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Dear All,Today is the Teachers day in India and the latest version of Fedena - the opensource school management system is now available to public for free download.Official Blog post - http://projectfedena.org/blog/17-fedena-2-3-releasedDownload instructions - http://projectfedena.org/downloadFedena is a free and opensource school management software that has more features than a student information system. Thousands of institutions around the globe use fedena to efficiently manage students, teachers, employees, courses & all the system & process related to their institution.Fedena now powers more than 40,000 institutions around the world. It includes the most notable implementation in 15,000 Schools of Kerala - India, which is now a case study for successful implementation of big data e-gov projects across the world. http://projectfedena.org/pages/sampoorna . The same project is acclaimed by ruby on rails community and David Heinemeier Hansson - creator of Ruby on Rails.Highlighted Features of Fedena 2.3Support for CCE(CBSE), CWA & GPA grading standardsSupports 4 new languages - Japanese, Portuguese, German & Marathi. (Already supports Spanish, Arabic, Hindi & English)Enhanced report centre for examinationSeperate dashboard for Parent (Previously parent & student view were same)Enhanced timetable & attendanceIntroduction of plugin marketplaceNow any company can develop plugins for fedena using the documentation and support available in projectfedena website. The developers can list their plugins in the marketplace for free or for a price. This is the first step towards building an ecosystem around Fedena. http://www.projectfedena.org/pluginsBig Blue Button Integration is now freeThe Big Blue Button plugin of Fedena is available for free download from plugin marketplace. BigBlueButton is an open source web conferencing system for distance education. The goal of the project is to enable universities, colleges, and K12 to delivery a high-quality learning experience to remote students. BigBlueButton supports real-time sharing of slides (including whiteboard), audio, video, chat, and desktops. It also record lectures for later playback. More info: http://www.bigbluebutton.org/Interesting articles about Fedena
- A Tunisian professor writes how fedena is helping them reorganize and innovate after the Arab Spring revolution - http://opensource.com/education/12/6/learning-fedena
- Foradian CEO interviewed in opensource.com, sharing the importance of opensource in education - http://opensource.com/education/12/8/foradian-ceo-explains-benefits-open-source-school-management-software
- What problem does Fedena solve? http://www.quora.com/What-Problem-Does-X-Solve/What-problem-does-Fedena-solve
The NCAA touts that it is an organization led and run by its membership. Today it proved that it does indeed listen to membership by announcing a change of venue for the 2013 NCAA Division II Championships.
Originally slated for the Spire Institute in Ohio, the 2013 Championships will now take place in Birmingham, Alabama with swimming taking place at the CrossPlex aquatic center. The original site was attacked for its inaccessibility of nearby lodging. The change is a win for swimmers and teams which were facing upwards of three hours of travel time with prelims and finals.
When: Monday, September 3, 7:00 AM. Gather at 6:45 AM morning)
· Ride rain or shine – if it's important, let's do it.
· Check the WPW website (www.wpwbikeclub.org) for any last minute messages
Start location: Oakland - Schenley Plaza (next to Carnegie Library)
You should also be aware that major controversy has developed at the convention over proposed rule changes which would take control over much of the nomination process away from the state and local parties and put it in the hands of the national leadership. These changes are a direct assault on the traditions of the party and would silence the voice of the grassroots in much of the decision making process. Many grassroots activist groups and prominent leaders have come on board opposing the changes. The Republican Liberty Caucus was one of the first, but we've been joined by Eagle Forum, FreedomWorks and many Tea Party Groups. These are goups we're often at odds with ideologically, but we all agree that the integrity of he party and standing by republican principles is of the highest importance.Here are some resources to help bring you up to speed:Proposed Rule Changes from CommitteeMinority Rules Committee ReportRLC of Maine Statement on Rules ControversyMorton Blackwell (Virginia Delegate) Letter to DelegatesRLC Chairman's Letter to Delegates and ActivistsEagle Forum Statement on RulesFreedomWorkds Press ReleaseThis issue will be voted on again in committee Tuesday afternoon and go to the floor of the convention sometime later Tuesday. We urge you to contact your state delegates today if you can and encourage them to support the Minority Report against the report of the Rules Committee.
| Ken Krawchuk has sent you a message. Date: 8/22/2012 Subject: Hear my commercial on talk radio! Folks: Don't want to receive e-mail notifications? Adjust your message settings.
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Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward
this email to a minimum of twenty people on their
address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United
States of America will have the message.
This is one idea that really should be
passed around.
_*Congressional Reform Act of 2012*_
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into
the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/31/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in
Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their
term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive
the message. Don't you think it's time?
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!
If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete.
You are one of my 20+ - Please keep it going, and thanks.
