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Shenandoah Valley Reading Council

About Us!
Getting Connected
From Our CoPresidents
VSRA President Letter
ILA (formerly IRA)
Call for Pics
Hall of Councils Thanks
Intl Literacy Project
SVRC Literacy Project
Legislative Report
Spring Conference

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 consider joining our reading council in August.
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 in August 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 ILA VSRA Edutopia Symbaloo
We are on Twitter! Follow us @Shenvalleyrdg

Dear SVRC Members,

As school has come to a close for another year, it is time for teachers and administrators
to take a breath, relax, and enjoy a break from the daily routine. While we all love
learning, exploring, and growing with our children in our classrooms, it is important to
step away to regain strength and energy for another year.
As I reflect on my classroom of children, I think about their personalities, their desire to
learn and grow, and their love for stories. Amidst the SOL Preps, Tests, and Retakes, it
was the love of books and stories that gave me strength as well as a deeper connection
with my students. Their creativity to write a fictionalized story using an animal
character, a characteristic, and a problem energized the room and gave each student a
sense of accomplishment and pride as they reread and illustrated their stories. Our read
aloud of A Nest for Celeste which focused on gaining and losing friendships was
endearing, meaningful, and thought provoking. Students hung on every detail and
begged for one more chapter.
Even though there were challenges, extra work, and at times additional stressors at the
end of the school year, I was constantly reminded about how stories bring us together and
keep us as a community. Below is a letter written to me by a student handed to me
secretly on the last day of school. Hoping you will see the power of story and words we
give students.
Dear Mrs. Mumaw,
I will miss you you are a vary good thecher I will miss you very much. I like when you
read to us I will still vesit you even thoy I am in 4th grad I will still read Becacse you said
I believe in you and that said to me I will need to read my enyball out and I thank that the
kids next year will relle like you Because you are a good thearer and I will still youse
cusev
Love ---------It is our hope that as we face each school year, you will continue to share the love of
reading and story with each and every child that you work with in your classroom or
small group.
Wishing you a summer full of books,
Michele Mumaw and Faith Ballew

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Listed below is our new board members and the committee chairs. As
you can see, we are looking for more people to join Shenandoah Valley
Reading Council. Please contact anyone on the board if you are
interested in meeting new people and being involved in your local
professional reading organization.

2015-2016 Shenandoah Valley Reading Council

Board of Directors
Co-Presidents
Michele Mumaw mmumaw@rockingham.k12.va.us
Faith Ballew ballewsf@gmail.com
Co-Presidents-Elect
Dana Shields dshields@rockingham.k12.va.us
Sherry Ryman sryman@rockingham.k12.va.us
Co-Corresponding Secretaries
Elizabeth Buchanan ecampbell@alleghany.k12.va.us
Jennifer Taylor jtaylor@alleghany.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
Literacy Projects
Lisa Roeschley lroeschley@rockingham.k12.va.us
Teresa Shank tshank@rockingham.k12.va.us
Honor/Merit
Martha Reish reish5m@gmail.com; reishmt@jmu.edu
International Literacy
April East aeast@augusta.k12.va.us
Membership
Sarah McDonald smcdonald@rockingham.k12.va.us
Jill Snider jsnider@rockingham.k12.va.us
Technology/Website
Jennifer Floyd jaf9d@virginia.edu
VSRA Liaison
Kim Lancaster vsrakim@gmail.com

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Young Authors
North- Tracy Hough hought@emu.edu
South-Liz Benbow ebenbow@augusta.k12.va.us
West-Pat Whitson patw@bath.k12.va.us
Shannon Waldeck sharonw@bath.k12.va.us
Legislative
Publicity/Hall of Councils
Teacher of the Year

International Literacy Project

The Shenandoah Valley Reading Council would like to recognize Tracy
Hough for her contributions to childhood literacy both locally and
globally. Tracys extensive experience includes being an elementary
classroom teacher, a reading specialist, as well as guiding the next
generation of teachers and literacy instruction at the collegiate level as an
Assistant Professor at Eastern Mennonite University. She coordinates the
Young Authors Celebration for young readers and writers throughout the
Shenandoah Valley. Each fall The Young Authors Celebration brings a
childrens author to the valley to share their inspiring story with children
and recognizes achievements of local students as writers. Tracy also works
overseas to promote literacy globally by helping to train teachers and build
a school library for the community of Maphutseng, Lesotho in Africa. The
Shenandoah Valley reading council has awarded a $500.00 grant to Tracy
for the Maphutseng Project. Tracy will also be a featured speaker at the
VSRA Spring 2016 conference to share her experiences from this project.

For the Primary, Elementary, Middle, and High School

Virginia Readers Choice Lists go to www.vsra.org/virginiareaders-choice/

International Literacy Day

September 8, 2015
The Power of People: Start a Literacy Movement

International Literacy Day (ILD) shines a spotlight on global literacy

needs, which goes hand in hand with ILAs mission: literacy for
everyone, everywhere. On ILD (and every day), ILA advocates for a
literate world, supports literacy educators and leaders, and celebrates
the power of literacy. Join us for ILD 2015 as we lead the charge for
literacy around the world and in our own backyards. (copied from the
International Literacy Associations website)
Go to literacyworldwide.org to sign up
for a free activity kit and a free little library kit!

Please send write ups and pictures of all Reading and Literacy Events that
happen throughout the Shenandoah Valley to
Jennifer Floyd at jaf9d@virginia.edu
until the Hall of Councils/Publicity position is filled.
They will be used for our Hall of Councils Display at the
VSRA Conference March 3-5, 2016 in Norfolk!