October, 2005

Beta Gamma Chapter

Skinner: Issue 6

For Key Women Educators

Initiation Highlights October 15 Meeting

Beta Gamma chapter will be initiating five new members at our October 15 meeting which will be held at the Greenville United Methodist Church beginning at 10:30 a.m. The following key women educators are being initiated into our chapter. Janett Dowis, a K-3 behavior disorder specialist at Mountain View Elementary; Dartha Gail Kennedy, an 11-year teaching veteran who currently teaches at Mountain View Elementary; Dawn S. Pickens, the niece of Nancy Salter, a 6th-grade teacher at Pike County Middle, and a former recipient of the Beta Gamma and Thomaston scholarship; Michelle Purvis, an instructional lead teacher and a former Teacher of the Year for her school; and Meryl E. Teal, an 8th-grade science teacher at Upson Middle and a former recipient of the Thomaston scholarship.

Your Contributions Are Needed

Hurricane Havoc Causes Need For Emergency Fund Assistance
The recent hurricanes have wreaked havoc for some residents of Louisiana and Mississippi including some of our Delta Kappa Gamma sisters. The Emergency Fund was established to assist those who lose their properties due to fire, flooding, or natural disaster. Contributions will be accepted at our October meeting to be sent to International for the emergency fund.

Childrens Books Being Collected For DFACS

Our October project is collecting childrens books for the Department of Family and Childrens Services (DFACS). The books can be new or slightly used. Books can be appropriate for any age level from infants to middle schoolers. A box for receiving your contributions will be available near the sign-in table.

Your presence at the initiation ceremony indicates your welcome to our new members as well as your support of our organization. Although our meeting begins at 10:30, be sure to arrive a little early so that you can sign in and join in fellowship with your Beta Gamma sisters. Lunch will be held at the Corner Caf, the former location of the Garden Path Restaurant on the court square. The cost of the meal is $10. Your contact person will be calling you to get your reservation for lunch. Please be sure to inform your contact person whether or not you are planning to eat. Contact hostesses: please call in your count to Mary Anne Harmon by Tuesday, October 11, 2005.

Nursing Home BINGO Prizes Collected for Local Residents

Please remember to bring Bingo prizes for nursing home residents. The collection of prizes will be designnated for a nursing home in the hosting groups community. Octobers collections will go to a Nursing home in the GreenvilleWoodbury area. A volunteer from the hosting group will need to be responsible for delivering the prizes. Please also remember to bring items for nursing home patients. Our chapter has

New State Presidents Theme Is Living the 7 Purposes

Dr. Hanna Fowler presented the theme of her biennium Living the 7 Purposes as she presided over the Psi States Fall Executive Board Meeting held September 24 at Forest Hills United Methodist Church in Macon. Dr. Fowler wrote in her letter to chapter presidents, The word living implies action and the key words in The 7 Purposes require action: unite, honor, advance, initiate, endorse, support, endow, grant, stimulate, encourage, and inform. She asked three questions: Is DKG working for you? Does DKG have a strong and viable future? What kind of difference is DKG making at the chapter, state and international levels? In considering your answers to the three questions, Dr. Fowler continued, ask yourself, What do I need to do? She provided four responses that each of us can do, which are quoted at the right. Recognize that The 7 Purposes define the work of the Society, thus putting The 7 Purposes into practice each day. Re-examine why the founders created Delta Kappa Gamma Society International as an organization, thus re-committing ourselves as responsible and active members. Encourage members to put forth the effort to rejuvenate their chapter, thus making the chapters more attractive to prospective members. Become the best possible support group for women educators in our respective communities, thus focusing our collective energies of the Society to achieve the greatest good for all involved in education.

Handbook Information Update

Several members have updated their addresses and/or phone numbers. Please make a note of these changes in your handbook. Sylvia Attaway 1185 Spotted Fawn Drive Box Springs, GA 31801 Bethany Lucas 239 Lake Harding Drive Hamilton, GA 31811 706-317-5777 Lynda Woodall P. O. Box 425 Woodland, GA 31836 706-674-2292

Membership Fees Due

Membership dues are still $47 for active members and $15 for reserve. The deadline for dues is October 31st. Paying your dues at the October meeting will get you squared away. Among the benefits of membership are: interaction with educators from all levels, disciplines, and environments; source of professional and personal growth; support for graduate study through state and international scholarships; recognition and awards to members for exemplary achievements; venue for teaching and learning current educational and leadership practices; participation in Society workshops, conferences, seminars, and conventions; worldwide contacts sharing educational profession and focus. You are an integral part of our society and of our chapter. Your continued membership is of value to both you and our organization.

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Mission Statement

To promote the professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.

