Virginia's Early Reading Interventions Symposium: March 22 and March 23, 2007

The Department of Education and the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) office at the University of Virginia are pleased to announce Virginia's Early Reading Interventions Symposium a one-day event to be held on two different dates, March 22, and March 23, 2007, at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, Virginia. The symposium is open to a team of six participants from each division to include the PALS division representative, elementary school principals, and elementary school reading resource teachers. The PALS division representative should determine which day the divisions team will attend and register the team for either the March 22 or March 23, 2007, symposium. The goal of this one-day symposium will be to assist school divisions with using data to inform reading instruction and to design effective reading interventions.

The symposium will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Attachment A contains an overview of the event.

Registration - The Office of Continuing and Professional Education at Virginia Tech will manage online registrations received from the PALS division representative. It is the responsibility of the PALS division representative to register the six divisionwide participants for the symposium and to make any cancellations of lodging arrangements if needed. The deadline for registration is February 28, 2007. The PALS division representative from each school division may register participants online for the March 22 or 23, 2007, symposium at www.cpe.vt.edu/reg/veris. The description of breakout sessions may also be viewed at this site.

Lodging - Lodging costs for participants traveling more than 75 miles will be funded by the Department of Education. The cutoff date for room reservations is February 28, 2007. A block of rooms has been reserved for March 21 and 22, 2007, at two hotels. Please reference Department of Education, Virginia's Early Reading Interventions Symposium.

For reservations at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, call (540) 853-8298. Overflow lodging has been arranged at the Holiday Inn Roanoke, 3315 Ordway Drive, N.W., Roanoke, Virginia. For reservations at the Holiday Inn Roanoke, call (540) 362-4500.

Directions - Hotel directions may be found at http://www.hotelroanoke.com/ for The Hotel Roanoke and http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/ROAOD/transportation for the Holiday Inn Roanoke.

Authorized Expenses - Mileage costs for participants traveling more than 75 miles will be funded by the Department of Education. Materials, a continental breakfast, lunch, and breaks will be provided. Participants are asked to be present for all meal functions.

For registration questions, please contact your designated PALS division representative. For program questions, please contact Ginna Glover, elementary specialist for reading and English at Ginna.Glover@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 786-1997. The PALS division representatives may contact Holly Wimmer, conference registration specialist at holly05@vt.edu or (540) 231-5182 with registration questions.

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http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2007/inf031a.pdf