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4 EDCAL January 28, 2019 Families join school’s Camp Read-A-Lot for fun Imagine a camping excursion with no packing, cooking, or cleaning. That’s just what C.J. Morris Elementary in Walnut Valley USD offered families recently. The school opened its doors for an evening of literacy-related activities during Camp Read-A-Lot. With pitched tents and a roaring “paper” campfire, the decorated multipurpose room set the stage for a cozy night out of the rain. More than 400 family members gathered on blankets and munched on nachos while listening to stories read by teachers and staff members. The children, parents, and grand- parents then rotated through several reading and writing activities hosted in classrooms. During a Scrabble-like challenge, fami- lies competed to build three, four, and five- letter words. At another station, students made up silly Mad Lib camping-themed stories by adding verbs, nouns, and adjec- tives. Fourth grade twins Truth and Tasen Stovall collaborated on the writing activity and then proudly read it aloud. “It was a ‘fluffy’ summer day and we were excited to go camping in ‘New York’ for the Families filled the multipurpose room for Camp Read-A-Lot story time at C.J. Morris Elementary. very first time. We went in our ‘awesome’ Youngsters also enjoyed coloring book- “I like to read realistic fiction - like van listening to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little marks and creating puppet pals. Bridge to Terabithia,” said fourth grader Star’ all the way down,” they both recited. Wailing Walker, as she colored a bookmark. “We’re reading it in class right now.” “We’re having a blast tonight,” said par- ent Bryan Tanori as son, Luca, used a glued stick to complete his hawk sack puppet, before proudly displaying the finished prod- uct. Families also brought cookies, chips, cupcakes, and fresh fruit to share, while Community Club members sold tacos and hosted a book fair. A representative from the Los Angeles County Library was on hand to help children complete library card applications. “Our school community really came together to make Camp Read-A-Lot a success,” said Title 1 specialist Jennifer Veneracion. And what camping experience is com- plete without s’mores treats? The children used a recipe to fill baggies with tiny marshmallows, chocolate chips, and Golden Grahams cereal for a little extra energy and to encourage “s’more” reading. This article was submitted by Walnut Valley USD. State ACSA office candidates participating in online town hall Candidates for state ACSA officer elec- tions will take part in an online town hall, scheduled for Feb. 4 at 4:00 p.m. All mem- bers are invited to watch and submit ques- tions for the candidates. Charlie Hoffman, superintendent of Shasta-Trinity ROP/Bella Vista Elementary and current ACSA board member, will be joined by Barbara Martinez, a principal in Pacific Grove USD and current ACSA board member, as well as Dennis Cole, director of Humanities for the Orange County Department of Education. Hoffman is running unopposed for ACSA Vice President. Martinez and Cole are running for Vice President for Legislative Action. “The ACSA board has made a commit- ment to our members that we will provide equal access for all statewide candidates,” said ACSA President Holly Edds. “This town hall provides each candidate with a unique opportunity to talk about their plat- form and the future of our organization.” All ACSA members are encouraged to watch the online town hall and register prior to the event. Registration is now open at http://bit.ly/2RNYGEl. A recorded version of the online town hall will be available on the ACSA Resource Hub later in the week. You can access the recorded version by going to content.acsa. org and clicking the Candidate Forum tile. “We believe there are creative ways for our candidates to get their information out to all 19 regions and members statewide in a way everyone can benefit,” Edds said. “I encourage everyone to watch and partici- pate because so much of what they have to say will shape ACSA.” Members who are interested in submit- ting questions for the candidates before or during the forum are encouraged to do so by emailing them to candidates@acsanet- work.org. REGISTER TODAY! ACSA Every Child Counts Symposium February 13-15, 2019 | Anaheim Marriott Hotel ACSA’s Student Services and Special Education Council presents this world-class learning event each year, featuring exciting workshops, informative keynotes and opportunities for skill development and networking. The event is designed for both beginning and veteran educational leaders and focuses on the latest in the field of student services and special education. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Marlee Matlin Brad Cohen REGISTER ONLINE TODAY: https://goo.gl/Av2CzJ