Welcome from the Rochester Area Literacy Council's co-presidents!
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Lynne Keefer
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Jan Marchetti
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April 21, 2016
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
Happy Spring to everyone! We had a wonderful turn out for Dr. Timothy Shanahan’s talk at the RIT Conference Center. It was wonderful that so many of the members were able to hear his wonderful address regarding the reading and writing connection. We offer many thanks to Tim Hodkinson and McGraw-Hill for co-sponsoring this terrific opportunity. We also thank our student publishers for joining our panel discussion and sharing their experience of being published. At this event we elected the Executive Board Officers for 2016-17. Congratulations to: Cherie Gerych, President; Lee Ann Townsend, President-elect; Ashlee Bryant, Vice-President; Jennifer Sweeney, Treasurer; Michelle Heckman, Secretary and Maureen Goldsmith, Membership Chair. Appointed by the board as Regional Representatives were: Maryanne Barrett (social media), Deb DePalma, Stephanie Smyka, and Elizabeth Stevens. They will all begin their term of office on July 1.
We hope to see all of you for “Sail into Summer” at the Rochester Yacht Club on May 18. The theme of this event is “A Creative Teaching Workshop” with presentations by Christine Green on incorporating multimedia into literacy instruction, Melanie Martinek on new arts and literacy and Dan Hart on improvisation and literacy. This event is always a wonderful way to end the busy year in a beautiful setting. Plan to join us!!! Registration materials are available on our website.
RALC is providing much support in the planning of the New York State Reading Association’s 2016 Annual Conference, here in Rochester, November 13 & 14. Highlighted speakers at this event include keynotes by Lucy Calkins, Nell Duke and Nikki Grimes; featured talks by other exciting professionals such as Tim Shanahan, Kelly Gallagher, Laura Robb, Ernest Morrell and many more. It will be a wonderful opportunity for you to attend a conference of this caliber within our own city. Make plans to attend. We also encourage our members to participate as a presenter. There are many of you who have implemented practical teaching ideas that are researched based in your classrooms. It would be wonderful to share your research and experiences at the conference. Proposals are due May 1. Conference information including the proposal form is on the NYSRA website: http://nysreading.org/Conference/2016
On June 13 at the Seneca Park Zoo we will celebrate talented students who have been chosen to be published in our annual published magazine of children’s writing and art. This is always a terrific event.
It is time to renew your membership for 2016-2017. Your Rochester Area Literacy Council Membership includes your membership in the New York State Reading Association and will provide you with membership rates for NYSRA events and the annual conference here in November. The 2016-17 membership forms are attached to this email and are also available on our website.
Upcoming events include:
Looking forward to seeing everyone in May.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
Happy Spring to everyone! We had a wonderful turn out for Dr. Timothy Shanahan’s talk at the RIT Conference Center. It was wonderful that so many of the members were able to hear his wonderful address regarding the reading and writing connection. We offer many thanks to Tim Hodkinson and McGraw-Hill for co-sponsoring this terrific opportunity. We also thank our student publishers for joining our panel discussion and sharing their experience of being published. At this event we elected the Executive Board Officers for 2016-17. Congratulations to: Cherie Gerych, President; Lee Ann Townsend, President-elect; Ashlee Bryant, Vice-President; Jennifer Sweeney, Treasurer; Michelle Heckman, Secretary and Maureen Goldsmith, Membership Chair. Appointed by the board as Regional Representatives were: Maryanne Barrett (social media), Deb DePalma, Stephanie Smyka, and Elizabeth Stevens. They will all begin their term of office on July 1.
We hope to see all of you for “Sail into Summer” at the Rochester Yacht Club on May 18. The theme of this event is “A Creative Teaching Workshop” with presentations by Christine Green on incorporating multimedia into literacy instruction, Melanie Martinek on new arts and literacy and Dan Hart on improvisation and literacy. This event is always a wonderful way to end the busy year in a beautiful setting. Plan to join us!!! Registration materials are available on our website.
