Message from Literacy Team |
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Happy New Year!
We hope you all had a somewhat normal (and safe!) holiday season. This semester we hope to coach and connect you with each other more. On that note… please join our Literacy Mentor Facebook group! And if you’re already a part of it, please share ideas- games/activities that your students enjoy, youtube songs to use with students online, tips to keep students engaged, etc. To that end, we also will be hosting additional training sessions and sending out coaching newsletters.
We’ll see you soon!
Blessings,
Jenessa, Erika, and Andrea
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
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Orientations (for new mentors):
Literacy Mentoring
- K-2 Training, Tuesday, January 25, 10:00am-12:00pm
- K-2 Training Thursday, February 3, 11:00am-1:00pm
- 3-6 Training Friday, February 4, 1:00-3:00pm
- K-2 Training Tuesday, February 8, 1:00-3:00pm
- K-2 Training Wednesday, February 23, 10:00-12:00pm
Virtual Literacy Mentoring
- K-2 Training Tuesday, February 1, 2:00-4:00 pm
- K-2 Training Friday, February 11, 10:00am-12:00pm
- K-2 Training Wednesday, February 16, 3:30-5:30pm
Training #2 (ALL mentors encouraged to attend one):
- Monday, February 7, 3:30-4:30pm
- Thursday, February 10, 11:30am-12:30pm
- Tuesday, March 8, 4:30pm-5:30pm
- Thursday, March 10, 11:00am-12:00pm
Monday Holidays/Buyback Days No School
FUSD: Jan 10, Jan 17, Feb 7, Feb 21, Feb 28
CUSD: Jan 17, Feb 14, Feb 21
Spring Break No school for all: Apr 11 - 18
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Literacy News & Resources |
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We launched our 3rd-6th grade pilot program at Kirk Elementary last semester and saw some great growth. The table shows students’ average Words per Minute (WPM) and Errors as they read grade-level passages. WPM went up and errors went down!
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Student and staff safety is our top priority. Please reread our Covid Protocol. If you feel sick or have been exposed, stay home AND let your teacher/site lead/us know you will be out.
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Virtual Literacy Mentors Needed |
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Want to volunteer from the safety of your home with no mask on?? Volunteer virtually! We have 25+ kids waiting for a mentor!
Share the opportunity with a friend too!
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What You Do Is Important! |
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Have you wondered “Why are so many children struggling with reading — the most basic, most fundamental academic skill?”
This article is long but worth the read and emphasizes the importance of teaching phonics. If you haven’t begun to incorporate some of the new phonics resources in your sessions, please give them a try!
Thank you for helping be a small part of the solution!
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Just a heads up, if you’d like to rock a Literacy Mentor t-shirt or sweatshirt. |
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Thank You Community Partners! |
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We’re so grateful for local Fresnans who believe in and support us. Katey’s Kids generous funds are supporting our Read Fresno after school programming. Our recent holiday celebration was thanks to…
- Reading Heart donating books so mentors could give a new book to each of their students.
- Dr Jackie Ryle giving her time and expertise to lead mentors in team reflection.
- Midtown Church and Metamorphosis Events offering their beautiful space and decorations in the Backroom at the Revue.
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Literacy Mentor Spotlight |
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Lori Wall, Ayer Elementary and Pyle Elementary, Butler MB Church
Lori’s Story:
“I grew up in a small town and was an avid reader from age 6 till now. I had 3 books that I owned by age 9, Trixie Belden, the Bobbsey Twins, and an anthology of condensed classics such as Hans Brinker and Heidi. All three books were read and reread multiple times until they literally fell apart. I still have them. At age 12, I received Little Women and at age 13 I purchased my first paperback, Mrs. Mike. These were obviously my favorites. There were so many books I never read because I was in high school before I visited my first public library. I didn't know they existed! A whole new world had opened. I knew by age 12, I wanted to be a teacher.
Fast forward to 1970 when my dream became reality and I was assigned my first kindergarten class in Selma, CA. I taught in Selma for 34 years, 18 years in K and 16 years in 1st grade. I loved teaching little ones to read. When that light went on for the first time, it was like magic. When I retired in 2004, we lived (and still do) within walking distance of Ayer Elementary. I walked around that school almost daily praying that God would have something for me to do there. I bugged that poor principal until she gave in and assigned me as a tutor to some sixth graders. What a miserable experience that was! Those poor kids didn't want to be there any more than I did. So I started subbing. At the beginning, I subbed in Selma and a few other schools in Fresno. But my first love was Ayer and I subbed there often. After 11 years of this, I had been in the classroom off and on for 45 years. I was done. I retired again.
Then here came Shirley Holm and ENP. No, I told Shirley, I'm done. That lady just does not take no for an answer. So I finally reluctantly agreed. My joy was back! I was again helping little ones learn to read. I have not been sorry for one minute. When Covid hit and the schools shut down, I was devastated. I really missed them. But God just wasn't through with me yet. Tutorfly was developed and with help from Jenessa Hefler and my husband who is a retired computer programmer, I was up and running again. I am still missing the tutoring face to face but I am still feeling cautious so I am tutoring two siblings online from another school. With God's grace and vaccinations and masks available, I will be back at Ayer again. I just know that's where I belong.”
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Lori getting to finally meet the students she worked with online all year! |
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