Reading Program Sponsors Celebration

The Washington Reading Corps will kick off a celebration on Friday at 10 a.m. at the West Central Community Center.

The Inland Northwest Washington Reading program - the local organization of the reading corps - is sponsoring the event. It is also looking to enlist volunteers.

“We want people from all walks of life and all neighborhoods to volunteer,” said Susan Russell, director of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program.

RSVP, Foster Grandparents, Americorps VISTA, Big Brothers and Sisters, Washington Service Corps and Washington Reading Corps are all partners in mobilizing volunteers and providing resources to the community so kids can become good readers.

“I feel that if I can help in any way, it will be great,” said Diane Shears, a Ridgeview Elementary School reading volunteer.

“Reading is really important to students’ success,” she said. “Giving an hour or two a week as a one-on-one mentor is the least I can do.”

Governor Gary Locke will be present to help stump for volunteers.

“We need to bring together children who are learning to sound out words with volunteers who will listen to them, and praise them when they do it right,” Locke said.

“That’s how a lifetime of success gets started, and how a lifetime of failure and frustration is averted,” he said.

Jamie Frank a finalist

Jamie Frank of Gonzaga Prep High School was named a semifinalist in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

Frank is one of more than 1,500 African-American finalists now with an opportunity to compete for about 800 scholarship awards worth nearly $3 million that will be offered next spring.

The achievement program, conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, is a privately financed academic competition that was initiated in 1964 to honor academically able black students to encourage them to pursue higher education.

Garry teacher bound for Tokyo

Ellen Gillespie, an English and foreign exploratory teacher at Garry Middle School, will spend three weeks in Tokyo this month as a participant in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.

She was selected from a national pool of more than 2,700 applicants by a panel of nationwide educators.

Gillespie, a seven-year teacher, is the only Spokane teacher to be chosen and will join nearly 200 others from across the nation.

Her trip will include a home stay and is fully funded by the Japanese government which launched the teacher program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Government-initiated Fulbright Program.

The program has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to come to the U.S. on Fulbright scholarships for graduate and education research.

Godsey chosen for science training

Gregg Godsey, a biology teacher at Riverside High School, is one of 15 Washington middle and high school biology teachers who are participating in a new Washington State University program designed to update their knowledge of biotechnology.

In a word, Godsey described the program as “intense.”

“It’s exciting, you’re learning about things that are on the cutting edge,” Godsey said.

John Paznoskas, WSU’s biology chair, said “One of the least understood and fastest growing areas in biology is modern biology.

“It’s our goal to produce master teachers in biology through an intensive master’s degree program focusing on biotechnology,” he said.

It’s a three-year program with most of the lab work held during the summer.

The program emphasizes concepts in molecular genetics and laboratory techniques, molecular biology, experimental design, data analysis and math integration into biology.

School teachers are also trained to focus on integrating their knowledge into the schools’ curriculum.

Godsey attended a summer session at WSU and will return for summer sessions in 1999 and 2000.

During the current school year at Riverside High he is completing is coursework via e-mail and attending video classes.

Godsey said being a student helps sharpen his skills as a teacher.

“It really refreshes teaching. It’s nice to have that fresh experience. That’s really one of the main goals of the program,” he said.

Midway to host science fair

Midway Elementary School’s Magic of Science Fair will be held at the school - 821 E. Midway Road - on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

More than 25 agencies and organizations will be in attendance. Everyone is invited to attend. A $2 donation per family is requested but not required.

For more information call Pam Tsuchida 625-6951, or Mariellen Watson, 467-7030.