FCRA Meeting Notes and Links Couldn't make it to a meeting? Check out the links below to see what you missed!
2024-2025 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: Thursday, September 12, 2024 We heard about this year's Young Authors Project theme: "Beacons of Light: Shining Towards a Brighter Future" from Jamie Powell and Cheryl Key and learned some ideas for brainstorming writing topics and using books to tie into the theme. WSFCS Elementary ELA Coach Abi Woodson led us in fun and interesting exercises along the theme of "In My Language Comprehension Era" to help us think about strategies for developing this strand of the Scarborough Reading Rope. September 2024 Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 10, 2024 We had a delightful writing workshop with author and former journalist Kim Underwood about how to guide students in helping their voice come through in their writing. October 2024 Meeting Minutes
2023-2024 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: Thursday, September 21, 2023 We heard about this year's Young Authors Project theme: "Reflections: Celebrating the Me I See" from Jamie Powell and Cheryl Key and learned some ideas for brainstorming writing topics and using books to tie into the theme. We engaged in interactive activities that can be used to implement the Science of Reading in all K-5 classrooms with WSFCS Elementary ELA Coach Abi Woodson. September 2023 Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 12, 2023 We got ideas for using different books to help our students participate in the Young Authors Project. Our speaker, Moore County educator Christine Leo, provided fun suggestions and activities for building comprehension skills. October 2023 Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 16, 2023 We turned in our Young Authors Project entries. Retired educator Karyn Gloden led us in fun and interactive experiences with poetry to show us how we can use "The Power of Poetry" with our students. November 2023 Meeting Minutes Thursday, February 15, 2024 We met on Zoom with Redeemer School teacher Krystal Keener providing a fascinating session on "Peer Partner Reading" and her experiences with it in her classroom. February 2024 Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2024 We celebrated Pi Day and enjoyed a fun presentation on integrating reading and music by learning about picture book biographies of famous musicians. March 2024 Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 18, 2024 We enjoyed a wonderful Young Authors Celebration at Bolton Park with our Forsyth County Young Authors reading their entries to FCRA members, families, and friends. Afterward, we had a time of sharing from FCRA members who had attended the NCRA Reading Conference in Winston-Salem in March. BJ's Brewhouse and Restaurant donated and delivered a delicious pasta dinner for our members. April 2024 Meeting Minutes
2022-2023 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: Thursday, September 15, 2022 We heard about this year's Young Authors Project theme: Your Voice Matters--Celebrating Every Reader's Story from Sabrina Secrest and Cheryl Key and learned some ideas for brainstorming writing topics and using books to tie into the theme and explored ways to create a "Schoolwide Reading Buzz" with NCRA president and Cabarrus County media coordinator Margaret Cuthbertson. September 2022 Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 20, 2022 We learned some strategies Cheryl Key uses for helping her students edit their writing submissions for Young Authors Project and learned about how to use the Comprehensive Literacy Approach to help all of our students flourish with Redeemer ROOTS Learning Program Coordinator Janie Bass. October 2022 Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 17, 2022 Read Write Spell Executive Director Esharan Monroe-Johnson and Assistant Director Alice Day Clark facilitated a simulation of what it feels like to be a struggling reader. Members were able to discuss their experience and how it can help them be more compassionate and helpful in their own literacy instruction methods. November 2022 Meeting Minutes Thursday, February 16, 2023 Redeemer educator Krystal Keener shared about her experiences doing an action-research study about peer tutoring in her classroom. February 2023 Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 9, 2023 via Zoom Flat Rock Middle School Media Coordinator Deb Fidali shared about this year's nominees for the North Carolina Children's Book Awards. March 2023 Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 20, 2023 We hosted the Forsyth County Young Authors Project winners whose entries went to state level competition and had a celebration of cookies, water, and treats for them as they read aloud their submissions. In our regular meeting time we had fun with Readers Theater activities and enjoyed an end-of-year celebration meal that was donated by BJ's Brewhouse. April 2023 Meeting Minutes
