Marcus Foster Memorial Award
Marcus Foster Memorial Award – Paula Aja
The Marcus Foster Memorial Reading Award, established in 1973 and named in honor of the Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools, is given to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to reading and language arts in our state. Paula Aja is this year’s recipient. Paula joined her local reading council in the late 70s. Her 3rd grade teacher at El Verano was on the Gateway board and invited her to join (one wouldn’t dare say no to Mrs. Wetsel). She served on quite a few committees, as well as secretary and VP. Paula became president the first time by default when the president moved away and she stepped in. She has served as president of Gateway several times. Paula remembers going to her first CRA conference around 1983. It was Jim Macon’s conference in Oakland. Paula said, “I was hooked!! Going to graduate school wasn’t an option for me at the time so I used the professional development opportunities that the CRA conferences offered.” Paula shone as a leader on the board of the California Reading Association for many years. First, she served as Area Director from 2000-2003. Then she was elected 2nd VP in 2005, moving up the ranks and serving as CRA President 2007-2008.
The Marcus Foster Memorial Reading Award, established in 1973 and named in honor of the Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools, is given to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to reading and language arts in our state. Paula Aja is this year’s recipient. Paula joined her local reading council in the late 70s. Her 3rd grade teacher at El Verano was on the Gateway board and invited her to join (one wouldn’t dare say no to Mrs. Wetsel). She served on quite a few committees, as well as secretary and VP. Paula became president the first time by default when the president moved away and she stepped in. She has served as president of Gateway several times. Paula remembers going to her first CRA conference around 1983. It was Jim Macon’s conference in Oakland. Paula said, “I was hooked!! Going to graduate school wasn’t an option for me at the time so I used the professional development opportunities that the CRA conferences offered.” Paula shone as a leader on the board of the California Reading Association for many years. First, she served as Area Director from 2000-2003. Then she was elected 2nd VP in 2005, moving up the ranks and serving as CRA President 2007-2008.
Young writers to Gateway young writers' celebration held May 17th 2019 at Old Adobe school
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Author Shawn Harris with award winning student
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Gateway Board with Author Shawn Harris Celebrate Literacy Award winner 2019
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Maureen Minto, American Literacy Corporation 2018 Award Winner for Outstanding Contributions to Literacy
The American Literacy Corporation annually grants the "Outstanding Contributions to Literacy" award to excellent California classroom teachers and certified reading support personnel in grades K-8. These awards of $2000 each are given to selected certificated educators who make a significant difference in the literacy skills of their students. Each awardee's school also receives a $500 stipend to be used for a school-wide literacy event.
Maureen Minto, a teacher at Taylor Mountain Elementary School in the Bellevue Union School District, has been awarded one of the 2017-2018 "Outstanding Contributions to Literacy" awards by the American Literacy Corporation. This award will be presented to Maureen Minto at a reception held on October 27th at the Marriott in Riverside, California.
Maureen Minto, a teacher at Taylor Mountain Elementary School in the Bellevue Union School District, has been awarded one of the 2017-2018 "Outstanding Contributions to Literacy" awards by the American Literacy Corporation. This award will be presented to Maureen Minto at a reception held on October 27th at the Marriott in Riverside, California.
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The American Literacy Corporation recognizes and rewards certificated educators who significantly increase the literacy levels of their students.
We believe the educator is the key to improving the literacy skills of listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading, and writing. Improved literacy results in greater performance and productivity, not only in school, but also in the work force. ALC annually grants "The Outstanding Contributions to Literacy Award" to excellent certificated educators who show the greatest literacy improvement of their students. Awards of $2,000 are given to educators who make a significant difference in the literacy achievement of their students in grades K-8 and a $500 grant is given to the winner's school for reading or language arts activities or materials. Apply: https://www.amerlitcorp.org/ |
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Anne Seil, American Literacy Corporation 2016 Award Winner for Outstanding Contributions to Literacy
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Ann Seil
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John Martin Distinguished Service Award
Nancy Rogers-Zegarra, Ph.D.
The John Martin Distinguished Service Award was established in 1977 to honor the late Dr. Martin a past president of California Reading Association. This award is presented to a member who has provided outstanding service to the organization. This year’s winner is Nancy Rogers-Zegarra.
Nancy Rogers-Zegarra has served on the CRA board for many years as Area 3 director, Vice President, President Elect, President and Immediate Past President.
Nancy’s extensive connections with literacy leaders up and down the state have proven most helpful to advancing literacy causes. During the spring and summer of 2015 Nancy served on the CDE’s ELA/ELD Textbook Adoption Committee. She presently works as a consultant for the new textbook adoption.
Nancy’s interest and expertise in literacy and her motivation to help every child learn to read continues to propel her into all matters of teaching literacy. As a professor of reading in six universities and a BTSA coordinator, Nancy has always been a beacon of light for beginning teachers. Nancy was BTSA coordinator for Mendocino County Region 1 where she taught seminars for 147 new teachers. She initiated a new CRA award/scholarship which she personally sponsors each year. The Nancy Rogers-Zegarra New Teacher Scholarship is awarded annually to new teachers who are stand-outs in the field.
Nancy has 38 years of experience in Education, Administration and Curriculum Development at the school, district, county and university level. A Spanish speaker herself, Nancy was Director of English Language Learners and Assessment for Bellevue USD. She is a Reading Recovery Trained Teacher Leader and has taught education courses at both Dominican University and University of San Francisco.
