Reflections on Literacy

By now, the new school year is well on its way and our focus at NCRA is on the

future of literacy in our state, and how we can continue to support educators.

Our Board members are busy working on conference planning to ensure that we have another great conference!! This year, the conference will be March 23-25, 2025 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC. The theme

is, “Lighting the Way to Literacy: A Beacon Towards a Brighter Future.” I was

inspired by Steve Pemberton’s book, “The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World.” In his book, Steve writes about the people along his path that were “beacons of light” for him. Just like the lighthouse guides the journey of the traveler, we ALL are “Beacons of Light,” and we can use this “light” to help others on their literacy journeys. Steve will be our opening Keynote speaker on Monday morning at the conference!

I’m also very excited to share several other NC and nationally known authors and speakers who will be celebrating with us:

Donalyn Miller, Carol Jago, Dr. Rebecca Harper, Allan Wolf, Dr. Amy Rhyne, Lester Laminack, Katie Kelly, Maya Myers, and Kwame Mbalia.

I hope many of you will consider presenting at the conference. There are so many educators in NC we can all learn from! The proposal form is due by October 20th.

The theme for our Young Author’s project, “Beacons of Light Towards a Brighter Future,” follows along with our conference theme. Please encourage your students to submit a writing or art entry this year. I’m anticipating wonderful pieces and can’t wait to read about how students have been “beacons of light” for others, someone who has inspired them in their lives, someone who is a “shining” example of something good, or how they have turned a challenge into an opportunity. These are just a few examples of how students can celebrate our theme.

I hope you will consider joining a local council this year! This is a great way to get involved in the community and support NCRA. Local councils support service projects in their communities such as creating Little Free Libraries, making literacy bags for foster children, adapting picture books into StoryWalks, and providing books for the Ronald McDonald house.

Donating to the NCRA Leadership Appreciation Fund is a way to honor and recognize leaders in your family, community, schools, churches, state and the nation. The funds raised help provide published author presentations at our annual NC Reading Conference and support our annual Young Authors celebrations. Please visit our website for the many benefits of being an NCRA member.

As NCRA President, it is an honor and a privilege to be involved with so many

dedicated professionals and educators across our state. Our commitment at NCRA is strong as we strive to provide and promote quality literacy experiences for all.

Please join us this year and know, whatever role you serve, you are making an

impact!

Yours in Literacy,

Lisa Llewellyn McIntosh

NCRA President

Mary Ellen Megerle Skidmore
November 5, 1925-August 3, 2024

The North Carolina Reading Association honors Mary Ellen Megerle Skidmore who spent her life advocating for literacy. Mary Ellen earned her teaching degree from Fredonia State College and went on to earn her Masters Degree. She taught at several Jamestown schools in New York and was very active in the NY State

Reading Association. In 1984, Mary Ellen and her husband retired in NC where she taught in the Moore County School System. She continued to spend much of her time volunteering for the International Reading Association, the North Carolina Reading Association, the Moore County Reading Association, and the Moore County Literacy Council.

The International Literacy Association honored her with a Maryann Manning

Outstanding Volunteer Service Award in 2009. To honor her, the State Council

(NCRA) established the Mary Ellen Skidmore Project Grants. These funds support local council projects to improve literacy in the state.

Mary Ellen served as an outstanding model of an educator who was dedicated to joining with others in support of children, families, teachers and other educators to guarantee literacy and encourage an appreciation of literature for all.

Thank you, Mary Ellen. We honor you and will miss you!

We are so excited to kick off the 2024-2025 Young Authors Project: "Beacons of Light Shining Towards a Brighter Future". Thank you to Christine Leo for serving as our Young Authors Project chair this year. If you are interested in serving on the YA committee to help with the execution of this project and the planning of our annual state celebration, please reach out to Christine to get plugged in.

Contact Information for State YA Chair, Christine Leo: cbleo114@aol.com

youngauthorsncra@gmail.com

Remember that all information and resources for the Young Authors and Illustrators Project can be found on our website. Click HERE for more details.

Heidi Perez is the chair of our awards committee this year, and we appreciate her efforts to continue this work as we strive at the state level to support all of the amazing things you are doing locally within your councils.

If you have questions about awards requirements or deadlines, please visit our website our reach out to Heidi directly.

• December 1st, 2024: All YA submissions due at the state level
• December 31st, 2024: All awards and grants applications due
• March 22, 2025: NCRA Young Authors State Winners Celebration with keynote by Author Allan Wolf
• March 23-25, 2025: NCRA Literacy Conference in Winston-Salem, NC

By: Catherine Newman

Publisher: Harper

Published: June 18, 2024

Pages: 240
Audio: 5 hours, 43 minutes

Reviewer: Emily Golightly

Are you in the midst of a busy school year, wishing you could go back to those lazy summer days? This book gives you a lovely little taste of that just as we are dipping our toes into autumn.

