Dear Fellow ATEGers: Happy Holidays to all. I know that this is a busy time for all of you, but I hope you'll find time in the next three weeks to come up with a proposal for next year's NCTE conference. It will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 16-21. Proposals are due January 21. There were a number of panels this year with the G word in the title, so I think there's a good chance to continue the trend. As you know, there are several formats: *Individual sessions: 15- or 20-minute talks that the program folks will combine with two or three others; *Panel presentations: 75-minute sessions featuring 4 to6 panelists with short (5-7 minute) position statements on a particular issue, followed by 30-40 minutes of discussion. *Classroom demonstations: 75 minute sessions designed to showcase the pedagogical practces and handouts of 3-6 presenters. *Also Conversations and Poster sessions. AND *WORKSHOPS: one-day programs occurring Monday or Tuesday following the convention weekend. (No more than four leaders, including the chair, generally limited to 60 persons.) The workshop guidelines state that proposals that highlight convention topics of emphasis are encouraged. The 2000 convention theme is "Teaching Matters." That ought to be right down our grammar alley! If any of you are interested, why not post that information--and perhaps you can find a partner to work with on a panel program or a workshop. If you don't hae a "Call for Program Proposal," drop a note to NCTE at www.ncte.org or write to them at 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 and ask for a copy. I'm convinced that the NCTE program is our best bet for demonstrating to the powers-that-be that there's a place for grammar in the curriculum. Please think seriously about proposing a program. Best wishes for a healthy and happy and bug-free Y2K. Martha Kolln