Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

01/23/03

NEWS RELEASE
School Board of Directors to Recognize
Connie Ingram, Chinook Elementary Literacy Specialist

On Monday, January 27, the Auburn School Board of Directors will recognize Connie Ingram, literacy specialist at Chinook Elementary School, for her dedication to the profession of teaching children .  As a teacher on special assignment or TOSA, Mrs. Ingram focuses upon first and second graders’ reading skills.  Chinook Elementary School principal, Dennis Grad, describes Mrs. Ingram as “the “spark plug” on the school staff because she is always full of ideas and enthusiasm.”

Mrs. Ingram graduated from Deer Creek Mackinaw High School in Illinois and studied speech communication at Illinois State.  She graduated with a teaching certificate in secondary education.  She substitute taught for several years before becoming a homemaker.  In 1987, Mrs. Ingram’s only child, Matt, died.  Through the encouragement of her husband, she returned to school to get her elementary certification.  After earning her elementary certification at City University, Mrs. Ingram was hired by Auburn School District in 1990 to be a fifth grade teacher at Chinook.  She subsequently taught third grade for four years and fourth grade for five years before becoming her school’s literacy specialist.  At Chinook Elementary, she is also very involved with extracurricular activities such as ASB, the Lifeskills program, and Native American literacy program. This allows her to relate to students outside the structure of the classroom.

“As a classroom teacher, I have enjoyed the challenges of teaching different grade levels.  Language arts has always been my favorite part of the curriculum so my current assignment as literacy specialist enables me to focus on reading.  It’s been exciting to be a part of Chinook’s dedication to Auburn School District’s goal of literacy,” said Mrs. Ingram.  “I share this recognition with Chinook’s community of students, staff, and parents.  They have become my family.  Teaching at Chinook has given me a strong sense of purpose in my life,” said Mrs. Ingram.

For more information, contact Superintendent Linda Cowan at (253) 931-4914.