perspective and wicked sense of humor in her first novel. The reader steps into the turbulence of southern life in the sleepy town of Jackson, Mississippi during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Friendships are forged and great courage is shown through a series of poignant and humorous stories. As the stories are told, we peer into the lives of women from opposing social classes whose lives are deeply inter-twined. Participants are welcome to share insights and opinions to facilitate a lively discussion of the book. Wilhelmina is a graduate of Temple University and Kean College. She re-entered the field of education as a Teaching Assistant/Job Coach in Piscataway’s Student’s Achieving Independent Life Skills [S.A.I.L.] Program. Wilhelmina volunteered to serve as a discussion leader on the convention workshop “// evaluation form” //from last year. Proof that AZS welcomes your suggestions and acts on requests! Limit: 20 Participants  __ A Survivor’s Journey and Lessons for Today __ <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> PRESENTER: ** Colleen Tambuscio ** Special Education Teacher - New Milford High School, NJ/Social Studies instructor special course “The Holocaust…Genocide and Human Behavior”/Peer leader advisor/BS in Deaf Education - Trenton State/ MA in Jewish Christian Studies and Holocaust Education - Seton Hall/Authored resource guide for teachers NJ Network Documentary entitled “The Hidden Child” PRESENTER: ** Maud Dahme ** Past President NJ State Board of Education/Former President - National Association of State Boards of Education/Holocaust Survivor “The Hidden Child”/AZS-DKG Honorary Member 2009 PRESENTERS: ** Students New Milford High School ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> Colleen will speak about a Holocaust education program she has created for her students in which they visit the sites in Berlin, Prague and Krakow. New Milford students will speak about the lessons they learned from their journey to authentic learning sites. Colleen’s Holocaust Study Tour Publications will also be shared. April 2010 marked the sixth study tour to Germany, Czech Republic and Poland. Maud was hidden in the Netherlands during the German occupation and fortunately survived the war along with her sister and parents. Maud will speak about the lessons her experience has taught her and how the experiences shaped her life. Real life testimony, current on-site learning adventures and the teacher who coordinates it all validate the need for authentic learning experiences in the 21st century. <span style="border-bottom: windowtext 1.5pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; display: block; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"> <span style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">