Alpha Xi News Delta Kappa Gamma Sciety Internatinal Xi State The Delta Kappa Gamma Sciety Internatinal prmtes prfessinal and persnal grwth f wmen educatrs and excellence in educatin. President: Deana James gjames8@bellsuth.net First Vice President: Jeanette Esch j_burkhart55@htmail.cm Secnd Vice President: Esther Taj etaj@cmcast.net Betty Thmasn bett68@cmcast.net Recrding Secretary: Julie Hughes KSTXTN@cmcast.net Crrespnding Secretary: Nrma Cate nrcate@cmcast.cm Treasurer: Judy Leach judyjy@bellsuth.net Parliamentarian: Gail Huffstutler huffstutler_gail@hcde.rg Xi State Grwing Pssibilities Ww! What a great meeting in Octber. Thanks t Jeanette fr her visuals as well as decratins. Als thanks t Cheryl Crwe, Beverly Smith and Jeanette fr setting up. And mre thanks t Esther Taj fr the devtin. And then the fd--frm Africa, Lebann, Italy, Mexic, Greece, Germany, USA and prbably mre--and everything was delicius. Next Jyce Campbell tld us abut pprtunities with the Sister Cities here in Chattanga. Finally a raffle fr Schls fr Africa brught the meeting t an end. At ur next meeting we will celebrate the initiatin f ur tw new members, Raja Bhandari and Melissa Bayless, with the ther Chattanga chapters. We lk frward t welcming these impressive wmen int Alpha Xi chapter. On December 14 we will meet at Nancy Bibler's huse fr a hliday celebratin. Bard members will prvide refreshments. We will put tgether hliday gifts fr the Hliday Stre at East Lake Elementary. Our plan is t fill mugs yu dnate with presents and wrap them in cellphane with a bw. I have fund several items at Michael's $1.00+ aisle as well as at Dllar Tree. At the grcery stre I saw ht chclate mix and thught they wuld g well in a mug with sme candy canes. Pam has tld us that the students like all kinds f things and candy is always a seller. Remember that this stre nly takes "gd behavir bucks". Think abut what the students will like fr family, friends, r maybe themselves. We have talked abut a prject suggested by Internatinal. A chapter in Texas has develped a prgram t wrk with lcal Girl Scuts (Daisies n up) t learn abut DKG and teaching as a career. The Scuts can earn a DKG Rse patch (nt badge) in the prgram. Several members have expressed that they have extended themselves as far as they can. Hwever, I hpe that there might be a few f us wh culd investigate this prject further. If this sunds interesting, please let me knw. Nw as we enter the seasn t think abut hw thankful we are, let us take the time t let thse wh are a blessing t yu t knw. Maybe yu can send a nte t a teacher yu are thankful fr, give a call t smene wh is always there t cheer yu up, and just a simple Thank yu fr being there fr me t ne wh is clse t yu. These persnal messages can bring great jy t knw that yu think f them. Have a wnderful Thanksgiving hliday. See yu at initiatin. Page 1
Octber Meeting Highlights This impressive display by Jeanette Esch highlighted the amazing pprtunities available thrugh the Sister Cities rganizatin Nvember 17 Taffe Bishp 21 Harriet Bnd 23 Brenda Hper Jyce Campbell presented an enlightening prgram f the Sister Cities f Chattanga rganizatin. The purpse f the rganizatin is t create bnds with peple f different cuntries and cultures. Chattanga basts an impressive list f seven sister cities in Wuxi, China; Hamm, Germany; Wlfsburg, Germany; Givatayim, Israel; Gangneung, Krea; and Nizhnii Tagil, Russia. December 11 Mary Katherine Pace 25 Esther Taj 25 Tmmye Chesney 27 Peggy Wright 28 Dnna Lamkin The internatinal- themed meal featured dishes inspired frm Italy, Africa, Mexic, Thailand, and mre! These were prvided by the wrld-class chefs f Alpha Xi! Page 2
Nvember Meeting Preview Jint Initiatin Ceremny Jin us n Nvember 17 th at East Brainerd Church f Christ at 7745 East Brainerd Rad fr the Chattanga chapters jint initiatin ceremny. (The church is just past Einstein Bagels n the left up n a hill.) Initiates and spnsrs shuld arrive at 5:30 and the meeting will begin prmptly at 6:00. Alpha Xi s Beverly Smith will be the speaker fr the event. We knw we will hear wrds f inspiratin fr all f ur members, new and ld. Meet ur New Initiates Raja Bhandari Raja is currently the Exceptinal Ed teacher at Oltewah Middle Schl and Lkut Valley Middle/High Schl fr Hamiltn Cunty. Raja has taught Bilgy, Anatmy, Physilgy, and is a tennis cach fr Ntre Dame High Schl. She taught fr 15 years at LFO High Schl and East Ridge Middle and High Schl. She was a satellite peratr fr the United States Air Frce. Raja currently teaches three nights a week at Chattanga State Technical Cmmunity Cllege. She attended East Ridge High Schl and was an excellent student f Jeanette Burkhart Esch s. She was nminated by Wendy Mrgan. Melissa Bayless Melissa has been a teacher fr 2 years. She teaches Anatmy and Chemistry at the high schl in Spencer, Tennessee in the Van Buren Cunty Schl System. She als wrks at Fall Creek Falls State Park. She was an assistant at Oak Ridge Research Institute. Her mther is Dt Bayless, a member f ur chapter since 1955. She was nminated by Harriett Harris. Page 3
