Conference events.

Opening Gala Banquet

Wednesday, April 3, 7:45 p.m. - 9:45 p.m. $66 per person

Join Paul Margolis, creator of I MAK M LAF, for his fun and educational presentation on how teachers can create a bond with children through music and theater. An accredited CEU presenter, Margolis will share songs and dances that can be utilized in the classroom to develop coordination, imagination, and awareness.

For the Opening Gala Banquet, choose from roasted Norwegian Salmon with a tangy tarragon citrus sauce--OR--Chicken Wellington: A juicy breast of chicken stuffed with mushroom duxelle, then wrapped in pastry and drizzled with a port wine sauce, OR a seasonal vegetable plate. All dinner entrees include cream of wild mushroom soup, wild rice, fresh vegetables, and fresh rolls. Top off this fabulous meal with Chocolate Mousse Pie and your choice of coffee, decaf, or a hot tea assortment.

Join your colleagues for an appetizing luncheon of Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, served with fresh rolls. Plantation Pecan Pie and coffee, decaf, or assorted hot teas also included. This menu will be offered at both the Infancy/ Early Childhood and the Intermediate/Middle Childhood Focus Luncheons.

Infancy/Early Childhood Luncheon

Thursday, April 4, 12:00 noon- 1:45 p.m. $39 per person

"Babies in Child Care: A Quality Approach"

Join Maria Clotilde Rossetti Ferreira for a discussion of a quality approach to child care, involving a complex process of integrating babies, families, and caregivers into a new environment based on a relationship of mutual trust and spontaneity, where anger, fears, and conflicts can be discussed, worked through, and overcome. This presentation will focus primarily on the first few weeks of attendance.

Intermediate/Middle Childhood Luncheon

Thursday, April 4, 12:00 noon - 1:45 p.m. $39 per person

"Linking Community to Learning"

Karen Rhode and Regina G. Smith are both fifth-grade teachers for the Brandywine Heights Area School District, located outside of Reading, Pennsylvania. Please join them as they discuss and demonstrate the strategies used in their classrooms to integrate the social/academic curriculum into everyday life.

OMEP Breakfast

Friday, April 5, 7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. $27 per person

"Looking Through Multiple Lenses: What Research Reveals About the World's Children"

Leah Adams, Pat Kostell, and Anne Soderman will discuss how three of the many lenses--cultural, gender, and socioeconomic--reveal some of what we know about the world's children and offer insights to global progress and concerns.

What a way to start the day! Enjoy a California Scramble: Fluffy scrambled eggs with baby corn, scallions, bean sprouts, red and green peppers accompanied by bacon and sausage and ranch style potatoes. This satisfying breakfast selection also includes an assortment of breakfast pastries, chilled orange juice, and freshly brewed coffee, decaf, or a hot tea assortment.

Celebration Breakfast Saturday, April 6, 7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. $27 per person

"Building Bridges--and Getting Over Them"

Join James Manley, recipient of the 2000 Arizona State Teacher of the Year Award, and most recently the Milken Award. Manley's career includes over 20 years of teaching from pre-K to university level, and he is currently an elementary and social studies professor at Northern Arizona University. Manley was awarded both the President's Environmental Award and the Presidential Award for Math and Science.

Wake up and celebrate with a delicious Breakfast Wrap: Fresh flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, sauteed onions, potatoes, bacon and cheddar cheese, served with green chili and black beans. This filling selection is accompanied by an assortment of breakfast pastries, chilled orange juice, and freshly brewed coffee, decaf, or a hot tea assortment.

Author's Luncheon

Saturday, April 6, 12:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. $42 per person

"The Art of Being Nosy: Using Biographies With Children"

Please join us as we welcome Kathleen Krull, author of the acclaimed Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (And What the Neighbors Thought), and other children's books, as she explains why reading biographies is important to children's development, and discusses the many ways we can use them in the education process.

Enjoy a crisp green salad; oven roasted breast of chicken marinated with rosemary and garlic, served with country whipped mashed potatoes and fresh steamed broccolin; fresh rolls; flourless chocolate cake; and freshly brewed coffee, decaf, or a hot tea assortment.

California Night!

Saturday, April 6, 6:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. $72 per person

Luxury Dining on the San Diego Bay!

End a week full of exciting and informative workshops and special sessions by sipping a complimentary glass of champagne or refreshing sparkling apple cider as you board a premier luxury dining yacht for a three-hour cruise of the exciting San Diego Bay. Enjoy the beautiful sunset while you dine on a fabulous three-course meal prepared fresh on board by Hornblower's talented culinary chefs. Then dance the night away to your favorite top-40 tunes, or relax and engage in good conversation as you watch the San Diego sights drift by from the outdoor decks.

Choose from one of these delicious dinner entrees: The Duet--grilled top sirloin in a veal demi-glace & roasted chicken breast in a white wine velouet; OR Egg & Spinach Striped Four-Cheese Blend Ravioli served with croquette of cauliflower and broccoli and fresh seasonal vegetables. All entrees are served with a classic Caesar salad, fresh-baked warm rolls and butter, a colorful jasmine rice blend with Indian grains, and fresh seasonal vegetables. White chocolate and raspberry New York-style cheesecake will be served for dessert.