Award Recipients
Jodi Chapek
Jodi teaches in an approximately 90% Hispanic/10% Caucasian kindergarten classroom and has begun a program that involves having high school students from Spanish classes visit her classroom and read beginning bi-lingual books aloud with a kindergarten "buddy." The high school students learn to read with more fluency in their foreign language class, and the kindergartners love having a high school athlete or band member, etc., read to them. |
Julie Agard
Julie has done much to deserve receiving the Reading Spotlight Award including:
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helping establish the Storytelling Festival in Kearney, NE in conjunction with the Museum of Nebraska Art.
- serving many terms on the Board of Education for Kearney Public Schools encouraging author visits, literacy events, and effective teaching.
- organizing the authors and speakers for the Nebraska State Reading Conference in Kearney every February.
- teaching primary literacy classes for UNK and instrumental in setting up primary reading field experiences for 35-45 students each semester.
- coordinating a project whereby each UNK student in the Primary block creates a picture book to be published and shared with children.
- directing the Exemplary Reading Program Award in Nebraska under the auspices of the International Reading Association.
- sponsoring for the University's Elementary Education Majors Club and organizing two huge annual Book Fairs on campus.
- serving on the Nebraska State Reading Board for more than three decades. |
Phyllis Beckler
Phyllis spends four days each week reading one on one with first grade students at Seward Elementary School. Phyllis also mentors a middle school student through the Teammates Program. A very special lady! |
Carolyn Cheney (and Sassy, her Boston Terrier)
Carolyn and her dog (Sassy) go regularly to Grant Elementary in Norfolk where children read to them as part of the Paws-Up R.E.A.D. Registered Therapy Dog program. Children are very comfortable reading to Sassy because he (and Carolyn) give nothing but positive affirmation each time. They don't correct their reading - they just listen (and sometimes Sassy falls asleep.) Carolyn also helped organize a couple other therapy dogs to come with her and Sassy to Lincoln Elementary this spring to take part in their "Rest Your Dogs" reading celebration. She also organized Paws-Up R.E.A.D. therapy dogs in the annual Children's Day Festival held at the Sunset Plaza Mall in February and sponsored by Read Aloud Norfolk. The theme of the Children's Day Festival each year is "For the Love of Reading" and the children and parents really LOVED Sassy and Carolyn. |
Sandra Maybon and Carol Robertson
Mrs. Maybon and Mrs. Robertson were the co-chairwomen of the annual Reading Adventure Banquet in Madison, Nebraska. They organized and hosted an evening to encourage family participation in reading. They served over 400 people delicious homemade desserts at tables decorated around each class's favorite book. Children helped their teachers design the placemats, nut cups, and centerpieces. The children explained to the adults at their tables why they chose the book. Ticket sales profits were divided among the participating classes and libraries. Most bought more books for their classroom libraries. Each child went home with a new book donated through the Bank of Madison. Mrs. Maybon and Mrs. Robertson are making plans for an even bigger and better event in March of 2009. |
UNL Athletes
Patrick Burke, Amanda Gates, T.J. O'Leary, Todd Petersen, Matt Senske, Tracy Stalls and Jenna Stroud read aloud to children at schools and libraries in Lincoln, Nebraska. |
Topher Vorhies
Topher is a former student at Sheridan School who took time out from his busy schedule to visit his former school and read to current students. |
Sen. Tony Fulton
Nebraska state senator, Tony Fulton helped Read Aloud Nebraska campaign for votes during the 2007 First Book contest to receive 50,000 free books. Although Nebraska didn't win, we came in a close second thanks in part to Senator Fulton's efforts. |
Ted Mandell
Author, Ted Mandell donated over 1,000 copies of his book I Play For Nebraska to Read Aloud Nebraska to be given away to children, schools and libraries. |
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Nominate an Individual
Do you know of someone who has done something great to promote reading aloud
in Nebraska?
Nominate them to receive this award! |
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