Fox Valley Reading Council
December 2019 Newsletter
A NOTE FROM OUR CO-PRESIDENTS
Thanksgiving break has just ended and the dreaded gray skies have descended upon us. Be thankful that FVRC is ready to "Beat the Blues" with their Winter event at Old Town Pub in Geneva on Friday Feb. 28, 2020 from 4-8:30. We will be having our first Sip & Create event with Pat Braun. She and her illustrator friend will teach us the craft of our chosen illustrator. Be ready to relax after a long day's work and join us at Old Town Pub!
Luckily, we've already been thankful for our time for our time at Aurora Public Library for Illinois Reads on Nov. 14th. We had Fox Valley Therapy Dogs for students to read to and continued our Superhero theme making masks and bookmarks. We were also giving away books of our Illinois authors. Thanks to all who contributed to this awesome event. Look for us there again next year!
(Insert some pictures from IL Reads)
Additionally, in the last newsletter we encouraged you to delve into some professional development for Domain 4 AND for the betterment of your teaching. Author Mary Howard is on Facebook and is known for her long posts. The one today really stuck with me. It was aimed at administrators and the need to invest in teachers' classroom libraries, professional libraries in the LMC, and book clubs to highlight professional books with faculty meeting discussions. There was much more to read, but the basic idea was the disappointing loss of professional reading by teachers and how to improve it and invest in it if you are an administrator. The other message: Don't stop learning if you are a teacher. Be thankful you can continue to learn from professionals like Mary Howard!
Finally, we are excited to have Maria Walther, author of The Ramped-Up Read Aloud, speak to us in the Spring! She will speak on assessment and what to do with it. Her session is called Assess, Decide and Guide: The Keys to Helping ALL Readers Succeed. She will present on April 28, 2020, so mark your calendars! We are thankful for her wealth of knowledge.
And thanks to you, our membership, for your continued support of the Fox Valley Reading Council. Our goal is to help you be a better teaching professional. Thanks for coming along on the ride with us!
Moving from Elementary School to High School By Diana Wilkie
The move from training little independent thriving learners to engaging unmotivated high school students has not been easy, but a challenge I have taken nonetheless. This came about after major changes in my school district and a suggestion from the new superintendent. So after 24 years in the elementary classroom, I decided to make the shift to teach reading at the secondary level.
I was anxious to begin a new school year in a completely different world and also excited to start in a brand new reading department. I quickly found that the excitement for school and love of learning that was found in the 5-year old’s eyes is no longer there in most teenager’s eyes. For most, there is a complete lack of interest and many are striving readers. There are a few who are still excited. I am left to wonder, “What happens to our students along the way?”
I must admit the best moments in my days are when I run into former students. One of them is in my junior class. I offered autographed books to all my current students and he is the only one that requested one. This is what Owen wrote to me:
Dear Miss Wilkie – It’s been so long since I have seen you and you look great and your personality has not changed. You’re still cheery and somewhat assertive with us students. I missed you and wanted to visit you after I graduated but now since you are here you can see me end my school life and grow up. I still can’t believe how much time has passed. I feel like it was just yesterday when I was in your kindergarten class. Just think – you started me with school and now you get to see me end it and I hope I represent the accomplishment you have made me and I hope you never forget me once I leave.
My goal is to turn apathy into empowerment. Engagement is a tremendous challenge that I have to fight for every day. I realize that I must get to their hearts before I can open up their minds to new possibilities. I believe that I gave the little ones all they needed to be successful. Now it is my challenge to show the big kids that I am also in their corner so that the light will reappear in their eyes.
Harvey's Tales Book Store By Toni Blaszynski
In early 2017, the Osborne family dream of opening a bookstore became a reality for retirees Chuck and Roxanne Osborne. With their own children grown and raised, they knew it was time for them to “create a welcoming environment that inspires the community to come together to learn, explore, escape, and relax through books and other diversions.” The name Harvey’s Tales comes from their late Bernese Mountain dog, Harvey. They just knew that was the best way to honor him by naming the store after him.
I must say that after visiting this independent, unique bookstore, you can find those one-of-a-kind gifts for all ages as well as sip on some coffee outside on the patio or just browse this 2-story bookstore. Any sales associate is a wealth of knowledge for recommending books both new and old. One special feature about Harvey’s Tales is that if you buy a book by our very own Tom Lichtenheld of Geneva. He will sign the book for free as a special thank you for purchasing from Harvey’s Tales! Next time you are looking for something to do, consider going to visit Harvey’s Tales. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!
Elementary Book Highlight By Dawn Lutz
As first presented at our Fall Fox Valley Reading Council event with Kathleen March from Anderson's Bookshop, Brave the Page caught my interest because I am always trying to convince and inspire my students to write their own life stories. This book champions the idea that everyone has a story that deserves to be told. Not only that, this book helps students in upper elementary with ideas of what it means to write a novel and how to do it practically! For those of you who have already worked on your Narrative writing unit, please share this book with your students to encourage them to look deeper into the art of writing a story. If you haven't taught Narrative Writing yet, put this book in your box of tricks. November was National Novel Writing Month, but it's not too late! This book is written in kid-friendly and funny prose with contributions by famous authors. Jason Reynolds writes the introduction, but there are pep talks by many authors, and there are chapters on character, plot, setting and so forth. If that's not enough to commit to working through some ideas, have your students check out the National Writing Month's website at ywp.nanowrimo.org. You, and they, will not be disappointed!