Fall Regional Meetings
Focus on the Classroom:
Bolstering Tier One Instruction
Regional Meetings are 2.5 hours in length. For Specific start times, please see below.
With uncertain budgets and new and alternatively certified teachers, the best defense is a good offense. Our fall regional meetings will be a learning and discussion format on how to strengthen direct instruction. We will review some proven techniques and strategies that will create an environment that will move beyond compliance and emphasize engagement. Come ready to share what works for you and to leave with additional ideas that you can use the next day.
**REMINDER** – Free attendance for all SMCAA Member District Staff to our Fall, Winter and Spring Regional Meetings.
Registration Required – Please put $0 in Total Field and Member in the Purchase Order field.
Non- Member Districts: $35.00 per person and must complete a registration form including a PO number.
If you have any questions, please contact Julie at jriley@smcaa.org
Past Regional Meetings
Webinar recordings from prior virtual meetings and handouts can be found on our Members Only Site under the resource tab. Please contact your districts primary SMCAA contact for your district’s login credentials
Kansas City: Oak Grove R-VI – September 9th @ 12:30 p.m.
Oak Grove Board of Education Building – 1205 South Salem Street, Oak Grove, MO 64075 Parking Map
Northwest Region: Excelsior Springs 40 – September 10th @ 9:30 a.m.
District Office, 300 W Broadway, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024
Northeast: Macon R-I – September 11th @ 9:30 a.m.
Macon R-I , 902 N. Missouri St., Macon MO 63552
Southwest Region: Willard R-II – September 15th @ 9:30 a.m.
Willard R-II, District Office Training Room, 500 E. Kime St., Willard MO 65781
West Central: Pettis County R- 12 – September 16th @ 9:30 a.m.
Pettis R-12 – 22675 Depot Road Sedalia, MO. 65301
Central Region: Jefferson City – September 17th @ 9:00 a.m.
N.H. Scheppers Distributing Meeting Room 2300 St. Mary’s Blvd. Jefferson City, MO 65105
Lunch Break 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Free Afternoon Presentation: The Morphology Advantage: Boosting Vocabulary for Lasting Literacy Success
Presentation Descriptor:
Participants will dive into the transformative power of morphology in literacy instruction. By leveraging morphology—the study of word structure, roots, prefixes, and suffixes—educators can provide students with tools to independently decode and understand complex vocabulary. This approach strengthens vocabulary and supports reading comprehension, enabling learners to tackle unfamiliar words with greater confidence. Through engaging examples and practical strategies, attendees will discover how incorporating morphological awareness into instruction leads to an increase in vocabulary acquisition and a solid foundation for literacy success across grade levels. The research on how students best learn to read, Science of Reading, recommends a strong foundation in morphology, which helps students comprehend texts from multiple content areas. Join us to unlock the morphology advantage and equip students for vocabulary mastery!
East Central: Dunklin R-V – September 17th @ 9:30 a.m.
Dunklin R-V, 720 Barclay St, Herculaneum, MO 63048
South Central Region: Rolla School District – September 23rd @ 9:30 a.m.
Rolla Central Office – 500 Forum Blvd, Rolla MO. 6540
St. Louis: Special School District – September 24th @ 9:00 a.m.
Special School District – Special Learning Center, 900 Hornet Drive, Hazelwood 63042
Lunch Break 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Free Afternoon Presentation: The Morphology Advantage: Boosting Vocabulary for Lasting Literacy Success
Bio:
Dr. Karyn Tomkinson is a National Literacy Director with extensive experience in leading transformative literacy initiatives grounded in the science of reading. She also serves as an adjunct professor and teaches undergraduate and graduate-level reading courses. Karyn has over 20 years of experience in public education as a special education teacher, reading interventionist, District Literacy Coach, and Director of Curriculum. She completed her doctorate degree from Ball State University in 2016 in Special Education, with a cognate in Educational Leadership. Her dissertation on the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) assessment and third-grade retention allowed her to research how children learn to read and identify best practices.
Karyn has been trained in LETRS Volume I and II, IMSE Comprehensive, IMSE Morphology+, and Structures. As a licensed Indiana teacher, she will soon complete Keys to Literacy training. Currently, she is attending Mount Saint Joseph University, where she is working toward her Science of Reading certificate and IDA certification. She loves learning about how the brain learns to read and is passionate about improving literacy outcomes for children. A mother of four boys and a lifelong learner, Karyn is dedicated to education and continuous growth.
Presentation Descriptor:
Participants will dive into the transformative power of morphology in literacy instruction. By leveraging morphology—the study of word structure, roots, prefixes, and suffixes—educators can provide students with tools to independently decode and understand complex vocabulary. This approach strengthens vocabulary and supports reading comprehension, enabling learners to tackle unfamiliar words with greater confidence. Through engaging examples and practical strategies, attendees will discover how incorporating morphological awareness into instruction leads to an increase in vocabulary acquisition and a solid foundation for literacy success across grade levels. The research on how students best learn to read, Science of Reading, recommends a strong foundation in morphology, which helps students comprehend texts from multiple content areas. Join us to unlock the morphology advantage and equip students for vocabulary mastery!
Southeast Region: Jackson R-II – September 30th @ 9:30 a.m.
Jackson High School, 315 S. Missouri St., Jackson, MO 63755