Nancy’s distinguished career as an educator, her life-long work as an advocate and leader for literacy and long time service to the California Reading Association makes her a most deserving recipient of the John Martin Distinguished Service Award.
The John Martin Distinguished Service Award was established in 1977 to honor the late Dr. Martin a past president of California Reading Association. This award is presented to a member who has provided outstanding service to the organization. This year’s winner is Nancy Rogers-Zegarra.
Nancy Rogers-Zegarra has served on the CRA board for many years as Area 3 director, Vice President, President Elect, President and Immediate Past President.
Nancy’s extensive connections with literacy leaders up and down the state have proven most helpful to advancing literacy causes. During the spring and summer of 2015 Nancy served on the CDE’s ELA/ELD Textbook Adoption Committee. She presently works as a consultant for the new textbook adoption.
Nancy’s interest and expertise in literacy and her motivation to help every child learn to read continues to propel her into all matters of teaching literacy. As a professor of reading in six universities and a BTSA coordinator, Nancy has always been a beacon of light for beginning teachers. Nancy was BTSA coordinator for Mendocino County Region 1 where she taught seminars for 147 new teachers. She initiated a new CRA award/scholarship which she personally sponsors each year. The Nancy Rogers-Zegarra New Teacher Scholarship is awarded annually to new teachers who are stand-outs in the field.
Nancy has 38 years of experience in Education, Administration and Curriculum Development at the school, district, county and university level. A Spanish speaker herself, Nancy was Director of English Language Learners and Assessment for Bellevue USD. She is a Reading Recovery Trained Teacher Leader and has taught education courses at both Dominican University and University of San Francisco.
Nancy’s distinguished career as an educator, her life-long work as an advocate and leader for literacy and long time service to the California Reading Association makes her a most deserving recipient of the John Martin Distinguished Service Award.
Torchlighter Award
Gateway Reading Council
The Torchlighter Award was established in 1992 and recognizes CRA councils for one of the following aspects of council programming; a creative new project, a new approach to an exciting activity, outstanding service to the council’s community, or expanded innovative view of literacy. The recipients of this year’s award are the Gateway, Placer Area Reading Council and Kern Reading Association.
Gateway Reading Association The members of Gateway Reading Association and the DKG members of the Eta Upsilon Chapter received a Life Grant from DKG to present family literacy workshops in English and Spanish for Title I Sonoma County schools. The Title I schools selected for the parent workshops have high English Learner populations. The workshops demonstrated techniques for parents to learn how to read aloud and ask questions. They included the importance of interaction with their Pre-K through second grade children for developing oral language and listening skills, helping to build a strong foundation for school early success. The hour long “hands on” workshops modeled strategies and then parents practiced techniques with their children.
The Torchlighter Award was established in 1992 and recognizes CRA councils for one of the following aspects of council programming; a creative new project, a new approach to an exciting activity, outstanding service to the council’s community, or expanded innovative view of literacy. The recipients of this year’s award are the Gateway, Placer Area Reading Council and Kern Reading Association.
Gateway Reading Association The members of Gateway Reading Association and the DKG members of the Eta Upsilon Chapter received a Life Grant from DKG to present family literacy workshops in English and Spanish for Title I Sonoma County schools. The Title I schools selected for the parent workshops have high English Learner populations. The workshops demonstrated techniques for parents to learn how to read aloud and ask questions. They included the importance of interaction with their Pre-K through second grade children for developing oral language and listening skills, helping to build a strong foundation for school early success. The hour long “hands on” workshops modeled strategies and then parents practiced techniques with their children.
Young Writers' Awards and Tea
Gateway Reading Council and the Old Adobe School District recognized young authors and encouraged schools to increase writing skills by participating in this years Young Writer's Awards Program. This year's awards ceremony was held on Monday, April 29, 2016 at Old Adobe Elementary School in Petaluma from 4-6pm.
ILA Exemplary Reading Program Award
This is a national award given to one school in each state by the International Literacy Association. This year the award goes to Ross Elementary School in Ross, CA. Ross Elementary is a K-8 single site school district under the leadership of two principals Melissa Benson ( K-4) and Stacy Marshall (5-8), superintendent Chi Kim and literacy coach Courtney Rodges. This impressive team has mobilized the staff to focus on student learning and literacy. Over the past two years the school staff has engaged in multiple professional learning opportunities focused on collaborative research, planning and implementation of the English Language Arts Common Core Standards. All teachers have observed guided reading demonstration lessons, comprehension strategy lessons and this year the staff participated in lesson study which allowed teachers to open their classrooms for collegial coaching focused on the needs of the students and student work analysis. The joy of reading is evident in every classroom. This focus on direct strategy instruction has dramatically raised the students’ ELA benchmark scores and increased the amount of reading completed by each student.
Honor Council Program Award
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The Honor Council Program annually recognizes local, student and special interest councils that organize and conduct well-rounded programs serving the council members, the community, the state/provincial council, and the International Literacy Association. Councils are recognized for accomplishments of the previous year.
The Gateway Reading Council has been recognized by the International Reading Association for 22 years as an Honor Council for their outstanding programs and service to the community. |
President Paula Aja receiving IRA Honor Council honors for Gateway Reading Council.
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