We seek to awaken in ourselves a force which really changes our lives from within. And yet the same instinct tells us that this change is a recovery of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in ourselves." -                    Thomas Merton

Happy Summer!! I hope these months are allowing you time to renew and free your creative powers. Teachers give of themselves all day throughout the school year, and now is the time to recover your deepest energies using whatever venue-enjoying family, reading books, taking classes, hiking trails, …. My hope is that you enjoy every moment!!
I will certainly find time for my renewal, but, I also look forward to attending the CAGS session in Albuquerque NM during July. CAGS, Chapter and Associated Groups, will meet to discuss science issues. If any of you have something you would like me to tune into during my time there, please send me an email with a specific request, and I will do my best to attend a session or pay attention to discussions pertaining to your topic of interest. I will access my school email at
Brenda.Murphey@k12.sd.us over the summer, so feel free to use this address. I will offer you a brief summary of the discussions after I return via your email.  Otherwise, I will go and

do my best to keep my radar up for something to bring back to South Dakota.
I am sure the CAGS conversations will buzz about the first public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) made available at
www.nextgenscience.org from May 11 to June 1.  I hope you had a chance to check it out and offer suggestions. Sam Shaw is always eager to hear our thoughts, and has been a wonderful addition to our state.  We would like to offer you the spotlight in our next newsletter. Send your thoughts and ideas about NGSS and we will post them in its own column!  Again, if you had a thought about these, let me know, and I will share your voice both in  NM and in September newsletter. This will be my first visit with CAGS, and I am certain my two ears  will  work  harder  than  my  one mouth.  :o)  I will be sure to mention my visit in my letter in our next newsletter, so stay tuned in.
Renew your spirits this summer!

                    Brenda Murphey a
               . SDSTA President--Feb. 2012-Feb. 2014

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