Speaking of Reading - Reading For The Love Of It
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Speaking of Reading FALL 2017
MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH LITERACY PR ESID ENT ’S MESSAG E
Reading Champion Fall Into
Reading!
Larry Swartz Fall is definitely in
the air with cooler
The Reading Champions program,
weather, changing
sponsored by Scholastic, honours
colours, cozy sweat-
individuals, schools and not-for-
ers and the next
profit organizations across Can-
edition of Speaking
ada who help children discover the
of Reading. We hope
pleasure and power of reading.
the pages of this
Each month from January to
newsletter and the anticipation of
December 2017, Scholastic high-
Reading for the Love of It 2018 will
lights the achievements of FIVE
warm your hearts with fond mem-
Reading Champions and donates a
ories of conferences past and excite
Scholastic library on behalf of each
your thoughts for the one ahead.
to the school or not-for-profit organ-
This year, the East York-Scarborough
ization of their choice.
Reading Association is delighted to
This past spring, a wonderful sup-
welcome three new members to our
porter of our own organization, Dr.
executive team. Stepan Pruchnicky,
Larry Swartz, was named a Read-
David McMullan, and Kishauna
ing Champion. He very generously
Evans-Blissett join us with a wealth
bequeathed his Scholastic book Larry Swartz bequeaths his Scholastic Book
of professional knowledge as edu-
donation, valued at $1,000, to our Donation to the EYS Reading Association.
cators and as life-long enthusiasts
very own EYS Reading Association. Outreach committee members pictured left
of reading.
An excerpt from his nomination by to right: Stephanie Shore, Brian Svenningsen
(Chair), Jill Eason, and Doris Wukasch. The theme for this newsletter,
Jim Giles:
“Making a Difference Through Lit-
“Dr. Larry Swartz’s commitment
eracy”, complements the goal of our
to literacy and expertise in Chil-
dren’s Literature is exemplary and it
continued on page 2...
is a privilege to be able to nominate
him for a Scholastic Reading Cham-
pionship recognition. Over the past INSIDE THIS ISSUE
four decades Larry has presented 2 Get Real!
and spoken throughout Canada to 4 The Legacy of Sheila Koffman
educators, librarians, administrators,
4 Another Story Bookshop Turns 30
parents, families, and children to
promote a love of reading for young 5 Unity Charity
(and older) people. 6 Louder Than A Bomb
Dr. Larry Swartz has taken the 7 Only One You
initiative to work in hundreds of Reading Champion Larry Swartz
7 Outreach
classrooms, always with a book(s) in
hand to inspire learning, critical thinking, and a love for literature! He has 8 A Literary Evening with
published several popular books connected to children’s literature. He is cer- Linden MacIntyre
8 Great Winter Reads
continued on page 3...
Get Real!
The written word can be a powerful
tool. Recently, my grade 5 students
embarked on a non-fiction unit that
focused on the declining honeybee
population. We poured over infor-
mational texts detailing the impact
these small creatures were having
on our global food production. The
more we learned, the more con-
vinced we were that we needed
to share our research within our
school. I just wasn’t sure that mak-
Top left & right: Student create infographics
ing another poster was the way to focused on the declining honeybee population
get our writing noticed.
Too often, the writing that exists Bottom left: The finished products are
within the walls of a school looks displayed in the school hallway for everyone
very little like the writing found in to read
the ‘real world’. How could we share
our information in a more authen-
tic, 21st century learner kind of way? finished texts were nothing short opportunities for children can be
The answer soon appeared on my of stunning. They stopped children a much-needed first step towards
Twitter and Facebook feeds. Info- in their tracks when we displayed their beginning to harness the
graphics! These visual media texts them in the hall. They brought gasps power of the written word.
combine words and images to com- to teachers when I presented them
municate meaning. My students in workshops. People were actually Article by Tracey Tinley
were instantly hooked! reading our writing and it was glori- Teacher – Ottawa-Carleton
We poured over exemplars to dis- ous! District School Board
cover the features that make up the Our students deserve authen-
best infographics. We traded our tic opportunities to see firsthand
pencil crayons for a free web-based the power that exists within their
design program called Canva. The writing. Providing real-world
President’s Message continued from page 1... ises to be an exhilarating two days with Mary Walsh. Choose from a
Association to “improve the quality of professional development. Our large array of general sessions being
of literacy instruction and to encourage striking line-up of keynote speakers offered by the likes of Pam Allyn,
the development of a lifelong interest in include acclaimed comedian Mary Mary Bigler, Lori Jamison, Penny
reading”. Walsh, Spoken Word artist, Hum- Kittle and Larry Swartz, just to name
On November 17, 1965, UNESCO ble the Poet, distinguished broad- a few. For more detailed conference
declared September 8 as Inter- cast journalist, Linden MacIntyre, information visit our website at
national Literacy Day. Although New York Times bestselling author, www.readingfortheloveofit.com.
