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Raising Attendance: Creating Welcoming Learning Environments, a Panel Discussion

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST

Raising Attendance: Creating Welcoming Learning Environments, a Panel Discussion

Presented by BreAnn Fennell, Second-Grade Teacher, Reagan Elementary School (OH); Valente’ Gibson, Elementary After-School Coordinator, Richland School District Two (SC); Eddie Vitcavage, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Roger Sherman Elementary School (CT); Tim Wheeler, Third-Grade Teacher, Williams Elementary School (IL); and Amanda Alexander, Ph.D., Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic

Sponsored by Scholastic Education

Watch the Recording

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Engaging students and their families begins with creating welcoming and responsive learning environments. When that happens, students feel like they belong and want to come to school.

Join four Scholastic Teacher Fellows in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Amanda Alexander, Scholastic’s Chief Academic Officer, as they share ways to create welcoming environments and boost student engagement. In the edWebinar, educators:

  • Explore the common root causes of chronic absenteeism
  • Learn how creating welcoming learning environments improves student engagement and attendance
  • Gain actionable strategies for quickly implementing engagement practices

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and family engagement staff.

BreAnn Fennell

About the Presenters

BreAnn Fennell is a passionate and dedicated educator. She currently serves as an elementary teacher, specializing in first-, second-, and third-grade students in Ashland City Schools in Ohio. Prior to teaching, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Ashland University. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, BreAnn has taken on a significant role as a training and development specialist with the renowned Teach Better Team. She was awarded Ohio Teacher of the Year for District 5 in 2021 and has served the state of Ohio as a teacher leader liaison for the past two years. Beyond her leadership and advocacy in education, BreAnn has also written several children’s books and contributed to education publications, such as Principal Navigator magazine. In her personal life, she is a defender of the importance of play, a dedicated book collector, and a loving mother of two boys.

Valente' Gibson

Valente’ Gibson is the Elementary School After-School Coordinator at Richland School District Two in Columbia, South Carolina, where he helps students and families across the district with academic and enrichment services. He’s also taught third and fifth grade in the district. Valente’’s commitment to education focuses on racial and social justice education practices that promote equity in teaching and learning. He is the Richland Two 2021–2022 School District Teacher of the Year and a 2023 recipient of the International Literacy Association’s 30 Under 30 award.

Eddie Vitcavage

Eddie Vitcavage (he/him) is a fifth-grade teacher at Roger Sherman Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. Throughout his four years of teaching, Eddie’s pedagogical practices fostered collaborative and innovative learning spaces that are engineered toward each student’s growth and development, inspired by his roots in directing. Within the district, he serves as an equity leader, studying and implementing culturally responsive strategies in the classroom and building at large. His goal is to promote integrity and rigor in academic excellence through relevant and relatable learning experiences. He is passionate about literature, publishing, and providing each learner with the best texts possible to foster a love of reading.

Tim Wheeler

Tim Wheeler is a third-grade teacher in his seventh year of teaching. A 2019 Book Love grant winner, Tim is known at his school for promoting a culture of literacy in his classroom. He’s always striving to find innovative ways to differentiate and personalize instruction while building strong relationships with students and using technology in the process. While Tim has a reputation for silliness and might be found with a ukulele, a sock puppet, or a wig on during a lesson, he also serves as a member of his district’s curriculum committee. Tim also volunteers with the local chapter of the Illinois Reading Council.

Amanda Alexander

Dr. Amanda Alexander serves as Scholastic’s Chief Academic Officer. In this role, she leads research and validation efforts to ensure the efficacy of products, the delivery of professional learning services, and the company’s partnership with the Yale Child Study Center, focusing on the intersection of literacy and health. Before joining Scholastic, Dr. Alexander served as the Vice President of Policy and Partnership Development at Teachstone. With more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience, the majority of Dr. Alexander’s service has been as a practitioner in the public sector. She has a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Howard University, an M.S.Ed. in educational leadership from Baruch College, and a Ph.D. in education from American University.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Creating a Positive School Climate community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.


Scholastic EducationScholastic Education provides teachers, families, and communities with the tools they need to support each and every child with print and technology-based learning programs for pre-K to grade 12, expert professional development, family and community engagement, and learning supports.


Raise Student Attendance

Details

Date:
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Time:
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST
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