PACE Weekly Newsletter                                Date: October 10, 2007

Mark your calendar for these upcoming dates ~

1)  October 12, Friday, Registration Deadline for PSAT Test - ALL District 6th - 11th grade students invited/encouraged to take PSAT on Saturday, October 20 ~  OEHS & OHS are offering the PSAT (easier version of SAT test) to students in 6th through 11th grade.        6th - 10th graders will take it as a practice exam, and test scores will not be shared with any outside organization; 11th graders will take it to qualify for the MANY scholarships available through National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC).  For more information, go to www.collegeboard.com/parents/tests/meet-tests/21296.html or call the College Board at (212) 373-8810. 

To register, contact Fran Sylvester at OEHS at 636-2245 and Dr. Patti Marcinko at OHS at 636-2064.  Cost is only $15.  Parents are encouraged to come in to the school to sign up and pick up PSAT Student Handbook.  However if schedule does not allow, parents can mail a check for $15 to OEHS or OHS to register and view the PSAT Student Handbook material online at http://www.nationalmerit.org/Student%20Guide-NMSC%20section.pdf & http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/prep.html

On the test date, students must arrive before 7:45am.  Testing is from  8 - 11am. Students should bring pencils and calculator. 

2)  October 16, Tuesday, PACE planning meeting ~ Join us for our next planning meeting at 7pm at Churchill Elementary Community Room. 

3)  October 20, Saturday, 10am - 5:15pm, Lecture/Program on "Learning and the Brain: Where Are We and Where Do We Need to Be?" ~  This is part of the Great Minds Program at IMSA which "provides opportunities for parents, students, and Illinois educators to learn from and interact with ‘great minds’ of our times including Nobel Laureates and other thought leaders in mathematics, science, the arts and humanities."  Registration is required, and seating is limited.  For more information, go to http://www.imsa.edu/news/releases/2007_2008/GreatMinds.php                   

This event features Dr. Marvin Minsky, founder of MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and six other notable experts from the fields of brain research and learning who will serve as guest panelists.  Experts will discuss how the findings of neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists and computer scientists can help to advance the practice of education and learning.

4)  October 22, Monday, 7pm, Board of Education Meeting ~ Meeting is held at Oswego High School Community Room.  Meeting agenda can be found closer to the date at http://www.oswego308.org/districtinformation/boardofeducation/boardmeetings.htm

5)  **OCTOBER 23, TUESDAY, 7pm - PRESENTATION ON ACADEMICALLY TALENTED (AT) & ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) PROGRAMS Covering Grades 3 – 12** ~ Join us at Churchill Elementary Community Room, 520 Secretariat Lane, Oswego (Wolf Crossing & Secretariat Rds.), for the Presentation on the whole AT Program / AP Program.  Mrs. Cathi Mundsinger, Director of Teaching & Learning - Elementary, and Dr. Carla Johnson, Director of Teaching & Learning - Jr. High & High School, will be our featured speakers along with the grade-level leaders for the AT elementary and AT junior high programs and the AP high school program. 

Come learn about the AT elementary program from 7-7:45 PM, and the AT secondary/AP program from 7:45 -8:30 PM.  This program is open to ALL families in the district interested in learning about the AT/AP program in District 308.  Question & answer time will follow each part of the presentation.  For questions on this event, contact Allison Boldridge at (630) 551-1857 or boldridge@comcast.net.