global celebrations take place annu- Laura Numeroff, and award-win- Don’t forget, our convenient
ally on this day, the critical role lit- ning television and radio personal- Mobile Conference Guide App is
eracy plays in transforming lives is ity, Candy Palmater. available to you, so pack your elec-
recognized daily in our classrooms, We invite you to begin your con- tronic devices and navigate your
in our schools and in our commun- ference experience at our Welcome way through RFTLOI 2018!
ities. Special thanks are extended to Reception and AGM on the evening Looking forward to seeing you in
Liz Blake, Communications Chair, of Wednesday, February 21st where February! Until then, wishing you
her dedicated committee, and all you can meet and greet presenters happy days filled with good books
contributors to this publication for in attendance, delegates who’ve and reading, just for the love of it!
sharing their ideas, experiences and travelled from near and far, and
best practices with our readers. EYSRA committee members. Then
Denise Canning, Programme wake up Thursday morning and
Chair, and her committee have been start your day with laughter and fun Marisa Liscio
hard at work planning what prom- at our special opening presentation President, EYSRA
2
Reading Champion Larry Swartz continued from page 1...
tainly well-recognized for his book Reading for the Love of It conference, children. The books will be used as
recommendations, his book lists after expenses, goes to outreach Christmas gifts and/or placed in the
and practical strategies for respond- projects selected yearly by the out- activity room library.
ing to books, and using literature reach committee. Thank you to Larry Swartz for
throughout the curriculum. Note- In this instance, the outreach com- making a difference in the lives of
worthy, too, is his commitment over mittee recently made a decision to these children.
the years to donating thousands of donate Larry Swartz’s generous gift For more information on Reading
books to classrooms in need.” of books to Birkdale Residence – a Champions, visit http://www.scho-
Outreach is a major focus of the family and refugee centre in Scar- lastic.ca/readingchampions/
work the EYS Reading Association borough, Ontario. It offers coun-
does, as it supports literacy both selling, children’s programs, and Article by Erica Townson, EYSRA
here in Ontario and around the family programs for up to 65 refu-
world. All money from the annual gee families that include almost 200
Please support the East York-Scarborough Reading Association Outreach efforts. Plan to make a purchase at one
of the Outreach Tables at the Reading for the Love of It conference on February 22nd or 23rd, 2018.
Pin $2.00 Water Bottle $10.00
Reading Blanket
$20.00
Tote Bag $10.00
Notebook & Pen $5.00 Lanyard Pen $2.00
Pencils 3 for $1.00
MOBILE
42nd Annual
CONFERENCE Language Arts Conference
GUIDE APP Thursday, February 22nd & Friday, February 23rd
Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Maximize your conference experience by using our HIGHLIGHTS
mobile conference guide featuring speaker informa-
tion and any applicable handouts/reference material, SPECIAL
session schedules, exhibitor lists, maps and much OPENING
PRESENTATION
more! Best of all, it’s accessible from all devices with featuring
an Internet browser: smartphones, tablets, laptops, Canadian icon
Mary Walsh
and even desktops. Register for the conference online
and you will automatically be given a personal atten-
MEAL KEYNOTES that should not be missed include:
dee profile page.
THE FOTOGRAPHERZ
How to Access our RFTLOI2018
JOE PASSARETTI
Mobile Conference Guide App:
Go to http://eventmobi.com/rftloi2018/ on your
Internet browser to instantly access your mobile Humble The Poet Laura Numeroff Linden MacIntyre Candy Palmater
conference guide! 2018 SUPERSTAR SPEAKERS include Pam Allyn, Mary Bigler,
Rachel Cooke, Debbie Diller, Joyce Grant, Adrienne Gear,
Lori Jamison, Penny Kittle, Kristy Mraz, Jeff Nathan,
Barbara Reid, Kevin Sylvester, Larry Swartz, to name a few.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION opens on September 1, 2017.
Plan to attend the 2018 conference!
