Kansas Science Olympiad:

Wichita State University will host the National Science Olympiad tournament for the first time in over twenty years! If you would like to register a competing team, the registration deadline is December 9th, 2022. Regardless, much of the tournament is open to the public. Visit soinc.org for more details.

2023 Science Olympiad National Tournament

Friday, May 19, 2023 - STEM Expo and Opening Ceremonies at WSU

Saturday, May 20, 2023 - SciOly National Tournament and Awards Ceremonies

      Wichita State University is excited to host the 2023 Science Olympiad National Tournament! The public is invited to take part in the STEM Expo and attend the ceremonies and tournament. Over 4,000 people will be on campus for a high energy weekend!

      Visit Soinc.org or email Jill Fisher (jill.fisher@wichita.edu) for more.

Good Afternoon,

        As we narrow the home stretch to the end of 2022, please know how thankful I am for your work this month and always. 

      We are almost there friends... and with that, I am excited to share the KSDE Science Newsletter with you. We some exciting things planned for the next month or so ; but please let me know if there are other things and opportunities you would like to see and start to mark your calendars for summer. I am here to support you in any way I can, so feel free to reach out if I can ever help!

 

Included in this month's issue;

 

• Personalized Special PD Sessions
• Quarter 3 Regional PLCs coming to a town near you! Haven't been before and interested in seeing what they are all about? We'd LOVE you to join us!
• A reminder of the importance of teaching elementary science... every day.
• Award opportunities and so much more!!!
•  

Click here (LINK)to read the entire December edition of the KSDE Science newsletter.

 

Good Afternoon,

I hope this email finds you well with the promise of an extra hour of sleep this weekend OR the extra hour to dig into the KSDE Science Newsletter!

In all seriousness I am extremely thankful for you and the work you are doing with students this month. I know that October is historically one of the most challenging months and yet the promise of the holidays is right ahead. We are almost there friends... and with that, I am excited to share the KSDE Science Newsletter with you LINK. We have a lot of new opportunities we are trying this fall and I'm sincerely looking forward to meeting and working with more of you; but please let me know if there are other things and opportunities you would like to see. I am here to support you in any way I can, so feel free to reach out if I can ever help!

Included in this month's issue;

• A differention discussion on leveraging the Cross Cutting Concepts
• A Podcast full of talk about talk!
• Content Specfic Virtual PLCs
• Regional Professional Learning Communities
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
  • Support and Nominations

• And so much more!!!

 Click here (LINK)to read the entire October edition of the KSDE Science newsletter.

 

I greatly appreciate all you do for Kansas Students and Science,

 

Meg

The KSDE Science team is excited to share dates and the topic for the Quarter 2 Science Regional PLCs. 

Mark your calendars and register using the links below!

Quarter 2:

Navigating Science Shifts and Supporting Students

Description:

During this regional PLC, we will offer a look into how to navigate and change lessons with the "navigation routine" from our standards. This will help participants to see how the Science & Engineering Practices can be used to assess student understandings & build future curiosity. The morning will provide a scaffold for this approach & the afternoon will provide support for implementation in specific classrooms with collaboration from those in attendance.

REGION 1

K-STATE OLATHE

(Click for Location)

November 16th, 8:30-3:30

https://tinyurl.com/j3nhf59d

REGION 2

SMOKY HILL EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER

(Click for Location)

November 18, 8:30-3:30

https://tinyurl.com/5cnmhzpk

REGION 3

FORT SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

(Click for Location)

November 14th, 8:30-3:30

https://tinyurl.com/mpydwd2x

REGION 4

ESSDACK REGIONAL SERVICE CENTER

(Click for Location)

November 16, 8:30-3:30

https://tinyurl.com/2jmdr39t

REGION 5

NORTHWEST KANSAS EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER

(Click for Location)

November 15th, 8:30-3:30

https://tinyurl.com/7u2z9fju

REGION 6

SOUTHWEST PLAINS REGIONAL SERVICE CENTER

(Click for Location)

November 16th, 8:30-3:30

https://tinyurl.com/8vm9mdx8

  Good Afternoon,

The weather is cooling and the Bears are bulking. You read that right! Friends, Fat Bear Week is upon us!!! In a week where the ecosystems of earth science colide with the epic lipid energy storage systems. Where the worlds of physics and chemistry compete with biology for content command in this EPIC ENGERGY Phenomena encounter... I bring you both Fat Bear Week and the October edition of the KSDE Science Newsletter.

 

I sincerely hope this finds you well and am excited to share the KSDE Science Newsletter with you (LINK). We have a lot of new opportunities we are trying this fall and I'm sincerely looking forward to meeting and working with more of you. Also remember I am here to support you in any way I can, so feel free to reach out if I can ever help!

 

Included in this month's issue;

• Content Specfic Virtual PLCs
• Regional Professional Learning Communities
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
  • Support and Nominations

• Register for KATS at the Cosmosphere, October 15^th (Link)
• American Association of Physics Teaching Conference, October 8th
• And so much more!!!

 

Click here (LINK)to read the entire October edition of the KSDE Science newsletter.

 

I greatly appreciate all you do for Kansas Students and Science,

 

August 31, 2022

Good Afternoon,

It's been a big science summer, but this week and the anticipation of the Artemis Launch I am finding particularly stellar (or lunar as the case may be ). I hope you are finding a way to celebrate science and sense-making in your space, and it is beyond me that it is already September! 

 

I am excited to share the KSDE Science Newsletter with you (LINK). We have a lot of new opportunities we are trying this fall and I'm sincerely looking forward to meeting and working with more of you. Also remember I am here to support you in any way I can, so feel free to reach out if I can ever help!

