Cream of the Crop

August 2009

1. 2009 California AITC Conference
Now is the time to register! Field trip and workshop descriptions are available online. Register early to get your first choice of Field trips, visiting four different areas of Sonoma County: Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Petaluma, and Sonoma. Feature destinations include dairies, farms, wineries and restaurants; featured topics include gardens, compost, specialty products, and flowers. Workshops include five choices for both Friday and Saturday, and span all subject matters and grade levels. Early bird registration prices will be available for a limited time. Make your plans today!

2. Food Safety: From Farm to Fork
This 16-page booklet, brimming with activities, has been updated and aligned to the recently adopted health education standards. Download from the CFAITC Web site, or request a printed version.

The unit provides fifth through seventh graders a better understanding of food safety through real-life examples and enjoyable activities. They learn that everyone has a responsibility in minimizing foodborne illnesses-farmers, transporters, restaurants, grocery stores...and the consumer! Through reading, activities, puzzles, math problems and science investigations, participants identify the roles each one of us plays to ensure the food we enjoy is safe to eat.

3. Teach Beef: California Beef Council Educator Newsletter
Volume 3, issue 1 of the California Beef Council's biannual newsletter is now available. Produced for California's educators, this issue highlights teaching kits, Celebrate America, a social studies curriculum for fourth and fifth grade levels, and other free resources that are aligned to California content standards.
Download the latest issue from www.calbeef.org.

To subscribe, send an e-mail with your name and e-mail address to askus@calbeef.org or call 916/925-2333.

4. Hooked on Hydroponics Awards
Deadline: Sept. 18, 2009
Sponsored by the National Gardening Association and leading companies from the hydroponic gardening industry, this award provides hydroponic garden systems to elementary, middle, and high schools. Award includes Hydroponic supplies and resources ($1,200 value).
For more information, and to apply, visit www.kidsgardening.org.

5. School Wellness Conference
Oct. 6-7, 2009 Anaheim, CA
The California School Boards Association, the California Department of Education and the California Department of Public Health are bringing together a diverse group of school community leaders who play a role in creating sustainable healthy school environments. The 2009 School Wellness Conference will address critical health issues and their link to student academic achievement, focus on school governance and leadership, bring together school and community leaders to share collaborative and coordinated school health approaches, and address health disparities and support a cultural shift toward healthier students. The conference registration fee is $275.
For more information, and to register, visit swc.csba.org.

6. Web Sites Worth Visiting

The Groundwater Foundation: Activities for students and educators about groundwater.; www.groundwater.org
Harvest of History: Curriculum that includes 16 interdisciplinary activities in four sequential modules designed for the fourth-grade classroom.; www.harvestofhistory.org
First the Seed Foundation: Non-profit organization provides resources about the importance of the seed industry.; www.firsttheseedfoundation.org
Bug Scope: Free interactive access to a scanning electron microscope so that students anywhere in the world can explore the microscopic world of insects.; bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu
The Land Lovers: Career ideas in nursery, landscape and garden industries.; www.thelandlovers.org

7. CSGN Event Calendar
Promote your events and find opportunities here! www.cfaitc.org/eventcalendar