Shenandoah Valley Reading Council

About Us!
Getting Connected
From Our CoPresidents
Call for Photos
Save the Date
VSRA Deadlines
Exemplary Reading
Teacher of the Year
VA Readers Choice
SVRC Literacy Project
International Project
Call to Serve
SVRC Board

Who Can Join?

*Classroom Teachers
*Reading Teachers
*Professors
*Librarians
*Parents
*Administrators
*College Students
*Community Members
*Resource Teachers
*Retired Teachers
*YOU!!!!!!!

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Promoting Literacy in the Shenandoah Valley

Our vision for SVRC is to promote new trends in literature, promote
and sponsor opportunities to learn new, effective strategies, and to
promote and participate in community service activities that advocate
literacy.
We encourage you to join our reading council. Members of SVRC
receive many benefits:
Membership in the Virginia State Reading Association
Reduced registration fees for the VSRA conference
VSRA publication Reading in Virginia
Opportunity to attend local meetings and conferences
sponsored by SVRC

SVRC Activities
Provide professional development workshops and
conferences
Monitor education issues
Publicize best practices
Sponsor literacy projects
Highlight the literacy talents of students
Sponsor the Young Author Celebration
Sponsor International Literacy Projects

Join our council and help promote literacy in the Shenandoah Valley!
http://svreading.weebly.com

Like us on FACEBOOK at Shenandoah Valley Reading Council

Also like the following on FACEBOOK: Read,Write,Think IRA VSRA Edutopia Symbaloo
We are on Twitter! Follow us @Shenvalleyrdg

WELCOME BACK to a new year, a new beginning, and lots of

excited students. Hoping you will take time to know your
children, read lots of stories, and have rich discussions.
Two of our goals this year are publicity and
relationships! How can we continue to connect, share ideas
regarding literacy, and continue to grow as professionals in
literacy instruction?
Wishing you a year of conversations, community, and
involvement!
Michele Mumaw and Faith Ballew

Please send write ups and pictures of all Reading and Literacy Events that
happen throughout the Shenandoah Valley to Tonya Jones at
tonya.tk226teach@gmail.com.
They will be used for our Hall of Councils Display at the
VSRA Conference March 3-5, 2016

**Save the Date**

Fall Mini Conference
November 12, 2015
at Bessie Weller Elementary School
in Staunton, VA!

All of the following awards, grants, and scholarships applications can be

found on the Virginia State Reading Association Website. Please take
advantage of these wonderful opportunities to grow as professionals and
learners while being supported by Virginia State Reading Association. You,
your school, AND your community can benefit from these
opportunities. Complete an application to earn money for your literacy
projects.

www.vsra.org
Deadlines for VSRA 2015-2016
Due Dates
Oct. 15, 2015
Oct. 15, 2015 (award)
Award
Oct. 15, 2015 (grant)

Activity
Program Proposals for VSRA
VSRA Technology and Reading
Nominations

Nov. 15, 2015 (award)

15th)
Nov. 15, 2015 (award)

Exemplary Reading Award (Postmarked by

Dec. 15, 2015 (scholarship)

Dec. 15, 2015 (scholarship)
Dec. 16, 2015 (grant)
Dec. 15, 2015 (grant)
Dec. 16, 2015 (grant)
Dec. 15, 2015 (award)
Dec. 16, 2015 (award)
App)
Dec. 15, 2015 (award)
Dec. 15, 2015 (award)
Dec. 15, 2015 (grant)

Student Scholarships: Application

Carmelita K. Williams Graduate Level
Foundation Grant for Community Service
Young Writers Grant, VSRA YW Information
Teacher Research Grants
Adult-Intergenerational Literacy Award
James D. Mullins Leadership Award: (Lead

Offie T. Rubin Reading Teacher of the year

International Scholarship Award

Jones-Daly Faculty Involvement Award
Teachers as Readers: Grant Application

The Exemplary Reading Program Award is

sponsored by the International Reading
Association to recognize outstanding reading
and language arts programs at all grade levels
(elementary, middle, and high school). Its purpose is to call the publics attention to
outstanding programs in schools throughout North America. Virginia can choose one
winning school.
The program has five objectives: (1) to improve literacy in our society, (2) to recognize
school staffs who demonstrate excellence in reading and literacy programs, (3) to
encourage the development and refinement of exemplary reading/language arts programs,
(4) to report to the public noteworthy efforts to improve reading/language arts, and (5) to
disseminate specific information about high-quality programs so that other professionals
can use it to improve their own instructional efforts.
There are many outstanding reading programs in our area, and the Exemplary Reading
Program Award Committee would love to review applications and visit schools so that
we could present the award during next years VSRA Conference in Roanoke. PLEASE
encourage reading teachers in your school to go online to
http://www.vsra.org/ExemplaryRdgAward.pdf to download the application and apply.
Applications are sent directly to IRA, and must be postmarked by November 15th.
Eligible applications are then forwarded the VSRA committee for review. The school
submitting the application must have at least one IRA member in their school. Please
contact committee chair Martha Reish at reish5m@gmail.com if there are any
questions or if more information is needed.

