Mother and daughter attend National Renaissance Learning Conference
Mary Ashley and her daughter Stephanie attended the National Renaissance Learning Conference in Nashville, TN, February 10-12, 2006. Mary Ashley is the media coordinator at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle School and High School. Stephanie Ashley teaches 1st grade at Southwest Elementary School in Hickory, NC. The main keynote speaker was the children's author Patricia Polacco. Hearing Polacco was a dream come true for the two. Polacco spoke about her book "The Keeping Quilt". which tells the story of her family by the pieces on the quilt. Marc Brown, author of the Arthur books, also spoke at the conference. Other authors at the conference were R.L. Stine, Brod Bagert, T. A. Barron, Sneed B. Collard, III, Kathleen Duey, David Lubar, Cindy Neuschwander, and Joyce Carol Thomas. Sessions offered at the conference included Introduction to the Accelerated Reader program, the Star program, Early Skills Literacy, and Accelerated Math programs. The Renaissance Classroom Response System was also demonstrated.

Sentinel photo submitted Mary Ashley, right, and her daughter Stephanie attended the National Renaissance Learning Conference.