Scholarships Celebrate 70 Years of Psi State

Seven scholarships of $700 each have been approved to be awarded to DKG members who are working on graduate degrees in 2006. The seven scholarships are in honor of each of Psi States decades of service to education. The year 2006 will mark 70 years of DKG in Georgia. Mamie Sue Bastion, one of the founders of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, helped establish the organization in Georgia in 1936. In addition, four awards of $2000 each will be awarded in 2006 for graduate work at an accredited institution. To be considered for one of these scholarships, the applicant must be an active member of the Society for a minimum of three years, provide evidence of interest in pursuing graduate study, and provide evidence of excellence in scholarship and character. Scholarship applications will be available by December 1, 2005, from the Psi State website. The link is indicated by $$$. The completed application packet must be mailed to Psi State Scholarship Committee, c/o Dr. Cheryl Hunt Clements, Chairman, 1730 Rosehedge Way, Kennesaw, GA 30152-7761 and must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2006, to be considered.

Noteworthy News
Laura Martin, the daughter of charter member Polly Hall Rozier, died recently. Mary Jane Dunlap lost a brother, Glenn Clinton Hodges, on September 9 and a step-daughter, Mary Virginia Peters Carter, on September 3. Celie Parkers father, Harrold Crowder, passed away recently. Janet Fowlers step-son, Coleman Scott Fowler, was married to Nicole Dawn Satterwhite on September 24 at Woodbury Baptist Church. Yvonne Atkins recently made acquaintance with a cousin at their family reunion. Shortly afterward, the cousin and her husband were killed in an automobile accident while driving back home. Sherrill Darby is having problems with her knee due to an apparent tissue tear. She will be undergoing repair to the knee soon. Laurie Pate and her husband, Eddie, went scuba diving in St. Lucia the first week in August. Laurie reports that the only permanent effect of Eddies meningitis was some hearing loss in what used to be his good ear. He did fine with the diving...and driving on the wrong side of the road around some extremely curvy roads! Sue Geer has a grandson, Zackery Brock Neal, born August 18, to daughter Suze. Linda Johnson now has a grandson after four granddaughters. Lindas daughter Lydia Menzies had little Graham on September 15. Jenny Adams had back surgery on September 6. Frances Trice's daughter, Allison, will marry in November.

Pin Holder Order To Be Sent

Initiates and veteran members will be given the opportunity to order pin holder badges at our October meeting. Name badges are $13 each. An order form must be completed and the money paid to our treasurer, Dr. Bay Porter, at the October meeting in order for the chapter to pay tax and shipping fees. If you want to order a pin holder, please see Bay on October 15.

Laurie Pate had a surgical procedure recently to check on suspicious calcification in the breast, with good news negative results. Sallie Mabon received an honor in September, being recognized as one of the 24 "gracious ladies" of Georgia. She attended a luncheon in Columbus to receive the honor. Jane Hainline is expecting a new grandson and a new granddaughter in December. Mary Jane Wadsworths daughter, Sissy, is getting married on Nov. 27.

Member Spotlight

Carol Lane Is Education, Community Dynamo

Petite and feminine, Carol Lane appears to be the quintessential little lady. What isnt so evident from first glance is the human dynamo the little lady truly is. Although she was born a Yankee, Carol is firmly rooted in Meriwether County, having served as an assistant principal at Manchester Elementary, the director of special education for the county, an assistant superintendent, and now the superintendent of schools. Carol was part of the last graduating class of all teachers at Trent State Teachers College before it became a liberal arts college. It was an absolutely wonderful preparation, Carol said. As soon as you entered, you were involved with children. The college was located close to Princeton, and students there were given the opportunity to work with children, applying the latest educational philosophy and using the newest educational research. About the time she graduated college, Carol visited a friend, Marty, in Augusta, Georgia. Marty was a field director with Girl Scouts, and she convinced Carol to get involved with Girl Scouting in the training of leaders. Kids cannot be this bad, Carol told herself, after having to deal with adult leaders and the parents of scouts. Carol moved to Worth County to teach in the public schools at the time of integration. It was there that she met and married her first husband, a coach. Where the coach went, his wife went also, Carol said. As a result of the frequent moves, Carol taught in a variety of situations. The health and PE major found herself with a first grade teaching position one year in Midland, Alabama. I didnt know anything about schwa or teaching children to read, Carol said, but I spent the summer before that term studying, learning, and preparing. Carol discovered that she loved teaching lower level students, and she completed her masters degree as a reading specialist. Another move brought Carol back to Georgia. Her husband was hired to coach at Ravenwood, a private school near Camilla and Pelham. Carol was hired there, too as a coach. Ever the dynamo, she took her team to a state championship. I had accomplished that, and having ADHD, I was ready to move on, Carol said. She trained to officiate at games and became one of the first females to referee boys and girls basketball. The kids knew me as a coach, so I was respected, she said. It was about that time that Carol finished her six-year degree, and she convinced her husband to get back into public education. He got a job coaching and she had a teaching position in Stewart County. He was the typical coach, playing around, she said. I had been embarrassed and humiliated as long as I could. The couple went through marriage counseling, but eventually divorced. Carol worked on her doctorate at Georgia State, completing all the required coursework. She met and married Bill Garrett before writing her dissertation. I never had any children of my own everybody elses children had been my children. Bill had two wonderful children, Carol said. The doctorate was the only thing in life I didnt finish, she said. After marrying Bill, Carol thought she wanted to be an administrator in Muscogee County. The system had a rule, though, that in order to be an administrator, one had to teach in the county for at least one year. Carols assignment was at Carver Elementary. Carver was a poor, poor school, and no help was given to it, Carol said. Her next job was assistant principal at Manchester Elementary. She then served for 13 years as the director of special education for Meriwether County, a job she had the qualifications to do since she had held a similar position in Stewart County. When Bill died due to an allergic reaction to an unknown toxin, I thought Ive divorced one and buried one Im through, but on July 4, 2001, the first love of my life emailed me, Carol said. The two of them decided to meet with others from their set of high school friends. When I met him at the airport, it was like I was just returning from a business trip, she said.

