Loudoun Literacy Council gets a new home

SUMMER 2008
www.loudounliteracy.org
Loudoun Literacy Council gets a new home
The Loudoun Literacy
Council is very excited to
announce that we have moved
our office into downtown
Leesburg! Our new location is
at 204 South King Street, a
quaint red brick building in the
heart of the historic district,
with large windows which
brighten the office with sunlight. Family Literacy staff and
Adult Literacy staff each have
their own office space. This
new location is ideal as we
now are easy to find and can be
a place where clients can come
to register for classes and vol-
Loudoun Literacy Council
P.O. Box 1932
Leesburg, VA 20177
(703) 777-2205 office
www.loudounliteracy.org,
[email protected]
unteers can explore opportunities to tutor or teach, or browse
through our resource library.
We also will have training
meetings for volunteers here.
Watch for an invitation to visit
as soon as we finish unpacking
those boxes of books!
Foundations award
grants to LLC programs
The Loudoun Literacy
Council recently received grants
from the Meyer Foundation and
Gannett Foundation.
The Loudoun Literacy
Council was awarded a significant grant from the prestigious
Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
Foundation of Washington, D.C.
The Council received $25,000
for its Adult Literacy ESOL
Classroom Program, which offers
English classes taught by trained
volunteers to immigrants
throughout the county in churches and community centers. This
generous grant has enabled our
ESOL program to expand signifi-
cantly. Under the guidance of
Adult Literacy Program Director
Lisa Keith and Americorps member David Sandor, the ESOL program has grown to serve more
students with more locations
throughout the county. In addition, classes are offered two days
a week in some locations.
LLC also received a generous
grant of $5,000 from the Gannett
Foundation, in support of our
ESOL program. LLC appreciates
the support and recognition from
these foundations for the continuance and growth of the services
we provide to local residents
seeking to learn English.
Recognition for a job well done
Adult Literacy Program Director Lisa Keith receives a Certificate of
Appreciation for English as a Second Language classes
serving the Latino community.
Support our summer classes!
It’s summertime!
Are you heading off on
vacation, to the beach perhaps?
Did you know that LLC
Page 1
does not take the summer off
as many of our Adult and
Family Programs continue
through the summer?
While you are thinking
about picking up that new
book to read at the beach or
the pool, consider a summer
literacy donation to help those
who are learning English or
learning to read!
Thank you for your continuing support.
Donate online at
www.loudounliteracy.org
SUMMER 2008
Literacy Today
From the Executive Director
Instructor Corner
It’s great
to be
on board
This is a very exciting time to
become the Executive Director
of the Loudoun Literacy
Council! We have just moved
into our new
office in the historic district of
downtown
Leesburg and
under the leadership of my predecessor, Barbara
Candace Kroehl
Notar, programming has increased. Barbara now
continues to support LLC as a
member of the Board of
Directors.
First, I'd like to introduce
myself to you. I came to LLC
with many years of experience in
education and nonprofit organizations.
I earned an Ed.D. in management and staff development, and
worked as a teacher and administrator with infants through adults,
conducted staff trainings, and
presented at national and local
educational conferences. As a
longtime educator, I look forward to applying my past experiences to foster literacy opportunities for adults and children in
our community. Competency in
English and literacy skills is crucial to economic security and
active participation in the community. For at-risk children,
enhanced literacy learning at a
young age leads to increased
success in school and in life.
I am impressed with the dedication of our staff, board, volunteers and donors. Without all of
you we could not achieve our
mission. I look forward to getting to know all of you and
working closely to continue to
reach out to all those in our community who need our services.
Page 2
Tips for
volunteers
Assistant Family Literacy Program Director, Tanya Bosse, reads to
children in the Head Start Preschool Program
Family Literacy
introduces
two new programs
The Family Literacy
Program of the Loudoun
Literacy Council will introduce two new programs this
Fall.
The Baby Book
Bundles program will provide new moms in the
Loudoun County Head Start
and MotherNet programs
with baby board books
(some multi-lingual) and
literacy information to
encourage the habit of reading aloud to children at an
early age.
The S.T.A.R.S. (Support
To Advance Reading Skills)
program will provide 4th
and 5th grade ESL students
with books, tape players
and story tapes.
Michele Hawes, LLC
Family Literacy Program
Director commented, “The
literacy information and
activities for parents and
students promote a literacy
rich environment in the
home and reinforce reading
skills learned in the class-
“
I am so grateful for
all that Head Start
has done for my children. My daughter is
in second grade now,
and the teacher says
she is reading above
grade level. She is
doing so well because
Loudoun Literacy
Council gave us a lot
of books and helped
her learn to love
reading.
