ARIN Curriculum Department-Keeping Up with Increasing Demands
ARIN's Curriculum Department continues to support the needs of its districts and to adjust to the increasing responsibilities placed on intermediate units by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. As this department transitions from the leadership of Patty Garner, who is retiring August 29, to the leadership of a new Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, certain services and programs will need to continue while some will require review by the new department leader.
21st Century After-School Programs
Mr. Jody Rainey and Ms. Kathy Monko met with the the ARIN
Board of Directors to provide an update on the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers grant which began during the 2006-2007 academic year
at both Homer-Center and Purchase Line School Districts. The
focus of this grant is to provide activities to support students in
academics and skill building through the provision of after-school and
summer enrichment programs.
Unified Communications at ARIN IU28
ARIN Coordinator of Technology/Media Services, Derrick Mergen, presented an overview of
Unified Communications to the ARIN Board of Directors. Mr. Mergen described how the
Intermediate Unit's recent implementation of a high-speed Wide Area Network (WAN), coupled
with the need to replace the Intermediate Unit's 18-year-old telephone system, has been
incorporated into an overall communications strategy that assures future interoperability between
telephones, computers, cell phones, and other digital devices.
38th Annual ARIN Convention of School Directors
Approximately 100 area school board members, district and technical center administrators, ARIN Intermediate Unit staff, and guests attended ARIN’s Annual Convention. The Convention included a short business meeting, entertainment, keynote speakers, and dinner. This year, the Convention was hosted by the Apollo-Ridge School District. Guests enjoyed musical selections by high school students, and the guest speakers were Kevin Dellicker and Christine Smith from Dellicker Strategies.
ARIN Adaptive Art, Music, and Physical Education Presentation
This successful performance took place in May 2007, at the Blairsville performing arts center
on the Blairsville School District campus. The Life Skills student performers consisted of
elementary and secondary classes from the Apollo-Ridge, Blairsville-Saltsburg, Homer-Center,
and Indiana Area School Districts.
100 Best Communities Award
America's Promise Alliance (the Alliance), the nation's largest alliance dedicated to children
and youth, in partnership with Capital One, today announced that Indiana County has been
named a winner of its 2008 100 Best Communities for Young People (100 Best) competition.
The 100 Best competition recognizes 100 outstanding communities across America-large and
small, rural and urban-that are the best places for young people to live and grow up. More
than 300 communities in all 50 states applied for the honor this year. The 100 winning
communities span 39 states.
ARIN Celebrated School Director Recognition Month
Executive director, Dr. Robert Coad, expressed the
appreciation of the IU administrators and staff for the dedication of the ARIN
board members who spend hours each month preparing for and attending IU board
meetings and functions.