Nominate Your Students as Academic All-Stars!

It is time to nominate your students as Academic-All Stars! All Minnesota K-12 teachers, principals and academic challenge coordinators are invited to designate students as “Academic All-Stars,” to be eligible to attend the 2012 Gathering of Champions. This free annual celebration and recognition of student excellence is sponsored by Synergy & Leadership Exchange (formerly the Center for Academic Excellence) and its educational partners.

Visit www.synergyexchange.org – click on Gathering of Champions under the Celebrate tab to nominate your students!

Who Should You Designate as an Academic All-Star?

We recommend you consider the top 2-5% of your students from the following three categories:       

• Students who are consistent top academic performers
• Students who have shown significant improvement in achievement or have overcome barriers to academic achievement
• Students who are local, regional or state champions in a Minnesota Academic League Council endorsed event. The names of endorsed programs are found in the Reach for the Stars catalogue, which is available online at www.synergyexchange.org – click on “Reach for the Stars” under the Educate tab.

How Do You Nominate Students?

• Nominate your students online today – www.synergyexchange.org – click on Gathering of Champions under the Celebrate tab. The nomination deadline is June 30.
• After you submit your nomination, you will see a link for an “Invitation & Congratulations Letter.” Please print this invitation and letter and distribute it to the students you have named as Academic All-Stars. This is the student’s invitation to the Gathering of Champions and provides details about the event, including how to pre-register for the show of their choice. Synergy will not be contacting the nominees. This letter is your opportunity to recognize your students. They must register themselves to attend the ceremony of their choice.

Academic All-Stars attending the event will receive*:

• A certificate of achievement and congratulations on stage from dignitaries
• Commemorative items and prizes honoring their selection as an “Academic All-Star”
• Discount coupons for rides in Nickelodeon Universe® and purchases at participating Mall of America merchants
• The opportunity to purchase a commemorative Academic All-Star T-shirt

*Details subject to change

For More Information:

Please contact the Synergy & Leadership Exchange at synergy@synergyexchange.org or 507-389-2461.

Waseca High School Recognized for Excellence

Synergy & Leadership Exchange (Synergy) has named Waseca High School a 2012 Minnesota School of Character.

At Waseca High School, staff and students view character education as a tool to achieve academic motivation and success. Parent and community involvement in the process is valued and evidenced through volunteerism, financial support, communications, and involvement in decision-making and leadership roles.

Waseca High School has demonstrated, through a rigorous application process, that they have improved academic achievement, student behavior and school climate because of its focus on character. Each year, Synergy recognizes schools for their outstanding character development of students through its sponsorship of the prestigious State and National Schools of Character program administered by the Character Education Partnership (CEP) in Washington, DC.

“CEP is thrilled to join with Synergy in recognizing these schools for their deep commitment to creating caring school climates where all kids thrive,” said National Schools of Character director Lara Maupin. “We also appreciate the work of our partner, Synergy & Leadership Exchange, to develop networks of character educators who help spread the word about the very real benefits of high quality character education.”

Synergy will honor the 2012 Minnesota Schools of Character in a ceremony at the State Capitol on May 17. Waseca High School’s application is now being considered by CEP for national recognition. CEP will announce National finalists in early March and National Schools of Character in early May.

After being named State and National Schools of Character, schools serve as models and mentors, helping other educators transform their school cultures and improve academics and student behavior.

For more information about schools of character, visit http://www.synergyexchange.org/Celebrate/MNSOC.aspx or www.character.org. 

2012 Gathering of Champions Logo Chosen

The votes are in, and the logo for the 2012 Gathering of Champions has been chosen! Congratulations to Brett Poppler, grade 3 from Humphrey Elementary in Waverly, part of the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted School District.

Synergy & Leadership Exchange (Synergy) received 32 outstanding entries from August to December. Entries were posted to the Synergy website for voting. Nearly 400 votes were cast throughout December and January.

Poppler’s original design will appear on promotional and event materials for the Gathering of Champions, which is held annually at Nickelodeon Universe® in the Mall of America. He will also receive a scholarship for his entry and will be acknowledged at the Gathering of Champions. This year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 3.

The Gathering of Champions is an annual statewide event honoring students who are named as Academic All-Stars by officials in participating schools. Nearly 4,000 people attended the Gathering of Champions at the Great Room in Nickelodeon Universe® at the Mall of America last year to honor and celebrate Minnesota Academic All-Star students. The honored students may include top academic achievers, students who have made a dramatic improvement in their academic work or achievement, and the top finishers in academic challenges and competitions at a regional or higher level endorsed by the Minnesota Academic League Council.

For more information on the Gathering of Champions and Synergy & Leadership Exchange, visit: www.synergyexchange.org

Look for information this spring on how you can nominate your students as Academic All-Stars! All Academic All-Stars and their families are invited to attend the Gathering of Champions on Aug. 3. Recognize your students for their hard work and effort this year!

Cast Your Vote for the 2012 Gathering of Champions Logo!

