Fall 2011 SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND
Through the works of the Excellence teaching and add to their own classroom liInitiative it is clear that many Catholic school braries. Those in attendance expressed great teachers seek quality professional developsatisfaction and a desire to have similar opment. Two professors portunities in the future. at the University of Arnold and Sableski were Dayton who are cominspired to repeat the mitted to Catholic eduevent this past summer, cation sought to fill a this time for a full day, need in the area of litand once again to a very eracy. Mary-Kate Salarge and excited group bleski, Ph.D., Clinical of teachers, many of Administrator for the whom were returning Graduate Reading Proguests. gram, and Jackie ArAlways ready for nold, Ph.D., Clinical the next adventure, SaDr. Jackie Arnold (left) and Dr. Mary-Kate Administrator of Online bleski and Arnold thought Sableski during the 2011 Picture Book Read In Programs, have worked about the success of the together to create Read In and how they could use it as a vehicle unique opportunities for communicating best for further professional development opporpractice in reading and writing instruction to tunities. Since reading and writing are tightly Dayton area Catholic school teachers. interwoven, it was a logical progression to Prompted by devotion to Holy Angels create a writing camp for those wanting to and St. Brigid schools, where their own chilexplore ways of developing their writing prodren are students, Sableski and Arnold desired grams around quality literature. The UD Writto work with teachers and librarians in order ing Camp, which premiered this past summer, to help implement the use of quality chilwas an intense two-week study that develdren’s literature in classrooms. Early in the oped teacher knowledge of best practice writplanning stages, however, they realized that ing instruction. A unique component to the their expertise could serve a much larger audi- workshop was that it brought area Catholic ence. Armed with knowledge of the very best school and Dayton Public school students to literature available to students and the ability class to work alongside the teachers as they to reach out to all Dayton area Catholic school practiced some of the new strategies being teachers, the idea of a picture book read in learned. It proved to be a valuable summer writing experience for teachers and students was conceived. Many hours were spent securing book collections from local libraries and alike. also soliciting donations of books to give away The writing camp inspired several to participants, but all the hard work paid off teachers to inquire about the formation of a during the summer of 2010 when the First Professional Learning Community (PLC) to Annual UD Picture Book Read In was held on continue their work and self-study as they campus. This fun-filled morning was attended implemented writing workshops in their by over 80 teachers and librarians represent- classrooms. Without hesitation, Arnold and ing at least 15 different Catholic schools. Par- Sableski created the PLC, which has already ticipants spent the morning reading numerous convened twice since September and will conchildren’s books, noting titles to enhance their tinue to meet throughout the school year.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Tolerance and
2
Inclusion Lalanne
3
School Readiness —
3
Parent to Parent Seek and You
4
Shall Find (continued)
Center for Catholic Education 300 College Park Dayton, OH 45469 Phone: 937-229-3778
A second grader’s work from the summer Writing Camp