SVRC Teacher of the Year

Is there a teacher you know who should be recognized for outstanding
work in the area of literacy? If so, now is the time to give that person the
recognition he/she deserves. Our council would like to recognize an
exceptional teacher from the Shenandoah Valley at our winter meeting this
year! Think about the excellent teachers who work in your school that are
members of SVRC (the nominee must have been a member of SVRC last year
as well as this year) and let us know who they are so we can honor the work
that they do. You can find the application on the councils website at
www.svreading.org . The person chosen as our teacher of the year may then
apply for the Ofie T. Rubin Award given by the Virginia State Reading
Association. Send your completed nomination form to Tonya Kay Jones, 625
W. Parklin Dr, Covington, VA 24426, or email the completed application to
tonya.tk226teach@gmail.com by October 15th, 2015

Shenandoah Valley Reading Council Teacher of the Year

Is there a teacher you know who should be recognized for outstanding work in
the area of literacy? If so, now is the time to give that person the recognition
he/she deserves. Please complete and mail the following form by
October 15th, 2015 to:
Tonya Kay Jones
625 W Parklin Dr
Covington, VA 24426 OR:

email to tonya.tk226teach@gmail.com

Nominee Information:
(The nominee must have been a SVRC member for 2014-2015 and teach
reading a minimum of one-third of each school day in grades K-12.)
Name: ______________________________________________
Home Address: _________________________________________________
School Name and Position: _______________________________________
School Address: ________________________________________________
Telephone: (H) _____________________ (W) ________________________
Email: _________________________________________________
Please give a brief description of the nominees work in the area of literacy:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Nominated by: __________________________________________
Home Address: __________________________________________________
School Name and Position__________________________________________
School Address: _________________________________________________
Telephone: (H) _____________________ (W) _________________________
Email: __________________________________________________

Check out the new Virginia Readers Choice List by going to

www.vsra.org and clicking on Virginia Readers Choice tab on the blue
banner! The Virginia Readers Choice Award is brought to you by the
Virginia State Reading Association!

Today I was able to represent SVRC and attend the Habitat Dedication for
the Polanco Family. Books were presented to 9 year old Brian and 2 year
old Eva. Their new home is located in Harrisonburg and Brian attends
Waterman Elementary. The 2 year old was adorable....took hold of her
basket and off she went to her room. lroeschley@rockingham.k12.va.us

Dear Reading Council Friends,

Many of you know that I traveled to Maphutseng Primary School in Lesotho, Africa
this summer to conduct literacy research as part of my doctoral studies. Though the fiveweek experience certainly provided me with rich data for my dissertation, I find myself
deeply touched and transformed by the personal interactions with the children and
teachers. It was truly a humbling experience to walk beside teachers and children who
were so eager and hungry to learn and read despite extreme poverty and daunting
sociocultural issues. As I look back, I second-guess my contributions, our contributions.
Did we do enough? Well, I will have to say yes. What does generous donations from
teachers and friends across the Shenandoah Valley provide to teachers and children in
Lesotho, Africa? A lot! 300 pounds and 10 suit cases full of

800 picture book all organized and ready for 340 child to read
15 readers theater plays with 25 copies of each allowing all the children to shine
like stars
6 classroom pencil sharpeners, no electricity needed, so that the classroom teacher
didnt have to spend an hour a day sharpening pencils will a razor blade
33 bags of upper and lower case ABC tiles primed for push and say and eager to
make names and words
140 chapter books carefully selected to meet the unique sociocultural needs of the
amazing Basotho children of Maphutseng Primary School
Pocket charts, sentence strips, tickie-tack, abc charts, classroom calendars, storage
bins to keep classroom libraries safe, plus much more.

In terms of meeting the needs of these teachers and children, I can say that our
donations made a difference. If you could have seen the children pore over the books in
their new classroom libraries and the teachers ask if they could take the chapter books
home to read themselves, you would know that your donations matter. In the words of
the principal at Maphutseng, you have been a blessing to us. Now, it is our turn to take
what you have given us, these wonderful seeds of literacy to plant and care for, so that
our children may reap the reward and become readers. I look forward to sharing my
photos and experiences with you in one of our upcoming meetings. In the meantime, I
have included a few photos in order for you to see the wonderful things our council
contributed to Maphutseng Primary School.
Blessings,
Tracy Hough

Pocket chart with days of the week and rhymes (first picture), classroom library of board
books for kindergarteners (second picture), children listing to a read aloud of Anansi and
the Moss Covered Rock (third picture).

Readers theater plays for books in English and Sesotho, and book bins full chapter
books, plays, read alouds and school supplies

SVRC is anticipating your interest

in serving on the board
in various committee positions.
If you are interested, please contact any of
the board members listed on page 9!

SVRC
Shenandoah Valley Reading Council
Co-Presidents
Faith Ballew - ballewsf@gmail.com
Michele Mumaw - mmumaw@rockingham.k12.va.us
Co-Presidents-Elect
Dana Shields - dshields@rockingham.k12.va.us
Sherry Ryman - sryman@rockingham.k12.va.us
Corresponding Secretary
Sarah McDonald smcdonald@rockingham.k12.va.us
Jill Snider jsnider@rockingham.k12.va.us
Recording Secretary
Debbie Pitsenbarger - mulberryhill4@hotmail.com
Treasurer
Sylvia Helmuth - shelmuth@rockingham.k12.va.us
Past President/Nominating
Sandy Proctor - proctorsk@gmail.com

The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks

between a child, a book, and the person reading it.
Reading Magic by Mem Fox, page 10

Website http://svreading.weebly.com
Like us on FACEBOOK at Shenandoah Valley Reading Council
Follow us on Twitter @shenvalleyrdg