UNA RIC - Fall Newsletter

Dear Region 1 Educators,

As we begin a new school year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for your continued commitment to professional learning and growth across Region 1. This fall also marks the completion of my first semester as Director of the UNA Regional Inservice Center, and I am incredibly grateful for the support, collaboration, and enthusiasm I have experienced from educators throughout our region. It has been an exciting beginning, and I look forward to building even more meaningful opportunities together in the months ahead.

This summer was filled with impactful professional learning opportunities designed to support educators at every stage of their journey. Together, educators across the region completed over 2000 hours of professional learning through sessions hosted by the UNA Regional Inservice Center and our regional partners. Your dedication to continuous improvement is inspiring, and summer participation demonstrated the strong commitment our educators have to excellence in teaching and leadership.

Looking ahead, we are excited to continue expanding opportunities this fall with offerings including Marzano training, sessions designed to support mentors, continued work through our Sport Leadership Summit Professional Learning Unit (PLU), and the launch of an exciting initiative to promote and support National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) across our region. We look forward to strengthening, encouraging, and inspiring educators through meaningful professional learning experiences throughout the year.

Never Stop Learning!

Natalie

Dr. Natalie Bendall - UNA Regional Inservice Center Director
nbendall@una.edu

Mrs. Stephanie Crow - UNA Regional Inservice Center Administrative Assistant

scrow2@una.edu

OUR SERVICE AREA

Colbert County, Florence City, Franklin County, Haleyville City, Jasper City, Lauderdale County, Marion County, Muscle Shoals City, Russellville City, Sheffield City, Tuscumbia City, Walker County, Winfield City and Winston County

Registration Information

Who May Participate:
Any current or retired Alabama Certified Teacher or Administrator may participate in professional learning sessions.

To Register for UNA-RIC Professional Learning Sessions:

Log on to the ALSDE PowerSchool site: www.alsde.truenorthlogic.com
You may follow the links on each workshop to register or you may click on the Courses tab and enter the Section # to search for the session.
Click the Register button.

Confirmation:

You will receive a confirmation email from PowerSchool. If a session is canceled or if there is a change in anything, we will notify you by the email address you have in PowerSchool.

For virtual sessions, participants will receive a link to the meeting prior to the meeting start time. The email will be sent to the address that is currently listed in the participant’s PowerSchool profile. Because this is the only contact information we have for participants who enroll in the session, participants should ensure that their email address is correct in PowerSchool!

• If you do not know your log-in information, please contact your Principal or Central Office.

• If you do not have a PowerSchool account or if you are a retired teacher with questions about PowerSchool, please contact ALSDE, Rhett Cutts (rcutts@alsde.edu). When emailing, please include your full name and ALSDE ID number. You can locate your number via https://tcert.alsde.edu/portal/public/pages/searchCerts.aspx

The Alabama State Department of Education is recognizing the dedicated service of retired educators through the Alabama Lifetime Certificate. The certificate is available to educators who have retired with at least 25 years of service in Alabama.

Additional information and the application for the Lifetime Certificate can be found at https://www.alabamaachieves.org/teacher-center/teacher-certification/certificate-renewal/

Click the image below to see the AMSTI Newsletter and upcoming professional learning opportunities.

• For up-to-date information, visit https://www.alabamaprincipals.org/

SAVE THE DATE!

Cohort 10 Registration for Enrollment Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) - 2026

Cohort 10 is open for registration May 4, 2026, through August 28, 2026, for Alabama's Public/Public Charter School educators, including professors in Alabama's Educator Prep Programs.

Click here to be added to the NBCT email distribution list.

ATLAS is a resource designed for National Board Certification, but it can also be used by teachers for personal growth or incorporated into district teacher induction programs. This resource is open to our full-time, public school educators in Alabama. Don't hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Natalie Bendall at nbendall@una.edu to set up an account.

Registration is open for our upcoming Cyber Immersion Days at ASCTE, part of the TEAMS training series. All sessions are on campus, free, and lunch is provided.

Cyber Immersion Day: Discovery
Hands-on activities like sound mapping and a color discovery lab, with cybersecurity connections to acoustic surveillance and steganography. Includes live classroom observations and time to build an activity to take back to your classroom.

