CHILD DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/
A child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has.
The information provided by this tool is considered by experts as a representation of "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider this in the context of your child's unique development.

SOURCE: PBS Parents

BIG READ GRANT APPLICATION DUE FEBRUARY 1, 2012
Start an application.
Watch a short video about The Big Read.
The Big Read is accepting applications from non-profit organizations to develop community-wide reading programs between September 2012 and June 2013. The Big Read is a national program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read receive a grant, access to online training resources and opportunities, and educational and promotional materials designed to support widespread community involvement and participation. Approximately 75 organizations from across the country will be selected. 
Questions? Call Arts Midwest at 612.238.8010 or emailTheBigRead@artsmidwest.org.

• Arkansas Department of Education grant listings http://arkansased.org/programs/grants.html
• Technology grant information at http://www.vernier.com/grants/fulllist.html
• Forecast of Finding for the U.S. Department of Education  http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
• PEN WEEKLY NEWSBLAST  http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp  This site includes grant opportunity, Web links, deadlines, eligibility and maximum grant amounts
• EducationMoney.com
• Federal Grants http://grants.gov allows you to search by category, you do not need to register to search for grant opportunities
• http://grantsalert.com/

These sources will help locate foundation, government and other grant opportunities.  It’s best to start when you have some time to invest, because one thing frequently leads to another link.

• FREE makes it easier to find teaching and learning resources from the federal government at  http://www.free.ed.gov/.

Grant Writing Tips and Tools

• If you want factual information about grant writing and samples, be sure to visit the Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal by S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D., Michigan State University, at http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal.
• “SHOW ME THE MONEY: TIPS & RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING” http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml

“War of 1812”

Broadcast premiere
January 19, 2012

 A generation after the Revolution, Americans were once again plunged into war with Great Britain. Why? Join Henry Clay, Tecumseh, Andrew Jackson, James Madison, and others as they struggle to determine what course the United States will take.

“When Freedom Came”

Broadcast premiere
February 16, 2012

Everyone knows Abraham Lincoln freed all the slaves . . . or did he? Freedom came to enslaved people over the course of many months and years — and it arrived in different ways in different places. Discover how enslaved Americans made everyday choices during the Civil War that helped bring about their freedom.

“Remember the Ladies”

March 15, 2012

In 1776, Abigail Adams requested that her husband, future president John Adams, "remember the ladies" when establishing the government and laws of the new nation. Examine the roles, responsibilities, and daily activities of early American women.

“Rights of Youth”

April 19, 2012

Imprisonment, whipping, forced transportation, and even death were some of the punishments that courts sentenced children to in the eighteenth century. Witness how justice was administered at a time when criminal laws and sentencing guidelines made few or no exceptions for children.

Video for the Classroom:

“BUILDING VOCABULARY IN THE PRIMARY YEARS”
http://www.teachersdomain.org/special/serve/
Grade: K

Watch these short video clips for ideas from classroom teachers to expand children’s vocabulary – easy to do, minimum or no expense.

POETRY ROUNDTABLE OF ARKANSAS STUDENT POETRY CONTESTS
http://www.poetsroundtable.com/contests_new.htm

SYBIL NASH ABRAMS MEMORIAL CONTESTS
GRADES 6 - 8 (Junior Division)
GRADES 9 - 12 (Senior Division)
Deadline: March 15, 2012 (Postmark)
Please do not submit entries before January 1, 2012
No entry fee.
Any subject, any form, 24 line limit.

• Awards for Senior Division:  First - $50;  Second - $25;  Third - $15;Fourth - $10;  Three Honorable Mentions - books.
• Awards for Junior Division:   First - $25;   Second - $15;  Third - $10; Fourth - $5;  Three Honorable Mentions - books.

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE POETRY SOCIETIES STUDENT AWARD GRADES 9-12
Deadline March 15, 2012(Postmark)
No entry fee.
Any subject, any form, 32 line limit.

