Overnight your IMA funds for the 2015-2017 biennium were added to EMAT.  Now it's time to start ordering those materials!  Good luck!!

Please join us for our upcoming Region 7 Instructional Materials Coordinators meeting on April 14.  Click here for more info.

Also, check out the home page for information and registration for this year's Summer Institute.

Summer's coming to a rapid close.  Hopefully all your materials have arrived and you're ready to begin a new year.  Don't forget to attend our regional meeting on September 23 to get the most up-to-date information about all things IM.  Also, $10 membership dues should be paid at this first meeting of the year.  See you in September.

I appreciate so much your support during the last two years.  It has been a pleasure to have the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful and dedicated group of people.  I encourage you to throw equal support behind Donna McGuire as she takes over the reins.  She will be a great asset to our organization and will do a great job of moving us forward.  Thanks again for all you do and have a wonderful summer.  Remember, if you need help or have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me or others in our organization.

Come join us for our next regional meeting on Tuesday, April 29 at Region 7 ESC.  We begin at 9:00.  We will have a special presentation by the Learning List organization, so you'll want to be present.

Please join us for our Regional Meeting on Tuesday, February 11.  It's always a great time to get new information and share things you've learned.

All I can say is WOW!  Thanks to everyone who attended the meeting yesterday in Kilgore.  I think a lot of good came out of our time and I appreciate all of the input from members and vendors alike.  Please take time to reach out to our vendors that were there yesterday and thank them for their attendance.

Chris Jackson - Follett Educational Services  chjackson@follett.com 
Karen White - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt   Karen.White@hmhco.com
Craig Richardson - Textbook Warehouse- craig@textbookwarehouse.com
Debbie Disler - Hayes Software Systems - ddisler@hayessoft.com
Brian McCaskill - McGraw-Hill    Bryan.McCaskill@mheducation.com

We had a great day today; greeting, learning, commiserating. Thanks to everyone who attended. Your presence made the difference. Thanks to our fabulous vendors who made the meals possible and shared great info and door prizes with us.

Thanks to...
Karen White-Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt
Anna Clinton - Carnegie Learning
Diane Dunbar-Zaner-Bloser
King Norris- Buy Board
Ann Beard - Bookshare
Chris Jackson - Follet Educational Services

Make plans to be at our next Regional meeting on Sept. 24, 2013.

Hard to believe isn't it?  The end of the 2012-2013 school year is upon us (Didn't it just begin?).  Make sure to mark your calendars for our next Regional IMCAT meeting on May 2, 2013.  Come ready to share your ideas for how you will deal with the new influx of IMA monies and the 2014 adoption.  Check out the rest of the website for valuable links and the important notice about EMAT closing in June.

I trust you are having a wonderful start to 2013.  This will be another year of firsts as we all see how the legislature and TEA impact the IMA funding model as we move toward Proclamation 2014.  I encourage you to keep yourself informed about the goings on in Austin by visiting websites like www.texasisd.com, Texas Legislature Online (http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/)  and The Texas Tribune (www.texastribune.org). 
Recently, my family and I returned from a wonderful trip to Disney World in Florida.  We have a five year old daughter and this was her first time seeing and experiencing the "Magic Kingdom".  It made me wish to be a child again and be lost in wide-eyed amazment and wonder at all the magical things to be experienced there.  And truly, when I'm in that place, part of me becomes a child again and I am able to forget all the worries of the "real" world.
My wish for you in 2013 is that you can find some time to walk away from the stresses and hurried moments life seems to bring and step into a bygone day of innocence and wonder by talking a walk in the woods, or camping, or sitting on your porch watching the world go by.  Never underestimate the power of doing nothing in particular with the ones you love to rejuvinate you and remind you of the real important things in life. 

As a footnote...if you'd like to enjoy some of our Disney journey...click on the picture above to view our blog while on the trip.

Blessings to you all and I look forward to seeing you on February 20 at Region 7 for our next regional meeting.