October 2017 - Adult Basic Literacy


  
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." 
Bertrand Russell

Recently, when people ask how I like our new house or how the move is going, my response is an eye roll and an exasperated, "Chaos." Every weekend and every evening has been spent
"fighting" with boxes and trying to find places for all of our stuff. But last Sunday night, my oldest daughter walked into our room with a surprised, "Mom -- you only have two boxes left in your room!" I looked around, and she was right. Granted, I don't know what to do with the stuff in those boxes yet and I've been tripping over them ... but she was right. There are only two left.

"Working on" the boxes is much different that "fighting with" them. I can celebrate each empty box that gets flattened and added to the pile outside. And the pile is actually growing.

September has felt like "chaos" in many ways -- moving, feeling overbooked, tons of events that I have to attend or facilitate -- PD sessions, volunteer trainings for both programs, Kick Offs -- lack of "desk time" for my own tasks ...

Shift in perspective:
  • As the boxes disappear, I see that I'm fortunate to have a beautiful new house that fits our needs and that my family loves.
  • The feeling of being inconvenienced because I have so little desk time is replaced by the energy I get back from facilitating learning sessions and having a part in supporting our volunteers to do the best work they can with our students.
  • Seeing the number of trained, ready and eager volunteers grow means that we can serve more people. Our reach into the community stretches much, much farther than it ever did when I was teaching on my own.
  • Having a team member kick me out of the office to work from home or taking on a task that I somehow felt I had to do alone, reminds me that I'm not solely responsible and that other people care about me and this work.
The messages that we tell ourselves a lot, the things we spend time worrying about, are the things we get more of. Those negative inner messages can slip out without our being aware of it.  They can prevent us from seeing the progress and joy around us. They emphasize the things we don't want.  I have to remind myself  that I'm in charge of where I focus my attention; that I can reset my perspective and create more of what I want, rather than inviting in what I don't. 

Enjoy the perspective,

~ Edie

Basic Literacy Program Director
eventGet Connected
It's almost time for our annual 
Get Connected fundraising event on Oct 19!

This year's theme is Literacy & Justice For All. Join us for breakfast or lunch by registering below and be part of this exciting fundraising effort. Registration deadline is October 6th! Register today!


newsProgram News
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Reading Practices Workshop
Sunday, October 8 from 2:00-4:00 pm
JW Marriot Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa

Long-time Tucson educators, Caryl Crowell and Debra Jacobson, present a workshop entitled Supporting Readers Without Getting in Their Way. Cost is FREE but space is limited! Register here

Thanks to the generous support of the   National Center for Families Learning, Literacy Connects will host this workshop at the JW Marriot Starr Pass Resort & Spa on Sunday, October 8th from 2 - 4 PM before their Families Learning Conference 2017. Literacy Connects volunteers are eligible for a special discounted rate to this national conference.  Click here for the flyer with details on how to register for the larger conference.

Identity, Power and Privilege: Reflections on Serving our Students
Saturday, November 18 from 9:00 - 1:00
Literacy Connects

Our next professional development party invites the whole Literacy Connects community to reflect on relational power structures between tutors and their students. There will be a keynote address by Dr. Francesca Lopez followed by moderated small group discussions. Click here for more information, the agenda, and a flyer. 
Registration is required; space is limited!


Additional Professional Development opportunities 

  • Book clubs and discussions -- TBD and by request! Send titles to Edie!
  • Refresher training--Next cohort starts Oct 20! Contact Nancy to sign up!
  • Observations and coaching of classes or 1:1 sessions (by request of any            ABL staff person)
  • Available this month through Reading Seed
  • Monthly Book Talks with Violet. Join Violet to learn about new books, hot   books, and great books to use with your learners! Each month will highlight books related to a different theme. Theme suggestions welcome!
  • Wordless Books
  • Library and Book Resources
  • Details and registration on the Reading Seed PD page.

  • voting
    Voter Registration
    It's hard to believe, but election season is upon us again!  How can we help our students get engaged in the electoral process?  We can help them learn about the issues and important information about how and where to vote.  See  Rock the Vote  for information you can share with your students about the importance of local elections. 
     
    Here is some up-to-date information about requirements to vote, how to register, and where to vote.  Please share this information with your students and anyone else you know who might be able to use it!
    To participate in this election, you MUST register to vote by Oct 10! Last day to request a ballot by mail or replacement ballot is October 27.  Help your students get registered and learn about the issues on this ballot. Explore this info together! 

    actions Community Actions
    Volunteers Needed!
    Join us on Oct 28 to celebrate our new partnership with Habitat for Humanity for a ground breaking ceremony on the lot to the west of our campus. In addition, it's Tucson Electric Power's 125th birthday, and they are celebrating by providing hundreds of volunteers to break ground and clean up our lots.
     
    You can help by volunteering to support the Literacy Connects children's activities:
    • Sidewalk chalk drawing
    • Giant Bananagrams
    • Bookmark making
    • Write your story in a paper bag book
    And enjoy a special performance from Stories that Soar! 

    Contact Rebecca Werner at  rwerner@literacyconnects.org or call 520-882-8006 ext. 211 for more information!

    Hello, Dear Enemy
    The Worlds of Words collection at the University of Arizona, College of Education is honored to host a powerful collection from the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. The picture books and posters on display in this traveling exhibit provide an international perspective on conflict, peace and humanity.  The exhibit focuses on four main themes: Experiences of War, Destruction and Displacement; Power Struggles and the Origin and Escalation of Violence; Prejudice, Ostracism and Imagined Enemies; Utopias of Peace and Anti-War Books.

    Hello, Dear Enemy is free and open to the public from mid-August to mid-December at the World of Words on the UA campus,  1430 E Second St, Room 453. Hours are Monday-Friday from 9-5 and Saturday from 9-1. For more information or to schedule a guided tour, contact  wow@email.arizona.edu

    Literacy Quilt Raffle
    Literacy Connects volunteer, Celia Tuttle, and her friend Nancy Stein have created and donated this customized literacy quilt. Thanks to her generous donation, it could be yours! Display this beautiful quilt on your wall or grab a favorite book and cozy up! 

    From September 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017 at 5 pm, you can purchase as many raffle tickets as you like through our website. Tickets are $5 each or three for $10, and every dollar benefits literacy in Tucson. To learn more and to purchase tickets visit: literacyconnects.org/quilt

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    Literacy Connects | 200 E. Yavapai Rd. Tucson, AZ 85705 | (520) 882-8006 

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