European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 09, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes education wednesday february 9,1994 awards deadline set by Eca pts by the stars and stripes Pitburg a Germany award nominations and scholarship applications for the annual european Congress of american parents teachers and students must be submitted by March 1, capt officials have announced. The child advocacy organization offers four annual awards one each to a Volunteer teacher administrator and Pupil. It also offers two $1,000 scholarships to High school seniors. Schools that submit applications foray of the awards must have a Parent teacher association or Parent teacher student association. Judging will be done March 10. To apply for a scholarship student must be a member of a pts or Pat. Membership can be acquired through cats. In additional to the applications students will be required to Complete a project titled today what can you do to make the world a Bette place for All Mankind awards will be presented an scholarship winners will be announced at the annual Eca pts conference nearly May. Applications should be addressed to Joanne m. Ness Eca pts awards chairperson 36 Supply pc #11, Box 3588, Apo a 09132. All application must arrive before March 1. 10 artists honoured Wiesbaden Germany artwork by 10 pupils in military overseas schools will be among those judged in the National Scholastic Art awards this year. The 10 were selected Friday during judging of work submitted by seventh through 12th-Grade pupils in the department of defense dependents schools Germany Region a Heidelberg. Judges chose honorable mentions Silver and 10 Gold key winners. Three Gold key Winner were also nominated for $100 Cash awards sponsored by hallmark cards inc. The 10 students whose artwork willbe sent to new York to compete at the National level Are Chav Burshtein bad sibling elementary High school Andrea Perez Patch High school in Stuttgart Debora Gatrell Heidelberg High school William Probst Frankfurt High school and Dennis Addison Mannheim High school. Also Ryan Cauch  High school Alexander Hicks Wurzburg Middle school Michael Schlabs Ramstein High school Brent Michel Wurzburg Middle school and Lisa Simmons Berlin High school. Schlabs Michel and Simmons Arete Dodds hallmark award nominees. 6 pupils honoured Brussels Belgium six children enrolled in Brussels elementary school Art classes gained recognition in a drawing contest sponsored by a belgian newspaper. The contest was sponsored by Lesoir a belgian newspaper. Their work is on display in Kin Epolis Belgium until sunday. Thalie Beaugh a fifth Grade Pupil won first place in her category among nearly 21,500 entrants. Eri Pardieu also in the fifth Grade took 13th place among More than 9,000participants. Four other students Emily Schwimmer fifth Grade ror Chvatal fourth Grade Nathaniel Ortiz fourth Grade and Jessica Mele second Grade All earned special mentions in the contest. Cultures to life the child care Center at Budinger Germany has started a cultural version of show and Tell for the facility s youngsters. On Friday for instance spec. Augustus o. Tutu dropped by to offer the children a look at the culture of his native country Ghana. But kids will be kids and they soon turned this serious Endeavor into a Lively game. Jumping into the fun was Shat Era Garrett who pulled a ghanaian mask Over her face and tried to give a scare to Stephen Strickland. The Center plans to have its culture fest every Friday through the second week of March. A Sph Tosby Dav Casey Early retirement buyout offered to trim schools7 ranks Nyji Tijones education writer Blankenberge Belgium the defense department has approved a voluntary Early retirement plan and a buyout option Worth up to $25,000 for department of defense dependents schools educators the school system director said last week. The programs Are called the voluntary Early retirement authority or Vera and the voluntary separation incentive . This is the second year that the plans have been offered to Dodds to help re Duce its employee ranks As the education system shrinks along with the draw Down Offe Rees. Dodds director John Stremple said the rules for the plans Are basically the same As last year. However the incentive pay is being offered upfront unlike last year when it was used As a last resort. In addition employees at Headquarters level Are eligible this year. Vera is offered to allow employees in jobs that have not been terminated to re tire Early in order to save jobs for others. Under the separation pay plan a Cash offer is made to an employee who is Eligi ble for retirement to leave the system in order to save another person s Job. Where we have More people than we have jobs Well solicit people sweeten the pot with the Bonus sip for senior volunteers so we. Don t have to Force any one out of work said Hal Haggard spokesman for the Germany Region. For example if a Slot for an Industrial arts teacher is abolished and Dodds could not find that teacher another Job in the worldwide system then Dodds would offer the sip to the most senior Industrial arts teacher who had volunteered for the separation incentive. Dodds personnel officials in Washington said sufficient funds or about $3.1 million have been reserved to buy out 150 employees in the school system worldwide this fiscal year. The guidelines for voluntary Early retirement Call for retirement requests to be received and processed by March 31, unless the person is also asking for sip. In which Case applications for both plans must be in by March 15. Applications for the separation incentive pay must be processed by March 15, officials said. Personnel officials expect to select employees for sip incentives Between March 16 and March 31. Those interested in applying for Vera should submit form sf52, re quest for personnel action to the Dodds personnel Center attn rightsizing project 4040 North Fairfax dr., Arlington a. 22203-1634. To be eligible for Vera and sip employees must have 25 years of service to retire at any age or have 20 years of service and be 50 years old. Those applying for Vera also May make the Reques. Conditional on the granting of sip. Under Vera persons 50 years old and retiring with 20 years of service will take a 2 percent reduction in retirement pay for each year they Are under age 55. Sip will be paid to employees in grades series and teaching categories that Are in excess of Dodds needs. Selections will be based on seniority. Final decisions on which employees Are excess will be made later officials said. An employee s sip payment made in a Lump sum would amount to either Severance pay or up to $25,000, whichever is less. Severance pay is based on a variety of personnel factors. As a last resort the school system has what is known As discontinued service retirement which generally is when Dodds cannot provide continuing employment in a position for which the individual is fully qualified and the employee is eligible to retire with 25 years of serv ice or 20 years and age 50. If the employee is forced to retire he or she would not be penalized with the 2 percent reduction in pay for Early retirement. Thirteen schools in Europe and one in the Pacific Region Are expected to close at the end of this school year