RALC is providing much support in the planning of the New York State Reading Association’s 2016 Annual Conference, here in Rochester, November 13 & 14. Highlighted speakers at this event include keynotes by Lucy Calkins, Nell Duke and Nikki Grimes; featured talks by other exciting professionals such as Tim Shanahan, Kelly Gallagher, Laura Robb, Ernest Morrell and many more. It will be a wonderful opportunity for you to attend a conference of this caliber within our own city. Make plans to attend. We also encourage our members to participate as a presenter. There are many of you who have implemented practical teaching ideas that are researched based in your classrooms. It would be wonderful to share your research and experiences at the conference. Proposals are due May 1. Conference information including the proposal form is on the NYSRA website: http://nysreading.org/Conference/2016
On June 13 at the Seneca Park Zoo we will celebrate talented students who have been chosen to be published in our annual published magazine of children’s writing and art. This is always a terrific event.
It is time to renew your membership for 2016-2017. Your Rochester Area Literacy Council Membership includes your membership in the New York State Reading Association and will provide you with membership rates for NYSRA events and the annual conference here in November. The 2016-17 membership forms are attached to this email and are also available on our website.
Upcoming events include:
- Sail Into Summer on May 18 at the Rochester Yacht Club
- Launching Literacy Learning – October 1 at French Road Elementary School
- NYSRA Annual Conference November 13-14th Hyatt Regency - Rochester, NY
- Live Local Literacy - February 4, 2017 French Road Elementary School
- Lester Laminack - April 6, 2017 - SJFC Cleary Auditorium
Looking forward to seeing everyone in May.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
February 12, 2016
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at Live Local Literacy this past Saturday. We are most grateful to the 17 presenters who shared research-based pedagogy with practical ideas for your classrooms. We are pleased to be able to offer these professional development opportunities and would like to have your input as we plan other opportunities for you. We ask that you take just a few minutes to complete a survey with your thoughts by going to this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WTYR5TR
It will only take a few minutes and will be most helpful for us to ensure meaningful professional development for our members.
On March 19, along with McGraw-Hill, we will host Dr. Timothy Shanahan at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. He will be discussing the Reading-Writing Connection and how engaging students in writing can have a positive impact on reading across the grades. He will elaborate on research showing the shared knowledge, skills, and strategies underlying both reading and writing; the connections between authors and readers and the power of integrating reading and writing instruction. The registration flyer is attached to this email and is posted on our website.
At our business meeting in March we will hold the election of officers for the Executive Board of the Rochester Area Literacy Council. Attached you will find the roster of nominees who are all running unopposed. In such a case, the secretary casts a unanimous vote at a meeting of the membership. Four regional representatives will be appointed by the Executive Board at their monthly meeting March 14.
As chairperson of the New York State Reading Association’s 2016 Annual Conference, here in Rochester, Kathleen Cali has engaged the Executive Board of RALC to support the planning of the conference. We are therefore highly involved in getting ready for this exciting event. It will be a wonderful opportunity for all of you to attend a conference of this caliber within in our own city. Be sure to put the two day conference on your calendar and look for registration materials soon to be posted on the NYSRA website as well as information on RALC’s. We also encourage our members to participate as a presenter. There are many of you who have implemented practical teaching ideas that are researched based in your classrooms. It would be wonderful to share your research and experiences at the conference. You can find the online proposal form for presenting on the NYSRA website: http://www.nysreading.org
We hope that all of you will encourage young writers and illustrators in your schools/families and neighborhoods to submit their work to our Publishing Project. The deadline for submission of work is April 7th. On June 13 at the Seneca Park Zoo we celebrate these talented students who have been chosen to be published. At our March event at RIT, we have invited students who have had their work published to briefly share their experience.
Upcoming events also include:
Hope to see all of you on March 19.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
Attachments: Registration for Timothy Shanahan, Roster of nominees for RALC Executive Board
Link for survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WTYR5TR
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at Live Local Literacy this past Saturday. We are most grateful to the 17 presenters who shared research-based pedagogy with practical ideas for your classrooms. We are pleased to be able to offer these professional development opportunities and would like to have your input as we plan other opportunities for you. We ask that you take just a few minutes to complete a survey with your thoughts by going to this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WTYR5TR
It will only take a few minutes and will be most helpful for us to ensure meaningful professional development for our members.