 

Included in this month's issue;

• Regional Professional Development / Learning Communities 
  • College Credit and Professional Development Certificates Available

• STEM Teaching Tools Resource Study
• Lunch Series for Leaders
• Save the dates for KABT and KATS
• And so much more!!!
   

Click here (LINK)to read the entire September edition of the KSDE Science newsletter.

 

Thank you for all you do for Kansas Students and Science,

Ad Astra Per Aspera

Meg

	Meg Richard, NBCT, PAEMST 19' Education Program Manager - K-12 STEM Education Career, Standards and Assessment Services (785) 296-8108 mrichard@ksde.org www.ksde.org
	Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.

Register here.

President's Note--

We want teachers to have fun as scientists and experience the cosmosphere as well as have the opportunity to engage with pedagogy with their peers. The cosmosphere confirmed that these simulators & interactive exhibits are exclusive to school tour groups so it's very exciting that we get to experience them! The department head of our USD 383 (my school district) is making plans to pull their trailer up that Friday night and having a campout nearby. If you're interested let me know and we can try to add your tent onto the RV site.

Families are welcome! We're just asking that when you register, you pay for their lunch. There will be an option for that registration which is $10. The schedule will have options built in for family members. Recommended age for children to attend is 10+ though there are lots of fun things like a salt mine tour which are also in the area for the day.

KATS will have 4 sessions per the request of the cosmosphere. The Kansas Geological Survey has already signed up to be a presenter. 

Sincerely,

Robert Hamilton

P.S. Here are the cosmosphere session descriptions again in case you're colleagues need some cajoling. I'm SUPER pumped for these!

1. Rube Goldberg 1.5 - 3 hours.  Build a Rube Goldberg Machine that plants a flag into the lunar surface.  6 simple machines must be incorporated, and the machine with that runs for the longest time wins.
2. Past, Present & Future Missions to the Moon 1 hour.  Mission control must communicate to the astronauts the solution to fixing the carbon dioxide filter.  Based on the Apollo 13 disaster.  Will you be able to fix it before time runs out?
3. Simulated space mission in the Astralis Capsule 30 minutes/team of 5 (we can only run up to 5 people at a time during a mission.  For 20 people, this would take 2 hours).  Run a simulated mission to low Earth orbit in our Astralis capsule. 
4. Astronaut Training Simulators 1 hour.   Train like an astronaut in our 4G centrifuge and feel the change in Gs that an astronaut would experience during a typical rocket launch.  Feel what it would be like in an out of control tumble in a spacecraft in our Multi Axis Trainer.  Learn some basic Russian and use the same Soyuz simulator used by former astronauts to train for their own missions.
5. Lunar Landers 1 hour.  Build a model of a lunar lander that houses 6 astronaut marshmallows.  Your goal is to design a lunar lander that will help these astronauts land safely on the surface after a very long drop.
6. Battery Challenge 1 hour.  Experiment with building a battery using different types of metals and electrolytes.  Test to see the best combination in a battery modeled after Volta's very first battery.
7. Battlebots 1.5 hours.  Use EV3s to battle it out in the ring.  Will you build an offensive or defensive robot?  Last robot in the ring wins.
8. Museum Scavenger Hunt 1 hour.  Take pictures and find clues in our museum to solve a puzzle.
9. Museum Tour 1 hour.  Guided tour through our museum with a focus on the Space Race.
10. Drones 1.5 - 3 hours.  Learn the basics of flying a drone, and practice drone photography.  

WENDELL G. MOHLING AWARD APPLICATION DEADLINE

SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

Are you a K-12 Kansas teacher who currently teaches science? Would you like the opportunity to apply for funds so that you could experience attending a National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference this year? In 2006, the Wendell G. Mohling Foundation began selecting a teacher each year to receive a $1000.00 scholarship award to attend a NSTA conference of their choice. The application deadline is Saturday, September 24, 2022, so you still have plenty of time to c omplete and send in your application. The application with requirements can be downloaded by going to the foundation website at www.wendellmohlingfoundation.com and click on “Apply” at the top of the page.   If a teacher has questions, he/she can contact me at neill1703@gmail.com or by phone at 1-620-342-4677. 

Kay Neill, Foundation Chair

Good Afternoon,

I hope this finds you well and ready for a great new year- I'm excited to share the August KSDE Science Newsletter with you (LINK) we have many opportunities coming up this fall and I'm sincerely looking forward to more opportunities to meet many of you.

 

Included in this month's issue;

• Regional Professional Development / Learning Communities 
  • College Credit and Professional Development Certificats Available

• STEM Teaching Tools Resource Study
• Lunch Series for Leaders
• Save the dates for KABT and KATS
• And so much more!!!
   

Click here (LINK)to read the entire August edition of the KSDE Science newsletter and please let me know if there is anything I can do to better support you.

 

Thank you for all you do for Kansas Students and Science,

Meg

 

	Meg Richard, NBCT, PAEMST 19' Education Program Manager - K-12 STEM Education Career, Standards and Assessment Services (785) 296-8108 mrichard@ksde.org www.ksde.org
	Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.

The Kansas Association of Teachers of Science (KATS) and KSDE have teamed up to create a New Teacher PLC.  Pre-service teachers and teachers in the first three years of teaching meet to build community, ask questions of experienced teacher leaders from around the state, and navigate the first years of school. Attendees  who are in their pre-service and first through third year will be compensated with a "Coffee from KATS" at the conclusion of each meeting. 

Meetups occur the first Wednesday of each month from 4:00-5:00pm.

https://ksde.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcod-6srjkvG9RHx0cfE-JiFT_nhZ_uDHDg