Janice Green (Principal)

As principal at Gate City Elementary, Green has helped organize the "Be Excited About Reading, or B.E.A.R. Club" program, which encourages teachers to explore new children's literature. Meeting monthly after school hours to discuss pre-assigned books and share ideas about using those books in the classroom, the BEAR Club's goal is to help provide a "literacy rich" classroom environment for students. Teachers in the program enjoy using the professional development time to collaborate on the best of children's literature and discuss different techniques to enrich student learning through reading. A different chapter book and picture book are discussed each month and teachers take turns facilitating the discussions. The program plans to expand the school's library of new children's literature, ensuring that new books are available to students interested in reading.