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Coastal Plains RESA

September 2021

CoastalPlains RESASeptember 2021

A Note from our Director

As September has begun, we are in full swing here at Coastal Plains RESA. Much like the school systems we serve, it's a very busy time of the year. We are excited to be offering more face to face trainings this year. We look forward to working closely with all of our twelve districts. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and successful 2021-2022 school year.


Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance in any way.


Lance Heard

Executive Director

Coastal Plains RESA

Professional Learning

Coastal Plains RESA is committed to providing quality professional learning for teachers, administrators and other staff. Our goal is to deliver professional learning that supports high levels of instruction for all learners.


In addition to professional learning opportunities, CPRESA offers three endorsements through online instruction. They are Gifted, Teacher Support & Coaching (TSC), and Online Teaching. The Reading endorsement will be offered in FY23.


Visit our new website to view upcoming classes.


Regina Purvis

Professional Learning Director

ELA

Hello to you all and welcome back to what we pray is an easier year for everyone!


The ELA Specialists at CPRESA are so excited for this new year and the services we offer. Here are just a few of the services we offer to our districts: onsite visits, writing training, PLC guidance, classroom observations, or anything ELA. Just email or call us and we will do what we can to help fill your needs. Any of these trainings can be offered virtual as well.


We are also proud to announce that Kevin Razynski will be at CPRESA September 28 and 29 to help teachers “Focus on Writing” in the K-12 classroom. So if you are not registered yet, go to our new website and get on the list today!


Jenni Anderson

Stephanie Butler

ELA Specialists

Math

Georgia’s new K-12 Math Standards were approved unanimously August 26, 2021 by the state BOE. Although concerns regarding the implementation timeline were voiced due to challenges school districts are already experiencing, the target for implementing the new standards is still slated for 2022-2023. Resource revisions are currently underway at the state level, and related professional learning may begin this school year.


For schools and/or school districts interested in taking a closer look at the new standards, please contact pauletteshoupe@cpresa.org to schedule a meeting.


Paulette Shoupe

Math Specialist

Growing Readers


For the past six years, I have worked with the Growing Readers project which is funded by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. Growing Readers is a statewide RESA initiative that provides offsite and onsite professional learning as well as monthly coaching and feedback to its participants. The purpose of this two-year project is to support teachers in grades kindergarten through third grade to increase the number of students reading on grade level by the end of third grade. In the last two years, with additional funding from the Georgia Department of Education, I had the opportunity to train candidates to support this work. I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Joy Folsom, Cook County, and Mrs. Staci Chastain, Brooks County, completed their work as a candidate in June 2021. I greatly appreciate the extra work and long hours that they done to make this project a success. Beginning this year, they have an additional title of District Growing Readers Specialist. The title allows them to provide the Growing Readers professional learning for the teachers in their districts. Congratulations to Mrs. Folsom and Mrs. Chastain!


Darlene Watson

Growing Readers Certification Specialist

School Climate

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, data-driven framework that is proven to decrease disciplinary incidents, increase a sense of safety within the school, and support academic outcomes. The foundation of PBIS is that continual teaching, along with feedback and acknowledgement of positive student behavior will reduce discipline and promote a climate of greater productivity, safety and learning for all students.


Claudia Parker

Creacy Sermons

School Climate Specialists

RESA/GaDOE Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT)

The GaDOE has partnered with each RESA to provide FREE mental health awareness training (MHAT) to school staff through the RESA/GaDOE MHAT Project. The Project brings high-quality, evidence-informed and evidence-based training to schools and districts in the state through a network of training partners. This menu of training is designed to support staff at all levels of prevention and intervention, from awareness to gatekeeper. To review the available 2021 - 2022 MHAT Training Sessions Click Here or contact creacysermons@cpresa.org for additional information.




Alternative School Virtual Presentation September 16, 2021 (more information available soon)

Counselors/Social Workers Job Alike September 21, 2021

GaPBS Virtual Conference December 8-9, 2021

New District PBIS Coordinators Training Sessions (registration links will be emailed)

School Improvement

Our Administrator Academies begin their sixth year in September! Don’t miss these opportunities to connect with other school leaders and to stay up to date with the latest accountability information, school improvement practices, and the best ways to maximize staff performance.


Here is our September schedule which will be virtual on Google Meet:

All sessions will start at 9:00 AM and will last less than 90 minutes.


Join your colleagues, along with Richard and Bobby, for one of our RESA’s most popular Job-A-Likes.

Wraparound Services

Welcome back! We want students to be healthy, be prepared for school, and be successful in school. I can help coordinate wraparound services which include identifying and sharing assets that exist in the community. These wraparound services are designed to address the needs of students by removing nonacademic barriers. Please contact me if I can help you with these services.


Stephanie Butler

Wraparound Services Coordinator

Technology

New in Technology! This year we will continue with the Technology Job Alike meetings four times a year but expand the scope. Beginning with our first meeting on Sept. 14th at 9:00 a.m., we will begin with a whole-group session addressing any broad topics of interest in Technology. Afterwards, we will divide into three break out sessions, one for hardware and infrastructure topics, one to focus on instructional technology, and one to discuss student information. Sign up to attend the Technology Job Alike in person or virtually here.


I will also be facilitating the Media Specialist Job Alike beginning September 16th at 1:00 p.m. Please share this information with your school media specialists; sign up to attend in person or virtually here.


Also new in Technology at CPRESA, I will be hosting a biweekly "live chat" for teachers and/or instructional technology specialists. The next live chat is Wednesday, Sept. 15th, from 3:30 until 4:30, after school so that teachers can attend. I will briefly present an application or program and then open up for questions related to technology in the classroom. Anyone wanting to attend the next live chat should email me at leannenesmith@cpresa.org.


Leanne NeSmith

Instructional Technology Specialist

South GLRS

South GLRS was recently able to hire a new full time GLRS Coordinator, Amber Stevens. Amber comes to GLRS with 29 years of teaching experience, the last 20 years, having been as a co-teacher in the Turner County School System. GLRS was able to hire this position, due to grant funding approved by the State Board of Education for the Georgia Teacher/Provider Retention Program.


Scope of Grant: To support funding for the project implementation of the Special Education Induction Support for Teachers and coaching for induction level teachers in LEAs with federally identified schools that are participating in the professional learning. Purpose of Grant: The purpose is to provide project implementation and coaching for Special Education induction level teachers participating in the Georgia Teacher/Provider Retention Program to increase their retention rate. During FY22, GLRS will provide induction supports for 24 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with federally identified schools. Each GLRS who chose to participate received 100,000 in grant funding.


Dane Heard, Ed.S.

GLRS Director

World Language Teachers

World Language Teachers are invited to join the World Language Teacher Consortium meeting virtually after school, 3:30 - 4:30, beginning next week on Tuesday, September 14th. To sign up for the consortium, please register here. Contact Leanne NeSmith leannenesmith@cpresa.org for more information! Enseñamos español, nous enseignons le français, Wir unterrichten deutsch, Latin nos docebit.