The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg (RCGW) has been dedicated to promoting literacy and developing lifelong readers since 1956. We have a proud history of being a literacy leader in Winnipeg and its surrounding area. We are a Special Area Group of Educators (SAGE) of the Manitoba Teachers' Society and a local council of the International Literacy Association.
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RCGW provides professional development for educators, shares resources and ideas on our website, celebrates I Love to Read month, promotes literacy in the community, honours literacy leaders and up-and-coming teacher candidates, and supports literacy projects. Join RCGW today!
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Written by Jon Sorokowski and Carol Hryniuk-Adamov The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg will host Karen Filewych for MTS PD Day, October 22, 2021. An Edmontonian, Filewych has been a classroom teacher, school leader, and consultant. Her two books, How Do I Get Them to Write? (2017) and Freewriting with Purpose (2019), are available through Pembroke Publishers.
How Do I Get Them to Write? Explore the Reading-Writing Connection Using Freewriting and Mentor Texts to Motivate and Empower Students equips teachers to implement an effective Kindergarten to Grade 6 writing program. Filewych offers new teachers a treasure trove of ideas and routines, and veteran teachers will encounter helpful tips to invigorate their instruction. Ready-to-use line masters are provided in many chapters. We agree with Filewych’s belief that students should write something every day; as she says, “teaching students the skill of writing is a gift of empowerment: words change worlds” (p. 10). In nearly every chapter, Filewych recommends mentor texts, many written by Canadian authors. Because so many high-quality and culturally responsive texts are published each year, we recommend that educators supplement these lists with newer titles. Filewych’s active blog can help – she regularly often new books, which could be highlighted with parents in a newsletter for potential read-alouds at home. There are many excellent professional learning opportunities for teachers this fall offered by the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg and the Manitoba Reading Association. Our MTS PD Day Event with Karen Filewych will surely delight teachers who are interested in fine-tuning their writing instruction. The Manitoba Reading Association's Professional Learning Series, which features webinars spread throughout the school year, will also respond to many teachers' curiosities. We look forward to seeing you at these events!
Registration is now open for our MTS PD Day event on Friday, October 22, 2021. The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg will be welcoming Karen Filewych who will present a full-day online webinar (using Zoom) on How Do I Get Them To Write? K-8. We will be offering online registration for MTS PD Day through the Manitoba Teachers’ Society portal. Online registration is now open with Early Bird prices available and can be accessed by using the following link: https://memberlink.mbteach.org/Event.axd?e=1361. Please have your MTS membership number ready (included above in this email). If you are a not an MTS member, you can still register at the link above. Payment will only be accepted online by PayPal. (Please have payment ready at time of registration.) For more information on how to register online for MTS events, please visit http://www.mbteach.org/pdfs/pd/pro-HowToRegisterOnlineForAnEvent_2018.pdf If you need any assistance with registering, please contact Jackie Parsons at [email protected]. Please visit our MTS PD Day page for more information. Coming Soon: We reviewed Karen's Book How Do I Get Them to Write? Check back after the long weekend! The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg regrets to inform its members that educator Anne Waschuk passed away on August 19, 2021. Anne worked for many years as a reading clinician, resource teacher, and classroom teacher for several school divisions in Manitoba.
Anne served as president of RCGW from 1996-1997 and volunteered on many of the board's committees. She served as editor of Reading Manitoba, RCGW's journal, and actively encouraged many educators to develop their writing skills. She was also actively engaged with the Manitoba Council of Reading Clinicians and the Manitoba Reading Association. For her outstanding and distinguished service to literacy, Anne was awarded the International Literacy Association's Mary Ann Manning Award. Friends and colleagues may leave messages of condolence and view the obituary at Doyle's Funeral Home. The RCGW executive extends its condolences to her family. Congratulations, educators! Summer is here. The RCGW Board of Directors hopes your summer is filled with rest and relaxation. Here's what we are reading this summer to unwind. Enjoy! For Kids
For Adults
Professional Reads
Thanks to Andrew Crawford, Donna Copsey Haydey, Donna Hardman, Jackie Parsons, and Jon Sorokowski for their recommendations.
The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg is proud to announce Karen Filewych as our MTS PD Day 2021 speaker! We look forward to Karen leading us through a full day of virtual learning on Friday, October 22, 2021. Karen is an Alberta-based educator and has twenty-five years of experience in the classroom and as a school leader. During her full-day virtual session, How Do I Get Them to Write?, Karen will offer K-8 teacher many practical strategies to empower all our students to improve their written expression. Together, we can collaborate to enhance the teaching of the writing processes K-8 in Manitoba. Download Karen's free study guides for her books on writing: Freewriting with Purpose (2019) and How Do I Get Them to Write? (2017), both available from our Canadian colleagues at Pembroke Publishers. Karen's Instagram features excellent book recommendations, and her frequently updated blog offers helpful and timely suggestions. Mark your calendars and prepare to register after September 1 through MTS My Profile. More information about registration fees and logistics will follow in August. Written by Carol Hryniuk-Adamov, RCGW Member-at-Large Here are some book suggestions for Summer Reading that explore Indigenous perspectives written by Indigenous authors. Support your local public library and bookseller! Sandra Janzen, a reading clinician and Manitoba Council of Reading Clinicians (MCRC) representative to our provincial Manitoba Reading Association (MRA), and I have been previewing these for an MRA project in inner-city schools. Sandra made the original selection at our local bookstore. As I quickly previewed the books, I became so excited. I wanted to read and share each book with other readers and educators. So this summer, I hope to do a more in-depth reading of these picture books and graphic novels with my grandsons and their cousins at the cabin. As I quickly previewed the books, I was so tempted to think about ways the books could be used in classrooms, at various levels. Some may be great choices for future read alouds or literature circles in your classrooms, at different levels. Older students can do an in-depth genre study of some of these picture books and graphic novels. Some readers could also practise these books to build confidence and fluency so they can share the books in performance reading, as guest readers/volunteers for a practicum or simple prearranged visit to a nearby elementary school in the future. This could become a collaborative, I Love to Read month project February. Most of these books are also beautifully illustrated and provide thought-provoking images. They evoke a range of emotions, thoughts, and discussions. These illustrations deserve further study, as we look more in-depth at the powerful representation by the artists. Some of the illustrators are also award-winning Indigenous artists.
These books are informal reading suggestions for your consideration this summer and are not in any preferential order. Enjoy your summer reading with your family! The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg and the Manitoba Reading Association joined together to honour literacy leaders from around Manitoba at their annual awards evening, held virtually at the end of May 2021. Holly Cumming was awarded the International Literacy Association's Celebrate Literacy Award in recognition of her passion, dedication, and commitment to literacy. Holly recently retired from her role as a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader. Over her 40-plus-year career, she facilitated, coordinated, and presented and numerous conferences locally, nationally, and internationally. Congratulations, Holly! The Certificate of Merit was awarded to Talia Paetsch, a first-year teacher at the New Directions Inc. School, which supports sexually exploited girls and women. She centres strategic literacy in her teaching and finds creative ways to make learning relevant to her students. Her approach engages her students and keeps them coming to school, reducing their safety risks and increasing their opportunities for graduation. Congratulations, Talia! RCGW Scholarships were awarded to Jessica Neudorf and Carrie Miller, students at the University of Manitoba. Jessica's scholarship citation described how she sees literacy's role in empowering students to express their voice and advocacy. Carrie's explored the importance of language, student needs, and supports for refugee and newcomer students. Read more about these exemplary new teachers. Congratulations, Jessica and Carrie! The Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg welcomes award nominations each year. The nominations package for next school year's awards will be available in the fall. |
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