On March 19, along with McGraw-Hill, we will host Dr. Timothy Shanahan at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. He will be discussing the Reading-Writing Connection and how engaging students in writing can have a positive impact on reading across the grades. He will elaborate on research showing the shared knowledge, skills, and strategies underlying both reading and writing; the connections between authors and readers and the power of integrating reading and writing instruction. The registration flyer is attached to this email and is posted on our website.
At our business meeting in March we will hold the election of officers for the Executive Board of the Rochester Area Literacy Council. Attached you will find the roster of nominees who are all running unopposed. In such a case, the secretary casts a unanimous vote at a meeting of the membership. Four regional representatives will be appointed by the Executive Board at their monthly meeting March 14.
As chairperson of the New York State Reading Association’s 2016 Annual Conference, here in Rochester, Kathleen Cali has engaged the Executive Board of RALC to support the planning of the conference. We are therefore highly involved in getting ready for this exciting event. It will be a wonderful opportunity for all of you to attend a conference of this caliber within in our own city. Be sure to put the two day conference on your calendar and look for registration materials soon to be posted on the NYSRA website as well as information on RALC’s. We also encourage our members to participate as a presenter. There are many of you who have implemented practical teaching ideas that are researched based in your classrooms. It would be wonderful to share your research and experiences at the conference. You can find the online proposal form for presenting on the NYSRA website: http://www.nysreading.org
We hope that all of you will encourage young writers and illustrators in your schools/families and neighborhoods to submit their work to our Publishing Project. The deadline for submission of work is April 7th. On June 13 at the Seneca Park Zoo we celebrate these talented students who have been chosen to be published. At our March event at RIT, we have invited students who have had their work published to briefly share their experience.
Upcoming events also include:
- Sail Into Summer on May 18 at the Rochester Yacht Club
- Launching the Literacy Learning – September 24 at French Road Elementary School
- NYSRA Annual Conference November 13-14th here in Rochester
Hope to see all of you on March 19.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
Attachments: Registration for Timothy Shanahan, Roster of nominees for RALC Executive Board
Link for survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WTYR5TR
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
On behalf of the Executive Board, we wish all of you a happy, healthy and literate New Year. Educating our youth is a noble profession and it is our hope to continue to bring to you many opportunities to grow as a professional and to provide students with learning opportunities that will maximize their learning.
On Saturday morning, February 6 at French Road Elementary School we will host our annual Live Local Literacy event. This year we are very proud to offer 14 possible sessions on diverse topics from area educators. These sessions have been well received in the past, offering our members chances to see what is happening throughout the Rochester area and to learn about practical ideas to implement researched pedagogy. This event's information is available on our website under RALC EVENTS 2015-16.
On March 19, along with McGraw-Hill, we will host Dr. Timothy Shanahan at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. He will be discussing the Reading-Writing Connection and how engaging students in writing can have a positive impact on reading across the grades. He will elaborate on research showing the shared knowledge, skills, and strategies underlying both reading and writing; the connections between authors and readers and the power of integrating reading and writing instruction. Save this date and the registration flyer is available on our website under RALC EVENTS 2015-16.
It is once again the time of year, where we begin to solicit nominations for the various positions on the Executive Board of the Rochester Area Literacy Council. Cherie Gerych, President-elect, will chair the nominating committee and is looking for members to run for offices of the Board. Cherie will become president in 2016-17, but all other positions are open: President-elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Chair. In additions 4 members are appointed by the board as Regional Representatives. Attached to this letter is a description of each of these positions. We are always looking for our members to become involved at the board level, to bring new and fresh ideas for the council. If you are reluctant to commit to one of the officer positions, you might want to get your feet wet, by joining us as a regional representative. If interested in any of these positions, please send a brief biography and picture of yourself to Cherie at [email protected]. Nominations will be announced in February and elections will be held March 19 at our business meeting.