Visit our web site for details at www.readingfortheloveofit.com
Hosted by the EAST YORK-SCARBOROUGH READING ASSOCIATION
3
The Legacy of Sheila Koffman
Reading for the Love of It lost a friend
and long-time ally with the death
of Another Story Bookshop’s Sheila
Koffman (1945-2017) on September
15th.
Describing her store as committed
to social justice, equity and divers-
ity, for thirty years, this fiercely
independent bookseller made her
activism real in the choice of the
children’s books she carefully cur-
ated, always focusing on issues that
she felt were key to making the
world a better place and often in the
vanguard of issues like inclusive-
ness, racism, bullying, Indigeneity,
LGBTQ and gender; books that you
often couldn’t find anywhere else.
Many attendees at Reading for the
Love of It will remember not only her
array of books from independent that she sold and her principles
sprawling booth filled to the brim
Canadian publishers whose work came first. Sheila was an absolutely
with racks and racks of the books
she proudly supported, receiving unique presence in the book trade.
that made Another Story so unique,
the Ontario Book Publishers Asso- That she’ll be missed goes without
but Sheila herself, this wonderful
ciation’s Janice E. Handford Award, saying, but her store continues to
bigger-than-life advocate, passion-
which recognizes individuals who thrive in the hands of Laura Ash
ately hand-selling her favourites,
have advanced the cause of small and Eric McCall who are committed
her eyes shining under her great big
and literary Canadian publishing. to preserving, fostering and growing
mop of dark brown hair as she told
Sheila was both a very success- the legacy that Sheila Koffman cre-
teachers and librarians about the
ful bookseller and someone who ated for us all.
connections she herself made with
never failed to put her politics into
the books she loved. She also made
action in her business; she spent Article by Jeffrey Canton
sure that her selection included an
hours carefully selecting the books
Another Story Bookshop Turns 30
On Saturday, October 21st, Another
Story Bookshop turned 30. A huge
party was organized, and the cele-
bration included a tribute to the
bookshop’s founder and owner,
Sheila Koffman. Following a day of
author readings, hundreds marched
down Roncesvalles Avenue in a
New Orleans style procession,
replete with brass band, to Toronto’s
PARC (Parkdale Activity Recreation Top & bottom left: A day of author readings
Centre) at 1499 Queen Street West, and tributes included Naseem Hrab and
where Sheila brought her activism Kenneth Oppel, amongst many others.
into the community, becoming an
Top right: Hundreds marched down
active board member. Roncesvalles Avenue in celebration of Another
Story Bookshop turning 30
Article by Erica Townson, EYSRA
4
Unity Charity
Unity Charity is a leading youth
arts outreach organization operat-
ing since 2007 that uses hip-hop to
improve young people’s lives creat-
ing healthier communities. Focus-
ing on improving mental health
outcomes, Unity believes that art
engagement can teach youth how to
positively express their stress, build
self-esteem and confidence, and
lead to higher levels of resilience
ultimately enabling youth to cope
with the stresses and challenges of
day to day life and creating vibrant
communities. Unity harnesses
hip-hop as its primary medium
to deliver its promise. As highly
accessible (free) art forms, youth
can relate to Hip Hop (breakdan-
cing, spoken word, poetry, graffiti
art, and beatboxing). Unity’s front
line Artist Educators model ways in
which hip-hop can help youth make
better choices as leaders, mentor
one another through the “each one
teach one” principle and develop
skills for success through hard work, Youth express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through breakdancing, spoken word,
dedication, and a positive mindset. poetry, graffiti art, and beatboxing
Unity offers programs across Can-
ada in various schools and com- wellbeing resources available to feelings, and experiences through
munity spaces and has built an them. words. The Artist Educators create a
extensive list of strategic partners 2. Engage Programming refers safe space for youth to learn about
that share resources, expertise, and to our deep impact initiatives, poetry basics, engage in activities
referrals to achieve the common namely the Unity After School and create full pieces that can be
goal of impacting youth. In 2016, Program and the Unity Com- shared amongst their peers.