The start of the modern Civil Rights Movement can be traced to the demand by Black veterans for equal access to beaches and swimming pools after World War II. A photo of a motel manager pouring muriatic acid on the heads of swimmers made front page news across the country and is widely credited with influencing the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the very next day. With few exceptions, virtually every attempt to integrate swimming pools and beaches resulted in violence, even after the Supreme Court overruled segregation. Most municipal pools chose to close rather than to integrate. Today most public swimming pools are as segregated as they were in 1964, including Minneapolis.
The link between academic success and exercise, specifically cardio-vascular exercise, is clearly demonstrated. The more physically fit a child is, the better they perform academically. Swimming has the added benefits of teaching strategies to overcome fear and build self-confidence. Swimmers have the highest GPAs and graduation rates.
Police on the look out for a white car with front-end damage
Another hit-and-run took place in Pittsburgh, this time on Penn Ave in Point Breeze.
We have very little information at this point, but we are saddened to report that at 5am, 46-year old Homewood resident, James Price, was struck from behind and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Penn Ave at Penfield Ct in Point Breeze.
Witnesses say that the driver was in a white car, which sped off toward East Liberty at about 60 mph and now has front end damage. So far, a description of the driver has not been released.
As reported by WPXI, a witness said that "on the side of the road was a bicycler. He had his headlight on and everything. Then two cars ahead of us, going 50 or 60 mph just blew him off his bike." Further reports detail that the victim was wearing a helmet and had a rear light and reflector as well.
According to the Post-Gazette, Mr. Price was the father of an 11-year-old daughter, and that he had gotten in shape over the last two years by riding several times a day, helping to alleviate his diabetes.
"He was going on a positive path," said his niece, Briana Jackson, whom he was encouraging to ride.
Mr. Price was the first person killed within Pittsburgh city limits while riding a bike since June 2010, when 6-year old Tyrique Snowden Hill was killed in the Knoxville neighborhood. Previous to that, Timothy Kish struck and killed Rui Hui Lin in Oakland in 2009. That crash was also a hit-and-run, but Kish turned himself in after several days. We can only hope the driver of today's crash does the same.
Please be alert: If you see a white car with front end damage or have information on the suspect, please call Pittsburgh homicide detectives at 412-323-7800.
Putting an End to Hit and Runs
Earlier this month, Governor Corbett signed "Sean's Law," closing the loophole for fatal hit-and-runs. Spearheaded by Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana), the law Sean's Law is named after the Indiana County cyclist, Sean Pearce, who was killed by a hit and run driver in Burrell Township.
The bill closed a loophole, that unintentionally gave a hit-and-run driver an incentive to flee especially if the driver is intoxicated. It increased the penalty for a fatal hit-and-run accident from a third-degree to a second-degree felony.
A fatal hit-and-run carries a mandatory prison term of at least one year, with a maximum sentence of seven years. By comparison, a fatal crash that involves a drunk driver is a second-degree felony with a much stiffer penalty range of three to 10 years.
Because of this difference, drunk drivers involved in a deadly crash would face less punishment if they leave the scene and turn themselves in later (when they are sober).
The bill signed by the Governor on July 5, unfortunately won't be in effect until September.
We'll keep our readers updated as details of this tragedy unfold.
Annette Werner
July 23, 2012
PPS Public Hearing
Last month I spoke about the implications of reports that Schenley's plaster is not actually Asbestos Containing Material ("ACM").
At the time, I assumed that recent testing had been done in connection with proposals for the sale of the building.
Since that time, I have learned that the testing showing only trace levels of asbestos was actually done by Kimball in May 2009.
Although there were many news releases about how asbestos plaster was thought to be a problem at Schenley, there were apparently no news releases with corrected information when the May 2009 results were received. This failure to inform the public of corrected information is especially disturbing in light of two documents that I am including with my testimony:
1) A copy of a February 2009 petition, presented at the February 2009 public hearing and signed by 200 Pittsburgh residents, requesting an inspection of the Schenley plaster and,
2) A Right to Know Law request I submitted in April 2009 requesting a copy of "All reports prepared as part of the current facilities study regarding the condition of buildings and work needed for the Schenley, McKelvy/Miller, Vann, Woolslair and Connelly facilities (once these reports have been received by PPS)." (The deJong/Kimball team conducted the facilities study).
Also enclosed is an example of a document showing that at least since 1998 it has been industry practice to retest suspected ACM using the point count method when initial tests showed asbestos less than 10%, due to findings that labs were greatly overstating asbestos levels on initial tests. http://www.fiberquant.com/ic7pcnt.pdf For some reason retesting was not done until AFTER the vote to close the building.