Member Spotlight: Carol Lane (continued) The couple picked up where they had left off years before, and the rest is history, she said. Carol is dynamo in the community as well as in education. She was the force behind getting the Meriwether House built. As a member of the Meriwether Kiwanis Club, Carol was put in charge of looking for a project for the club to do. A childrens shelter had long been a need in the county, and Carol took charge of seeing the project through to completion. The Lord has put me in wonderful places, working with wonderful people, she said. Carol has been in education for 34 years. I have the freedom to do whats right for kids, she said. One of her initiatives as superintendent was to lengthen the school day, which caused an uprising. In education, you have to ask: What is it you want children to learn? How are you going to know theyve learned it? What are you going to do when they dont learn it? What are you going to do if they do learn it? The extra period was included for kids who didnt get it to be immediately retaught, and for those who did get it to have enrichment, she said. Although the longer school day was not continued, surprisingly, the concept stuck, she said. Many schools built the concept into their schedules. Dr. Max Thompsons learning-focused model for school improvement is the first reseachbased program the county has ever done, Carol said. Carol attended a seminar at RESA which introduced her to the learning-focused strategy. Before recommending its implementation, however, she checked Dr. Thompsons credentials. After determining that his credentials were solid and his research valid, she insisted that the implementation of the model must include on-going support. Without that kind of support, any program is doomed to failure, she said. Martha Ann Todd was hired as a trainer, and Ms. Todd was constantly in the buildings working with teachers. Weve seen test scores steadily go up, Carol said. Another initiative Carol implemented was a principals academy where for one day a month, principals from throughout the county met, turned their cell phones off, and focused on student learning, she said. The group has read books, including What Works In School, and discussed them. The principals academy established a professional learning community. Over the summer, the group attended the Professional Learning Institute in Gwinnett County. They have lived it and taken it back and started it in their schools, Carol said of the professional learning community idea. Some professional learning communities are vertical, others are by grade level, and some are by department, she said. Dr. Bill Daggett, of the International Center for Leadership in Education, recently requested that the Georgia Department of Education select five high schools which showed the most improvement. Greenville High School was one of the five selected by the state. Theyve shown a 40% gain in test scores, Carol said. When the state department called to say that a Meriwether County school had been chosen, I told them I knew which school had been selected. When they asked me if the principal and several of the teachers could attend the conference in Washington, D.C., I told them I couldnt commit for them, but I would give them support. Brenda Hudson (principal at Greenville High) told them essentially the same thing when they called her. She said she would have to check with her teachers, because they are so busy and have so much to do, Carol said. The ninth grade academy is an initiative that was put into place this school term. Discipline is down, theres no hassle with the dress code, students who need it are being retaught, and students are being given personalized attention, Carol said. Carol received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) at its recent summer conference. Only six educators in the state of Georgia were selected for this recognition. GAEL is a professional association of superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum directors, principals, special education directors, and other professional central office staff. Carol is an active member of Beta Gamma chapter, presently serving as chairman of the Program committee. My motto, my philosophy is Success is the only option for our students, Carol said.

Mark Your Calendar

January 21, 2006 Beta Gamma Executive Board Meeting Mt. Zion Baptist, Alvaton Meeting Long on Laughs Harris-Talbot hosting District III Workshop Perry Meeting Officer Installation Manchester hosting Psi State Leadership Seminar Epworth by the Sea St. Simons Island The Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention San Diego, CA

Thinking of You Cards Needed

Anne Threadgill, our corresponding secretary is in need of thinking of you cards. Please bring a card or two to our October meeting.

February 11, 2006

Grant Recipient To Attend Meeting

Geoffrey Threadgill, the recipient of Beta Gammas Grant-in-Aid, the grandson of member Anne Threadgill, and an education major at Georgia College and State University, plans to attend our October meeting. The Grant-in-Aid is a scholarship given on a rotating basis among the groups within our chapter. It is designated for a deserving college student who is pursuing a degree in education.

April 8, 2006

April 22, 2006

June 14-16, 2006

July 18-22, 2006

Mrs. Lynn S. Skinner 60 Temple Avenue Newnan, GA 30263