Unity Charity developed its Theory munity Program. By 2019, A testimonial from a youth partici-
of Change through funding support Unity will engage more than pant in our Engage Programs said:
from Innoweave as part of the J.W. 1,500 youth, of which at least “In a smaller picture you are changing
McConnell Foundation and com- 750 youth will have improved kids’ lives... in the bigger picture you
mitted to making a difference to mental health and wellbeing are contributing to a happier, more
150,000 youth by 2019. Unity’s pro- outcomes through stronger peaceful society for now and the future”
gramming is comprised of the fol- protective factors. Youth will – Youth Participant
lowing two categories: attend programs regularly and
1. Inspire Programming refers to contribute to the wellbeing of Article by Rajni Sharma
our signature InSchool Unity their community through men- Director of Development, Partnerships
Day Program, Unity Festival, torship, performance, and vol- and Communications, Unity Charity
Alumni Program, and Book- unteer opportunities provided
ings Department. By 2019, by Unity. “Unity uses hip hop to improve
more than 100,000 will have young people’s lives creating healthier
more ways to express their Connection to Literacy communities.” For more information
stress, awareness of Unity’s One of the art forms taught by about Unity’s after school program or
other programs, appreciation Unity Artist Educators is spoken for booking enquiries, please contact
of the power of community and word poetry. It provides a platform bookings@unitycharity.com or http://
awareness of mental health and for youth to express their thoughts, unitycharity.com/book-unity/
5
Louder Than A Bomb
A raw excitement was in the air at
York Memorial Collegiate Institute.
Thirty-five students had signed up
for a poetry slam to determine who
would represent their school at a
city-wide poetry slam, Louder Than
A Bomb (LTAB), the first of its kind
in Toronto. Teachers were excited to
see this level of engagement, energy
and enthusiasm from students.
The feeling at York Memorial that
day proved spoken word is more
than entertainment; it’s an educa-
tional tool with the power to re-en-
gage young people in literacy. By
giving students permission to write The York Memorial Slam, deciding who would make it through to Regionals
from a place of lived experience, it
helped validate that their stories are
worthy of being listened to.
Louder Than A Bomb (LTAB) ori-
ginated in Chicago in 2001 and
spread to 17 cities in North America,
making it the largest youth poetry
festival in the world. Leave Out Vio-
lence (LOVE) in Ontario, brought
LTAB to Toronto to create a space for
young people to congregate, cele-
brate and express themselves. We
couldn’t have predicted that during
our pilot year we would reach over
750 youth.
Preliminary Regional Slam Competition at York Memorial in which four schools competed
LTAB showcased the incredible hunger for storytelling in young people –
an urgency to tell their own stories, in their own words. In addition, teachers
witnessed an unprecedented increase in attendance, in-class participation
and peer-to-peer support.
LOVE is excited to bring Louder Than A Bomb back for its second year. For
more information, or to register your school, please contact Lishai Peel, at
lishai@leaveoutviolence.org
Article by Kerry Riordan
Development and Communications Manager
Since 1993, Leave Out Violence (LOVE) has helped youth challenged by the many forms of violence
to build the skills and confidence necessary to change their lives and communities. LOVE was
founded on the belief that youth challenged by violence can be agents of change, capable of
transforming their own lives, investing themselves in their communities, and making the world
a safer place. Leave Out Violence (LOVE) was founded in Montreal, and now has grown across
Canada, with programs in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.
6
Only One You Outreach
Teachers and students at Chester The Outreach Committee of The East York-Scarborough Reading
Elementary started this school year Association supports individuals and organizations involved in making a
with a rock, some paint and endless difference in the lives of others through literacy-focused initiatives. This
creativity. The goal was to complete year, we are honoured to provide assistance to a variety of groups that
a school wide art project based on focus their efforts on fostering a love of reading here at home, throughout
Linda Kranz’s book “Only One Canada and abroad.
You”. From kindergarten to Grade
To date, locally we have decided to support a wide variety of programs and
5, students enjoyed the short but
services offered by Marnie’s Lounge at SickKids Hospital, Early Years
powerful story. In her book, Kranz
Centre at the Malvern Family Resource Centre, and the Sagatay Library
tells the story of a young fish that
Initiative with Na-Me-Res, a safe space for Aboriginal Men to build literacy
learns some important lessons,
skills. All of these wonderful organizations work hard to ensure engaging
including: “There’s only one you in
stories and learning materials make their way into the hands of readers of
this great big world. Make it a better
all ages throughout Toronto.
place.” Throughout the school halls,
you could hear the class discus- Nationally, we are contributing funds towards Friends of Six Nations
sions about how each student has Public Library Foundation (SALT Program) and the Second Chance
the power to create change. All stu- Library Program run by the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation.
dents, from young ones just start- This foundation has established libraries within various youth detention
ing school to those beginning their centres across Ontario, recognizing and believing that all youth have
graduating year, were reminded of potential and if given an opportunity to succeed academically, these youth
how each of us needs to help make can become educated, responsible and contributing members of society.
