Starved Rock Reading Council
Fall 2016
What is SRRC?
Top 5 Reasons to Join SRRC
1. Professional Development/Danielson Evaluation Help!
Get resources to boost ratings in all four domains, even the elusive domain 4 component. More involvement and leadership opportunities will help you achieve the excellent rating you seek!
2. Be a Part of Something Bigger
Connect with other professionals who share your passion for literacy. Not only can you be a part of our local SRRC, you can choose to join statewide special interest councils with focuses on Secondary Reading, Title I Reading, College Instructors, Librarians, and more.
3. Positive Atmosphere
Feel good in a place where we celebrate teachers and the work we do in literacy.
4. Discounted pricing on the Illinois Reading Conference and other council events
Attend the state’s most comprehensive literacy conference at a reduced rate. Join us for stress-relieving activities with like-minded people!
5. Grant and Award Opportunities Available Only to Members
IRC has a plethora of grant opportunities for you and your classroom. SRRC also has opportunities to earn mini grants for your classroom’s use!
Books at the Buffalo
Join us for our fall event! PD, dinner, and fun!
After a delicious dinner, Noor Shammas and Jason Biggs will present
Best New & Notable Books for K-8 Readers & Writers.
Noor Shammas is a teacher in Oswego, IL where she has taught fourth grade for ten years. When she is not working with her students, she teaches graduate students at Judson University. She has earned a master's degree in instructional technology from Lewis University in 2009 and a second master's degree in literacy from Judson University in 2013. She co-created a school-wide, in-depth author study program in her school, and she has presented at local, state, and national conferences. Noor enjoys spending time reading so that she can share what she loves with students and colleagues.
Jason Biggs is a fifth grade teacher in Hoffman Estates; he recently made the transition from fourth grade where he taught for three years. He has a Master's Degree in Literacy from Judson University and has a passion for reading that he imparts to his students each day. He has presented at both state and local conferences about a variety of topics related to literacy.
Clock hours available.
Books at the Buffalo
5:00 Registration
5:30 Dinner
6:30 Program
Register online here!
Thursday, Oct 13, 2016, 05:00 PM
The Lone Buffalo, La Salle Street, Ottawa, IL, United States
2016 Illinois Reading Conference
Reading: Unlocking Opportunities!
September 29 - October 1, 2016
Peoria, IL
Thousands of literacy advocates, educators, and researchers will gather from September 29-October 1, 2016 for the 49th Annual IRC Conference, Reading: Unlocking Opportunities, at the Peoria Civic Center and Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria, Illinois.
Illinois Reads
Starved Rock Reading Council is proud to support Illinois Reads. The project is entering its fourth year and was created by an amazing group of people within the Illinois Reading Council to encourage Illinoisans to make reading a part of their everyday lives. Each year, the committee selects 6 books written by Illinois authors for 6 different age bands from babies to adults. The next launch will take place this spring in Wilmington, IL. Check out the Illinois Reads site for the list of current books and information about the exciting launch event. www.illinoisreads.org
Be a SRRC Rep for your school!
A Letter From the President
Oh my gosh! Where did summer go? Of course, the weather this year has been a little bit of everything. Oh well, if you are like me, you probably spent a chunk of your summer in classes or planning for the new school year anyway. Summer is a great time to catch up on our reading – which usually includes a wide selection of Young Adult books to add to my classroom library. I found a plethora of new authors and old favorites while I was in Boston at the International Literacy Conference. I got so many free books, I had to ship them home! I will be one busy reader for quite some time.
Our executive board has been hard at work planning for the year, and we have lots of goodies for you including a social event at IRC, a great “Books at the Buffalo” event in October, our annual parade and family literacy events, an encore visit with Alice McGinty in February, our annual Seuss-a-Thon activities, a paint night, and of course, our Young Author’s event!
I am very proud to be a member of Starved Rock Reading Council. As an SRRC member, you have access to our newsletters, special registration rates for all of our events, and more. We are always in need of more people to help insure our continued success and growth as a council. If you are interested in participating on any of our committees or helping out at our events, please contact us! We would love your help.
Thank you for including SRRC as part of your IRC membership. We value your participation and strive to provide you with the latest information and resources to help you in your classroom. We have started a lot of new initiatives this year to better serve you including a greater presence on social media. Keep your eyes open for use so we can collaborate on the best ideas for our students. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the Illinois Reading Council Conference September 29 - October 1 and at our events throughout the year. Have a great school year!
In the spirit of literacy and learning,
Cindi Koudelka
SRRC President
Officers 2016-2017
Starved Rock Reading Council would like to announce their executive board members for the upcoming year.
President: Cindi Koudelka
Past President: Stephanie Benson
President Elect: Stephanie Tedford
Membership: Shannon Baer
Recording Secretary: Carol Anderson
Corresponding Secretary: Alaina Weatherford
Treasurer: Stephanie Benson