• September 24, 2026 — PSPL Course #347218, Section #565467
  Register: https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentSectionRegistrationDetails?id=YTNgl%2FuMQDoKv1mldTPL7Q%3D%3D
• October 1, 2026 — PSPL Course #347218, Section #565474
  Register: https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentSectionRegistrationDetails?id=2WkQWuTEUFPnXoTaRC21ww%3D%3D

You only need to attend Discovery once — pick whichever date works best for you.

Cyber Immersion Day: Processes
Hands-on activities like pendulum art and an assembly line challenge, with cybersecurity connections to error detection and correction. Includes live classroom observations and time to build an activity to take back to your classroom.

• November 12, 2026 — PSPL Course #347219, Section #565468
  Register: https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentSectionRegistrationDetails?id=sN4Yu2toXAnCB%2B%2B3QXC7AA%3D%3D

If none of these dates work, additional sessions will be offered in 2027.

You're welcome to attend both Discovery and Processes, but each is a separate session — only sign up for one date per session.

eLearning Alabama uses a Web-based model to provide effective professional development that leads to gains in teacher's content knowledge, improvements in their teaching practices and increases in the achievement of their students.

eLearning Alabama is an excellent way to move forward on your own professional development responsive to your schedule and needs.

1. No classes to attend!
2. No substitutes to find!
3. No travel funds to expend!

Click here for more info on upcoming courses!

Courses for teachers, principals, assistant principals, and aspiring principals

Please click HERE to access the most current newsletter from the Alabama Health and Physical Education Office.

What if you could bring a little bit of NASA, and the excitement of space science, into your elementary classroom?

The Alabama Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) has university students across Alabama serving as ASGC Ambassadors. These ambassadors are trained to visit K–12 classrooms and lead an engaging, hands-on space science lesson designed to spark curiosity, connect science to real-world careers, and inspire students to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and innovators.

And the best part? You provide the classroom and we bring the space science experience to your students.

ASGC’s mission is to inspire, enable, and educate Alabama students to pursue careers in space science, aerospace technology, and related STEM fields. For elementary students, an ambassador visit can be an exciting first glimpse into the possibilities that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can offer.

Interested in bringing an ASGC Ambassador to your classroom?

Use the link provided to request a presentation for your class.

Help your students look up, wonder, ask questions, and imagine what they could accomplish. The next generation of Alabama STEM leaders may be sitting in your classroom today.

We hope you'll invite an ASGC Ambassador to your classroom!

Please also share this opportunity with the other teachers.

ASGC REQUEST FORM

https://www.uah.edu/asgc

2026-2027 Textbook Coordinator Training

How to LEAD Textbooks Successfully for Your District!

with Dr. Patrick Chappell

90-minute Zoom Session: Perfect for new curriculum directors, content specialists, textbook coordinators, or anyone who wants a refresher!

3 opportunities to attend: Choose one! Which best fits your schedule?

Simply click the link of your choice to enter the overview session in Zoom. No registration is necessary!

1. Wednesday, Sept. 16th - 8:30 – 10:30

2. Friday, Sept. 18th – 1:00 – 2:30

3. Tuesday, Sept. 22nd – 11:00 – 12:30

Visit our website for more information and for ongoing updates! www.publisherswarehouse.com

UNA is proud to be a partner with several Alabama school systems. The LEAD partnership allows you to obtain an advanced degree, certification, and/or micro-credential via UNA Online program offerings at a reduced cost. Please find links and information concerning the UNA LEAD Partnership, current school system partners, and instructions on obtaining the discount by clicking this link.

Region 1 Support for Schools

All school districts in Region 1 have access to exceptional support from the Regional Collaborative Team, which includes representatives from:

• UNA Regional Inservice Center

• UNA-ATiM

• AMSTI-UNA

• Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI)

• English Learner Education

• OMI

• OSI

• Career and Technical Education (CTE)

• Gifted Education

• PowerSchool

• Special Education Services

📌 Click HERE to see team members’ names, faces, contact details, and additional information.

Our team is here to:

• Support your professional learning needs

• Provide guidance as you implement new strategies and ideas

• Assist with school improvement efforts

Please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help!

Email: amsti@una.edu
Website: www.amstiuna.org
Location: 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amsti.una.5
Twitter: @amstiuna

Contact Deidra Brewer drbrewer@una.edu or Dr. Natalie Bendall nbendall@una.edu to request support for your school or district.

Dr. Natalie Bendall - UNA Regional Inservice Center Director

Website: www.una.edu/inservice
Location: 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: 256-765-4888
Facebook: facebook.com/UNAinservice
Twitter: @UNAinservice