ACET, Inc. Blog

Good afternoon, all!

Just wanted to pass on a couple of grant announcements that came our way.

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program Invites Entries From Young Volunteers
Grants of up to $5,000 and other prizes and recognition will be awarded to U.S. middle and high school students in honor of their community service efforts during the previous twelve months.
Deadline: November 1, 2011
Posted: September 10, 2011

National Academy of Education to Administer Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Program
Approximately twenty fellowships of $25,000 will be awarded to outstanding advanced doctoral candidates.
Deadline: October 3, 2011
Posted: September 22, 2011

Enjoy your day!

1. I received very little formal education until 8th grade
2. I grew up on an olive farm in California in a town of a few thousand people
3. I’ve had dogs, cats, a rat, chickens, pigs, a goat, cows, sheep, and fish (some as pets, others for utility purposes)
4. I’ve played soccer for as long as I can remember, and according to my mother I was kicking things long before that
5. I am half Mexican
6. I read plenty of theoretical/cosmological physics and existentialism; and also spend plenty of time gaming.
7. I can’t stomach mayonnaise or anything resembling it (or anything that reminds me of a bad mayonnaise experience)
8. I am a vegetarian
9. When I moved to Minnesota I took only what could fit in my car and sold/gave away the rest.
10. I once drove for 24 hours straight while evacuating Houston for Hurricane Katrina.

1. I grew up on a farm in southwest MN.
2. I am slightly colorblind.
3. I have one sister who is a Pharmacist in Sioux Falls, SD.
4. My favorite movies include Shawshank Redemption and The Truman Show.
5. I am getting married September 8, 2012.
6. I have seen both Jay Leno and David Letterman in person.
7. I am a ‘pro’ at Wii tennis.
8. I am no longer a fan of waterslides after I fell out of my raft (and flipped over) going down a water slide this past July.
9. I prefer jeans to shorts, even in the summer.
10. Someday I would love to travel to Europe.

Dan

Running has always been one of my favorite activities. Whether it’s a quick mile or two with the dog or a longer trot around a Minnesota trail, I often find myself running outdoors in the non-snow months, and on the treadmill (or “hamster wheel” as I call it) during the icy months.

I can think of no better motivation to run than an upcoming race. This year, both myself and fellow ACET employee Dan, will be running in the Bolder Dash. The Bolder Dash is an annual event operated by Bolder Options, a non-profit mentoring organization that matches at-risk youth with community mentors to run or bike together, as well as helping them to work on academic goals.

The event offers both a 5k (3.1 mile) and a 10k (6.2 mile) race; ambitious runners can participate in both races if they wish. Registration for the race is only $25 ($40 if you would like to run both) and all proceeds benefit Bolder Options so they can continue offering mentoring services to Minnesota youth.

It’s not too late to sign up! Just follow this link: http://www.active.com/running/minneapolis-mn/bolder-options-bolder-dash-5k-and-10k-2011

See you on September 17^th!

Joseph

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the delay in the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) releasing Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) Scores. Today, MDE announced the release date for the MCA results. The following comes from MDE’s Department of Assessment and Testing (http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Accountability_Programs/Assessment_and_Testing/index.html):

“The final results for the 2011 Science Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) and Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) are now available to district staff in Educator Portal on the Test Results Download tab. Science results will be available for the public in a dynamic format later in September, when mathematics and reading results are released.

Results for the Reading and Mathematics MCA, MCA-Modified, and MTAS will be available publicly on September 14.”

I know I’ll be happy to get my hands on the results and get to work!

Joseph

1. I am half Indonesian and half Malaysian.
2. I am afraid of mosquitoes.
3. Being an evaluator has been my only career.
4. I was once fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.
5. I first learned English in Singapore when I was six years old.
6. I have one of the smallest ring fingers for an adult female at a size of 2.25.
7. I once competed in a Nevada State ballroom dance competition.
8. I love collecting penguin trinkets.
9. I can’t eat spicy foods.
10. I drink at least one gallon of water every day.

-Stella