Welcome back, everyone! I hope summer was rewarding and rejuvenating for all of you. Have you all gotten over the stage of denial ("Where DID the time go?….  You mean I have to get out of bed early?") and admitted the truth: Teaching science to young people is a GREAT profession! Sure, I like the flexibility that summer offers, but I also cherish the opportunity to share my excitement about learning with my students, as I'm certain you do, too.
     Summer brought a few additions to the SDSTA Leadership Board that I would like to share with you. Brenda Murphey of Rapid City is our new High School Liaison. As a science teacher at an alternative high school program and 2004 Rapid City Teacher of the Year, Brenda brings much enthusiasm and creativity to this position. Marcy Farrand also joins the SDSTA Board as the Elementary School Liaison. As a Special Education and Grades 1-3 teacher for many years in Rapid City, Marcy brings lots of ideas of how science can continue to be introduced to younger students, concurrent with today's emphasis on math and reading. We welcome both of these educators to our Association!
    I again had the opportunity to represent SDSTA at the National

Congress on Science Education, held in August in Minneapolis. The main topics of discussion were the decreasing emphasis on elementary science education and evolution. (Ironically, the Congress discussion on evolution took place at the same time as President Bush's statement concerning the teaching of "intelligent design"!)
     The NSTA website www.nsta.org offers a complete summary of the Congress. The resolutions passed by Congress could offer any educator facing issues related to class size, lab safety and other important topics an excellent resource. After all, NSTA IS the world's largest organization of science educators. Check it out!
     Speaking of resources, a huge thank you goes out to ALL who were involved in rewriting the South Dakota Science Standards. They are very useable, complete with explanations (such as; what is the difference between a benchmark and a standard?) and available to us on-line via the SDSTA website.  Check out the Dept of Ed website to signup to attend the Roll Outs.
     While you are organizing and planning for the school year, think about what you can share with your fellow educators at the