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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Dear Teacher 2023 Conference<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Island Readers & Writers (IRW) has opened registration for the Dear Teacher 2023 professional development conference. The conference will be held October 5 and 6, 2023 at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The conference will kick off with keynote speaker Sophie Blackall, a two-time Caldecott medalist author and illustrator on Thursday, October 5. Conference offerings will continue all day on Friday, October 6, with over 16 workshops to choose
from and two featured speakers: author and educator Lauren Wolk and University of Maine associate professor of educational leadership Dr. Catherine Biddle. IRW will also offer the opportunity for participants to register for one of three intensive workshops
to be held midday on Thursday. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Featured speakers and workshops will focus on writing and narrative, the humanities and interdisciplinary learning, and rural, place-based education. Each workshop is aligned with IRW’s belief in the essential role of reading in fostering
the healthy development of children as confident, curious, and engaged learners, and empathetic and active citizens.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This conference is intended for educators, principals, support staff and school librarians working with grades pre-K–8 in rural Maine schools.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Registration & details can be found at: <a href="https://islandreadersandwriters.org/dear-teacher/">https://islandreadersandwriters.org/dear-teacher/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Contact Kelsey Buckley at <a href="mailto:kbuckley@islandreadersandwriters.org">
kbuckley@islandreadersandwriters.org</a> with any questions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Danielle M. Saucier, M.Ed. Literacy Specialist<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Inclusive Education Literacy Specialist & Dyslexia Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Maine Department of Education<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">23 State House Station <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Augusta, Maine 04333<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="mailto:danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov">danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">(207) 441-1383<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#141414;background:white">*Don’t miss Literacy updates and communications related to General & Special Education and the
<b><i>M</i></b><i>aine <b>A</b>ssociation for <b>I</b>mproving <b>L</b>iteracy </i>
(<b>MAIL</b>). Sign up for the </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="https://mailman.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/maineliteracy"><span style="color:#2A53A6;background:white">Maine Literacy Listserv here</span></a><span style="color:#141414;background:white">. Join
the <a href="https://forms.office.com/g/ZqNEyhxBwj">MAIL Network here</a>. <o:p>
</o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#141414;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Maine DOE</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> | </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> | </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> | </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> |</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Maine
DOE Newsroom</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> | </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="143" height="52" style="width:1.493in;height:.5416in" id="Picture_x0020_19" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D99522.EAD47880"><img border="0" width="71" height="72" style="width:.7361in;height:.75in" id="Picture_x0020_20" src="cid:image002.png@01D99522.EAD47880"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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