One week. Just one week in the lives of a family vacationing at the beach, and yet this book contains a lifetime of emotion, memories, love, and loss. I loved the way the main character, Rocky, interacts with her adult children, as a parent of one adult child and one who's not far behind. It gives me hope about the future of my own journey in parenthood, and yet also makes me nostalgic and wistful about the memories of parenting my children when they were small. A simple story, written with beauty, grace, and humor...I highly recommend this one!

By: Holly Gramazio

Publisher: Doubleday

Published: April 2, 2024

Pages: 352
Audio: 10 hours, 30 minutes

Reviewer: Emily Golightly

Have you been in a reading slump? Are you looking for something different to shake up your reading routine? I recommend you try The Husbands by Holly Gramazio...quirky, funny, and totally unlike anything I have ever read before...this one was such a surprise and delight from start to finish! I do not give a lot of 5-star reviews on my Goodreads account, but this one is a solid 5 from me, and it is one of those books that still pops in my head from time to time. I don't want to say too much about this one, because I believe you just have to experience it for yourself! Check it out and let me know what you think!

By: Ann Napolitano

Publisher: The Dial Press

Published: March 14, 2023

Pages: 400
Audio: 15 hours, 6 minutes

Reviewer: Emily Golightly

Poignant, heartfelt, and beautiful!

This book was so touching I found tears spilling down my cheeks at multiple points in the story, and it both broke and healed my heart in the reading of it. No spoilers, but I do recommend tissues! Anyone who has deeply felt love and loss will relate to this larger-than-life family and the saga of their shared history through the generations. Highly recommend!

We would love to highlight our amazing members each week with "Selfie Sunday". Please help us by sharing a little about yourself in this form so you can be featured as one of our amazing members! You can use the template below OR email our webmaster, Talia Cotton, for assistance. Thanks!

Hello! I'm Lisa, and I am the current President of NCRA. I was previously the NCDPI Liaison on the Board from 2011-2020. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education K-6, a Masters in School Administration / Curriculum & Instruction and an Academically Gifted Certification K-12 in NC and Virginia. I served as a classroom teacher, teacher of gifted, and curriculum coach. I recently retired from the NC Department of Public Instruction where I served as a K-5 English Language Arts Consultant for 13 years. I have been in education for 43 years.

Currently, I am an adjunct professor at William Peace University for the School of Professional Studies. I teach Literacy courses, Children’s Literature, and

I coach teachers in residency. I am the recipient of the 2023 William Peace

University Excellence in Teaching Award for the School of Professional Studies.

I enjoy playing the piano, walking, reading, calligraphy, and spending time with

my husband, family, and friends. I also love lattes and cappuccinos!!

Email: Lllewellyn1@gmail.com

Hello! My name is Heidi and I am a Literacy Integration Specialist for Durham Public Schools. I have served students and teachers as a public educator, advocate, instructional coach and leader for over 29 years. My passion centers on literacy learning because literacy is the key to agency and active citizenship for ALL students. To this end, I have served on the executive board of the Texas Council of Teachers of English, initiated service-learning partnerships with St.Lawrence County BOCES, co-founded the Bull City Literacy Council, co-founded the NC Literacy Leaders Collaborative, and served as the Vice President for the North Carolina Reading Association. I am currently studying for my Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at North Carolina A & T University. #AggiePride

Email: heidi_perez@dpsnc.net

Hi, I'm Hiller Spires, Vice President for NCRA and member of the Raleigh-Wake Reading Council. I am Executive Director and Professor Emerita at North Carolina State University, where I was the founding director for the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and a literacy professor for 36 years. Before coming to NC, I was a high school English teacher and an academic counselor at the University of South Carolina. During my time at NC State's College of Education, I worked extensively with teachers as I helped direct the New Literacies and Global Learning master's degree, which included licensure in K-12 Reading. I also conducted research on digital, disciplinary and global literacies with diverse learners; and Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) Global using the UNC Sustainable Development Goals. My most recent book was co-edited with Dr. Shea Kerkhoff and is titled Critical Perspectives in Global Literacies: Bridging Research and Practice (published by Routledge in 2023). I also recently created Margie’s Books, which provides books to underserved educational communities.

My husband, Tom Lee, and I enjoy traveling and spending time with our amazing son, Gabriel Lee, who is 24 years old. I also enjoy creating non-representational paintings using acrylics and mixed media. I am very excited to work with everyone to support literacy across the great state of NC.

Email: haspires@ncsu.edu
Facebook: Hiller Spires

Twitter/X: @haspires

Hi! My name is Emily Golightly. I am a native of Carteret County on the coast of North Carolina, and I am now raising my own family here. I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Jim, for twenty years. We have a college freshman at UNC Charlotte and a sophomore in high school.

