Reading Council Concludes Yearly Activites – Announces New Officers
A last look at the current Armstrong Reading Council leaders: (L-R) Courtney Eiler, Incoming President Crystal Long, President Tammie Rabbitt, Kim Firment-Miller, Paula Matus and Joan Moore.
The Armstrong Reading Council – made up of current and retired teachers in the region – announced their 2015-16 officers at their year-end banquet at Garda’s Restaurant April 29.
Outgoing President Tammie Rabbitt – a Title 1 Reading Specialist for K-6th graders in the Freeport Area School District – has been with the council for 15 years and served three different years as president.
She said being involved with the council helps to further her career through networking with fellow professionals – both locally and statewide.
“You meet some of the most wonderful people in the world,” Rabbitt said.
Rabbitt will be council secretary and work with Act 48 credit hours next year.
Incoming President Crystal Long – a HeadStart teacher throughout the county during the past 14 years – will be the new president next month.
Long – who was president nearly 10 years ago - strives to increase membership and continue to bring literacy to students across the region.
The Armstrong Reading Council - part of the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) and the International Reading Association (IRA) - offers credit hours to teachers to fulfill their teaching requirement and has current and retired teachers from Armstrong, Freeport, Apollo-Ridge, Leechburg and Karns City school districts, as well as into Butler County, on the roster.
Rabbitt said another member teaches in Butler County and the organization even accepts student teachers currently enrolled at the university level.
“We have members from all over,” Rabbitt said.
Outgoing officers were given a token of appreciation
The organization presented three recipients with the organization’s “Clara Cockerille Literacy Award” for actively promoting literacy in the community: Kittanning Paper Journalist Jonathan Weaver, Salvation Army Lieutenant Amber Imhoff and the eight-member Mission Literacy Team and Retired Teacher Paula Matus.
Dr. Clara E. Cockerille- a former teacher and Armstrong County assistant superintendent of school and professor of education at Westminster College – was honored for her dedication to education and organization of the council in 1977, when the Armstrong County Reading Council petitioned the KSRA and IRA to change the group’s name to the “Clara Cockerille Reading Council”. The name of the council was changed back in 1988.
In addition to a certificate, each recipient also received a copy of the children’s book “Hummingbirds,” by former member Julianne Gehman and a flower.
KSRA Regional Director of Region 1 Pamela Brandon – a former Redbank Valley School District teacher – also visited during the evening.
Teachers unanimously voted for their service project to donate $50 to Harvest Community Church in Kittanning for literacy materials before their youth missions trip to the South American country of Paraguay.
Church youth and adult chaperones at the end of July will lead the first Vacation Bible School at a Paraguay church they helped build
“It sounds amazing,” Rabbitt said.
Before the evening ended, Worthington Poet Judy Creel also read one of the poems from her book, “Windows to My Heart.”
Creel – who compiled her work of get-well wishes, birthday poems and life reflections into the book – was one of the dozen authors at the “A Gathering of Authors” at West Hills Primary School in East Franklin Township in March.
Inspired by her late mother, Creel’s second book, “Shades of Time,” of poetry and a short mystery story will be released this summer.
Local News | KP NewsDesk May 4, 2015