We hope that all of you will encourage young writers and illustrators in your schools/families and neighborhoods to submit their work to our Publishing Project. The deadline for submission of work is April 7th. On June 13 at the Seneca Park Zoo we celebrate these talented students who have been chosen to be published.
Upcoming events also include:
* Sail Into Summer on May 18 at the Rochester Yacht Club
* NYSRA Annual Conference November 13-14th here in Rochester
Hope to see all of you soon at Live Local Literacy!
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer, Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
On behalf of the Executive Board, we wish all of you a happy, healthy and literate New Year. Educating our youth is a noble profession and it is our hope to continue to bring to you many opportunities to grow as a professional and to provide students with learning opportunities that will maximize their learning.
On Saturday morning, February 6 at French Road Elementary School we will host our annual Live Local Literacy event. This year we are very proud to offer 14 possible sessions on diverse topics from area educators. These sessions have been well received in the past, offering our members chances to see what is happening throughout the Rochester area and to learn about practical ideas to implement researched pedagogy. This event's information is available on our website under RALC EVENTS 2015-16.
On March 19, along with McGraw-Hill, we will host Dr. Timothy Shanahan at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. He will be discussing the Reading-Writing Connection and how engaging students in writing can have a positive impact on reading across the grades. He will elaborate on research showing the shared knowledge, skills, and strategies underlying both reading and writing; the connections between authors and readers and the power of integrating reading and writing instruction. Save this date and the registration flyer is available on our website under RALC EVENTS 2015-16.
It is once again the time of year, where we begin to solicit nominations for the various positions on the Executive Board of the Rochester Area Literacy Council. Cherie Gerych, President-elect, will chair the nominating committee and is looking for members to run for offices of the Board. Cherie will become president in 2016-17, but all other positions are open: President-elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Chair. In additions 4 members are appointed by the board as Regional Representatives. Attached to this letter is a description of each of these positions. We are always looking for our members to become involved at the board level, to bring new and fresh ideas for the council. If you are reluctant to commit to one of the officer positions, you might want to get your feet wet, by joining us as a regional representative. If interested in any of these positions, please send a brief biography and picture of yourself to Cherie at [email protected]. Nominations will be announced in February and elections will be held March 19 at our business meeting.
We hope that all of you will encourage young writers and illustrators in your schools/families and neighborhoods to submit their work to our Publishing Project. The deadline for submission of work is April 7th. On June 13 at the Seneca Park Zoo we celebrate these talented students who have been chosen to be published.
Upcoming events also include:
* Sail Into Summer on May 18 at the Rochester Yacht Club
* NYSRA Annual Conference November 13-14th here in Rochester
Hope to see all of you soon at Live Local Literacy!
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer, Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
November 18, 2015
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member
It was wonderful that so many of you were able to attend our October 29th event featuring Dr. Linda Gambrell. Our workshop for student writers and illustrators on October 24th was another successful event for students K-12 from all over the Rochester Area as they spent a morning focusing on developing their writing/illustrating skills. RALC offers our heartfelt thanks to the professionals who helped make this day a success for kids. We hope that all of you will encourage young writers and illustrators in your schools to submit their work to our publishing project. In June we celebrate these talented students who have been chosen to be published at the Seneca Park Zoo.
We want to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of our Charlotte Book sets! Lindsey Buck is the winner of the set of primary titles, Katie Raby won the intermediate title set, and Sean Bryant won the secondary titles. We look forward to hearing from each of them about how they share the books with their students. They will share their experiences at our Sail Into Summer event on May 18th.
We will be sending a survey in the near future and encourage you to take a few minutes to respond. We want to get input from all the members of our council as we plan events and opportunities for the future. Your ideas will be considered thoughtfully, so please respond when you receive it via email. Also, our updated bylaws have been approved by a quorum of the membership. Thank-you for participating in this vote.
