Secondary Reading League
Leaders for Literacy in Grades 6-12
About Us
Email: Rlesinski02@gmail.com
Website: https://secondaryreadingleague.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SecondaryReadingLeague/
Twitter: @SRLreads
Upcoming 2019-20 SRL Events
- SRL Day of Reading at the Tinley Park Convention Center: November 22nd
- Grant Applications Due: February 1, 2020
- Round Table Book Talk at Lake Villa Library: February 27, 2020
- Carol Jago Lunch and Learn: March 13, 2020
- April Book Talk: Date TBA
There is Still Time to Register
Why choose the Secondary Reading League?
Does anyone else have a friend who pushes you to do anything and everything despite how comfortable you feel? For me, that friend is Rachel Lesinski-Roscoe (our SRL President-elect). She wants me to join everything, present at multiple conferences, and try every new strategy. Even though I’m a total introvert and would rather sit in my classroom and do the same thing every year, I have to love how Rachel pushes me to try new things. Without her, I never would have presented at IRC and I definitely wouldn’t have put myself out there as the Vice President of SRL.
However, as with everything, there needs to be a balance. We need to weigh the pros and cons of everything we do so that we can get the most out of our time (and, quite frankly, our money).
With that being said, the Secondary Reading League provides some great benefits:
Multiple book talk events to gain new resources for your classroom
Special discounts for IRC events
Invitation and special pricing for the Day of Reading Conference
Opportunity to apply for grants for your classroom
A network of Secondary Reading Professionals who have similar interests
A chance to make a difference in your literacy community
We cost NOTHING! When you become an Illinois Reading Council member, choose SRL as your first special interest group.
We focus on literacy leadership in the secondary setting. We focus on middle and high school reading texts and strategies. We know secondary education requires something different. We are the only group that honors those needs exclusively. We are driven by secondary literacy and advocate for secondary literacy.
-Leigh Cavanaugh
SRL New Treasurer
Jennifer Clesen has been working as a teacher for 12 years. She started at McHenry West but teaches at Grayslake Central now. Her background is in history, but she also has a master's in literacy education and is a certified Reading Specialist. She currently sits on the school's literacy team and workshops with her department in order to incorporate more literacy instruction in their classrooms. Additionally, she is part of a small group of teachers in charge of the district's mentorship program where she is mentoring up to 11 new teachers this year. Her duties for this include observing, providing instructional feedback and general support for these teachers as they begin their careers. She is also involved in Student Council where she manages the freshman class as well as the planning of dances and homecoming activities. Outside of school, Jenni enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and being outdoors.
Jenni became the treasurer of the Secondary Reading League because she wanted to be involved in more of a literacy-focused group since she teaches in a content-specific area. She appreciates the opportunity to talk with others about reading without the pressures of history-content and AP requirements.
Welcome to New Members
Thank you to all of our members who have renewed their memberships. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support over the past 12 months. We value all contributions to Secondary Reading League, and memberships make up the lifeblood of our organization. Your involvement is extremely important to us and very much appreciated.
Welcome to our new members. We look forward to forming a partnership with you in promoting adolescent literacy. Thank you for your support!
Below is a list of members that have renewed or joined in September. Use this list as proof of membership for a Domain 4 artifact.
If you have any questions regarding membership, please contact Angel Kalat at SRLmembership@dayofreading.org
Literacy Grant Opportunity
The Secondary Reading League (SRL) has established two (2) $500 Literacy Grants to be awarded to SRL members. This monetary award is intended to support educators in developing new or supporting existing innovative literacy projects in their schools or classrooms.
Interested Secondary Reading League members are encouraged to complete the two-page application form. A committee of SRL members will evaluate the projects using the rubric included with the grant application and select one or more projects to be awarded funding. Those members receiving Literacy Grants will be asked to share a brief, written narrative of the project for a future SRL newsletter. Grant winners will be notified by e-mail and announced at our annual spring booktalk in April. Previous SRL Literacy Grant winners must wait one grant cycle before submitting another grant application.
Please note that the deadline for all applications is February 1, 2020.
If you have questions, contact a Secondary Reading League Board Member or me at any time.
Sincerely,
Erik Borne
SRL Past President