Click here to vote

You decide the motif for the 2012 Gathering of Champions. Student artwork has been received and has been posted to the Synergy & Leadership Exchange website and is ready for your vote! Visit www.synergyexchange.org and click on Gathering of Champions under the Celebrate tab, and pick your favorite. Votes will be taken from now until Jan. 15 and the winner will be announced in February.

The winning design will become the logo for the 2012 Gathering of Champions celebration. The design will appear on the certificates of achievement, banners, magnets, T-shirts and other materials.

The Gathering of Champions is an annual statewide event honoring students who are named as Academic All-Stars by officials in participating schools. The honored students may include top academic achievers, students who have made a dramatic improvement in their academic work or achievement, and the top finishers in academic challenges and competitions at a regional or higher level endorsed by the Minnesota Academic League Council.

Congratulations again to Erin Carver from Faribault High School, who was winner of the 2011 Gathering of Champions Logo Contest!  

Minnesota Schools Honored at National Character Conference

 San Francisco was the backdrop for the Character Education Partnership’s (CEP) 18th National Forum on Character Education Oct. 19-22.

Lakes International Language Academy (LILA), a 2011 Minnesota School of Character and Promising Practice award recipient, attended and was honored as a NSOC finalist and Promising Practice honoree. Also attending were Sibley East High School representatives who received national honors for their Promising Practice “Sibley East School Garden.” Three other Minnesota schools, Area Learning Center in Northfield, Shirley Hills Primary in Mound and The Blake School in Minneapolis, were also honored for their Promising Practices.

LILA is a Spanish Immersion charter school in the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities, MN. LILA was also recognized as a 2010 National School of Character “Profiles in Character” award winner by CEP. Only 18 schools across the United States were selected for the honor, which was based on an evaluation of each school’s strengths in areas such as social-emotional learning or meeting individual student needs within the CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education. LILA is one of Minnesota’s fastest growing and highest performing schools.

The Sibley East School Garden began in 2010 when the Agriculture Department planted a one acre vegetable garden with the intention of providing fresh vegetables for the school lunch program. The program gave many students from different paths of life the opportunity to communicate, help each other and work together on a common goal. It increased classroom attendance and grades in students who were struggling and resulted in a more positive attitude towards school. Students became specialists in something, built confidence and used a positive attitude to educate others about a subject. The school garden provided a great teaching tool to enrich curriculum, improve physical health and build character.

Representatives from 39 states, 9 foreign countries and Puerto Rico celebrated 3 days of learning about character education and networking with passionate proponents at the National Forum. Synergy staff attended in support of the Minnesota honorees and also presented a breakout session entitled “Synergize Your State’s Character Footprint.” This session represented work of the organization on the MN State Schools of Character and Promising Practices award program along with the Ethical Citizens for Minnesota’s Future initiative.

Do You Know Outstanding Educators?

Nominate Them for a WEM Outstanding Educator Award!

The WEM Outstanding Educator Awards Program was created in 1998 by the WEM Foundation in support of teachers and their important role in helping all students achieve academically, and seeks to bring recognition to the often "unsung heroes" who meet the challenges of teaching in a variety of settings. Synergy & Leadership Exchange, in partnership with the service cooperative members of The Minnesota Service Cooperatives (MSC), administers the award program on behalf of the WEM Foundation.Only licensed educators and administrators from Minnesota public or non-public schools or educational institutions are eligible.

Honorees are selected in each category below and each receives an unrestricted $10,000 gift and crystal apple award.  In addition, regional honorees are named who receive an unrestricted $1,000 gift, trophy and the opportunity to compete in the state competition the following year.

• Teacher Achievement Awards
• Academic Challenge Coach Awards
• Ethics in Education Awards

Calling All Students! Gathering of Champions Logo Contest

 

Design the logo for the 2012 Gathering of Champions! The winning entry will become the focal point of the 2012 Gathering of Champions - scheduled for Aug. 3, 2012. The design will appear on the certificates of achievement, banners, magnets, T-shirts and other materials.

Student drawings of the logo design can be mailed or e-mailed to Synergy & Leadership Exchange (formerly the Center for Academic Excellence). The logo contest winner will be announced in January.

Rules for Submission: 

All designs must use only 1-3 colors.

All entries must be designed by a currently enrolled K-12 student.

All entries must be completed and received by November 25, 2011.

Send entries to:
Synergy & Leadership Exchange, 2075 Lookout Drive, North Mankato, MN 56003
or: synergy@synergyexchange.org 

Pick the Winner! - All design entries will be posted on the Synergy website in December. View and vote online at: www.synergyexchange.org. Your votes will choose the winning logo for the 2012 Gathering of Champions!

More than 3,000 people attended the Gathering of Champions at the Great Room in Nickelodeon Universe® at the Mall of America this year to honor and celebrate Minnesota's Academic All-Star students. The Gathering of Champions is an annual statewide event honoring students who are recognized as Academic All-Stars by officials in participating schools. The honored students may include top academic achievers, students who have made a dramatic improvement in their academic work or achievement, and the top finishers, at a regional or higher level, in academic challenges and competitions endorsed by the Minnesota Academic League Council.

Submit your logo design today and remember to vote for your favorite design in December at:www.synergyexchange.org