Guest Post by Mrs. Waldron, Library Media Specialist

Using G+ in our School Community

Working in Region 6 is amazing. Even as the year is winding down, educators in our district are excitedly connecting and learning through  G+. Using G+ has made it easier for us to communicate and share what we are doing on a daily basis. Everyday more faculty members are discovering the power and benefits of G+. There are several features of G+ that our educators are utilizing as we learn and grow together as professionals here in Region 6.

Circles - In G+ connect to people and organize them into "circles"  When you create a message, or want to share a link, video, or invitation, you choose what circle that will receive your post. By creating a district circle (RSD6) I can send a message to everyone in the district. Everyday more of our staff is connecting to G+ which is making it easier (and more fun) to share what we are doing.

Communities-  The communities available on G+ are diverse and responsive to members. I've joined several communities  including  EdCamp,  G+ Discussion (members answer questions within seconds!) and Discovery Educators. It's also very easy to set up your own community to share information with a specific group of people. Last week 2 communities were created in RSD6 for professional development (Connecticut School Administrators) and committee work (RSD6 Website Committee). Through G+ our committee has already started a productive conversation about our websites before our first official meeting.

Photos:  Picasa is an integrated feature in G+. Upload your photos to Picasa from your phone or device and they are instantly available to share with others on G+. Choose "share via a link" and you can tweet your albums. In RSD6, we've used this feature to share events at our schools, field trips and professional development events (like EdCampRSD6!)

Hangouts - Having a G+ account makes it easy to start a video chat. Unlike Skype, there are no downloads. Right from your G+ homepage, you can click "Start a hangout" and choose people from your circles to chat with. You can also host a live chat, which participants can see from their G+ account or Youtube.  Your chat is automatically recorded on Youtube (when you choose this option) and you can share it with people later. You can also schedule a Hangout and invite people in your circles to attend. Hangouts are a great way to connect with educators and experience professional development for free. We've used Hangouts for edtech meetings and to record presentations for further review. We've also tested out the feature to make all-school announcements. It's exciting to investigate the many ways we can use this tool to connect to others.

In RSD6 we are enjoying the benefits of utilizing G+ in our schools to communicate to each other throughout the day and connect to educators from around the world.  Each day our staff finds new ways to use G+ resources and build their professional learning networks. Stay tuned for the newest G+ tutorial videos which are coming soon to ourEducational Technology site

1:1 Leasing Information, webinar and more

Dear Wamogo Families and Friends,  

I want to thank you all for supporting our 1:1 initiative. We are on the cutting edge and Wamogo is leading the way of incorporating technology into the classroom and preparing students for an ever changing society.   Netbook leases for the 2012-13 school year end on June 21.   

ALL SENIORS MUST RETURN THEIR NETBOOKS. 

Students in grades 9-11 MUST do one of the following:

1. Return their netbook to the main office during final exam week

OR  

                                                        

2. Submit $50 payment for the 2013-14 school year and keep their netbook for the summer.

As always, if maintenance is required, students should bring their netbooks to the main office at any time. 

Netbooks will be available to lease again in September.   

Webinar is back: (Naviance)

1. Please join my meeting, May 17, 2013 at 1:00 PM EDT.

Naviance Webinar

2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (636) 277-0136

Access Code: 570-969-543

Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 570-969-543

Upcoming Events:

•   Creation Celebration, 5/16, 5:30 p.m.

•   WPO/Booster meeting, 5/20, 9:00 a.m.

•   Parent Coffee, 5/23, 7:30 a.m.

Wishing you all the best,

Bill Egan

A'ric and more!

Dear Wamogo Families and Friends,  

  

A'ric Jackson is coming tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7th.  Parents are invited to join in a Coffee Break with A'ric from 7:30 to 8:10 a.m. that morning before he speaks to the students during the day.  A'ric will then perform in the auditorium for grades 9-12 from 8:15-9:15 a.m.   Grades 6-8 will be watching his performance from 9:30-10:30 a.m.  In addition to that, there will be break-out sessions throughout the day.  

