Discover a unique style of learning!  Rivermont Collegiate will host a No Erasers! First Grade Open House Tuesday, March 2nd at 6:30 p.m. Interested families are invited to a presentation and conversation with First Grade Teacher Kathy Topalian about Rivermont's "No Erasers" approach, where students learn from their errors.  This informal setting is the perfect opportunity to watch your child interact with "Mrs. T" and learn more about the Rivermont philosophy!  Families are also invited to tour the Rivermont campus with Cindy Murray, Director of Admissions, who will be on hand to answer questions about Rivermont's philosophy, values, programs, and facilities.

Rivermont Collegiate provides an academically rigorous yet nurturing environment, where students develop skills and attitudes that provide the foundation for future learning.  Our gifted faculty provides students with the tools to pursue knowledge independently and take intellectual and artistic risks, while small class sizes ensure each child receives direction and feedback.  Come explore our approach!

For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate or Tuesday's No Erasers! First Grade Open House, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org.  This event is free and open to the public.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/17/2010)(readMedia)-- Four professors and nearly 40 Augustana students will leave in early March to spend 10 weeks studying in the West African countries of Ghana and Senegal. The two countries, both important regional and continental leaders, were chosen for the global learning experience because of their diverse culture, linguistic and topographical contrasts.

The term begins with six weeks in the country of Ghana, where the group will visit the capital city of Accra, as well as Kumasi and Cape Coast. The final four weeks will be in Dakar and St. Louis in Senegal. Classes will be held four days a week and cover the topics of African history, literature, music and art through reading, assignments, guest lectures and field trips. Students will also volunteer at a school and orphanage, spend a weekend with a host family and visit and attend classes at local universities.

From your area, this includes:

Kevin Carton, a senior from Moline, IL majoring in speech communication, French, and Africana studies.

Crystina Mayfield, a sophomore from Coal Valley, IL majoring in general studies.

Bret VanDeWoestyne, a senior from Silvis, IL majoring in biology.

History professor Dr. Todd Cleveland hopes students will embrace the African culture during the term. "I'd like to think that simple things like taking local transportation, sampling new food at an informal food stall...will ultimately offer more insight into local culture and day-to-day living than will our sensational experiences, such as sleeping out in tents in the desert or swimming in the warm waters off the West African coast," said Cleveland.

Junior biology major Amanda Van Daalen of Waverly, Iowa, agrees the experience is an opportunity for personal change. "I see myself too often taking advantage of things that some people could only dream of. I want to have my eyes open to a new culture and I want to live in a culture where simple things are valued."

Co-director Dr. John Tawiah-Boateng said students have been attending a seminar since fall to prepare for the term away. "I hope as they experience a different lifestyle and culture they will compare realities and stereotypes that they see in movies or television."

All four professors, Tawiah-Boateng, Cleveland, art professor Dr. Rowen Schussheim-Anderson and music professor Dr. John Pfautz will teach a class during the term. Tawiah-Boateng, a native of Ghana, and Schussheim-Anderson helped initiate the first Ghana international term at Augustana in 2006, and now serve as co-directors of this trip. Cleveland and Pfautz have also previously traveled or researched in Africa. The students and professors will return to the United States in mid-May.

Several of the students will keep a blog of their adventures on Augustana's Globablogs. To read more about their trip, go to www.augustana.edu/blogs/international.

For additional information, contact Kamy Beattie, Director of Public Relations at kamybeattie@augustana.edu or (309) 794-7721.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls nearly 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 60 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 226 faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.

DES MOINES, IA (02/16/2010)(readMedia)-- The following students graduated from Drake University at the conclusion of the 2009 fall semester.

• Sheila Beiermann of Cordova, IL earned a Master of Business Administration from the College of Business and Public Administration.

• Scott Berg of Bettendorf, IA earned a Master of Science in Education from the School of Education.

• Rachel Davis of Davenport, IA earned a Juris Doctor from the Drake University Law School.

• Lori Duncan of LeClaire, IA earned a Master of Science in Education from the School of Education.

• Sara Fitzer-Huston of Durant, IA earned a Master of Public Administration from the College of Business and Public Administration.

• Linda Frederiksen of Bettendorf, IA earned a Master of Public Administration from the College of Business and Public Administration.

• Jami McCubbin of Long Grove, IA earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Secondary Teacher Education from the School of Education.

• Janet McDonald of Bettendorf, IA earned a Master of Science in Education from the School of Education.

• Brett Nagle of Long Grove, IA earned a Master of Science in Education from the School of Education.

• Jonathan Noble of Bettendorf, IA earned a Juris Doctor from the Drake University Law School.

• Patrick Seamer of Bettendorf, IA earned a Master of Science in Education from the School of Education.

• Brandon Tolle of Davenport, IA earned a Master of Science in Education from the School of Education.

Drake is a private, independent university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 full-time undergraduate students from 45 states and 62 countries. Drake University's mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.

AURORA - Two teams from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) received the highest ranking possible in the 12th annual international High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM).  Their performance placed IMSA among the top eight schools in the world in this year's competition.

The IMSA team including Paul Chung of Barrington, Derek Hardin of Morton Grove, Bonny Jain of Moline, Seohyun (Chris) Kim of Schaumburg, Vladislav Kontsevoi of  Evanston, Andrew Lee of  Darien, Sid Narayanan of  Dunlap and Yanchen (Jack) Shi of  Dunlap received the rank of "National Outstanding".  Only eight teams out of 277 that competed worldwide received this ranking.  A second IMSA team including Webster Guan of Lisle, Peter Lu of Lisle, Nolan Maloney of Naperville and Stanley Yuan of Naperville received the rank of "Regional Outstanding."

Although international studies generally place the United States in the middle of the pack compared to other countries, IMSA President Dr. Max McGee noted that IMSA's students have proven to be among the best in the world, in international competitions.

"For the fifth consecutive year, IMSA's math teams have received the highest ranking possible in this international event showcasing how mathematics can be used to solve some of the world's most challenging scientific, economic and social problems," McGee said.  "IMSA students and coaches, both past and present, are to be commended for this amazing achievement."

The High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling is a 36-hour contest where each team is expected to solve a mathematical modeling problem.  Each team then prepares and submits a paper discussing their solution to the problem.

IMSA's "National Outstanding" team had to build a mathematical model to devise an effective, feasible, and cost-efficient national water strategy for 2010 to meet the projected needs of the United Stated in 2025.  In particular, the model had to address storage and movement, de-salinization and conservation as some of the possible components of the strategy while considering the economic, physical, cultural and environmental effects.  Students then had to provide a position paper for the United States Congress outlining their approach, its costs and why it is the best choice for the nation.

IMSA's "Regional Outstanding" team had to create a mathematical model to compare the devastation of various-sized earthquakes and their resulting Tsuanis on the following cities:  Boston, MA; Charleston, SC; Hilo, HI;  New Orleans, LA;  New York, NY; and San Francisco, CA.  Students then had to prepare an article for the local newspaper that explained what was discovered in the model about one of those cities.

Outstanding teams will have their solution papers (or their solution abstracts) published in COMAP's Consortium newsletter among other places.  More information on the contest can be found at http://www.comap.com/highschool/contests/himcm/.

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program, and it serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry. IMSA also advances education through research, groundbreaking ventures and strategic partnerships. (www.imsa.edu)

###