Welcome Message

Welcome Message from the EARCOS Executive Director

Dear ETC Delegates:

Welcome to the EARCOS Teachers’ Conference (ETC) 2015 at the Sutera Harbour Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Special Educators Network in Asia (SENIA) to host this conference. The SENIA board and members should be congratulated on the work they do to help our kids with exceptional needs. Thanks to the following board members: Amy Narayan, Jakarta International School, Indonesia; Matt Barker, Discovery College, Hong Kong; Catherine Deen, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, Philippines; Noel Simon,Western Academy of Beijing, China; Paul Bawden, Australian International School Indonesia; Kate Balsame, The International School of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Shari Rosen, Essential Learning Group, China. Thank you for attending, and I hope it will be one of the best PD opportunities you have had this year.

This ETC offers three excellent keynote presenters in John Wood, Anne Sibley O’Brien, and James Stronge. We have eight preconferences, AP, WASC, and 110 workshop sessions geared to meet our teachers’ needs. In addition, our job-alike sessions will provide an opportunity for teachers to meet with their colleagues who work in similar areas. ETC will also provide 48 teacher-presented workshop sessions, which are always practical and valuable. Please support your fellow teachers and try to attend as many of these as possible. Our ETC teacher advisory group has chosen Operation Smile as the charity that ETC will support this year. It is such a worthy organization

Thanks to all our ETC teacher representatives who have spent many hours assisting their teachers with workshops, registration for the conference, and hotel and transportation arrangements. Without their dedication it would be impossible to host our conference the way we do. Thanks to our EARCOS staff members who have worked endless hours to assist with the many details and logistics. The contributions of Elaine, Vitz, Ver, Edzel, and Robert with their attention to detail is commendable. Our assistant director Bill Oldread has also been invaluable in the planning.

Finally, it is always my hope that our delegates make new contacts, be challenged by our presenters, renew friendships, and enjoy our hospitality. Visit our exhibitors and let them know that we appreciate their sponsorship that helps us provide the best professional development possible. I’m proud and happy to be the director of this wonderful organization.

Dick Krajczar and the EARCOS team.

THIS PROGRAM BELONGS TO: _________________________________________________