Distance Learning from Cooperating School Districts

Cooperating School Districts has a nationally-recognized, award-winning distance learning program called New Links. New Links brings content into classrooms to enrich the curriculum over videoconference, Skype and webinar. Content providers New Links has worked with include authors (like Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, right, and Amy E. Sklansky, below), artists, science and health educators, plus experts in art, history and music. To see a short video on New Links, click here.

There are now four subscription options for districts to select from:

• Skype Only is for any size school/district–– Annual Fee $250
• Basic is for school/district under 2,500 students–– Annual Fee $500
• Standard is for any size school/district–– Annual Fee $1,650
• Premium is for any size school/district–– Annual Fee $3,000

With an annual subscription, members get ongoing coordination and support from the Virtual Learning Center of CSD. Also, as part of New Links membership, schools get free videoconferencing/ distance learning professional development from Virtual Learning Center staff- in person, or over videoconference, Skype or webinar. To see a full list of benefits, look into the subscription options above.

In recent years, K-12 students and teachers in the St. Louis area, and beyond, have connected to places such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; The Globe Theatre in London, England; The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor; and to students in Rwanda, Iraq, Uganda through Global Nomads Group. In addition, several classroom-to-classroom collaborations have taken place. New Links subscriptions are open to any school or district that wants to join. To learn more about distance learning opportunities through CSD’s New Links, contact Rebecca Morrison of the Virtual Learning Center.

CSD Recognized in Community

Over the spring and summer, Cooperating School Districts staff have received accolades from area and regional groups! Congratulations to our deserving staff for your recent recognitions.

Telly Award
The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the web. CSD’s Communications Department submitted a video entitled “Being Smart in Today’s Schools,” and received the Bronze Telly Award in the “2011 Film/Video” category. This video gave administrators, teachers and all school employees advice on safely and smartly interacting with students using social media, texting, email, cell phones, etc. CSD distributed the video to all member school districts so that they could share it with their employees.

Missouri Distance Learning Association’s Excellence Awards
Congratulations to the Virtual Learning Center’s Stephanie Madlinger for receiving the Missouri Distance Learning Association’s Excellence Award (K-12 Educator). The Missouri Distance Learning Association is a non-profit association formed to promote the development and application of distance learning to education and training. The award is given to instructors who use educational technology effectively and provide challenging, engaging and innovative educational opportunities via distance learning. Stephanie was honored at the annual MoDLA conference in July, where she also presented.

St. Louis Business Journal: CFO Awards
CSD’s Deputy Executive Director/CFO Stephen Keyser was a 2011 finalist as a small nonprofit CFO of the year! The awards are given to financial professionals in the St. Louis region from the St. Louis Business Journal for outstanding performance in their roles as corporate financial stewards.

Gateway Acura Dealers “Gateway to the Best” Program
Gateway Acura Dealers chose four organizations to support over the course of a year; CSD is included in this group. Four times during the year CSD recognizes one employee who is the “Gateway to the Best,” and that employee is profiled in commercials that appear on local TV (paid for by the Gateway Acura Dealers). Each time an employee is profiled by Gateway Acura Dealers, a check for $500 goes to a CSD member school of the employee’s choice.  CSD requests the school use that $500 as a scholarship for a deserving student.

• Janice Putman was the first honoree and she sent the scholarship check to Roosevelt High School in St. Louis Public Schools
• Elise Reineck was the second honoree and she chose Rockwood Summit High School in the Rockwood School District
• Sandy Happold was the third honoree and she Oakville High School in the Mehlville School District
• Donna Collins will be the fourth honoree and she has not had to choose the high school

And lastly, congratulations to Kelly Hackworth in our Business Services Division. Kelly received the “CSD Award” last week for her service and dedication to CSD and our member districts!