As we look ahead to 2016, we have many opportunities for you:
We send all of you our best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member
It was wonderful that so many of you were able to attend our October 29th event featuring Dr. Linda Gambrell. Our workshop for student writers and illustrators on October 24th was another successful event for students K-12 from all over the Rochester Area as they spent a morning focusing on developing their writing/illustrating skills. RALC offers our heartfelt thanks to the professionals who helped make this day a success for kids. We hope that all of you will encourage young writers and illustrators in your schools to submit their work to our publishing project. In June we celebrate these talented students who have been chosen to be published at the Seneca Park Zoo.
We want to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of our Charlotte Book sets! Lindsey Buck is the winner of the set of primary titles, Katie Raby won the intermediate title set, and Sean Bryant won the secondary titles. We look forward to hearing from each of them about how they share the books with their students. They will share their experiences at our Sail Into Summer event on May 18th.
We will be sending a survey in the near future and encourage you to take a few minutes to respond. We want to get input from all the members of our council as we plan events and opportunities for the future. Your ideas will be considered thoughtfully, so please respond when you receive it via email. Also, our updated bylaws have been approved by a quorum of the membership. Thank-you for participating in this vote.
As we look ahead to 2016, we have many opportunities for you:
- On February 6th, we will have our annual Live Local Literacy day at French Road Elementary School. We invite you to either come and enjoy networking and learning from other educators in our community or to present some of your wonderful ideas, research or classroom experiences. We invite you to complete a proposal to share your knowledge or invite someone you know to share theirs. Proposal forms will be uploaded to this website soon. Click on the "RALC-NYSRA Events" tab and then go to "Live Local Literacy." The proposal form will be listed under that heading once this event is added. In any case save the date and plan to join us.
- On March 19, we will host Dr. Timothy Shanahan at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. This promises to be another great opportunity.
- On May 18, we will once again meet at the Rochester Yacht Club for Sail Into Summer.
- In November, Rochester will be the host city for the New York State Reading Association’s annual conference (November 14-15, 2016). This will be a wonderful opportunity for our members to attend at the member rate without travel expenses. Be sure to put this on your calendar. RALC member, Kathleen Cali, is the chairperson for this event and if you would like to volunteer to help with the planning and hosting of this wonderful conference you may email her at: [email protected]
- Of course there is still time to apply for a mini-grant for a special project you have in mind that connects literacy and community. The application form is on the webpage.
We send all of you our best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
September 14, 2015
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
Welcome to another exciting year of the Rochester Area Literacy Council. Hopefully, everyone has had a smooth opening to the new school year and is beginning to get into the fall routines. If you have not done so, please renew your membership and register for our first professional opportunity with Dr. Maureen McLaughlin on Saturday morning, Sept. 26 at French Road Elementary School. Her expertise in comprehension, critical literacy and recent publications on the common core are sure to inspire you. We will also be looking at the Charlotte award book nominations at this event with an opportunity for you to receive a set of books to engage your students in the voting process.
Recently, the executive board has updated and approved the Council bylaws. The next step is to have them approved by a quorum of the assembly of members. We have attached the proposed bylaws (they are also available on our website). Please take some time to review them and contact either of us regarding any questions, concerns or needs for clarification: [email protected] or [email protected]. On October 29, at the event with Dr. Linda Gambrell, we will entertain any further discussion and hopefully be ready to vote on the proposed bylaws.
Coming up in October - some special events – please mark your calendars:
In an effort to “GO GREEN” we will be cutting back on pocket folders and handouts at our events. As always any handouts will be available on our website and in limited quantities at our events. Further details will be explained on Sept. 26th. Your feedback on this new policy is always welcomed.
One more opportunity that you might like to consider as a member of RALC is to apply for our NYSRA annual conference fellowship. One member will be awarded up to $500.00 to attend the conference, Nov. 9-11. The application form is available on our website and at our Sept. event.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
Welcome to another exciting year of the Rochester Area Literacy Council. Hopefully, everyone has had a smooth opening to the new school year and is beginning to get into the fall routines. If you have not done so, please renew your membership and register for our first professional opportunity with Dr. Maureen McLaughlin on Saturday morning, Sept. 26 at French Road Elementary School. Her expertise in comprehension, critical literacy and recent publications on the common core are sure to inspire you. We will also be looking at the Charlotte award book nominations at this event with an opportunity for you to receive a set of books to engage your students in the voting process.