Grwth Pssibilities Are yu lking fr a little incentive t get mving n that great idea yu have fr yur schl r classrm? Xi State can help and it isn t t late t take advantage f these pprtunities, but time is shrt, s nte these imprtant deadlines Liz Whrley Bradley Prfessinal Grwth This award, administered thrugh the Xi State Visin Fundatin, prvides financial assistance fr ne r mre f the fllwing: a natinal r internatinal seminar, wrkshp, r prfessinal meeting a new classrm practice yu plan t initiate a new supervisry practice that yu plan t initiate a new administrative practice that yu plan t initiate a new wrkbk, textbk, r ther prfessinal writing that yu plan t undertake The Deadline is December 31. Visit the Xi State website at www.xistate.rg/frms. Xi State Visin Fundatin Prject/Grant The Visin Fundatin Grant prvides financial assistance t cnduct educatinal research and t develp special prjects related t the imprvement f educatin in Tennessee The Deadline is December 31. Visit the Xi State website at www.xistate.rg/frms Xi State Schlarship Schlarships ranging frm $1250-$3000 are awarded fr members seeking advanced educatin degrees. Applicants must have been a member f Delta Kappa Gamma fr at least three years. Service t Delta Kappa Gamma is an imprtant criterin in the selectin f a recipient. Regular attendance at chapter meetings and activities shall be cnsidered, as well as cnventin participatin at all levels f the Sciety. Frmer recipients f majr ($3,000) schlarships are nt eligible again. The Deadline is February 1 st. Visit the Xi State website at www.xistate.rg/frms Page 4
Upcming Chapter Prject: Hliday Stre at East Lake Elementary At ur December meeting, we will put tgether gift mugs fr the students hliday stre. We will need the fllwing items: Hliday mugs Small gifts (ltin, candle, Candy, Cca mix, Candy canes Clear cellphane Bw/ribbn We need YOU t make 2016 a success! IMPORTANT DATES Nvember 17 Jint Initiatin East Brainerd Church f Christ Initiates and Spnsrs: 5:30; Dinner 6:00 Cst fr catered meal $17; pay Judy Leach by Nvember 1 December 1 Deadline t send in 2016 Xi State Cnventin prpsals t state First Vice President December 14 Christmas Tea at Nancy Bibler s hme; Oak Street, Chattanga; Gift Mug Prject fr East Lake Elementary December 31 Deadline t apply t Xi State Fundatin grants and Liz Whrley Bradley Prfessinal Grwth Awards January 12 February 1 Bard meeting at Western Sizzler in Oltewah, 10:30 Deadline t apply fr a Xi State Schlarship t pursue advanced degree DKG Internatinal Cnventin is July 5-9 at the Opryland Htel in Nashville Visit the Xi state website and g t Frms fr mre infrmatin n hw t vlunteer. Cncerns Please remember Peggy Wright. She was recently hspitalized with a heart issue that was pssibly a side effect f ne f her medicatins; she is recuperating at hme. Nrma Cate s husband, Jim will have his last treatment fr bladder cancer next Tuesday. He will have a surgical bipsy in December t verify all cancer cells have been eradicated. February 18 Chapter meeting at Western Sizzler in Oltewah; 5:30 Prgram: Literacy We extend ur sincere sympathy t Julie Hughes and her family in the passing f her mther-in-law and frmer member f Alpha Xi, Betty Hughes. Page 5
Editr s Nte This time f year and the initiatin ceremny brings back fnd memries fr me. When I was invited by Beverly Smith t jin the Alpha Xi chapter f DKG, I had tw verwhelming feelings. The first was great pride that a respected clleague wuld see smething special in me; and the ther a feeling f cmplete unwrthiness. Hw culd I ever live up t the examples f prfessinalism and excellence that I saw all arund me? Nw, three years later, I have learned that this is nt an rganizatin that is lking fr a wman wh has achieved all she was meant t be, but ne that is ready t help her becme all she is meant t be. I am s grateful t all f yu wh are guiding and encuraging me and I lk frward t wrking with ur new initiates. Welcme, ladies. Page 6