Oregon. If you have never taken the opportunity to attend a summer workshop, I strongly recommend putting effort into this. I would suggest starting with a search from the NSTA website www.NSTA.org and go from there.  There are also many opportunities much closer to home, such as the PTRA (Physics Teachers Resource Agent) Workshop to be held at SDSU this July. Contact Dr. Larry Browning at Larry_Browning@sdstate.edu for further info. Happy Searching!!! If you can make it, every SDSTA member reading this newsletter is cordially invited to attend our Summer Meeting, to be held at Sioux Falls Roosevelt HS, August 6, 2004. We will discuss topics current and relevant to science education in South Dakota, such as an update in the progress in turning Homestake Mine into a world class neutrino lab, the latest NCLB news, sharing about what science related activities we did this summer and plans for the 2005 SDSTA/SDCTM February Conference. Please e-mail me with any questions or to RSVP……hey; it's free! 
    Until next time; enjoy these last few weeks of school and hooray for Spring……

Mark Farrand
Mark.farrand@rcas.org               

Greetings  From  the  President's Desk

     Ahhh, Spring! By the time you receive this newsletter: 

  • the snow should be nearly gone and winter a not-so-distant memory
  • the jonquils and tulips should be in their glory (Rapid City area)
  • the rest of the beautiful Land of Infinite Variety that we call South Dakota is somewhere between these two extremes!
Happy Vernal Equinox from Mark Farrand, the current President of the SDSTA. This is my 17th year of teaching young people about science in South Dakota. I look forward very much to serving you as your president for the next two years and I welcome and encourage your input!
   By now the dust (or more appropriately, the snow) has settled from 12th Annual Science and Math Conference held last month in Huron. For those of you who were able to make it there despite the weather; thank you for efforts to make science education better. Many thanks to our Past-President Ken Graupmann, for his efforts to make this conference a success. The presenters were enthusiastic, the featured speakers from near and far were very informative, and our Ban

quet Speaker Ron Dyvig amazed us with the possibilities technology has opened up to the students of South Dakota through his "Dark Skies, Bright Minds" Program. Any educator teaching astronomy should consider contacting Ron at the Badlands Observatory in Quinn, SD regarding this incredible opportunity to participate in cutting edge astronomical research via the internet!  We welcome aboard Micheline Hickenbotham of BHSU, the new President-Elect from 2004 until she takes over in February 2006.
    My seniors at Rapid City Central High School have recently informed me that the school year is over 2/3 finished. Do you suppose they are getting emotional about leaving us for future educational challenges…or just ready for summer? Either way, it's time for us to look for ways to both rejuvenate and reward us as teachers this summer. If you have ever participated in a summer workshop you know the benefits (professional and monetary) that accompany your efforts in this regard. Since our children were little, my wife Marcy and I have attended and presented workshops from Vermont, New York, Virginia, Montana and

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