To learn more about A'ric please visit his website,  http://www.aricspeaks.com 

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the state-wide Innovation Expo in Hartford.  Our students represented Wamogo with pride.  Attached are some pictures of our students from Saturday.

Attached is a presentation about EdCamp. Please take a minute to find out more about EdCamp model.  This year there is a special parent week.  We would love for parents to attend that week.

  

This week we will not be holding a webinar.  We will continue with our series in the coming weeks!

Upcoming Events:

•   Tonight -Town Meeting Budget Vote, 5/6, 8:00 p.m.

•   Coffee with A'ric Jackson, 5/7, 7:10 a.m.

•   Early Dismissal, 5/10

•   Creation Celebration, 5/16, 5:30 p.m.

Wishing you all the best,

Core Values, Edcamp, Webinar and more

I hope that everyone enjoyed the Spring Recess.  The events of this past week were rattling and once again made me realize what is most important in life. My thoughts were with the people of Boston and Texas.  I hope all of you had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends last week. 

I know the remainder of the school year will be filled with many exciting, enriching activities. Please be sure to check the website event calendar in the coming weeks for awards programs, concerts, athletic events, Board of Education meetings and more. 

Please take a look at the new Region 6 Core Values logo. The design was created by Wamogo junior Zach Shemms and adopted by the Board of Education.  Many thanks to community members, staff and students who served on the Core Values committee. 

Please see the attached edcamprsd62013 flyer.  Edcamp is a unique professional learning format that is designed and driven by the participants.  We have been offering Edcamp to educators for about three years now.  This year, we are having a special week for parents.  All our welcome. Please register if you are interested.

This week our webinar will be on videoconferencing and how we use it at the high school.  Please refer to the following information to participate:

1. Please join my meeting, April 26, 2013 at 1:00 PM EDT.
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/join/285358943

2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (630) 869-1013
Access Code: 285-358-943
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 285-358-943  

 

E-blast this week!

Celebrations

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the First Robotics  Competition in Hartford (see story below).  The improvement the Litchbots showed this year was absolutely awe-inspiring!  Click here to see video of our robot in action.  We are very proud of our students, teachers and mentors.  We look forward to seeing the Litchbots in action next year.

Last Thursday, we held our first annual Mr. Wamogo contest. It was a wonderful evening showing off the many talents of our students.  Tim Lucas won the event followed by Greg Peck and Eric Orhani.  Much thanks goes out to all who participated, the 350 plus in attendance and Mrs. Foley and Mr. Bagley for orchestrating this wonderful event.

Tonight, I will be attending the CT Association of Schools Arts Recognition Banquet and am thrilled to sit with our talented students as they are honored at this event.  Clare Burke and Justin Manley have been selected as Wamogo's outstanding visual and performing arts students for 2013.  I look forward to spending an evening at the Aqua Turf celebrating with these students and their families.

Lockdown Last Week

Last week, the State Police initiated an unannounced practice lock-down of Wamogo.

I am pleased to announce that our procedures were followed and all classes were secure and safe.

At the completion of the drill, I met with state troopers to ensure that district policies and protocols were followed. A few suggestions were made for modifying our procedures.

The safety of all students and staff is our top priority and is a responsibility we take very seriously.  As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at wegan@rsd6.org or 860-567-7410. 

Webinar this Week

This week we continue our Webinar series on Friday.  The topic of conversation will be the use of Google apps for education here at Wamogo.

1. Please join my meeting, April 5, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/join/110720423

2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (213) 289-0016
Access Code: 110-720-423
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 110-720-423  

Upcoming Events:

Friday,  4/5, high school semi-formal dance 7-10 p.m.

Friday 4/5, Webinar on google apps 2:00 p.m.

New Date: 4/10, marking period ends

Wednesday, 4/10, BOE meeting 7:00 p.m.