our school, neighbourhood, country All they need is a Second Chance!
and world a better place. Internationally, we are supporting The Book Bus Foundation and Las Dos
To follow up these important dis- Jardas de Veron – an Inner City School in Bavaro, Dominican Republic.
cussions, each and every student Coordinated by local TCDSB teacher, Eva Henn, funds are being raised to
was asked to paint a rock. Rocks assist this school to fill their soon to be built library.
were painted using a variety of tech- More organizations will be announced at the Reading for the Love of It
niques. Some classes were inspired conference. If you are able to help, please visit our Outreach desks at the
by the fish-like characters in the conference and support our efforts by purchasing one of the many items
mentor text, while other classes we sell to raise funds for these worthy organizations.
used dot painting techniques, inte-
On behalf of the EYSRA, thank you for making a difference and bringing
grated some math through patterns,
the love of reading into the lives of others.
or gave students free choice on what
their rocks could look like. The final For more information please visit our website and check out our Outreach
product is a colourful rock garden section.
that welcomes visitors to the school. Brian Svenningsen,3rd Vice President and Outreach Chair, EYSRA
It is also a daily reminder to the kids
of the better world they are working Building Library Resources
and learning to create. A rock, some Las Dos Jardas de Veron is an inner
paint, endless creativity…and a city school in the Bavaro area of
powerful picture book. Now, that’s Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
the way to start a school year! It houses 100 students from grade
1 to highschool level with three
By Cristina Fowler classes for each. The Primary
students are in school from 8:00
am to 12:00 noon; the Middle
school students from 1:00 pm
to 5:00 pm; and, the Highschool
students from 6:00 pm to 10:00 Eva Henn, a Canadian teacher from the
pm. All students walk to and from Toronto Catholic District School Board,
school. pictured with students.
The East York-Scarborough Reading Association is pleased to donate funds
to help fill the school library.
An inspired and colourful rock garden
7
A Literary Evening with
East York-Scarborough Reading Association
1315 Lawrence Ave. East, Unit 309
Toronto, Ontario M3A 3R3
Linden MacIntyre Tel: 416-444-7473
Fax: 416-444-9282
Don’t miss the 2018 Reading for the Love of It E-mail: eys@readingfortheloveofit.com
Web: www.readingfortheloveofit.com
Dinner Banquet with Linden MacIntyre, author
of the recently published The Only Café. Other We are committed to improving the
highlights of the evening will include our 2018 quality of literacy instruction and
Reading Award Winners, and a special posthu- encouraging the development of a
mous ‘Heart Award of Recognition’ tribute to the lifelong interest in reading.
late Donald Graves, presented by Penny Kittle. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017-2018
Toronto Catholic District School Board
Denise Canning, Michael Francone,
Marisa Liscio, Teresa Paoli, Brenda Stewart
Please visit our online newsletter for additional great articles.
Toronto District School Board
Visit http://readingfortheloveofit.com/newsletters.php Liz Blake, Marguerite Campbell,
Lise Hawkins, Vangie Kalanderopoulos,
Kathy Lazarovits
Great Winter Reads
Men Without Women
by Haruki Murakami
Smile by Roddy Doyle
The Red-Haired Woman
by Orhan Pamuk
The Only Café by Linden MacIntyre
Brother by David Chariandy
Executive (2017 - 2018): Front row (left to
Great Holiday Reads list is compiled right): Margaret Talbot, Jill Eason, Natasha Serba,
by Jose Molina, EYSRA
Jane Milligan, Mike Francone, Marisa Liscio,
Marguerite Campbell, Liz Blake, Kathy Lazarovits;
Middle row (left to right): Teresa Paoli, Kelly
Plan to Attend Manning, Stephanie Shore, Rebecca Toombs, Lise
Hawkins, Jose Molina, Brenda Stewart, Tony
42nd ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE Petitti, Joan Barrett, Joyce Dolmer; Top row (left
to right): Judith Laskin, Nora Lovgren, Brian
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, Svenningsen, Erica Townson, Denise Canning, Val
February 22nd and Friday, February 23rd, Collins, Vangie Kalanderopoulos, Doris Wukasch,
2018 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, downtown Tanya Reilly-Primaylon. Missing: Kishauna Evans-
Toronto. Blissett, David McMullan, Stepan Pruchnicky.
Registration opens on September 1st, 2017 at
www.readingfortheloveofit.com
We recommend that you register early! Visit us online and see what people are
saying about Reading for the Love of It.
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