A Message from CCIRA President,
Jessica Rickert
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CCIRA Reads
We are launching a book study through our local councils to provide an opportunity to expand your professional learning and connect with others around the state to discuss the idea of equity, diversity, and literacy instruction. We have chosen Gholdy Muhammad’s Cultivating Genius for the first of our CCIRA Reads offerings. (Yes, this may become an annual activity!)
For a preview of the book and a brief introduction to the book study, check out our latest podcast with Vince Puzick who is leading the book study.
This is a “member only” book study, so if you aren’t already a member of CCIRA go to ccira.org and click on the Become A Member button. For $35 a year, you can take advantage of different offerings such as a discount on the CCIRA conference, participation in the book study, and other PD offerings throughout the year hosted by different local councils.
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A Message From Pam Minard,
#CCIRA21 Conference Chairperson
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Thank you for your patience and understanding as CCIRA Inc. has grappled with the fact that our conference lands smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic. We all hoped that the virus would be resolved by the start of 2021 but we just can’t be sure. For that reason, CCIRA Inc. has made the difficult decision to hold our 2021 Conference virtually. We have watched as other conferences have pivoted to the virtual world and believe we are putting a unique spin on our conference format. Our conference will run over the course of 2 Friday evenings and Saturday days. The Friday events will run, LIVE, from 6-8 pm (MST) with Keynote presentations from the incredible Lucy Calkins (Feb. 9th) and Georgia Heard (Feb. 19th). Both Fridays will be followed by a Saturday of LIVE Keynote Speakers and Invited Authors! In addition, all sessions will be recorded so if you are unable to commit to Friday and Saturday you can watch these amazing Keynotes at your leisure over the course of 60 days following the conclusion of the conference. With the conference fee (which has been drastically reduced) you will also have access to 50+ recorded sessions from our incredible proposal speakers. We have many details yet to share so stay tuned and join
CCIRA 2021… for Virtually the Best Conference Journey Ever!!!
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YouTube and Facebook sensation
Gerry Brooks!
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A Youtube and Facebook sensation Gerry entertains us with realistic anecdotes of school from his principal experiences.
Make sure to join him, virtually, for his Luncheon Keynote but B.Y.O.L.L. (Bring Your own Lunch and Laptop!).
Check out Gerry's videos on YouTube
today!
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Invited Speakers:
A Queer Endeavor
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I was so impressed when these ladies were brought to my school district to lead professional development around diversity that I had to invite them to share their knowledge at our conference. You will walk away from sessions led by these ladies with a wealth of knowledge and tools to add to your teaching toolkit around diversity.
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Back by popular demand, Avi will join us in 2021! Fortunately, he’s a local to Colorado, living in Steamboat Springs. He was happy to join us in person and now happy to make the virtual trip to meet us!
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Meet the Executive Committee! |
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Every month we will introduce you to one of the leaders on the Executive Committee to help you get to know this part of the CCIRA leadership better. |
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Jessica is currently serving on the executive committee as the President for a second time and has been involved in CCIRA in various roles; serving on the conference committee, a local council president, the state coordinator, and coordinated the 2019 CCIRA Conference. In her professional life Jessica taught first and second grade, and most recently, was a literacy and instructional coach. She also dabbles in the running world by working 5k races while dodging actually running 3.1 miles. In her personal life Jessica enjoys traveling, hiking, playing volleyball, and spending time with friends and family. To hear more from Jessica check out the CCIRA Literacy Conversations Podcast she hosts with Molly Rauh. Jessica is excited to see the continued growth
and innovation of the CCIRA.
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Remember to check out the CCIRA Blog!
CCIRA.blog features a wide variety of nationally renowned literacy experts, as well as talented practitioners from across Colorado. Check out the posts on https://ccira.blog/
Reading CCIRA.blog every week—perhaps over lunch or a cup of coffee—builds a quick dose of professional learning into your routine. Who knows what ideas or inspiration this might spark!
If you might be interested in submitting a guest post to CCIRA.blog, please contact Hollyanna Bates (hollyannabates@gmail.com).
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Make sure you check out the Shop With Scrip website and do some shopping online for a gift card.... and benefit CCIRA at the same time! *
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Do you buy gift cards for your friends and family? Give a card to Starbucks or Amazon as a thank you to your favorite aunt? What if at the same time you could support CCIRA without spending an extra cent? That’s what you can do now by participating with Shop with Scrip, an online fundraising site. Since 1994, ShopWithScrip has been supporting schools and other non-profits in this unique way to fundraise. Just buy a gift card at one of the 750 retailers and know that a percentage is sent to CCIRA. It’s an easy way to support our work with literacy while you shop. For more information, visit https://www.shopwithscrip.com/ and then sign up to become a supporter of our organization.
When you are ready to make your purchase please use this enrollment number:
A34A3B6D69223
*We endorse this fundraising activity.
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2021 Colorado Children's Book Award |
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The children of Colorado are missing out on so much, but one thing they do not need to miss is voting for their favorite picture book and junior book from the 20 books that they nominated back in March. If you are looking for read aloud
books Colorado Children love look at last year's winners and the 20 nominated for 2021.
2020 Picture Book Winner
Can I Be Your Dog?
