It’s Not Too Late to Register for the The World of Water!

It’s not too late for you to register for The World of Water: a local education and professional development event sponsored by Wilbraham & Monson Academy.  At this event, teachers and professors will have opportunities to explore how to connect water topics to Massachusetts curriculum standards.  Guest speakers will include a keynote from Fabien Cousteau, Brain Lapis of WWLP-22, and Carl Hodges, Founder and Chairman of the Seawater Foundation.

To register for the half-day conference, visit the WMA website.

 

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World of Water half day Teachers’ Conference – April 5

Join WGBY and Wilbraham & Munson Academy for a special half-day conference aimed at the professional development of teachers and professors in the area. Learn how to incorporate water and economics into your classroom.  A keynote lecture will be delivered by Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.

When: Friday, April 5, 2013  •  8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Where: Athletic Center  •  Wilbraham & Monson Academy

Cost: $20 Admission (includes lunch)

Participating teachers will receive 10 PDPs for participation with completion of short follow-up classroom work.    Teachers would also be welcome to bring their classes to the event for additional activities.  To register, visit the GEM conference website.

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Mr. Steve to Perform at the Springfield Museums

Fans of Mr. Steve, the PBS KIDS personality and musician, will be able to sing and dance along with him when he visits the area on Saturday, February 23. Mr. Steve, a guitarist, travels to western Massachusetts as part of WGBY’s sponsorship of The Springfield Museums’ exhibit called GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World.

When asked about his two upcoming concerts, Steve Songs, as he’s also known among the younger set, said, “I’m so excited for our shows in Springfield. It’ll be like a greatest hits event: We’ll be playing songs from my PBS interstitials, some of our older most requested band tunes, plus a bunch of fun new songs from our brand new CD, Orangutan Van!”

As a partner in a youth fitness campaign called  “Recess Rocks,” Mr. Steve promotes healthy living habits through his music. WGBY welcomes families to learn some dance moves ahead of time and post their own “Recess Rocks” videos on Facebook before or after the concerts.

Mr. Steve will perform live at the Springfield Museums in concerts at 11:00AM and 1:00PM. A “meet and greet” will follow each concert. Family activities at the Museums are planned throughout the day. More information is available at the WGBY website.

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Coming to WGBY in January: Downton Abbey Season 3

Coming to WGBY on January 6, 2013:  the Great War is over and a long-awaited engagement is on, but all is not tranquil at Downton Abbey as wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises grip the majestic English country estate for a third thrilling season.  Check out this teaser for the upcoming season:

For those looking for some holiday season plans, come dine, dance and enjoy an advance screening of Downton Abbey Season 3 at the Log Cabin on Saturday, January 5th.  Check out the event details here.

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WGBY presents local FREEDOM RIDERS Events

April 7th – 6:30pm
Triplex Cinema – Great Barrington, MA

WGBY and the Friends of the W.E.B. Du Bois Homesite present an advance screening of Freedom Riders from American Experience hosted by BIFF and the Triplex Cinema, followed by a conversation facilitated by Bernard Lafayette, Jr. who is featured in the film. He will be joined by Freedom Riders Albert Gordon, Jean D. Thompson, and James Breeden who all have ties to western Massachusetts.  Prior to the Great Barrington screening, at 5:30 PM, attend the opening of a special installation in the Triplex Cinema Lobby: Becoming a Son of Great Barrington: W.E.B. Du Bois.

April 8th – 6:30pm
Symphony Hall – Springfield, MA

WGBY and The Springfield Public Forum present an advance screening of the new American Experience Film Freedom Riders followed by a conversation with local Freedom Riders Albert Gordon, Jean D. Thompson, Judy Frieze Wright and James Breeden, young activists committed to non-violent change in 1961. Representative Richard E. Neal will moderate this event. In addition to the 1961 Freedom Riders, a roll call of individuals who played a role in national and local civil rights history in Springfield will join us and be acknowledged. The roll call will be presented in portraits on the big screen and then combined with short intergenerational interviews to be posted on the WGBY website.

Both events are free and open to the public. Visit the WGBY website for further details.

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Vocational and Technical High Schools Collaborate at Home & Garden Show

To see what students from four of our regional vocational and technical high schools have crafted, join WGBY at the 56th edition of the “Western Mass Home and Garden Show,” this Thursday through Sunday, March 24 – 27.   In the largest home show in western New England, Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School , Westfield Vocational Technical High School,  Franklin County Technical School and Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical School have collaborated to construct a model home that occupies a large space in the Young building.

Students at each school built a section of the model home and assembled it on site all to showcase their skills and help educate the public about building and using green materials.  In keeping with the green theme, the home will be deconstructed and recycled by the ReStore after the show.

The show hours are: Thursday from 2 – 9p, Friday from 1 – 9p, Saturday from 10a – 9p and Sunday from 10a – 5p, including a guest appearance from The Cat in the Hat on Sunday from 1 – 2p.  A  coupon for reduced admission to the show is available at the Home & Garden Show web site.

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Local Events Supporting FREEDOM RIDERS, an American Experience Film

Join WGBY and our partners this week as we present two advance screenings of the new American Experience Film, Freedom Riders scheduled for broadcast in May 2011.

March 3, 2011: UMass Amherst, 7:00pm, Bartlett Hall 65

Screening followed by a conversation facilitated by Dr. Mike Thelwell, UMass Professor Emeritus and local Freedom Riders, James Breeden, Jean D. Thompson, Albert Gordon and Judy Frieze Wright

March 4, 2011, MCLA, 3:00pm, Murdock Hall, Sammer Room 218

Screening followed by a conversation facilitated by Dr. Frances Jones-Snead, Professor of History, with local Freedom Riders, Albert Gordon, Jean D. Thompson and Judy Frieze Wright

About the Film: Freedom Riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives—and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment—for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism.

For more information about local Freedom Riders events, visit http://wgby.org/events/freedomriders.html.

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Striving Toward Early Literacy Proficiency in Western Massachusetts

Turning the Page Report Courtesy of Strategies for Children

Through our work in the communities of western Massachusetts, it’s clear to us that most schools and educational/community organizations  are focusing in some way on literacy.  Last June, “Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success” was released, summarizing the need to focus our state on reading proficiency by third grade.  With great work from Cherish Every Child among many other partners, a blueprint was developed for Springfield to raise reading success in our school children before fourth grade.

The goal of attaining 80% proficiency in Springfield by 2016 is an ambitious goal.  Because of this, WGBY is interested to hear about events and activities going on through your schools and libraries geared toward early literacy: both in Springfield and beyond.  For example, on March 5th, WGBY has partnered with Community Partnerships for Children at their Early Childhood Fair focused on Dr. Seuss.  Along with fun family friendly activities like zumba and a green eggs and ham breakfast, the fair focuses on the late, great Dr. Seuss and his contributions to literature.  The event will be held from 9am-noon at the East Longmeadow Council on Aging. To view the event flyer, click here.

One of the most important things we can do is to continue the dialogue about this important effort.  To check out a great blog that focuses on ongoing advocacy for early childhood education here in Massachusetts, visit Eye on Early Education.

Share with us your community events or school projects; we’d love to help in any way possible.

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