Tenth Week, Fall 2003 - November 3, 2003, Education Department Newsletter, Eastern Connecticut State University

Teaching in Mexico....
Halloween and Day of the Dead

By Michele Rooney

          Halloween, as it is celebrated in the United States, is a holiday, which derived from the Druids, a learned and priestly class that existed in Roman times. Little is known about these people except that they were an elaborate political and religious organization, and that they worshiped many gods. The day of Saman was one of those celebrations. On that day, the Druids believed that the Lord of Death called together the souls of the wicked who had died during that past year.

        In the United States, Halloween, as many other holidays, has become so commercialized that most people are not really aware of the history behind it. Mexico’s Day of the Dead has remained much more traditional, though Halloween is often celebrated here now as well. Both holidays are centered around death, and both are influenced by each particular country’s view on death. I have included below two poems about death that were written by one of my ninth grade students, Federico Berrueto.

Death Is…

Death is black.
It is our shadow.
It will always be with us,
And when we no longer have it,
We go to the light.

It is true sometimes we are scared of our own shadow;
We are also scared of death.
But being afraid of our shadow is like being scared of the day, So why don’t we love death as much as we love the day?

Death is a part of life;
Death is our daily breakfast
And nothing will keep it away.
Death is a way of seeing life.

This was her day...

She is dead
                As cold as stone.
This was her day –
                   The day she left us.

But we know she’ll come back
                       And take a friend of mine
And it will be his day –
                      The day he leaves me.

And I know they’ll be back
And take me;
I’ll be as cold as stone.

        I’ll have my day
                       The day I leave you.

http://www.inside-mexico.com/teaching4.htm

1) Education Department meeting - Thursday, November 6, 2003, 12:30 - 1:50, Webb Hall 115.

Time certain: Ross Koning, AAUP Chapter President, to discuss secretarial support situation and other issues, 1 pm

2) An emergency search for University Assistant for the Committee for Admissions and Retention in Education and Admission Advisor has been approved. Please ask interested candidates to send their resumes and letters of interest to David Stoloff, search chair, Education Department, Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street, Webb Hall Room 129, Willimantic, CT 06226, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu .

The ideal candidate would facilitate the collection and assessment of the CARE application files. As CARE Secretary, the candidate would provide information at each monthly meeting and maintain the official minutes of the meetings. As Admission Advisor, the candidate would provide office hours for potential teacher candidates and their parents and present group advisement sessions for transfer and new students at Advisement Center orientations, in pre-requisite courses, at two Admission Office Sunday events a year, and in other meetings.

Preferred qualifications: Flexibility of hours – may include some hours during the evening, strong knowledge about certification requirements and teacher education programs at Eastern, and excellent human relations skills. The position is expected to be for 19 hours per week during the academic year.

3) Message from Dr. Catherine Tannahill, Assistant Professor and Advisor to the ECSU chapter of Kappa Delta Pi Education Honorary Society:

On Sunday, Nov. 16, the Shoppes at Buckland Hills is sponsoring an Evening of Giving from 6:00 -9:30 pm. For $5 you can enjoy an exclusive evening of private shopping, special sales, free gift-wrapping, holiday music, discount pictures with Santa and Entertainment. Your purchased ticket will not only gain your admittance to the Mall but also enter you in drawings for 200 door prizes as well as a grand prize $1500 mall shopping spree.

Tickets may be purchased from members of Kappa Delta Pi or myself. All monies raised go to the chapter and will support chapter activities.

4) Don’t Miss this Special Event

At no other time in history has it been as important for teachers to be familiar with the culture and history of the Middle East. Preparing students to develop an understanding of diverse societies is a critical component of their educational preparation and one that demands greater and greater knowledge on the part of their teachers.

You will be able to develop such knowledge in a workshop designed to familiarize attendees with the history, cultural geography, and much more, of the Arab World. The workshop will take place on the Eastern Connecticut State University campus on Tuesday, November 18th, from 9:00 am until 3:30 pm. There is no charge for the workshop itself, however there will be a $15.00 fee for teachers wishing to earn CEU’s from their participation. A box lunch can also be requested at a cost of $8.00. Because the time for lunch is very short, participants are encouraged to take advantage of the box lunch availability. Because of space limitations the registration deadline is November 3rd. Contact Shirley Ernst (465-4530) for more information or download the flyer at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/awair.doc .

Shirley B. Ernst

5) A message from Ruth Ettenberg Freeman, MSW, Director of Family Services,
THE COVE Center for Grieving Children, Coordinating Office, 134 State Street, Meriden, CT 06450, Phone: (203) 634-0500, Fax: (203) 634-6934, Email: TheCove@earthlink.net

I have added classes and presentations to my late fall/early winter calendar. Please share the following information with folks who might be interested. Thanks, Ruth

Positive Parenting Class
Windham Public School Family Resource Center
6:00 – 8:00 PM, Thursdays (except Thanksgiving)
30 October – 11 December 2003
Windham Early Learning Center, 10 Commerce Drive, Columbia
Contact: Joan Russoniello Goba at 860 465-2630
This course is free (with a book fee of $15) for Windham residents
and a donation is requested for participants from outside of Windham.
Registration is required and child care is provided.

Positive Parenting – Focus on Teens and Pre-Teens
7:00 – 8:30 PM, Tuesday, 25 November 2003
First Church of Christ, Wethersfield
Contact: Ericka McKee at 860 721-8534

Encouragement: A Powerful Parenting Tool
Manchester Early Learning Opportunities Project
6:30 – 8:00 PM, Tuesday, 9 December 2003
Lutz Children’s Museum, 246 South Main Street, Manchester
Contact: Kathy Wilby at 860 647-5270
Child care is provided, registration is required.

Positive Parenting Introductory Workshop
6:00 – 7:30 PM, Thursday, 12 February 2004
Integrated Day Charter School, 68 Thermos Avenue, Norwich
Contact: Deb Conn at 860 892-1900

Time Certain: November 6, 1 pm - Ross Koning to discuss departmental secretary situation

Standards - revision or maintenance?
    Admission to graduate program - 2.70 - waiver options?
    General education, program requirements, state requirements
    GPA waiver policy for certification programs

I graduated from Eastern with an English degree and a Secondary Education Certification in December of 2002. I worked as a long term substitute at E.O. Smith High School in Mansfield from January to June of 2003, and was offered a permanent position for this year. The faculty and staff here are wonderful to work with!

Call for Graduate News -

A request from Institutional Research -
Please share news about the plans of graduating seniors.
If they are going on to graduate school, please provide the graduate's name, undergraduate major,
graduate university, location (city, state), field of study and degree program sought, and any information
on scholarships and/or fellowships.
If they have been accepted for employment positions, please provide the graduate's name,
undergraduate major, company, location (city, state), position, salary.
Please email the information to David, who will compile it for the department. Thanks.

Research and Creativity Activities
chronicling the ongoing progress of the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University

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searches pending approval -
we had requested temporary full-time one-year appointments in Learning and Teaching,
Reading/Language Arts, and for a Director of Educational Experience

search for University Assistant for
the Committee for Admissions and Retention in Education (CARE) and Admission Advisor

National Center for Education Statistics (2003). The conditions of education 2003. U.S. Department of Education: Institute of Education Sciences, June 2003.

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Please contact David Stoloff at (860) 465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu if you have any questions or comments on this newsletter. Please invite others to receive this newsletter and be added
to the Education Department e-mailing list by contacting David Stoloff.