Awards will be mailed to winners. The top three prize winning poems will be published in Prize Poems of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies Anthology.

Central Arkansas Library System Student Poetry Contest
Grades 6 – 8 (Junior Division)
9 – 12 (Senior Division)
Deadline: Postmarked February 1, 2012
Fee: None
Eligibility: Arkansas student entrees only.
Subject: A story poem
Form: Any
Line limit: 25

• Awards: Junior Division: First - $40; Second - $25; Third - $15; Fourth - $10
• Senior Division: First - $50; Second - $30; Third - $20; Fourth - $10
  
  For more information about these and other contests, visit http://www.poetsroundtable.com/poet.htm#nfsps.

Darcy Pattison
Author Darcy Pattison discusses her latest children's book, "Prairie Storms". "Prairie Storms" gives children a front row seat into the harsh climate of the American prairie and how the animals that reside within it adapt to the ever-changing climate. Pattison focuses on a different prairie animal and habitat each month, showing how a prairie grouse surveys the freezing snows of winner or how a lizard evades the brutal sun and heat of summer with realistic watercolor illustrations by Kathleen Reitz. Written in lyrical prose and complete with activities and quizzes, Pattison's book is both an educational and celebratory look into the great American prairies.

Jan. 11, 2011

Mark Spitzer
Spitzer details his lengthy and often frustrating quest from Texas to Louisiana, Missouri and eventually Arkansas to catch his own gar. He draws on folklore, science, history, his own pet gar, and even gar recipes to tell this unique literary eco-tale about a fish that has inspired imaginations.
"Season of the Gar" takes readers to the prehistoric swamps and murky rivers seeking America's most feared and demonized fish. The book details his sometimes bizarre angling adventures in search of this air-breathing freshwater giant – up to 10 feet in length and well over 300 pounds – as he separates fact from fiction.

Jan. 18, 2011

C.W. Wright
Poet C.D. Wright, a native of Mountain Home, will discuss her latest book, “One With Others: [a little book of her days].”   “One with Others” is a mix of poetry and prose in which Wright examines a racist event. The work began as an homage to an anonymous self-taught, literary friend who lived in the Arkansas Delta in the 1960s. Wright was a teenager when she first met the woman and continued to have a relationship with her until she died a few years ago in New York City. The book was nominated for the 2010 National Book Award.

Viewer Favorites Return to Masterpiece Classic

Downton Abbey Season 2
January 8 to February 19, 2012

Downton Abbey season 2 resumes the story of aristocrats and servants in the tumultuous World War I era. The international hit is written by Julian Fellowes and stars Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, and Hugh Bonneville, plus a drawing room full of new actors, portraying the loves, feuds, and sacrifices of a glittering culture thrown into crisis.

Great Expectations
April 1 & 8, 2012

Widely considered one of the greatest novels by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip the battered orphan boy, who rises from blacksmith's apprentice to gentleman under the patronage of a mysterious benefactor, who assures him of "great expectations

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
April 15, 2012

An adaptation and completion of Charles Dickens' last novel left unfinished at the halfway mark at his death, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is a psychological thriller about a provincial choirmaster's obsession with 17-year-old Rosa Bud and the lengths he will go to attain her.

Birdsong
April 22 & 29, 2012 at 9pm

An adaptation of Sebastian Faulk's novel about lovers torn apart by World War I. Eddie Redmayne (The Pillars of the Earth) plays Stephen Wrayford, whose pre-war affair with Isabelle Azaire (Clemence Poesy, Harry Potter films) has an enduring effect on him as he fights in the trenches.

40 YEARS OF MASTERPIECE LOCATIONS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/locations/index.html
From the majestic Highclere Castle used as the setting for Downton Abbey to the untouched village of Lacock, featured in Cranford and Return to Cranford, Masterpiece has showcased some of the most splendid locations in Great Britain and around the world. Now, for the first time, explore some of the most beloved and intriguing Masterpiece locations and add your own comments and travel tips.