Kim Fenoglio reads a board book at Babies & Books, an Allen County Public Library program for young children, on Friday morning. 

Eight-month-old Kaiya Marone gets a closer look.
 

FORT WAYNE — Northwood Middle School teacher Michelle White was named the Fort Wayne Community Schools' Teacher of the Year for 2010-11.

White is starting her fourth year as a 7th-grade language arts teacher at Northwood and her sixth year in education, FWCS officials said in a news release.

White was selected as Teacher of the Year because she can connect with students and reach out to them, according to the release.

At Northwood, White leads a student group called Sisterhood in the Wood Council, an extra-curricular group made up of 6-8th graders. Students also participate in community service activities, including leading a canned  food drive for Community Harvest Food Bank, raking leaves for elderly homeowners, helping at a daycare and raising money for Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana.

White also has served as the academic team coordinator for Northwood, working with the spell bowl and junior academic super bowl teams, and is a teaching consultant with the Appleseed Writing Project, a branch of the National Writing Project.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Fort Wayne District will activate a new signal at the intersection of SR 1 and Amstutz Road beginning tomorrow, September 3.
 
The traffic signal is part of an intersection improvement project that adds a left turn lane on SR 1 and realigns the Amstutz Rd. approach. Crews are making an approach closer to a 90-degree angle Amstutz Road.

The Indiana State Board of Education this week recognized Fairfield Principal Jeff Cline as one of Indiana's "Title 1 Distinguished Principals." The10 princpals honored come from high-performing, high-poverty schools and provide assistance to other Title I schools in implementing school improvement plans.

Each Distinguished Principal is paired with another Title 1 school in the state, working with fellow principals, teachers, administrative staff and community members to improve student achievement.

Mr. Cline offers support to Madison Primary in South Bend. He is in his second year at Fairfield and previously was principal at Irwin Elementary, a two-time Four Star School Award winner. He has been an educator for 27 years, working in Indianapolis Public Schools, Warsaw Community Schools and Wabash City Schools before joining Fort Wayne Community Schools.

David Rohl, principal at Perry Meridian Middle School in Indianapolis, who assists at FWCS' Abbett Elementary was also recognized.

The Multicultural Information eXchange (MIX) program of the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana announces the Interpreter Workshop Series.
 
The workshops include information on: national ethics and standards of practice for interpreters; basic interpreting skills, including preparation, introductions, positioning, register, tone, and halting the session; legal obligations of interpreters; interpreter roles and mediation; setting boundaries and decision making; interpreter certification; community systems; and medical terminology building.
 
The workshop units, dates, and times are as follows (all classes will be held at the Red Cross at 1212 E. California Rd. in Fort Wayne, across from the Memorial Coliseum):
—The Profession of Community Interpreting (4 hrs): Friday, Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. to noon
—Interpreting Modes & Basic Interpreter Skills (4 hrs): Friday, Sept. 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
—Cultural Competence & Mediation Skills (4 hrs): Saturday, Sept. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon
—Sectors of Community Interpreting (4 hrs): Friday, Sept. 17 from 8 a.m. to noon
—Standards of Practice for Interpreters (4 hrs): Friday, Sept. 17 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
—Orientation to the U.S. Healthcare System (4 hrs): Saturday, Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. to noon
—Medical Terminology for Interpreters (8 hrs): Friday, Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Participants may complete units 1 through 5 and pass a test to receive a certificate of attendance in “Intro to Community Interpreting” and “The Community Interpreter” 351-page manual ($70 value).  Cost for these five units is $45.
 
Participants may complete units 1 through 7 and pass a test to receive the certificates of attendance in “Intro to Medical Interpreting” and “Intro to Community Interpreting,” as well as “The Community Interpreter” 351-page manual ($70 value) and a “Medical Terminology for Interpreters” 136-page manual ($40 value).  Cost for all seven units is $75.
 
Participants may also complete only one or more workshops; however, no certificate will be provided for single units.  Single units 1 through 6 cost $8 each.  Unit 7 costs $20.
 
Scholarships are available in exchange for volunteer time for individuals who provide medical-related interpreting services or who will provide medical-related interpreting as a result of training.  For more information or to register, please contact Irene Paxia, MIX Director, at (260) 484.9336 ext. 233 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit redcrossofnei.org.  This program is partially supported by a grant from the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation.