Time: 9:00 - 10:00

Location: Auditorium

Presenter: Erin Kent

🌐 The Global Landscape of Literacy: Where We Were. Where We Are. What’s Next.

What if your school’s story is part of something much bigger?

In this keynote, Erin Kent draws on EKC’s work in hundreds of international schools to paint a global picture of how reading and writing are evolving - and how schools are tackling change in thoughtful, sustainable ways.

You’ll hear what’s working (and what’s not), which regions are leading the way (and why), and the real, measurable impact these shifts are having on learners around the world.

This session is a chance to zoom out, reflect, and reconnect with the bigger movement we’re part of - and start the day with renewed clarity for your school’s next steps.

Because when we learn from others’ journeys, we do better in our own communities.

Let’s leverage the world to lift the world.

Time: 10:00 - 10:10

Time: 10:15 -11:30

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📚 From Research to Reading Groups: Making the Science of Reading Work

Description: The Science of Reading has deepened our understanding of how students learn to read and the importance of explicit, systematic instruction. Yet translating research into daily classroom practice can feel overwhelming. How do we fit it all into a limited literacy block? This session explores how redefining reading groups can help bridge the gap between theory and practice, as well as address some of the tensions in our planning. 

Participants will reflect on common classroom challenges and examine practical ways to redesign small-group instruction to explicitly address the pillars of reading. Be ready to walk away with tools to develop and implement a clear, actionable plan to implement purposeful and responsive reading groups that support the development of skilled, confident readers.

Grades K-5

Facilitator: Bianca Nunes

Location: A2 02

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📚 Leitura que Transfere: rotinas práticas para ir do código ao pensamento no Português do EF I

Reading That Transfers: Practical Routines to Move from Code to Thinking in Elementary Portuguese

Description: Nessa sessão, o foco é ensino de leitura em sala. O que o professor faz minuto a minuto para que a leitura em Português deixe de ser um bloco isolado e passe a alimentar a aprendizagem nas unidades e projetos? Vamos trabalhar a transição do “ler palavras” para “ler para entender e explicar”, com rotinas simples e repetíveis para: fortalecer decodificação e fluência sem perder sentido, ensinar vocabulário e estruturas que ampliam compreensão, e conduzir conversas e respostas curtas que mostram evidências do que o aluno entendeu. A ideia é sair com um repertório de práticas que cabem na semana e ajudam a construir leitores que usam a leitura para pensar, argumentar e aprender.

In this session, the focus is on classroom reading instruction. What do teachers do, minute by minute, so that reading in Portuguese stops being an isolated block and starts fueling learning across units and projects? We’ll work on the shift from “reading words” to “reading to understand and explain,” using simple, repeatable routines to: strengthen decoding and fluency without losing meaning, teach vocabulary and language structures that deepen comprehension, and facilitate talk and short responses that provide clear evidence of what students understood. The goal is to leave with a practical repertoire of routines that fit into a typical week and help develop readers who use reading to think, argue, and learn.

Grades K-5

Facilitator: Barbara Mednis

Location: A2 01

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💬 Dynamic Vocabulary: Building Academic & Literary Language for All

Description: Join Dr. Mary Ehrenworth for an interactive workshop on the latest research on vocabulary acquisition, including literary vocabulary, domain vocabulary, and building word consciousness. This workshop presents three powerful approaches: deepening literary vocabulary through character analysis, building domain expertise through content studies, and developing word consciousness through etymology and morphology. 

Explore dynamic classroom practices that deepen academic and literary vocabulary while fostering genuine word consciousness. You'll learn how to integrate vocabulary collection into read-alouds, teach students to decode complex context clues in nonfiction, and engage learners in etymology investigations. These research-backed strategies will work within your current schedule and curriculum, creating dramatic increases in student vocabulary while boosting engagement with language across all subjects and grade levels.  Perfect for educators seeking evidence-based methods to accelerate vocabulary growth for all learners, including multilingual students.

Grades 2-10

Facilitator: Dr. Mary Ehrenworth

Location: Lower School Co-thinking

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🌐 But What Does It Look Like? Co-Constructing Observation Tools to Clarify Literacy Practice and Strengthen Feedback

Description: How can we bring greater clarity and momentum to lesson level experiences and shared instructional moves? 

This session examines the why and how of co-constructing observation tools for literacy instruction. Participants will explore the research-based rationale for shared instructional “look-fors” and learn a collaborative design process for engaging teacher teams in creating tools that bring clarity, coherence, and more meaningful feedback, without reducing teaching to a checklist.

Walk away with specific knowledge of the process, examples from real teams of teachers, and concrete tools to use or adapt for your own context.

K-12 School Leaders, Coaches, and Teacher Leaders

Facilitator: Andrew Hossack

Location: A2 03

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🌱 A Walk Through the Forest: A Sound Healing Journey

Description: In this session, we invite you to an immersion in the green of the forest. Imagine yourself gently stepping on the moist earth, surrounded by the songs of birds and the scent of leaves. Along the walk, the sound of drums, flutes, and Koshi chimes will guide us through the rivers, the earth, and the flame of the fire. With mind and body relaxed, each person can receive a personal message on this journey. 

We will open the session with a focus on the sounds and the silence around us, followed by an experience with therapeutic instruments, and we will conclude with a moment of silence and a circle for sharing. 

Join us for a calming and meditative experience that will leave you refreshed!

Facilitator: Roger Farina Lemm

Location: The Blue Room

Time: 11:40 -12:25

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💬 Where Language Grows: Supporting Speaking, Listening, and Vocabulary in PK–3

Description: This session will focus on strategies to support speaking skills, enhancing listening abilities, and building vocabulary through oral language. We will explore ways to promote interaction and dialogue, encouraging collaborative peer conversations and social language development. Additionally, we will learn how to integrate oral language opportunities into the environment and daily routines, ensuring that speaking and listening are an ongoing part of the learning process.

Grades PK-3

Facilitator: Meredith Spragg

Location: A2 02

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🌐 Cognitive Engagement: Instructional Practices that Engage ALL Learners

Description: How do we ensure every student is doing the thinking; not just the few with hands raised? This interactive session explores research-based instructional practices that elevate cognitive engagement for ALL learners. 

Together, we’ll examine practical strategies that move beyond surface level participation to deep thinking, purposeful discourse, and meaningful learning for each and every student in your classroom. 

Walk away with practical, research-informed strategies you can use immediately to design lessons that challenge, motivate, and connect with  the diverse learners in our classrooms. Whether you're refreshing your toolkit or rethinking your approach, this session will leave you energized and equipped to reach all learners.

Grades K-8

Facilitator: Natashya Hays

Location: A2 01

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📚More Than Speed: Using Fluency to Understand and Support Readers

Description: While reading fluency is often assumed to emerge naturally as both strands of the reading rope develop, fluency data can reveal valuable insights about how students are growing as readers. Participants will explore tools and strategies in English and Portuguese that support progress monitoring, responsive teaching, and student reflection for reading fluency.

Grades K-8

Facilitator: Juliana Marsigli

Location: A2 03

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➕ Developing Mathematical Reasoning Through Real-World Contexts

Description: How can we move students beyond procedures and into deep mathematical reasoning? In this collaborative session, participants will explore how real-world contexts can serve as powerful entry points for developing conceptual understanding and critical thinking in upper elementary and middle school classrooms.

Educators will experience rich, context-based tasks that require students to analyze situations, make sense of quantities, and justify their conclusions. Special attention will be given to the use of CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) structures in upper grades to help students articulate and defend their mathematical thinking with clarity and precision.

We will look at simple, practical ways to create meaningful tasks, guide classroom conversations, and support all learners as they explain and challenge mathematical ideas. A strong emphasis will be placed on helping students think outside the box by exploring multiple strategies, making connections, and defending their thinking. Participants will leave with ready-to-use examples, flexible CER tools, and clear teaching strategies that encourage deeper thinking, stronger student voice, and real-world problem solving across grade levels.

‍Grades 3-8

Facilitator: Matt Minor

Location: A2 04

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📚 Centering the Text, Centering the Reader: Planning for Whole-Class Novel Studies

Description: We’ve all heard it: students are reading fewer long-form texts than ever before. And yet, whole class text experiences are still one of the most powerful opportunities to build community, deepen comprehension, and nurture joy in reading - when we plan for them with intention.

In this session, we’ll explore how to plan for a novel or anchor text in grades 6–12 in ways that balance rigor with joy, structure with agency, and challenge with accessibility.

You’ll leave with practical planning moves, lesson ideas, and guiding principles to help whole-class texts become shared experiences of insight, connection, and joy rather than one-size-fits-all assignments.

Grades 6-12

Facilitator: Jenny Killion

Location: Arts Studio

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🌱 Diving In: A Sound Healing Journey

Description: Fear often paralyzes us and prevents us from living our full potential. In this immersion, we will release what no longer serves us and take a dive into the ocean waters. The sound of the ocean drum, Koshi chimes, and flute will guide us through this session, allowing us to reach a state of relaxation in both body and mind.

We will open the session with a focus on the sounds and the silence around us, followed by an experience with therapeutic instruments, and we will conclude with a moment of silence and a circle for sharing. Join us for a calming and meditative experience that will leave you refreshed!

Facilitator: Roger Farina Lemm

Location: The Blue Room

Time: 13:00 -13:40

Location: Cafeteria

Time: 13:45 -14:45

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🌐 From Minutes to Meaning: Designing a Literacy Block That Works

Description: If you teach K–2 and sometimes feel like your literacy block is a daily puzzle of fitting it all in, this workshop is for you. Together, we’ll explore practical, streamlined structures and routines that help decoding, language comprehension, and writing instruction work in harmony—creating an intentional, cohesive, and manageable literacy block.

Expect to walk away with sample schedules, concrete examples, and ready-to-use ideas you can implement right away—so you leave feeling energized, organized, and ready to rock your literacy block.

Grades K-2

Facilitator: Rossie Apt

Location: A2 03

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📚Conferring with Readers Through the Reading Rope: Using observational insights to support student growth

Description: Conferring is one of the most powerful ways to understand and support readers. In this session, we will explore how the strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope can guide conferences, helping us notice what students can do, identify where they need support, and make responsive teaching decisions in the moment. 

Participants will leave with practical strategies for gathering formative data during conferences and using it to move readers forward in their development

Grades K-8

Facilitator: Justine Otte

Location: A2 04

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💬 Morphology: What is it? & Why teach it? 

Description: Morphology, the study of word parts and meaning, is one of the most powerful (and underused) tools for strengthening vocabulary, comprehension, and decoding. But what does it actually look like in daily instruction, and why does it matter so much for student achievement?

In this session, we’ll unpack the research behind morphology and explore simple, high-impact routines you can implement immediately. Learn how teaching roots, prefixes, and suffixes accelerates word recognition, deepens understanding, and builds knowledge across content areas. If you want students to unlock thousands of words, not just memorize them, this session will show you how.

Grades 3-8

Facilitator: Natashya Hays

Location: A2 01

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🌐 Feedback That Sticks: Giving impactful feedback and getting kids to actually use it

Description: Tired of pouring time into feedback that students barely glance at, fail to apply, or ignore altogether? You’re not alone! Come discover powerful, easy-to-implement strategies that turn feedback from “just another comment” into a catalyst for real learning. Walk away with practical tools you can use the very next day to save time, boost student ownership, and spark lasting growth.

Grades 5-12

Facilitator: April Stout

Location: A2 02

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🌱 Writing Our Way to Wellbeing: Story, Reflection, and Connection

Description: Writing can be more than an academic skill—it can be a powerful tool for reflection, clarity, and connection. In this session, participants will experience writing as a wellness practice, using simple prompts and storytelling to explore their own experiences and perspectives. Through personal writing and optional sharing, teachers will reflect, reconnect with their voices, and consider how writing can help us better understand ourselves and one another.

Come whether you consider yourself a writer or not, with whatever you teach and whatever languages you prefer, and we will find, together, some small moments of joy and peace.

Facilitator: Dr. Mary Ehrenworth & Jenny Killion

Location: Arts Studio

Time: 15:10 - 15:30

Location: Auditorium

Presenter: Erin Kent

💚 Closing & Giveaways!

Let’s come together one last time to celebrate our shared learning and community. This brief closing will include an opportunity to reconnect, exchange final thoughts, and say goodbye - whether to long-time collaborators or new colleagues you’ve met along the way. And some will walk away with a few exciting giveaways!