Shenandoah Valley Reading Council

About Us! Page 1

Getting Connected Page 1
From Our Co-Presidents Page 2
Call for Photos Page 3
Save the Date Page 3
VSRA Deadlines Page 4
Exemplary Reading Page 5
Teacher of the Year Page 5 & 6
VA Readers Choice Page 7
B & N Winners Page 7
Book Finds Page 7
Pizza & Piniterest Page 8
SVRC Board &
Committees Page9

Who Can Join?

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

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

Since a new school year has begun, Ive been thinking about Shenandoah Valley Reading
Council and what it means to me. I have identified four key words that represent SVRC.
S stands for the SERVICE.
V represents VALUE.
R has to be READING.
C is for the COMMUNITY of professionals.

SVRC provides many professional development services. From the Pizza and Pinterest
event to kick off the year to mini-conferences which reflect best practice and reading
instruction in the classroom, SVRC strives to support reading. Not only do we offer
professional learning opportunities, but we provide support to our local community,
Habitat for Humanity by providing books and bookshelves for homes as well as books for
babies. We also support International Literacy Projects. Funding an author visit which
supports writing and reading has been happening for 27 years in SVRC.
The value of SVRC is well-worth the yearly fee. For $30, a member is part of the local
council, Shenandoah Valley Reading Council, as well as VSRA, Virginia State Reading
Association. As one member said, You get so much for such a small monetary price.
Addressing reading and reading instruction is a key focus for SVRC. Whether a
teacher or teachers are reading an article from a professional journal, reading a
professional book, or reading childrens literature, he or she is committed to the reading
community and reading conversation. Kim Tate, English/Reading/Libraries
Coordinator for Rockingham County Public Schools, just shared this with me last week,
In order to teach reading, one must read. You have to know the stories to have the
conversations them.
Building a community of professionals is a bonus in joining SVRC and VSRA.
Through professional conversations and relationships, individuals can dialogue about best
practice and literature. Not only does the individual grow from these experiences, but his
or her students do as well.
In the 21st Century where many go to google or some other source on the internet for
an answer or an idea, I would like to remind everyone of the power of conversations,
relationships, and professional development offered by Shenandoah Valley Reading
Council as well as the Virginia State Reading Association.
We hope you will join our conversations!
Sincerely,
Michele F. Mumaw and Jennifer Floyd
Co-Presidents SVRC

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
Digital Presentation at the
VSRA Conference March 16-18, 2017

**Save the Dates**

Fall Mini Conference
November 17, 2016
at Bessie Weller Elementary School
in Staunton, VA!
Mocha and Mingle
November 29, 2016
at Green Valley Book Fair
in Mount Crawford, 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 2016-2017
Due Dates
Oct. 15, 2016
Oct. 15, 2016 (grant)
Nov. 15, 2016 (award)
Nov. 15, 2016 (award)
Nov. 27, 2016 (award)
Dec. 1, 2016
Dec. 15, 2016 (scholarship)
Dec. 15, 2016 (scholarship)
Dec. 15, 2016 (grant)
Dec. 15, 2016 (grant)
Dec. 15, 2016 (award)
Dec. 15, 2016 (award)
Dec. 15, 2016 (award)
Dec. 15, 2016 (award)
Dec. 15, 2015 (grant)
Jan. 15, 2017 (grant)
April 1, 2017 (award)
April 1, 2017
April 15, 2017
April 15, 2017
April 15, 2017
May 1, 2017

Activity
IRA Award for Technology and Reading
Nominations
Offie T. Rubin Reading Teacher of the year
Exemplary Reading Award (Postmarked by 15th)
Honor Council
Merit Council
Student Scholarships: Application
Carmelita K. Williams Graduate Level
Community Service
Young Writers Grant, VSRA YW Information
Adult-Intergenerational Literacy Award
James D. Mullins Leadership Award (Lead App)
International Scholarship Award
Jones-Daly Faculty Involvement Award
Teachers as Readers: Grant Application
Teacher Research Grants
Membership Awards
Virginia Readers Choice Local Councils
Virginia Readers Choice State
VSRA Anne Henry Award
VSRA Betty Yarborough Award
Virginia Readers Choice Announcement

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. 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.
You can find the application on the VSRA website under awards, vsra.org.
Send your completed nomination form to Missy Mathias, 1356 Concord
Church Rd., Timberville, VA 22853, or email the completed application to
mmathias@rockingham.k12.va.us by November 7, 2016.

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
November 7, 2016 to:
Missy Mathias
1356 Concord Church Rd
Timberville, VA 22853 OR:

email to mmathias@rockingham.k12.va.us

Nominee Information:
(The nominee must have been a SVRC member for 2015-2016 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!

SVRC Gift Card Winners

September 15 Margaret Halterman
from Rockingham and joined on September 9th!
October 15 Christianna Querry
from JMU and joined on September 19th!

Book Finds
A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
Hey, Thats My Monster by Amanda Noll
Quit Calling Me a Monster by Jory John
Wonderfall by Michael Hall
Dog Man by David Pilkey
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Moo! By Sharon Creech
Seven Wishes by Katie Messner

On September 27, 2016, preservice and in-service teachers gathered at Stone

Spring Elementary School for an evening of pizza and Pinterest organized by Alyssa
Green. Alyssa prepared a variety of amazing stations that provided participants with the
opportunity to create activities ready for immediate use with students. SVRCs copresident, Michele Mumaw, also shared a selection of resources, including Maggie
Beattie Roberts and Kate Roberts DIY Literacy, Wonderfall by Michael Hall, Dogman
by Dav Pilkey, and Hey, Thats My Monster by Amanda Noll. Be sure to check out our
website, Facebook, and Twitter pages for more pictures from the evening!

SVRC
Shenandoah Valley Reading Council
Co-Presidents
Michele Mumaw - mmumaw@rockingham.k12.va.us
President-Elect & Young Authors-South
Liz Benbow ebenbow@augusta.k12.va.us
Corresponding Secretary & Membership/Publicity
Tonya Jones tonya.tk226teach@gmail.com
Recording Secretary
Debbie Pitsenbarger - mulberryhill4@hotmail.com
Treasurer
Sylvia Helmuth - shelmuth@rockingham.k12.va.us
Past President/Nominating
Faith Ballew - ballewsf@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 or reishmt@jmu.edu
International Literacy/Legislative
April East aeast@augusta.k12.va.us
Teacher of the Year
Missy Mathias mmathias@rockingham.k12.va.us
Technology/Website & VSRA Liason
Jennifer Floyd jaf9d@virginia.edu
Young Authors & Young Authors-North
Tracy Hough hought@emu.edu
Young Authors-West
Pat Whitson patw@bath.k12.va.us
Shannan Waldeck shannanw@bath.k12.va.us