Michelle Stowell wins grant for books
Michelle Stowell, a third-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary has received a minigrant of $498 from the Northwest Professional Educators. The grant will be used to purchase books for her students.
Stowell has been taking a class for the past three years on comprehension strategies to improve reading. These strategies have been identified through studying expert readers.
“The strategies that I teach the students help them comprehend and remember what they’re reading. There are six major strategies, so I’ll teach one strategy at a time, maybe over two months,” Stowell said.
“We’re trying to slow down our teaching, because before, we were trying to teach too many topics at a time.”
Northwest Professional Educators is a nonprofit, professional educators organization offering teacher scholarships, classroom minigrants, and professional development resources. Awards range from $200 to $500.
Volunteer literacy tutor training
There is no special training required to become a volunteer with Spokane Public Schools, but for those who want to become literacy volunteers, a free training session may help them feel more confident in their role.
The first session of the training will be today from 9 to 11 a.m. at KSPS, 3911 S. Regal St., or from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Spokane Teachers Credit Union, 106 W. Nora Ave.
Applications will be available for those who have not yet completed one.
Additional sessions will be in November and December. Volunteers need not attend all three but are encouraged to do so.
Anna Fritts honored
The Washington State Association of School Psychologists recently named Anna Fritts School Psychologist of the Year.
Fritts has worked for Spokane Public Schools as a school psychologist and facilitator for the district’s special education support center since 1998. She currently serves in the special education training cadre for the Washington Education Association, where she is responsible for training school officials on special education law.
SCC hosts career fair
Spokane Community College’s community, career and employment services department will hold a daily Career Area Rock ‘n’ Roll Extravaganza showcasing center services Oct. 18-22 from 8 a.m. to noon.
The department is in the SCC Lair-Student Center Building, 1810 N. Greene St. The event is free.
There will be music, games and refreshments while visitors learn about on- and off-campus employment opportunities, career counseling and assessment services and other department features.
For information, contact Bonnie Wilmot, SCC career planning coordinator, at 533-8009.
St. Patrick’s Catholic School spaghetti dinner
St. Patrick’s Catholic School will hold a spaghetti dinner Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. in Holy Names Hall, on the lower level of the school, 2706 E. Queen Ave.
The menu is spaghetti, salad, French bread and dessert. The cost is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under or $20 for a family of four.