Can you understand how something like this affects public trust and confidence in the school district?
If PPS continues on a path toward disposing of this public treasure, I think it is very important to have a full investigation and accountability by those responsible for the failure to conduct adequate tests prior to the vote to close, the failure to disclose results when new tests were finally done, and the resulting waste of public funds and loss of this building.
In 2014, Pittsburgh cyclists will be represented for the first time in the 4-person team Race Across America (RAAM) category. Patty George, Stacie Truszkowski, Ryanne Palermo and I have teamed up to form Team PHenomenal Hope to benefit the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) as we train for and participate in RAAM.
Team PHenomenal Hope will have its kick-off fundraiser on Friday, July 13th from 7:00-8:30pm EST in conjunction with the release of the "Spain Series" indoor cycling DVDs from Global Ride Productions/Cycling Fusion (http://www.globalride.net/,
http://www.cyclingfusion.com/premiere/). You can be among the first to experience the Spain Series training DVDs and get a great workout while benefiting Team PHenomenal Hope! ALL proceeds from this event will go to Team PHenomenal Hope and the PHA! Tom Scotto, USA Elite Coach, founder of Stage5 Cycling team will be the guest instructor for this training session.
There are two ways to participate. Anyone with a bicycle and trainer can participate in this training session from home via webcast. If you are in the Pittsburgh area, you can also come to Cycling Fusion (367 Plum Street Oakmont, PA) for the "in person" session. You can bring your own bike & trainer, or ride one of their spin bikes. (Space is limited, so please reserve your spot early!)
To participate from home or a participating club: $15,
Sign up here: http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=3190&stype=-105&sTG=45&sView=day
To participate in the Cycling Fusion Studio: $25,
Sign up here: http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=3190&stype=-106&sTG=39&sVT=111&sView=day&sDate=7%2F13%2F2012
Additional information:
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=mmxsoncab&v=001oBPX2EUZHJNltuaLjliHLOwN_oSXXpUXlyge8FsjR2c8t7Ai2Sh6XAMl7gdM9fdZGOJhUQEgWEOYPRJzTwghlRlR9AJhWEEB9LdwIPQsJEwl1if43EJwnbNy1kQEnZoMf-fM1s1a-NdSINZirk9TdA%3D%3D
For up-to-date information on this event, such as the addition of other indoor cycling facilities that will be participating, please check out & RSVP to our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/158291637639057/
Sincerely,
Anne-Marie Alderson
Steel City Endurance Racing Team / Team PHenomenal Hope
https://www.facebook.com/TeamPhenomenalHope
http://www.teamphenomenalhope.org/
@TeamPHenomHope
Hi All,
All are invited to our open house on the South Side on the 4th of July. Low key. We visit. Chip in with some snacks if you wish. At 6 pm we play in the park at 12th Street and Sarah. Expect some basketball this year, for sure. At 7pm we gather and drink some lemon-aid. Sit on the deck. Watch fireworks. Socialize with some Ph.D. students and friends from all around.
Our other standing party is New Years Day, just after the Polar Bear Swim. Put that into your calendar now. Memories of being so cold can really help as it heats up in weeks like this.
In other news, our oldest, Erik, PA's Youth Governor, won't be here on the 4th as he is in North Carolina at the North American Congress leading the PA delegation. His bill about Title IX is advancing in the process.
Grant is gearing up as a water polo tiger that can change its stripes -- flipping from playing with the North Allegheny Tigers to Princeton Tigers for a 14-under boys squad that will go to the JOs in California at the end of the month. He'll take a second training trip to Princeton, NJ, next week.
This summer I can use some assistance with our PPS Summer Dreamers Swim and Water Polo Camp.
+ I'm still looking for more used trophies. I hope to recycle them to some of the 100 middle school kids I'll be coaching for 5 weeks.
+ We're going to be running 1-mile each way from the school to the pool and back -- twice a day with four squads. Join us on a jog in Pgh's Hill District. On August 17, we do the Libery 1 Mile Race, http://LibertyMile.org. (recently hacked)
+ I think Pittsburgh can give every 7-year-old child a swim team experience, gratis, if we tried. I blog about some of the benefits: http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2012/06/winning-swimming-rookie-camp-position.html
+ My next big idea has to do with "mobile apps." I'm wrapping up a "kwel" technology project, some software that will help our swim staff take attendance and chart progress with the kids at the summer camp. But this can expand into tech literacy for kids ages 13 to 18. So, if you think you might want your own "app" -- send me a note and we'll talk about this possible venture.
PS: Prayers and thoughts to all for getting well and staying safe -- especially to our parents. Not good when more are in the hospital than out.
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