-- A Head Start Parent
room.”
These programs expand
our contact with at-risk
children from infancy
through elementary school.
Every adult literacy instructor has his or her own style, but
a lesson plan can keep you on
track. The Lesson Plan Builder
(www.adultedlessons.org) is a
free online resource for your
own planning, or there are
ready-made ones at the Virginia
Adult Learning Resource
Center (www.valrc.org).
Planning starts with knowing
your students. You need to
know their cultural and educational backgrounds, their goals,
motivations and potential limitations to learning. Gathering
information can be a fun first
exercise or "icebreaker." When
students share their stories, it
creates a sense of community
and leads to greater personal
investment.
As an instructor, you are
part of the community also.
Share in activities with them,
especially icebreakers, and
allow time for questions and
discussion as well as practice
and repetition. Adult learners
should be treated with respect
and encouraged to take risks to
learn something new. Dave's
ESL Café
(www.eslcafe.com/ideas) has
great tips for icebreakers and
teaching. LLC is now using
McGraw Hill's All-Star series as
the primary text in all ESOL
classes. The textbook does
much of the work for you with
ready-made lessons and activities. Depending on student
interests and needs, such as citizenship or workplace literacy,
you may use supplemental
materials. You can check out
materials from our office - now
located at 204 S. King Street in
Leesburg.
Visit our resource page at
www.loudounliteracy.org/new_r
esource. We appreciate any suggestions for materials and/or
websites that you find helpful.
Email us at
[email protected]
SUMMER 2008
Literacy Today
Student and Volunteer Spotlight: Highlighting one of our many dedicated partnerships
Pair works together
to achieve success
STUDENT
Cheng Yu is from Beijing
in China, and has been in the
U.S. about four and a half
years. A trained acupuncturist
working on getting her U.S.
license, "Yu" is married to an
American software engineer,
and enjoys yoga, biking, gardening, hiking, and playing
several musical instruments.
Yu's story is based on one of
the pictures in The Mysteries
of Harris Burdick, a wordless
book by Chris Van Allsburg.
VOLUNTEER
Marnie Montgomery has
worked in visual arts for 30
years, pursuing a gallery career,
and moving into computer
graphics. At present she is
artist-in-residence for Faith
Renaissance community at
Arlington United Methodist
Church. She too is married to
an American software engineer
(and hypnotist). They share
their home with an elderly cat,
a juvenile dog, and nearly as
many books as Rust Library.
Marnie Montgomery volunteers as
an English as a Second Language tutor with student Cheng Yu.
The House on Maple Street
BY CHENG YU
There is a house on Maple
Street, everyone wants to find it
because sometimes it will have
a perfect “lift-off”; but nobody
knows where it is. One day......
It was Christmas Eve; I
hoped that I could talk to
Santa Claus about my dream. I
had waited for a long time,
finally, I fell asleep. It
appeared that someone was
knocking on my window; I
looked out- Santa Claus was in
front of my window.
I was so excited and told
him that I wanted to fly to
China to see my family and
friends. He did not say anything, smiled and disappeared. I
was very upset. Suddenly, I saw
some lights around my house,
and my house was lifted by the
lights and began to fly.
We flew over oceans and
mountains. It was the Great
Wall. I realized that I had
arrived in China. I saw my
mother watching TV; my father
taking a walk. I wanted to speak
to them, but I could not stop the
flying house. I had to go on flying. Then I saw some of my
friends working, some of them
traveling, and others going
shopping. I was shouting and
waving to them. Even though
nobody heard or saw me, I was
still imbued with happiness.
All of a sudden, I heard my
husband's voice, “Merry
Christmas! Somebody changed
our street's name to Maple
Street last night!”
Thank you to our donors
We'd like to thank the following individual donors who
have contributed since
November 2007:
Claire & Marc Allinson
Elsa Anders
Alan R. Appel
Keith & Shaileen Backman
Russell & Miriam Baker
Alina I. Barbulescu
Marianna & Mihai Barbulescu
Janet B. Bartlett
Jill Beach
Nancy P. Beaver
Francis J. Beck
Bob & Brenda Berntzen
Betsy Bills
Nicholas & Debra Blaskoski
Mary Ann Blatt
Joan F. Bogosian
SUMMER 2008
Cathy & Jeff Browning
Jessica Bukowinski
Gary & Belinda Bullock
Jerilyn Burgess
Cathleen Burk
W. Michael & Jennifer Burke
Julia T. Cannon
Ann F. Carey
Margaret R. Clarridge
James & Nancy Craig
Paul & Amy Curran
John & Jane Davison
Bruce Dewar
Lydia L. Donaldson
Mary Ellen Dux
Phillip R. Ehrenkranz
Andre & Rosemary Fontaine
Douglas G. Foster, M.D.