I received my bachelor's degree from East Carolina University in Elementary Education, and I also have my reading certification in grades K-12 and my TESL certification in grades K-12. I completed my master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language through UNCW, and obtained a second master's degree in Media and Library Sciences (MLS) through Appalachian State University. As a school librarian, I also serve on the board of our state's librarian organization, NCSLMA. This is my 21st year in education. I'm so excited to be a part of NCRA, and I look forward to working with each of you to promote literacy across the state!

Email: emily.golightly@carteretk12.org
Website: bit.ly/golightlyreads
Facebook: facebook.com/emilyg143
Twitter: @EmilyGolightly3

My name is Amanda McCall and I am going into my 21st year in education. I am the Membership Director for NCRA. This is my first leadership role for NCRA and I am still learning about it all the time. Currently, I am a Media Coordinator at Morehead City Primary School in Carteret County, NC. In the past, however, I have been a second grade, third grade, and Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) teacher. This past year, I have spent a lot of time converting an old school bus to a book mobile- Title Wave. This has been a passion project of mine and just had its maiden voyage in June of 2023.

I am a mother of two- a college freshman at NC State and a high school sophomore, so we stay busy! I have been married for 20 years to my husband, Rick. I love traveling and would do so much more of it if I had the money. One of the ways I travel for lower costs is by signing on with teacher groups to learn and travel at the same time. I try to stay active and am a runner. While not a competitive runner, I enjoy doing team relays such as the "Blue Ridge Relay" in September with a group of fellow runner friends who are also gluttons for punishment. I play beach volleyball during the summer. I enjoy reading, going to concerts and plays, and spending time with family and friends when I can!

Facebook: Amanda Ruffin McCall

Title Wave Book Mobile

Email: amanda.mccall@carteretk12.org

Twitter: @amccalleducates

Website: Coming soon!

My name is Lauren Johnson and I am the NCRA Secretary but also Past President of NCRA (2018). This is my20th year in education and I currently serve as Assistant Principal at Chocowinity Middle School in Beaufort County. I spent the bulk of my career specializing in literacy instruction as a Literacy Specialist at Chocowinity Primary School before stepping into administration. I thrive on new learning, networking, and collaborating with others to achieve success and do what is best for children. I am a native of Chocowinity and feel blessed to work and live in the community with my husband and two boys, William (6) and Brian (15). In my spare time, I enjoy time on the Pamlico River, at the beach, serving in my church, and exercising at the local gym.

Email: laurenfieldsjohnson@gmail.com
Twitter: @laurenfjohnson1

My name is Shannon Lawrence and I serve as the treasurer for NCRA. I also serve on the board for my local reading council GCRA (Greater Cabarrus Reading Association). I am an AIG teacher at W.R. Odell Elementary School in Cabarrus County and will be entering my 20th year of teaching this fall. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my husband Ryan and our two children Carrigan (8th grade) and Noah (3rd grade). Some of my favorite activities are cooking, reading, exercising, attending church, going out on our boat and relaxing by the pool.

Email: ncrainc.treasurer@gmail.com

My name is Andrew Walker and I serve as the shadow to the treasurer for NCRA. I will be fully stepping into this role in the 2025-2026 school year. I have been in NCRA as a part of Robeson Reading Council back in 2014 and currently with Columbus Council since 2016. I have held the position of treasurer for my council since 2021. I’m a community member, as I worked in financial services and I’m currently working in healthcare. I have many talents and gifts to share with my fellow members at the local level and state level. I’m proud to be shadowing our current State treasurer Shannon to help at the state level, too.

Email: ncrainc.treasurer@gmail.com; anw6494@gmail.com

Hello! My name is Jean, and I graduated from NC State with a degree in secondary English education and taught in the Wake County Public School system for 5 years before returning to NC State to work on my masters. While there, I taught freshman English for two years. I then worked for The News & Observer in the Newspapers in Education department for the next 27 years. I retired in 2010 to become a granny nanny for my daughter's boy/girl newborn twins. Thinking I would be keeping two babies, I got a big surprise when their little brother Jack was born a year and a week later. I've been keeping them ever since, first full-time, then once they were in school, after school and during the summers. I also help my son and his wife with their three little ones whenever I can.

I've been involved in the NC Reading Association since the mid 1980s, first with the Raleigh/Wake Council, and then as an officer in the state association. I served as NCRA president from 2006-07 and have been working as the Executive Assistant since 2007. In that role, I am responsible for planning the yearly conference. I spend my spare time reading, gardening, watching my grandsons' baseball games, and traveling.