Recently, the executive board has updated and approved the Council bylaws. The next step is to have them approved by a quorum of the assembly of members. We have attached the proposed bylaws (they are also available on our website). Please take some time to review them and contact either of us regarding any questions, concerns or needs for clarification: [email protected] or [email protected]. On October 29, at the event with Dr. Linda Gambrell, we will entertain any further discussion and hopefully be ready to vote on the proposed bylaws.
Coming up in October - some special events – please mark your calendars:
- Oct. 24 – Workshop for Student Writers and Illustrators at French Road Elementary School
- Oct. 29 – Dr. Linda Gambrell at SJFC Cleary Auditorium
In an effort to “GO GREEN” we will be cutting back on pocket folders and handouts at our events. As always any handouts will be available on our website and in limited quantities at our events. Further details will be explained on Sept. 26th. Your feedback on this new policy is always welcomed.
One more opportunity that you might like to consider as a member of RALC is to apply for our NYSRA annual conference fellowship. One member will be awarded up to $500.00 to attend the conference, Nov. 9-11. The application form is available on our website and at our Sept. event.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
August 2015
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
We hope you are having a relaxing and restful summer. As your new co-presidents, we are proud and energized as we present another exciting year of opportunities for you through RALC. This is our second time serving the Council as co-presidents and we both have served on the executive board in various positions over the past ten years. We are committed to working on your behalf to maintain a strong council dedicated to literacy. So if you have not done so already, please renew your membership for 2015-16. As added incentive there is an early bird special rate for renewing promptly. For your convenience both individual and group membership forms are attached to this email as well as easily found on our website, where you can renew or join online.
The council is planning some wonderful professional development opportunities for you and your colleagues. We open 2015-16 with Dr. Maureen McLaughlin, president of IRA 2013-14 and author of many professional books and journal articles on comprehension, critical thinking, close reading and the common core. She will share her expertise with us on critical literacy and the standards on Saturday morning September 26. We will also hear from the NYSRA Charlotte awards committee. You will want to be sure to attend this opening event as we launch this exciting year of literacy learning. We have attached the registration flyer to this letter and of course it is available at our website: www.rochesterarealiteracycouncil.org
RALC is very proud of its award winning student publishing project. To support students’ creative expression and to encourage students to submit their work for publication, we will host our second workshop for student writers and illustrators on October 24. We are currently inviting teachers to submit proposals to present mini-sessions on writing or illustrating. RALC members are urged to bring students with an interest or talent. We are also encouraging teachers to confer and mentor young writers/illustrators during the coming school year. It is our vision that this will support young creative spirits and give these students impetus for their work and submissions for publication. Visit our web site for all the details and proposal forms.
The Rochester Area Literacy Council offers professional development in your backyard for reasonable fees. Some important dates to reserve:
· September 26 – Dr. Maureen McLaughlin – Critical Literacy and the Standards; Charlotte Awards Information
· October 29 – Dr. Linda Gambrell – Motivation to Read in the Age of Common Core Standards – Dr. Gambrell has served as President of three leading professional organizations for reading: the International Reading Association, National Reading Conference, and College Reading Association and in 2004 was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame. Her many publications include her interests in comprehension and cognitive processing, literacy motivation and the role of discussion in teaching and learning
· February 6 – Live Local Literacy featuring area educators; learn from area experts or offer your expertise by presenting on a topic you feel important to share; visit our website for proposal forms
· March 19 – Dr. Timothy Shanahan, President of IRA, 2006-07 and member of numerous government advisory boards
· May 18 – Sail into Summer at the Rochester Area Yacht Club; Focus TBD
Besides professional development in your back yard, what does RALC get you? There are many professional opportunities available to RALC members:
· Automatic membership in New York State Reading Association (NYSRA)
· Subscription to the Reading Scene
· Opportunity to apply for awards and grants
· Participation in community service projects that promote literacy
· Networking and sharing instructional practices
Look for details on two special fall opportunities through RALC coming soon:
1. Opportunity to win a set of this year’s nominated Charlotte books to share with your students who will then vote on the final choices
2. Opportunity to apply to be a RALC fellow and attend the NYSRA annual conference as our guest Nov. 9-11 in Saratoga Springs
The Rochester Area Literacy Council is growing and thriving as it maintains its commitment to providing support for quality literacy instruction for all. Readers are invited to visit the council’s website at: www.rochesterarealiteracycouncil.org
As co-presidents we look forward to serving you in an exciting year with the Rochester Area Literacy Council.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
Dear Rochester Area Literacy Council Member,
We hope you are having a relaxing and restful summer. As your new co-presidents, we are proud and energized as we present another exciting year of opportunities for you through RALC. This is our second time serving the Council as co-presidents and we both have served on the executive board in various positions over the past ten years. We are committed to working on your behalf to maintain a strong council dedicated to literacy. So if you have not done so already, please renew your membership for 2015-16. As added incentive there is an early bird special rate for renewing promptly. For your convenience both individual and group membership forms are attached to this email as well as easily found on our website, where you can renew or join online.