2021-2022 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: Thursday, September 16, 2021 We heard about this year's Young Authors Project theme, "Building and Designing the Future", from Cheryl Key & Sabrina Secrest and also learned more about the comprehension strategy of Notebooking from Redeemer School teacher Krystal Keener. September 2021 Meeting Minutes Young Authors Project Handouts Young Authors Project Slides Thursday, October 21, 2021 We heard about strategies for helping students edit and revise their "Building and Designing the Future" Young Authors Project entries from Cheryl Key & Sabrina Secrest and also learned about new children's books from Bookmarks Bookseller Lisa Yee Swope. October 2021 Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 18, 2021 We learned about creative ways to integrate literacy and art from Redeemer art teacher Katherine Hartman. November 2021 Meeting Minutes Thursday, February 17, 2022 Read Write Spell representatives Margaret Dickinson, Paula Bennett, and Jeanie Wilson shared about the Augustine Literacy Project, Reading Warriors initiative, and other activities that Read Write Spell is doing in the community. They also shared ideas and materials for doing reading intervention activities to strengthen our students' reading skills. February 2022 Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 17, 2022 on Zoom ECU Professor Emeritus Alan Bailey shared his presentation "He Looks Like Me! The Power of Seeing Yourself in Children's Literature". Professor Bailey shared his journey as a book lover growing up with few books featuring characters who looked like him and helped us better understand the importance of providing students with books that are mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. March 2022 Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 21, 2022 We celebrated a great FCRA year by hosting a Young Authors Celebration for our Forsyth County Young Authors to read their submissions, an interactive workshop on integrating music and literacy by music teachers John and Laura Brock, and a dinner together. April 2022 Meeting Minutes
2020-2021 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: Thursday, September 24, 2020 5:00-7:00 pm via Zoom*: We introduced ourselves, learned about this year's collaboration with Read Write Spell in helping them collect books to distribute, got details about this year's Young Authors Project, and had Dr. Joan Mitchell lead us in an interactive workshop about building student interest and skills in writing. September 2020 Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 22, 2020 5:00-7:00 pm via Zoom*: We talked about our favorite children's books, got reminders about this year's Young Authors Project and our Read Write Spell book collection project. Our speaker, Kris Cox, helped us understand more about the science of reading and its importance in providing all students with effective reading instruction. October 22, 2020 Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 19, 2020 5:00-7:00 pm via Zoom*: We talked about our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, got reminders about this year's Young Authors Project and our Read Write Spell book collection project. Our speaker, Janie Bass, shared strategies for building language and reading comprehension. Her presentation slides are linked here: Janie Bass 11/19/20 FCRA Presentation November 19, 2020 Meeting Minutes Thursday, February 25, 2021 5:00-7:00 pm via Zoom*: We talked about our favorite things to do on a "snow" day, heard about this year's Young Authors Project winners, and our Read Write Spell book collection project. Our speaker, Tonnye Fletcher, shared ideas for integrating literacy and the arts. Her presentation slides are linked here: Tonnye Fletcher 2/25/21 FCRA Presentation February 25, 2021 Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 18, 2021 5:00-7:00 pm via Zoom*: We talked about what we're most looking forward to in Spring and heard details about our upcoming April meeting at Bolton Park. Our speaker, Deb Fidali, shared about the North Carolina Book Awards and highlighted some of this year's book nominees in the Picture Book, Middle Grade, and Young Adult categories. Her presentation slides are linked here: Deb Fidali 3/18/21 FCRA Presentation March 18, 2021 Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 15, 2021 5:00-7:00 pm at Bolton Park picnic shelter: We celebrated all of our Forsyth County Young Authors winners and listened to them read their submissions to an audience of FCRA members and their family and friends. Then WSFCS art teacher Frann Paige led us in a workshop in which she guided us in using everyday school supplies to create books that we can use with students to enhance their learning in a creative way. We ended the evening (and our FCRA year) with a delicious dinner provided by Cagney's as we enjoyed time visiting together. April 15, 2021 Meeting Minutes
2019-2020 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: Thursday, September 19, 2019 Sabrina Secrest shared ideas for implementing the 2019-2020 Young Authors writing contest theme, "The Magical Power of Words". September Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 17, 2019 Dr. Lois Huffman shared ideas for Turbocharging Vocabulary Instruction. (Many links she shared are in the meeting minutes.) October Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2019 Amy Lindsay shared about Developing Growth Mindset. November Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 18, 2020 Dr. Bill Michielutte shared about Recognizing and Identifying Characteristics of Struggling Learners. February Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 19, 2020 This meeting was cancelled due to Covid-19 precautions, but our scheduled speaker, Cindy Pavon has shared a link to her blog, which includes a lot of what she planned to share with us. You can access it here: https://bklandblog.wordpress.com/2020/03/18/why-a-diverse-curriculum/ Thursday, April 23, 2020 This meeting was also cancelled due to Covid-19 precautions, but a Zoom meeting was held 4/30/20.