My name is Talia R. Cotton. I am an educator with 17 years of experience with a focus on English and Secondary Education. I am the Digital Marketing Director for North Carolina Reading Association and a Teaching and Learning Coach in Durham Public Schools. I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. My hobbies are reading, traveling, and new technology!!

Facebook: Talia Cotton

Email: talia1.cotton@gmail.com

Twitter: @taliacotton

Website: https://www.taliarcotton.com

Hi! I'm Christine Leo. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA; married for 47 years with two married daughters - one is an architect and one is a NICU nurse - and 2 granddaughters (4 1/2 years old and 1 year old). I have spent the past 47 years in education, with an elementary education degree from Bethany College and a masters degree in special ed from West Virginia University. This is my fifth year as an area director. My part time job is selling Partylite candles and home decor. I also read and have a collection of over 800 picture books which I use with my students (yes, I'm still teaching!).

Email: cbleo114@aol.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.leo.5477

Partylite Site: www.Partylite.com/christineleo All candle lovers please join!

Hi! I'm Tonya Bailey, and I am the Area Director for the Mountains Region, as well as the Blue Ridge Reading Council Past President. I am a retired teacher as of 2022, with 31 years of experience. I have been married for 33 years to my husband, Tony, and we have a wonderful daughter, Allison, who is 20 years old.

We have three pets: am American Bulldog, a Netherland Dwarf bunny, and a Leopard Gecko. My hobbies are reading and shopping. My new business after retirement is Bailey's Bag Boutique on Facebook. I have also been a Mary Kay Consultant for 25 years.

Email: tbailey@burke.k12.nc.us

Hello! I'm Barb, and I am originally from Buffalo- GO Bills! I have degrees in Criminal Justice, Elementary Education and Reading Specialist. I've married an Army officer 41 years ago in Baumholder, Germany. We have two children. My son works for the NC Superintendent of Public Instruction and my daughter is a history teacher in Salisbury. I have three beautiful granddaughters. I taught in 15 different schools in Buffalo, Germany, Ft. Knox, KY, Charleston, Alexandria, VA, Ft. Hood, TX, and Mechanicsburg, PA. We moved to Concord, NC in 1999 when my husband retired from the Army and I taught first grade and then became the first reading specialist at Cannon School for 20 years. I left Cannon in 2020 and moved to Charleston after 40 years of teaching.

I have been a member of NCRA and GCRA since 1999, and I've been membership chair, treasurer, president and YA chair for GCRA. I have been an Area Director three separate times ( total of 9 years) and was the NCRA state coordinator for 6 years. My hobbies (besides reading) include sewing and crafting. I have run an American Girl camp for the last 20 years which allows me use my interests.

Email: barbgcra@gmail.com

Facebook: Barbara Falkenbury

Instagram: @barb_book_reader

Hi! I'm Christine Leo. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA; married for 47 years with two married daughters - one is an architect and one is a NICU nurse - and 2 granddaughters (4 1/2 years old and 1 year old). I have spent the past 47 years in education, with an elementary education degree from Bethany College and a masters degree in special ed from West Virginia University. This is my fifth year as an area director. My part time job is selling Partylite candles and home decor. I also read and have a collection of over 800 picture books which I use with my students (yes, I'm still teaching!).

Email: cbleo114@aol.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.leo.5477

Partylite Site: www.Partylite.com/christineleo All candle lovers please join!

Hi! I'm Shane, the Area Director for the Southeast Region, and I have been married for 35 years to Tonnye Williams Fletcher. I've been teaching for twenty-two years, and I am currently at Central Middle School in Whiteville, NC (7th Grade ELA). I have my PhD in Curriculum & Instruction -Literacy from NC State and my MAEd - Reading Specialist from UNCP. We live/work on Country Corners Farm in Chadbourn, NC (Home of NC’s only Sugarcane Maze!). We have 2 cats (Sparkles and Dusty) and 1 Turtle (Blinky). I have been an NCRA Area Director for 13 years. I am also the current Vice President of Columbus Council of NCRA

Email: mfletcher@whiteville.k12.nc.us

Twitter: @docfletch2016

Facebook: Shane Fletcher

Instagram: @shaeginarrowmaker

Hi! My name is Vicki Abbott-Stain. I am the current NCRA Area Director for the Coastal Region and have held this position for the past five years. I retired from Craven County Schools in 2017 after thirty one years as an elementary teacher. I have taught Kindergarten through Fourth grade and several years as a Title 1 Reading teacher. Since retirement, I have been a full-time substitute teacher in Craven County.

I am one of the original charter members of Twin Rivers Reading Council founded in 1987. I am also a past president of the Council and have held many positions on the board. I have been the chairman for Reading Fun Day at the mall project for the past ten years.

I look forward to working with you all this year. You may contact me at (252)-349-4510 or email me at poohbear13@suddenlink.net.