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Like us on Facebook and check out our
Tutor Tips of the Week
!
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Refer a Friend!
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Know someone who would be a great tutor? Invite them to attend our next
New Volunteer Orientation
! There is no better way to change a life than by unlocking the power of literacy.
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Reading Connections NEWSFLASH
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Fall is right around the corner and we have so much to share!
We hope you enjoy our newsletter as we share our successes and keep you in the loop with the latest news and community happenings.
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Very Special Training Opportunity
STAR (STudent Achievement in Reading) is the evidence-based adult education program on which our tutor training is based. The six part STAR Training is offered in NC twice a year, and we're excited to announce that this year it will be held at Reading Connections! STAR provides instructors with the research-based knowledge and skills to assess and teach intermediate readers (grade levels 4 to 8.9) in alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Participants in this six day workshop also learn how to monitor instruction and create classroom routines. More information about STAR can be found
here.
STAR will be held at Reading Connections September 23-25 and October 28-30. The training will run all day on each of those days. It is well worth the time, and tutors who complete the training will receive a STAR certificate issued by the Adult Basic Skills Department at Appalachian State University! Please email Lydia at
[email protected]
if you are interested in attending.
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Program Spotlight: Greensboro ABE
People have constantly been telling Edith Campbell that she should write a book about her dramatic life experiences and family stories. Although she is a beginning reader, Edith has done just that, with the help of her tutor Mary Shingledecker. Edith and Mary used a variety of approaches to create Edith's Collected Works. Sometimes Mary listened to Edith tell a story and wrote it down, an example of the Language Experience Approach (LEA). For some of the stories, Mary typed up the story and then cut out each individual word. Edith then arranged the words in order and pasted them onto a page. Other stories and poems in the book were handwritten by Edith. Working together in this way, Mary and Edith not only made an especially meaningful resource for Edith to practice literacy skills, but they also gathered and preserved the memories of a remarkable woman with a remarkable life!
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Cracks in the Concrete:
Sunlight and Celebration Anew
On Thursday, August 20, 2015, Reading Connections staff, volunteer instructors, detention center students, and detention center officers joined together for the first time to celebrate the students' achievements, highlighting the importance and effects of educational programming behind bars and demonstrating just how strong, diverse, and sometimes "untraditional" a community can be.
"Thank you. We not only have our instructor in class to help us out, we have each other. Reading Connections brings us closer together. We look out for one another. If we notice someone is not in class, we ask the officers to double check to see if the missing students are coming to class. Living in this environment due to the bad decisions we've made, Reading Connections gives us a chance to not only help ourselves, but to reach out and help one another twice a week in the classroom. We have learned a lot about ourselves and one another. Anytime we said we couldn't do something, or if we tried to test the instructor for an easy answer for an assignment, we were pushed to put forth our best efforts. Not pushed to the point where we felt uncomfortable, but just hard enough to tell ourselves, "Okay, I know I can do this."--Keith Womack--Detention Center Student of the Year award recipient
"The celebration was great - these men have all too few opportunities for recognition, much less celebration, of accomplishment and completion of task. Here was an opportunity for both. Their pleasure was written all over their faces."-Larry Eisenberg, Detention Center instructor.
"I just want to thank all of the instructors for their patience with me. Helping me understand texts and vocabulary. Thank you for always coming and believing that we can do this." David Luna- Detention Center Most Improved Student award recipient.
Click
here to read Reflections by Tiffany Kallam, Detention Coordinator!
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Spread The Word About
The Adult Literacy Day Of Giving 2015
Join Reading Connections on
September 25, 2015, for the
Adult Literacy Day of Giving. Help raise awareness about adult literacy and get involved by volunteering, supporting, and donating.
More than 36 million adults in America cannot read. They need your help. Because when individuals the world over learn how to read and write, the more likely they are to lower health care costs, find and keep sustainable employment, and lift themselves out of poverty.
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A Tribute To Honor Mary E. Bruce
As a tutor, you most likely have met one or more of the extraordinary adults that come to Reading Connections each year. I'd like to introduce you to Mary E. Bruce.
Mary Bruce was part of the High Point Reading Connections' family for the past five years; she passed away unexpectedly on March 31, 2015. Mary had a strong impact on all those that knew her. She was a huge advocate for Reading Connections because she herself bloomed in our program once she found a little confidence. She spoke openly and publicly about her desire to improve her reading so she could read the Bible, often reciting scripture to an amazed audience. She presented at a fundraising breakfast at the High Point Country Club and testified before a grant review committee regarding her participation on a Reading Connections' Leadership Fellows class. Mary created friends wherever she went.
Mary had big dreams for Reading Connections. She saw her classmates struggle for transportation, and she saw our need for more classroom space. She dreamed of a day when Reading Connections would have our own building and a fleet of buses to bring our students to class. In honor of this dream and in her memory, High Point Reading Connections created the
Mary E. Bruce Transportation Fund to provide bus passes for students in need. Bus passes currently cost $1 per one way trip. A student struggling to make ends meet has difficulty getting to class when transportation is an issue.
As we moved into the new school year this summer Mary
's form
er classmates, instructors, and family members got together to place a
memorial clock in the classroom in Mary's name. It sits on the bookshelf for all of our students to see. We had a little cake and reminisced about
Mary's impact on the people that came to know her.
To make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Sian (Shan) Erskine at 884-7323. You may make a contribution in person at the High Point office, by mail to 901 N. Main St., High Point, NC 27262, or on our website (
www.readingconnections.org
). When donating on our website, you will click on Donate Now. Make sure to add a description of how you would like your donation used (i.e., for the Mary E. Bruce Transportation Fund). Thank you on behalf of our students and Mary E. Bruce! Any contribution is appreciated.
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Available Tutoring Space at
Edward McKay's Greensboro
Are you and your student(s) looking for a more centralized location to hold your classes? Would your pair or group benefit from being surrounded by cheap, accessible used books and multimedia? Look no further than Edward McKay's Used Book and More on Battleground Ave. in Greensboro! They have been grateful to provide us a permanent meeting space in a conference room in their store that is available most times during the week. Please contact your coordinator if you might be interested in moving your sessions there or would like more information.
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Seeking Volunteer Tutors!
Reading Connections is on the lookout for people interested in tutoring. Our volunteer tutors complete a
three part training program. In
October, tutor training will be held in downtown High Point at the High Point Public Library located at 901 North Main Street.
Orientation- Thursday, October 1st from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Session I- Monday, October 5th from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Session II- Thursday, October 8th from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
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Save the Date: TutorFest
What: Reading Connections Tutor Conference
When: Saturday, October 24th from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Where: South University
Address: 3975 Premier Dr, High Point, NC 27265
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Our mission is to provide and advocate for free, individualized adult literacy services to promote life changes for Guilford County residents and surrounding communities.
We always welcome your questions and feedback. Please don't hesitate to contact us to hear more about how our programs are making a difference in our community.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Gore, Executive Director
Reading Connections, Inc.
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