By Troy Cummings
2020 Picture Book Runner Up
Bob, Not Bob!
By Liz Garton Scanlon, Audrey Vernick & Matthew Cordell
2020 Junior Book Winner
The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown
2020 Junior Book Runner Up
The Girl in the Locked Room
By Mary Downing Hahn
The children nominated 10 picture books and 10 junior books for 2021. You can download an 8 1/2 x 11 full color flyer which can be used as a ballot and shows the covers of all 20 books. There is also a PowerPoint with embedded trailers and other resources.. Guidelines for nominations for 2022 and the link to submit your school's tally of votes is also on that page. You can click on the CCBA logo at the top of this article, or go to the link at www.ccira.org--> Resources-->Colorado Children's Book Award-->scroll down and click on the CCBA Logo.
Since the CCIRA conference will be virtual this year we are considering whether there is interest in having students create virtual banners to promote the 2021 Nominated books. If you are interested or have any questions about the award please contact Marcie Haloin at ccbaward@gmail.com.
2021 Nominations
Junior Book Titles
Best Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
Lemons by Melissa Savage
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell
Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Picture Book Titles
Be You! by Peter H. Reynolds
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris and LeUyen Pham
Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman
Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox
My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pena
The Good Egg by Jory John and Pete Oswald
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey
The Serious Goose by Jimmy Kimmel
The Water Princess by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
The Way Home for Wolf by Rachel Bright and Jim Field
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Please visit CCIRA.org to look over the array of awards CCIRA sponsors each year. We encourage you to consider nominating a deserving educator for an award to be presented virtually this February at the Annual Conference on Literacy!
Purpose: To recognize an individual, organization, or institution for significant contributions to literacy in a community, state or nation. * See more information below.
Purpose: To recognize a CCIRA member that has made significant contributions to the organization.
Purpose: To recognize a classroom teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to excellence in reading instruction.
Purpose: To recognize and publicize outstanding reading/language arts programs in schools.
Purpose: To recognize an outstanding reading teacher in his/her first five years of teaching to honor the work of deceased past presidents of CCIRA.
Purpose: To promote and recognize administrative support of quality reading instruction in Colorado schools.
Do you know a passionate leader who is always striving to improve literacy and enrich learning for students? Let's support our administrators who in turn support teachers and encourage them to grow through professional development. Our administrators are champions for teachers in advocating for school literacy needs.
Winners receive $500.00 for their school library as well as recognition at the CCIRA Conference in February.
Former winners of this award are Sean Gorman, Mike Mazurano, Jill Hafey, and Janace Fischer.
Nominees for this award are creative, inspiring, reflective, open minded, flexible and collaborative.
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More information about...... |
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The Celebrate Literacy Award is designated to recognize an individual, organization, or institution for significant contributions to literacy in a community, the state or nation. Local councils may choose to use this same form, process, and guidelines to select a Celebrate Literacy recipient. That designee may or may not then be a nominee for the state level award. Individuals may make nominations as well. A council or individual may only submit one nomination per year. A $300 cash award will be given to the recipient. Nominators must be a member of CCIRA.
Deadline for nominations is November 2. Material received after that date will not be considered. Send to:
Misty Jones
1103 Barclay
Craig, Colorado 81625
Nomination information and supporting document attachments can be found on the CCIRA website under Grants and Awards. The paperwork may be submitted via email to: misty.jones@moffatsd.org
Candidates can be suggested from any of the following areas for consideration as the celebrate literacy award recipient:
1. Designing literacy experiences that are highly engaging and effective in fostering a love of reading and writing in children.
2. Organizing local literacy programs.
3. Promoting support from the public relative to enhancing literacy.
4. Producing teaching materials or special media for literacy programs.
5. Modeling exceptional practices in a school setting to promote literacy.
6. Disseminating current literacy practices to colleagues from conferences attended and other professional resources.
7. Heightening literacy practices in a school through library/media specialist's contributions to promote literacy.
8. Carrying out informal educational activities of a social, cultural, economic nature, in which literacy and related literacy activities are included (radio and television programs, publications and press, library programs, and projects for special populations, such as the handicapped and the aged).
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CCIRA Executive Committee
Jessica Rickert, President: jessrccira@gmail.com
Pam Minard, President-Elect: pam.minard@gmail.com
Christi Walker, Vice President: christimwalker@gmail.com
Anne Cook, Immediate Past President: annecook59@gmail.com
Michele Warner, State Coordinator:
warnermichele4@gmail.com
Corina Kaskey, Secretary: Corina.Kaskey@summitk12.org
Jessie Meeks, State Membership Coordinator: jessie.meeks@jeffco.k12.co.us
Emily Bradley, Marketing Coordinator: emily.bradley@weldre4.org
Stevi Quate, Partnership Chair: steviq@gmail.com
Cathy Lynskey, Treasurer: clynskey2000@gmail.com
Lisa Kahn, Administrative Assistant: lisakahnccira@gmail.com
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Is your local council, state committee, school, or community doing something extraordinary for literacy in Colorado? Do you have a great idea to share with other educators on how to enhance literacy in the classroom? Do you know of a conference or event that CCIRA members might be interested in attending? If so, please contact Anne Cook (annecook59@gmail.com) to submit information for publication. |
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