MSTA Newsletter August 2023

In this issue:

Welcome back to school!

The 2023 MSTA Conference will be held at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Conference Center on October 22 - 24, 2023. Our theme is "Launching Science." We want you to join us!

The time is NOW to start lobbying your administration for permission to attend. Below are some suggestions for persuasive arguments to bring into conversation of why you should be allowed to come.

1. Developing content knowledge.

2. Developing pedagogy with tried lessons and activities.

3. Developing a network of teachers across the state with whom you can continually extend your content knowledge and pedagogy.

4. Developing original lessons and activities with other science teachers in the content area.

5. Present activities/methods that have proven successful in your classroom.

6. Rejuvenate personal enthusiasm for science and teaching science.

7. Bring new resources to your classroom and share those resources with other teachers at your school/district.

Or…be radical!

Invite your administrator to attend the conference with you. Administrators may not fully understand what MSTA is about! Let’s educate them! Administrators must also register.

2023 MSTA Conference Registration

Location: Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, Biloxi, MS.

Dates: October 22-24, 2023

CEU credit will be available.

No registration refunds. Once registered, you are obligated to pay for conference registration because of the planning expenses incurred on your behalf.

Early bird registration ends September 26, 2023. After this date, you will not receive a conference T-shirt as part of the registration fee. You will be sent the on-site/late registration form.

To be eligible for an undergraduate or graduate student registration fee, you MUST be a full time student, without a teaching position.

*Full conference and Tuesday only registration fees include the Awards Luncheon.

Registration must be completed online. Go to https://www.msscienceteachers.org/ to register.

Conference payment options

Payment may be through any of the following:

• Personal check

• Direct deposit (set up through your bank)

• School/Business purchase order

• Direct invoicing and Online or Mail payment

• Point of sale terminal on-site

• Cash/money order

Make all Payments to: MSTA

Attn: Treasurer PO Box 588 Poplarville, MS 39470

Questions/Help: mstatreasurerpayments@gmail.com

Meet us at the Golden Nugget!

Once again, our conference is at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Conference Center, in Biloxi, MS.

Click HERE to reserve your room. (You may want to call to insure you get the MSTA rate! Phone # 228-4355400)

Registered MSTA conference members who reserve their hotel room by September 26th will be entered into a MSTA early bird prize drawing.

Golden Nugget Hotel reservations for Fall 2023: Deadline for Hotel group rate: September 26, 2023.

The group code is S220318.

All rates and a $12.99 per night resort fee are subject to Harrison room tax, currently five percent (5 %), and state sales tax, currently seven percent (7 %). County and state taxes are subject to change without prior notice. You may also have to add a refundable credit card deposit when checking in.

ALL hotel rooms are non-smoking. A $200 charge will be assessed for smoking in a hotel room.

Balcony rooms are available for an additional $20.00 plus tax per night, based on availability.

Check-In time is after 4:00 p.m.

Check-Out time is by 11:00 a.m.

Meet the Block Door Prize!

Members registered in the hotel (NOT the conference) will have their names put into a drawing for a door prize. You must be registered at the Golden Nugget Hotel to be eligible for this door prize.

MSTA Tentative 2023 Fall “Launching Science” Conference Schedule

Sunday October 22, 2023- CEUs available

12:00 pm – 7:00 pm Registration in Round Island

2:00 pm – 2:50 pm Concurrent Sessions

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm Concurrent Sessions

4:00 pm – 4:50 pm Concurrent Sessions

Sunday Special Sessions (You must attend the full, single event in order to obtain CEU credit. You cannot leave a session early to get to another session.)

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Walter Anderson Museum, Ocean Springs (CEU event)-$7.00 special MSTA admissions fee – You must be at the location prior to 2 pm in order to receive full CEU.

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Biloxi Bay Sampling Trip (CEU event)

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – STEMFEST in Deer Island (CEU event)

See a MSTA board member to sign your CEU form at the end of this experience. You must be in attendance the full 2 hours.

Monday, October 23, 2023 – CEUs available

8:00 am – 4:00 pm – Registration in Round Island/Silent Auction

8:30 am – 9:20 am– Concurrent Sessions

8:30 am – 5:00 pm – Silent Auction, Petit Bois

9:30 am – 10:35 am – General Sessions – Guest Speaker, Page Keeley, M.Ed

Immediately following General Session- Attend District Meetings

T-shirts distribution will begin AFTER the district meetings.

11:15am – 4:00 pm – Exhibits in Deer Island

11:15 am – 5:00 pm – Concurrent Sessions

Tuesday, October 24, 2023- CEUs available

8:00 am – 12:00 pm – Registration in Round Island

8:00 am – 11:00 am – Silent Auction item pick up, Petit Bois

8:00 am – 11:00 am – Exhibits in Deer Island.

8:00 am – 8:50 am – Concurrent Sessions

9:00 am – 9:50 am – Concurrent Sessions

10:00 am – 10:50 am – Concurrent Sessions

11:00 am – 11:50 am – Concurrent Sessions

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Awards Luncheon in Grand Ballroom

Don’t forget to…

• Check in at the Registration Area for your Conference materials.

• First Timer, please let us know at the Registration Area

• Presenters, please check in at the Registration Area

• Visit the MSTA Silent Auction on Monday

• Visit the Exhibits in Deer Island and participate in the “Launching Science” Scavenger Hunt! Scavenger Hunt entries must be submitted by 9am on Tuesday. Winners announced at the Awards Luncheon. You must be present to win.

• Attend your District Meetings on Monday to review By-Laws/Voting

• Visit the MSTA Store

• Chat with exhibitors between sessions

• Check with MSTA Silent Auction on Tuesday (before 11 am) to pay for and claim items.

