See A Shadow? Must Be Groundhog Shadowing Time!

Job shadowing is an academically motivating educational activity designed to provide students with an up-close look at the world of work. Kicking off January 27 and continuing through February 2, 2004, job shadowing will give more than a million students across America the opportunity to "shadow" a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal day on the job. This gives young people a chance to see how the skills they learn in school relate to the workplace.

Each year, millions of students and tens of thousands of businesses come together to share the lessons learned in the world of work. Just a few short hours are all it may take to open a window into this world for America's young people. Job shadowing can provide them with the knowledge and skills they will need to achieve their dreams.

Job Shadow Day can provide experiences that are as unique as every person who participates.

• For the student who has never understood the purpose of school, Job Shadow Day can show how education can be translated into a rewarding and financially secure future.
• For the teacher looking for new ways to motivate students, it can provide a fun and unusual hands-on experience that demonstrates the link between schoolwork and "real life," answering the age-old question, "Why do I have to learn this?"
• For those in the workplace, Job Shadow Day can help forge personally satisfying connections with young people that could ultimately contribute to building a more prepared and focused workforce of tomorrow.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day and the Groundhog Job Shadow Initiative are dedicated to engaging students in the world of work in order to:

• demonstrate the connection between academics and careers, exciting students to learn by making their class work more relevant
• build community partnerships between schools and businesses that enhance the educational experience of all students
• introduce students to the requirements of professions and industries to help them prepare to join the workforce of the 21st century
• encourage an ongoing relationship between young people and caring adults
• ensure that students in need of additional services or programs are linked to other appropriate services/organizations/agencies

The School Board of Broward County has participated in this event since its inception. The School-to-Career Department is looking forward to working with all schools as it launches its young people toward college, careers and beyond. For more information, please contact Deborah Wells at 754-321-2536.

Former Dillard Football Coach
Now a "Hall of Famer"

On October 14, 2003, former Dillard High School head football coach and athletic director Otis Gray was inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame. Coach Gray was recognized for his commitment to athletics and students at the 2003 Broward County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction.

A Broward County resident for more than 55 years, Gray has a long history with Dillard High School. He is one of only three athletes to letter in four sports in the school's history. He attended Allen University in South Carolina where he played football and baseball and, in 1967, he was drafted to the Major Leagues by the Kansas City Warriors baseball team. Another draft from the U.S. Army enlisted him in the Vietnam War. He returned to Allen University, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree, then taught and coached for two years. Coach Gray returned to Fort Lauderdale as an assistant football coach at Coconut Creek High School, then moved to his alma mater as head coach.

Gray coached at Dillard for 12 years, winning eight District Championships and six regional titles. In 1986 and 1989, he led his team to State Championships. In 1990, Dillard's football team was ranked fourth in the nation under his leadership. Gray received Coach of the Year Awards four times and also received the Brian Piccolo Award. He is a member of the Dillard Hall of Fame and was nominated for a NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. According to Coach Gray, his greatest reward has come from watching his former Dillard students play in the NFL. Gray is currently an advocate for children's sports programs and coaches little league baseball.

Gold Medal Athletes
Evan Linette, a junior at Fort Lauderdale High School, recently won the gold as the best diver in the state of Florida. Evan claimed his third consecutive diving title at the Class 2A state swimming and diving championships. The state diving crown has remained in the Linette family for the past six years; Evan's brother, Jonathan, won the state title for Fort Lauderdale High from 1998 - 2000.

Jake Wilke from Taravella High ran the race of his life recently, winning the boys' state cross-country title. Jake ran the 3.1 mile course in 15 minutes and 34 seconds. It was the highest finish by any Taravella cross-country athlete in the school's 22-year history.


An Update on the CAB
E-mail System

The District is pleased to announce that all sites have been converted to the CAB E-mail System. There are now approximately 25,000 active CAB users with more than 10 percent of them utilizing the system simultaneously at any given time. Our District is generating upwards of 125,000 E-mails a day, and we are receiving almost 5,000 E-mails daily via the Internet.

More and more locations are beginning to use the conferencing feature of CAB to facilitate communication within the schools. At least one school is moving to a "paperless" environment by posting all information in a school CAB conference rather than making copies and putting them in staff mailboxes. Each Technology Liaison Contact (TLC) and Site Conference Controller has received training on setting up and managing conferences.

Phase II training on CAB has already begun, with 26 daytime and 6 evening classes on the schedule. Phase II training addresses a wide range of topics including Personal calendar events, tasks and permissions, Preference settings, Creating and using folders, Searching/sorting messaging, Message management/archiving, Viewing options, Customizing toolbars, Mail lists, and Creating a resume/profile.

Information about training and training dates can be found in the District Announcements Conference, which also contains information on the updated schools calendars for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006, retirements, employment opportunities, benefits news, bereavements, phone number changes and an employee newsletter. Make sure you check out the District Announcements Conference regularly!