Michael & Bonnie Garbus
Jonathan E. Gayek
Jay Gibble
Elizabeth Gibson
Guy M. Gilkeson
Rebecca Groff
Elizabeth & Robert Hale
Mary Harris
Cynthia J. Harvey
Gerald Harvey
Michele & Michael Hawes
Elizabeth Heagy
Phyllis & John Heller
Marybeth M. Herod
Christa & John Herold
Elizabeth Hood
Eugenie and G. Bruce Hopkins
Jonathan D. Horin
Kathy & Bill Horne
Cindy J. Howard
Debra &Michael Howe
Neil & Kathleen Hughes
Sheila P. James
Andy & Tamar Johnston
William A. Johnston
George & Tracy Kamis
Alisa & Erik Keith
Camille L. Kerrigan
Sallie & Jon Kjos
Robert & Barbara Kott
Lynn & Michael Krepich
Lori & Dennis Kruse
Margaret & Jay Lambke
Robert A. Lauten
Marion H. Lee
Rosalie and Lewis Leigh
Tim & Pam Lettie
C. Hogan Lewis
Jeffrey & Susan Lummis
Michael & Catherine Lyddon
Fernando J. & Doris Martinez
Melissa A. Mattia
Louise & Otto Mayr
Continued on page 4
Page 3
Literacy Today
Thank you to our donors
Continued from page 3
Ruth Ann Miles
William Milligan
William Mixon
Ian & Jill Moore
Frederick & Betty
Morefield
Mona & Michael
Mostow
Norma & Blake.
Netherwood
Lea & Richard Nigon
Barbara A. Notar
Barbara Novitsky
Ann C. Paciulli
David & Patti
Paukovich
Thomas E. Reed
Weston & Holly
Rhodes
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel
Rogers, Jr.
Rombach Family
Robert Rosenberg
Janet Roth
Kay & Kevin Rudy
Karen Sahebzadah
Page 4
Robert Sanabria
Robert Sauer
Karen K. Schultz
Maria G. Segegian
James W. Shelton
Margaret P. Siner
Robert & Andrea
Smith
Bonita Soto
Charles Starliper
Arthur & Laura
Stefanelli
Rebecca C. Stover
Jill & Robert Straight
Fariha Syed
Adrienne Beck Taylor
Tim Thielke
Sheila & Joseph
Thomas
Char Truax
Danny & Melissa
Turner
Craig Van Dusseldorp
Denise J. VanBuren
Leridge E. & Debora
Horne Vaz
Jill Wadsworth
Elizabeth Werner
Elizabeth Whiting
Darcy L. Whitsett
Penelope W. Wolff
The following are
corporate and organizational donors:
America's Charities
Blue Ridge Middle
School
Bullock & Associates
Church of our Savior at
Oatlands
Claude Moore
Foundation
Community Fund
County of Loudoun
Gannett Foundation
Giving Circle of Hope
Goose Creek Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
La Voz
Leesburg Presbyterian
Church
Loudoun-Fairfax
Mothers of Multiples
Club
Luck Stone Corp.
Noblis
Northern Virginia
Community
Foundation
River Farm Management
Rotary Club of
Purcellville
Rotary Resolution Race
St. Andrews
Presbyterian
St. Gabriel's Episcopal
Church
St. James Episcopal
Church
Sterling Rotary Club
Thomas Birkby House
Town of Leesburg
United Way of The
National Capital Area
VA Department of
Education
Women's Club of
Loudoun, Inc.
Woodall Foundation
Woodson Adult High
School Credit Program
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Michael Garbus, President
Barbara Notar, Vice President
Claire Allinson, Treasurer
Pam Lettie, Secretary
Jessica Bukowinski
Tom Jewell
Jill Straight
Upcoming events
„ Loudoun Reads and
Community Open House,
September 5, 2008
„ Corporate Spelling Bee, November 2008. Watch for details.
Staying in touch
The Council is starting an email newsletter with current
news and information.
Sign up by sending your
name and email address to
[email protected]
SUMMER 2008