You're Invited: "Left Behind" Film Screening in Niagara Falls with Special Guests!
Plus: Don't forget our "Using Decodable Text For Reading Success" event on May 5
Spring is flying by and we have been busy creating the best lineup of events for you.
“Left Behind” Film Screening Premiering in Niagara Falls on June 4th
We are proud to announce the screening of the powerful dyslexia documentary "Left Behind" in Niagara Falls on June 4th:
In partnership with the Niagara Falls City Mayor's Office and Mayor Restaino, this screening will take place at the Niagara Falls Public Library and will be followed by a panel discussion with the director Anna Toomey, along with two mothers featured in the film, Emily Hellstrom and Naomi Peña, both of whom are leaders in the Literacy Academy Collective (LAC).
Side note: As you may know, the LAC is the convener for the NYS Path Forward, which focuses on the role Educator Prep Programs play in ensuring teacher candidates graduate with the knowledge and skills to teacher reading using the Science of Reading.
About the Film
"Approximately 200,000 New York City public school students are dyslexic, yet there is no public initiative that provides the specialized skill and care necessary for these learners.
Frustrated that they had to remove their own kids from the public school system, a group of determined moms band together to do something that’s never been done before – open New York City’s first public school for dyslexic students. The journey is not a smooth ride, and they face both institutional and personal hurdles as they try to upend a system .
A new mayoral candidate bolsters their fight after he reveals his own dyslexia. But will they be able to convince a bureaucratic education system to overhaul outdated politics to ensure a brighter future for the city’s dyslexic youth?"
Join us for a powerful evening of community discussion around the power of parent advocacy, the need for evidence-based reading instruction in our schools, and more. Register HERE.
Don’t Forget Our May 5th Event: “Using Decodable Text for Reading Success!”
Cancelled due to instructor illness, this amazing learning session is back on the calendar!
Join us at the Clarence Public Library on May 5th from 6-8pm to discover how to leverage using decodable texts within structured literacy lessons! Teachers, learn to use your students’ profiles to carefully select the right text and maximize your lesson time by learning about decodable text routines. This workshop is geared towards teachers, but parents, librarians, and anyone looking to support reading success are welcome!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more about the power of decodable text and how to use them within your classroom correctly to improve reading outcomes for students!
About our speaker:
Stacey Pellicano is a Literacy Consultant & Specialist, and a member of the New York State Education Department Dyslexia & Dysgraphia Task Force, which just published their “Report & Recommendations.”
Recently, Stacey provided professional development on decodable texts to the three schools that implemented Buffalo Sabres Decodable Literacy Hubs in their school libraries as part of the WNY Literacy Initiative.
Stacey received her Bachelor of Science from Buffalo State College, a Masters in Childhood Education from the University of Buffalo with a concentration in Literacy, and an Advanced Certificate in School Building Leadership. Stacey consults with area school districts and organizations to improve literacy outcomes by providing instructional support and professional learning for teachers. She also volunteers to provide support for dyslexic children and their families as they navigate through the special education process.
What We’re Reading
“Op-ed | A proven solution for New York’s literacy crisis” - By Dr. Katie Pace Miles
With federal funding for pandemic-era tutoring programs ending, this is the moment for New York to step up. We need state investment to bring these life-changing supports to the children who need them most. Let’s support the proposed legislation to fund high-impact tutoring and allow every child in New York to thrive.
“The Science of Reading: Retrospectives, Perspectives, and the Path Forward,” by Kim M. Smithgall, Vanguard Magazine, SAANYS (School Administrators Association of NYS) - we were happy to be interviewed for this article!
In case you missed it, there is a new Regent for Erie County, and 7 other counties in Western New York: Keith B. Wiley, Member, 8th Judicial District, County of Residence: Erie, Regents Office, State Education Building, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 474-5889, email: Regent.Wiley@nysed.gov
Thanks for reading - and hope to see you at our upcoming events!
Tarja