New DVLC Tutors



Diablo Valley Literacy Council Newsletter
Volunteers teaching English as a second language (ESL) to non English speaking adults
Calendar

October
DVLC Board Meeting
Thursday, October 8
10:00 via ZOOM

November
DVLC Board Meeting
Thursday, November 12
10:00 via ZOOM

December
DVLC Board Meeting
Thursday, December 10
10:00 via ZOOM

HOLIDAY GET-TOGETHER
Will not be held this year due to COVID.

January
DVLC Annual Meeting
Saturday, January 9
Time TBD via ZOOM
Guest Speaker

Check your email for updates.
Report Hours for July through September, 2020
Don't forget to report your hours for the third quarter: Tutoring hours and Non-tutoring hours (time spent for preparation, travel to student and workshop).
 
You can email  dvlc4esl@gmail.com or use the link that was emailed previously.
ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES  Library
 Our DVLC library at the Good Shepherd Church in Concord will not be accessible for the foreseeable future. We encourage tutors to find teaching resources on the internet.

Here are a few to checkout:

ProLiteracy Webinars

USA Learns

USA Learns Citizenship
 
Welcome to Rachel's English - American Pronunciation

News In Levels

Student Apps:

LearningUpgrade

HelloTalk

Send us your favorite tools.
DVLC Directory
Voicemail: 925-685-3881
 
Officers:

President and Web Master
Lucy Goodell 
 
Vice-President and Hours Coordinator 
Rachel Sanborn 
 
Secretary
Mary Thomas 
 
Treasurer
Qinghua Jin   
 
Board of Directors: 
 
Hospitality/Volunteers
Ela Newacheck

Publicity
Loretta Morrison
 
Librarian
Mary Nash  
 
Student/Tutor Coordinator
Marcia Haas
 
Workshop Registrar
Marcia Haas
 
Workshop Training Coordinator
Kris Torske

Director of Development
Terese McGregor

Member-at-Large  
Ed Chambers
 
Newsletter Editor
Kathy Anderson 
 
Fall 2020
Vol. 34  No. 4       
President's Letter:
 
Wendy Bojin-Liston has been on our Board since 2017 and served as Tutor Training Registrar most of that time. She handled any responsibilities she took on in a stellar fashion. When she first joined our Board she was willing to help Holly Sprague in the task of assigning students to our new tutors. Little did she know that: 1) Holly would be out of town and Wendy would have to do the assignments virtually on her own and 2) we had the largest group of incoming tutors that we have ever had at one time (40 new tutors!). Wendy felt a lot of pressure, but it worked out well and as usual many tutors could not believe how perfectly they were matched with their student.
 
Since that first plunge into the deep water, Wendy has conscientiously been the one to send information and forms to new candidates as they register for tutor training. She tracked who paid the fees and she kept attendance at the actual training. Wendy filled in on countless other needed tasks, but she now needs to turn her energy elsewhere and has resigned her position on the Board. We will miss her quiet, steady presence.
 
In July we were approached by Bill Bobetsky asking if we could give a presentation to the Concord Rotary Club, sharing with them what we at Diablo Valley Literacy Council do. I was honored to be our spokesperson at the Concord chapter's September 25th meeting. I gave a Powerpoint presentation to a dozen of the Rotarians attending that day.
 
In my conclusion I suggested ways the club members could help: by volunteering, by referring a friend who might be interested or by donating to close the financial gap that our dues do not cover.
 
We did not have a Fall Tutor Training this year, but we are putting together our plan to resume training next year.
 
With on-going gratitude to all who support Diablo Valley Literacy Council's mission to assist adults seeking to improve their English in order to improve their quality of life.
 

 
Lucy Goodell
President

Alice Foster 
It is with great sadness we have learned that our dear friend and tireless supporter, Alice Foster, passed on recently. Alice was devoted to Diablo Valley Literacy Council and brought her endless energy to every activity in which she could help.
She was certified as a tutor in 1988 and besides tutoring ESL she pitched in to help in many, many ways. She brought decorations and gifts to our holiday parties and made calls in Spanish to prospective students whose English was not good enough to talk on the telephone. She was on our board of directors for many years bringing her special sparkle, until she resigned in 2017 pending a move out of the area. She was honored as a lifetime member of DVLC.
 
