ST. THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE TO HOST 18TH ANNUAL ROCKLAND LITERACY EXTRAVAGANZA CONFERENCE

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE TO HOST 18TH ANNUAL 
ROCKLAND LITERACY EXTRAVAGANZA CONFERENCE

(Sparkill, NY—October 7, 2013) – St. Thomas Aquinas Collegewill host the 18th annual Rockland Literacy Extravaganza Professional Conference for teachers, administrators, support personnel, pre-service teachers, and all others interested ineducation on Saturday, October 19, 2013, 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on the College’s main campus in Sparkill, announces Dr. Michael Shaw, Professor of Education at the College. The event provides professional development that focuses on Common Core State Standards for teaching, reading and writing for grades Pre-K through 12.

This year’s Extravaganza will focus all presentations on positive possibilities for Common Core Standards instruction that go beyond scripted instruction and test prep to focus on teaching thoughtful literacy. Emphasis includes close reading, Tier Two vocabulary, academic writing, struggling readers and writers, web-based learning, and teaching English language learners. There will be 20 professional workshops by exemplary educators, a publisher’s display, free raffles, free continental breakfast, and Certificates of Attendance for professional requirements.

The major keynote speakers include Tim Rasinski, honored by the International Reading Association and author of Comprehension That Works: Taking Students Beyond Ordinary Understanding to Deep Comprehension, and Paul Janeczko, award-winning poet for children and adolescents whose works include Wing Nuts, That Sweet Diamond, and Birds on a Wire. Rasinski’s presentation topic is “Whatever Happened to the Art of Teaching Reading? Implications for Common Core Standards Instruction”. Janeczko’s presentation topic is “Reading and Writing Poetry: Bringing Joyful Learning to Common Core Standards”.

“Our Literacy Extravaganza highlights research-based best practices for teaching, reading and writing across the curriculum, Pre-K through 12, aligned with Common Core Standards. Our theme is Common Core Standards: Teaching Thoughtful Literacy Across the Curriculum That Goes Beyond the Scripts. Our mantra is Learn on Saturday what you can begin to teach on Monday,” said Shaw.

Secure online registration is open at www.rockteach.org. Online support is offered at 845-553-9516. Registration is open to the public. The fee is $40 in advance or $20 for full-time students (by October 12) and $50 at the door or $35 for full-time students. Educators who pre-register with a friend are eligible for a $25 voucher redeemable at one vendor of choice the day of the event. For more information and to register, contact Dr. Shaw at mshaw@stac.edu or 845-398-4079 or Deborah Studnitzer at the Rockland Teachers’ Center at 845-942-7603 or dstudnitzer@optonline.net.

This event is supported by a grant from First Niagara Foundation and is co-sponsored by St. Thomas Aquinas College, Rockland Teachers’ Center, Rockland Reading Council, and Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education.

The First Niagara Foundation awarded St. Thomas Aquinas College a $5,000 grant to support the “Enhancing and Enriching Literacy Across the Curriculum” series of events for students, teachers, and community members. The Literacy Extravaganza Professional Conference is one of three events in the series.

About First Niagara Foundation
First Niagara Foundation is a not for profit corporation founded in 1998. The Foundation is committed to supporting organizations in the communities in which we live and work with specific focus on youth and education, community development and neighborhood revitalization. In 2012 the Foundation contributed more than $10 million in charitable grants to community partners. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com/community.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Danielle N. Kobryn, 845.398.4016, dkobryn@stac.edu
Contributing Writer: Dr. M. Shaw