The conference planning meeting of the SDCTE Executive Board was held in Mitchell, December 8th, with Vice President Deana Brodkorb calling the meeting to order. O ther board members in attendance included Karen Harrington, Sharon Olbertson, Deb Knutson, and Dodie Bemis.  President Nancy Kampfe was unable to attend due to illness.  The minutes were approved as read, and the treasury had a balance of $1559.66 with 53 paid memberships. This balance included a check for $600 from SDEA for SDCTE's presentations as their annual fall conference. 

The Board divided the unpaid membership list to attempt a personal contact encouraging memberships to be paid by the end of the year.  Dodie will then send a final notice with the January newsletter and any unpaid members will be removed from the current list February 10th. D eb will attempt to generate membership interest electronically.

Sharon gave a SLATE update of glaring issues from a national perspective, including charter schools and censorship.  The Board then discussed issues from a state perspective, the most predominant being certification of non-degreed teachers.

The group decided to postpone sending the newsletter from December to January with the conference flyer coming out in February.  The January newsletter will also include information regarding the Spring Conference as well as the nominating forms for Author of the Year and Teacher of the Year.

Sharon volunteered to submit an article on how to use these past authors of the year in the classroom. Deb will be responsible for compiling a list of past authors of the year.  Any and all information for the next newsletter is to reach Deana no later than January 7th.

Discussion then centered on planning the Spring Conference.  Dodie distributed a draft of a tentative agenda that included a midmorning start on Friday with roundtable discussions followed with a lunch and a speaker.

The Board agreed to go with the agenda and and decided on three rotations of the roundtable topics, including: Teaching in the Block Schedule, Post Secondary Readiness, Balancing the Extra Curricular Load, Trouble Shooting in the First Five Years, Dealing with DACS.

Deana is still trying to secure a speaker for the Friday lunch, and Karen has contacted Dan O'Brien.  He will be available for the Friday evening banquet.  The Board agreed to raise the conference fee $10 to cover the cost of Friday's lunch.

Dodie then distributed copies of the presentation proposals and the Board worked to fill the time slots for the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning sessions.  This is the tentative schedule:

1:40-2:40 Implementing 6+1/Traits Tickling the Brain

2:50-3:50 Traits of an Effective Reader/How Teaching AP Helped Us Win . . .

9:40-10:40 Writing Across the Curriculum/Making Literature and Writing Meaningful

10:50-11:50 Retiring Gracefully/Practical Applications of Brain Research

The Board then decided on the parameters for the Idea Exchange. The exchange could be a teaching idea or a book review. Contributors are asked to bring thirty copies.  Only those who bring copies will be eligible for the "special" door prizes.

• Deana and Nancy--the luncheon
• Karen--room monitors
• Dodie--presenter confirmation letters, registration
• Deana--conference flyer
• Nancy--"goodies" for registration packets, table tents, session posters, conference program book

The next meeting will be held February 9th at 11:30 at the Twin Dragon in Mitchell.