Richard Owens Conference Sponsored by JNMFL

At forum, the teachers will be the students Conference aids Nicarico memorial fund.(News)
Article from:Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) Article date:July 31, 2003Author:Hartman, Kari More results for:jeanine nicarico Literacy

Byline: Kari Hartman Daily Herald Staff Writer

Teaching is not a stagnant profession.

Instructors often need to rethink what they're doing in the classroom and change over time.

To help that process along, the Jeanine Nicarico Memorial Fund for Literacy and Naperville Unit District 203 are sponsoring a literacy conference next week in Naperville.

The Nicarico fund, which is part of the Naperville Education Foundation, will receive 10 percent of the money collected from each registration.

"This gives teachers the chance to dig deep into their theories of education," said Chris Roy, a kindergarten teacher at River Woods Elementary School in Naperville.

Roy's sister, Jeanine Nicarico, was 10 years old when she was abducted from her home and murdered in 1983. The fund, set up in Jeanine's memory, goes toward literacy grants in both District 203 and Indian Prairie Unit District 204.

So far, about 90 educators have registered for the Richard Owens Summer Institute, "Literacy Learning: Teachers as Professional Decision-Makers."

The conference is open to educators across the country and registration is still open. The first day will focus on reading, the second on writing, and the third on organizing and managing the classroom, preparing lesson plans and teaching approaches.

"This gives you the chance to reflect on what you're doing and gain new knowledge," Roy said.

The conference will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Madison Junior High School, 1000 River Oak Drive, Naperville.

Registration costs $350, which includes breakfasts and lunches. Educators can register for the conference at Madison before the first session Monday or can call (800) 262-0787.