C & I Newsletter
February 2016
“Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path.”—Steve Jobs
Reading is the most important subject in school. It’s more important than all the other subjects combined. If a child can’t learn to read well and love to read, the chances of that kid finding success and happiness on any level are low…..successful kids represent the spectrum of all racial, religious, economic, and cultural diversity possible, but they all have one thing in common: they read well and love it….I want my students to understand that their ability to read and write is a matter of life and death….show me a good reader and I’ll show you a child with strong self-esteem….lives hang in the balance. If you do nothing else as a teacher, develop able and passionate readers.
Rafe Esquith (2003)
I AM A LIFELONG READER!
I have loved books as long as I can remember. I can still remember listening to Mrs. Gooch read a chapter of Charlotte’s Web after lunch each day in second grade, shedding a tear or two along with my classmates while listening to Where the Red Fern Grows in third grade, plowing through the entire series of The Black Stallion books in middle school, experiencing resolution while sitting in my high school English class in the final pages of To Kill a Mockingbird.
In high school I wanted to be a criminal psychologist because of books such as Crime and Punishment, Great Expectations and plays such as Macbeth. I eventually became an English teacher because I loved books and wanted all students to experience the joy of reading. I spent my summers and much of my spare time reading books, bringing passages into my classroom for students to experience great writing and just to share my passion for reading with them.
Recently, I posted a memory from a book online only to have a former student respond telling me how he would always remember reading the final paragraphs of 1984 in my classroom. Oh the joy of reading!
Books have taken me to places I could never have visited. They have been a source of comfort during times of difficulty, and today they serve as a tremendous resource for my work in curriculum.
“LIFELONG READERS CHAT WITH THEIR FRIENDS ABOUT BOOKS. They get excited about a favorite author, find informational text that support a topic of interest, and above all, they read a ton.”
“The best way to get kids reading more is to give them books they’ll gobble up—and that will make them ask for another. . . Kids say the number one reason they don’t read more is that they can’t find books they like. Freedom of choice is a key to getting them motivated and excited.” Reading Without Limits by Maddie Witter
February 8-12: The Week to Come . . .
Monday, February 8: Navigator's New Teacher Meeting at 4:00 pm @ LWHS
Tuesday, February 9: Admin Test Training (one of two possible dates)
Wednesday, February 10: Early Release: "By" training at the high school and Marine Creek; Data Analysis at all campuses; Co-Curricular Meetings; CTE Trip to Eagle-Mountain Saginaw.
Thursday, February 11: Principal PLC @ 9:00 am (Agenda includes: "Seven Steps of a Language Rich Classroom"--Robbin Church; Human Resources--Skip McCambridge;
“The typical teacher has children doing a lot of ‘stuff’. How is what I am having children do creating readers and writers?—Regie Routman
a special occasion. Every day of your life is a special occasion.” Thomas S. Monson