The council is planning some wonderful professional development opportunities for you and your colleagues. We open 2015-16 with Dr. Maureen McLaughlin, president of IRA 2013-14 and author of many professional books and journal articles on comprehension, critical thinking, close reading and the common core. She will share her expertise with us on critical literacy and the standards on Saturday morning September 26. We will also hear from the NYSRA Charlotte awards committee. You will want to be sure to attend this opening event as we launch this exciting year of literacy learning. We have attached the registration flyer to this letter and of course it is available at our website: www.rochesterarealiteracycouncil.org
RALC is very proud of its award winning student publishing project. To support students’ creative expression and to encourage students to submit their work for publication, we will host our second workshop for student writers and illustrators on October 24. We are currently inviting teachers to submit proposals to present mini-sessions on writing or illustrating. RALC members are urged to bring students with an interest or talent. We are also encouraging teachers to confer and mentor young writers/illustrators during the coming school year. It is our vision that this will support young creative spirits and give these students impetus for their work and submissions for publication. Visit our web site for all the details and proposal forms.
The Rochester Area Literacy Council offers professional development in your backyard for reasonable fees. Some important dates to reserve:
· September 26 – Dr. Maureen McLaughlin – Critical Literacy and the Standards; Charlotte Awards Information
· October 29 – Dr. Linda Gambrell – Motivation to Read in the Age of Common Core Standards – Dr. Gambrell has served as President of three leading professional organizations for reading: the International Reading Association, National Reading Conference, and College Reading Association and in 2004 was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame. Her many publications include her interests in comprehension and cognitive processing, literacy motivation and the role of discussion in teaching and learning
· February 6 – Live Local Literacy featuring area educators; learn from area experts or offer your expertise by presenting on a topic you feel important to share; visit our website for proposal forms
· March 19 – Dr. Timothy Shanahan, President of IRA, 2006-07 and member of numerous government advisory boards
· May 18 – Sail into Summer at the Rochester Area Yacht Club; Focus TBD
Besides professional development in your back yard, what does RALC get you? There are many professional opportunities available to RALC members:
· Automatic membership in New York State Reading Association (NYSRA)
· Subscription to the Reading Scene
· Opportunity to apply for awards and grants
· Participation in community service projects that promote literacy
· Networking and sharing instructional practices
Look for details on two special fall opportunities through RALC coming soon:
1. Opportunity to win a set of this year’s nominated Charlotte books to share with your students who will then vote on the final choices
2. Opportunity to apply to be a RALC fellow and attend the NYSRA annual conference as our guest Nov. 9-11 in Saratoga Springs
The Rochester Area Literacy Council is growing and thriving as it maintains its commitment to providing support for quality literacy instruction for all. Readers are invited to visit the council’s website at: www.rochesterarealiteracycouncil.org
As co-presidents we look forward to serving you in an exciting year with the Rochester Area Literacy Council.
Jan and Lynne
Jan Marchetti & Lynne Keefer
Co-Presidents 2015-16
Rochester Area Literacy Council