2018-2019 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: September 20, 2018 (rescheduled from 9/13 due to hurricane) We talked about the speakers and projects for the year, and Sabrina Secrest shared about the Young Authors writing contest theme for this year, "What Lifts Up Your Heart". September Meeting Minutes October 18, 2018(rescheduled from 10/11 due to hurricane) Dr. Rebecca Jordan, ASU Professor of Education, shared about how to use Writer's Workshop in our classsrooms. October Meeting Minutes November 15, 2018 Deborah Woodward, an audiologist at Moses Cone Hospital, shared about how to recognize the differences between Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and ADHD. November Meeting Minutes February 21, 2019 Joe Lineberry and Rachel Rogers, authors of The Gift of Numbers series, shared about how to use their books to enhance reading, writing, math, speaking, and social-emotional skills. February Meeting Minutes March 14, 2019 Deb Fidali, media coordinator at Flat Rock Middle School and NC Book Awards committee member, shared about the nominees for this year's book awards and how they could be used to enhance classroom learning. March Meeting Minutes April 25, 2019 We hosted our local Young Authors Project winners for a cookie reception and then enjoyed having time to visit and collaborate about our favorite books (adult and children's) and strategies that have worked for promoting literacy in our classrooms. April Meeting Minutes
2017-2018 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: October 2017 Amie Snow from WSFCS shared Guided Reading information and ideas. Click here below for links to her presentation and planning documents to get your guided reading groups going. Guided Reading ppt Reading Workshop Beginning Reader Plan Reading Workshop Primary Plan Reading Workshop Upper Level Plan Reading Tutoring February 15, 2018 Dr. Stephanie Davis and Working with Words. Her presentation link is below. Working With Words 2016-2017 FCRA Meeting Notes and Links: September 15, 2016 Welcome meeting. Information for Young Authors can be found on the projects and programs page of this website. October 20, 2016 Dr. Lois Huffman, professor at NC State and regular contributor to NCRA website, presented Doing Prereading Right! Click here to review the valuable information she shared. Thank you to Sweet Frog Hanes Mall Boulevard for providing our yummy yogurt treat! If you'd like more information about awesome fundraising opportunities for your school, contact Sweet Frog at 336-765-7400. November 17, 2016 Stephanie Davis, UNCG, presented Working With Words. Ms. Davis gave wonderful insight into vocabulary building process for our students as well as many hands on activities to utilize in our classroom.. Here are three links to assist in implementing word study with your students! Word Study Strategies Word Study Contract Dos and Don'ts February 16, 2017 Kris Cox and the wonderful educators from Read WS (That's Read, Write and Spell) provided an opportunity for our membership to participate in a dyslexia simulation program. Here is the linkto their website for more information and some fabulous phonics freebies. March 16, 2017 Guy Acuri, Educational Consultant, spoke to FCRA regarding reading comprehension and the challenges we face as teachers. Click here for a copy of his presentation Teaching Reading Comprehension: A Beautiful and Neglected Mess. You can also read Mr. Acuri's blog by clicking this link.