Be a Presenter

Do you have a lesson/activity/lab that has been wildly successful in your classroom?

Did you attend a summer workshop/course/internship that you really enjoyed and want to share your experience/activities learned?

Present this at the conference!

If your proposal is accepted, you must still register (and pay) to attend the conference. As MSTA is a shoestring organization, there is no "freebie" for presenting a session.

If your proposal is accepted, you are responsible for all copies you will use, your own computer and your own projector (including cords). Screens are provided by the facility.

Go to https://www.msscienceteachers.org/ to submit a session proposal.

Why should you present?

1. It builds up your resume.

2. It encourages your administration to let you come to the conference.

3. It allows you to mentor teachers state-wide.

4. It connects you with and enhances communication between teachers state-wide.

If you can teach students, you can share with your peers.

Visit the Silent Auction.

The Silent Auction will be located in Petit Bois.

The proceeds of the Silent Auction go to the scholarships provided by MSTA.

Come by Petit Bois on Monday throughout the day to place a bid.

Come back on Tuesday to see if you successfully bid on an item and pick it up! You must have photo ID to pick up the item. Friends are not allowed to pick it up for you.

Images of items in the Silent Auction will be posted on the MSTA Facebook page, beginning Sunday, October 22, 2023.

Items not claimed by 11 am Tuesday, October 24, will go to the second highest bidder, so be sure you pick up your item.

Come on Sunday

The 2023 MSTA Conference officially begins at 2:00 pm on Sunday, October 22, 2023. There will be concurrent sessions every hour until 5 pm.

There are also field trip options (CEU approved) Sunday afternoon field options.

Biloxi Bay Biological Sampling Field Trip

Bobby Robinson and Corey Deer lead MSTA members in a fun, hands-on ecological and taxonomical study of aquatic life in the Biloxi Bay. This fantastic trip is limited to 50 participants, so plan your experience.

In order to participate, you MUST have a valid Mississippi fishing license, both fresh water and marine license. Come try your luck fishing while using science. Fishing is not required in order to participate.

This is a science study lead by the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science amazing aquarist Karen Dierolf, an expert in saltwater fisheries and marine habitats. You are welcome to join in the collection crew. To do this, you must bring your own fishing equipment. ATTENTION! This is not just fishing…this is an ecology adventure!

You must attend the full 2 hours in order to get CEU credit. See a MSTA board member at the end of the experience to have your CEU form signed.

The location for this field study in 1332 Harbor Road, Ocean Springs Harbor Pier, Biloxi. Meet at the pier at 3 pm. The experience ends at 5 pm. You must attend the full experience to earn the CEUs linked to this experience. Of course, this session is weather dependent. If the weather is not suitable, then you are welcome to join sessions that will be on-going inside the conference center.

Walter Anderson Museum of Art Experience

MSTA is excited to partner with the Walter Anderson Museum of Art this year. We will tour the museum and learn the story of Walter Anderson’s life and connect it to his work. This includes the museum’s permanent collection, the Community Center, PWAP, and Little Room murals.

There is an additional fee of $7 to be paid to WAMA when you arrive at the museum. WAMA is located in Ocean Springs. You will have to drive yourself and friends to the location. The address is:

510 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564.

You must arrive before 2 pm in order to get CEU for this experience. Be sure to see a MSTA board member to sign your CEU form. This session will end at 4 pm. You must attend the full 2 hours to receive CEU credit. CEU forms will be available at WAMA for those attending the event.

STEMFest

STEMFest will once again be open for your interactions. This 2-hour event showcases how to incorporate STEM activities into the classroom. This event is held at the conference center.

You must attend the full 2 hours of STEMFest to qualify for CEUs. See a MSTA board member to sign your CEU form at the end of the event.

Monday, the main day…

We are excited to have as our General Session guest speaker Dr. Page Keeley!

Page Keeley, M.Ed. is a nationally-renowned expert on science formative assessment and teaching for conceptual change. She is the author of several award-winning books and journal articles on uncovering student thinking using formative assessment probes and techniques. She was the Science Program Director at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance for 16 years and a past President of the National Science Teachers Association.

You will want to be in the general session for this fabulous speaker.

T-shirt Alert!!!!!!

Traditionally, conference t-shirts were distributed immediately after the general session. NOT THIS TIME! It is vital that you attend your district meet, which will occur after the general session.

At the district meeting you will discuss the MSTA By-laws, current and proposed changes. Your district director will lead you through the proposed changes before you vote on the changes.

Bonus! Each district director will pull a name to win a door prize in the session!

Don’t know your district? Here is a map.

Again, t-shirts will be distributed at the MSTA store AFTER the district meetings.

Concurrent sessions will run throughout Monday, before and after the general session and district meetings.

Tuesday Events

Concurrent session will run from 8:00 am to 11:50 am. All members are encouraged t attend the Awards Luncheon.

Awards being presented include:

Outstanding Elementary Science Educator

Outstanding Middle School Educator

Outstanding High School Educator

Herb Handley Award for Outstanding New Teacher

Outstanding Informal Science Educator

Outstanding College Science Educator

Distinguished Science Educator

CEU Information

CEU forms will be available at registration. You must have this form signed for each session you attend before you leave the room/location. You will not be able to get a signature after another session has begun.

It is very important to keep up with your form. If you lose your CEU form, you will not be able to claim sessions attended previously.

Dr. Jessica Johnson is now coordinating CEU. This year the CEUs will be through Mississippi State University and will cost $15.

We Need Your Input!

Your input is vital to the success of future conferences. In your registration packet, you will find a conference evaluation form. Please complete the form and submit it before leaving the conference, no matter when you check out.

A box will be in the registration room for collecting evaluations form.

Don't like filling out the paper? There will also be a digital evaluation.