We received this message from her daughter:
Mom passed peacefully last Monday, Oct. 5. We all agreed her Energizer Bunny battery had just worn down... She had just celebrated her 93rd Birthday and her 74th Wedding Anniversary with Dad (Earl).
 
My Mom loved her Literacy work - her fellow Board members and tutors. And she and those she tutored became family.
 
I remember many nights I called when she was up in her office working on Literacy; calling tutor mentors, getting ready for the Potluck Luncheons or preparing for the annual Holiday Party. She long ago donated my Dad's Santa outfit to the group and we always had stacks of children's books on the old ping pong table in the basement ready to be wrapped.
 
We are so lucky to have had her as our Mom.
 
And DVLC is lucky to have had her in our program for so many years.
 
Virtual Summer Get-Together
Virtual Summer Get-Together  
It worked! We had our first virtual Get Together on August 1st.
 
We Zoomed from our living rooms,
We Zoomed from our bedrooms,
We Zoomed from our yellow rooms,
Or green or blue or red rooms.
We talked about our work-arounds
For tutoring during shut-downs.
We talked about the benefits of reading books out loud.
We talked of things we didn't like and things that made us proud.
Everybody got to speak and everyone was heard
And all was being recorded so we got it word for word.
 
(Contact us by email dvlc4esl@gmail.com if you would like the link to the recording of the Get Together.)
 
Shining Stars! 
Linda Ehler, Jeanne Chiodo, Theresa Nidetz, and Jennifer Machado, all put in more than 20 hours of tutoring during the July through September time-frame. What an achievement as we adjust to different methods of meeting with our students. Thank you, tutors!
Preparing for Citizenship 
If you happen to be working with a student preparing for US citizenship:
FREE IMMIGRATION WEBINARS
 
Mark your calendars and spread the word to your clients/students/patrons/anyone interested!  They are open to the public.   
 
The local USCIS community relations officers are conducting them for our communities, but since they are virtual, anyone can join.  The sessions are for educational purposes only.

How to Become a US Citizen - The Naturalization Process
Wednesday, October 14, 4pm to 5:30pm (Presenter: Jesse Castro, Fresno)
Meeting number (access code): 199 900 5020
Meeting password: DVqvV4kuV6*4
 
Petitioning for Relatives and Permanent Resident Status
Wednesday, October 21, 4pm to 5:30pm (Presenter: Sai Phavisith, Sacramento)
Meeting number (access code): 199 555 5174
Meeting password: NYhgHrpD3*32
 
Immigration Overview
Wednesday, October 28, 4pm to 5:30pm (Presenter: Jennifer LaForce, San Francisco)
Meeting number (access code): 199 317 7870
Meeting password: CIS100!us#join
 
How to Become a US Citizen - The Naturalization Process
Wednesday, November 4, 4pm to 5:30pm (Presenter: Sai Phavisith, Sacramento)
Meeting number (access code): 199 974 8724
Meeting password: KGiRpN9WG@65
 
We encourage you to join 10 minutes early. Call in at 1-415-527-5035 and use the Meeting Number to join.
1. If you are using a computer, use Google Chrome. Click on "Join from your browser" to join the meeting.
2. f you are using a phone or tablet, it is best to download the Cisco WebEx Meeting App (it is free).
 
2021 ProLiteracy Conference
 
Diablo Valley Literacy Council would like to send two of our volunteers to San Antonio next September for the 2021 ProLiteracy Conference. We will cover $1000 of your expenses if you choose to be one of our two attendees. Registration has typically been $375, so we could reimburse at least $625 of each individual's travel expenses. Let us know if this floats your boat! The conference is a very energizing experience for any ESL tutor.
 

DVLC Library  
NOTE: Our DVLC library at the Good Shepherd Church in Concord will not be accessible for the foreseeable future. We encourage tutors to find teaching resources on the internet.
We'd love to hear from you!  Email your questions or comments to Diablo Valley Literacy Council at:   dvlc4esl@gmail.com 
   
See our updated website: