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The Prez Sez, “Communication is the keystone of all human cultures and success…”
We tutors play a strategic role in the lives of our students. We provide a link that connects them to the culture that surrounds them. Part of what we do is to teach them not only language skills but also “daily-life” skills in a culture that can be confusing and difficult to navigate if your use of English is limited. (Sometimes it’s difficult even when you DO have good English skills!)
Some of the information we give provides a safety net for our students. As a tutor, I have been asked how to pay a parking ticket; how to get health insurance; how to put a trailer up for sale; where to go for questions about Social Security; how to find a divorce attorney; and something as mundane as how to understand a nutrition label. And the list goes on.
Sometimes we are the only solid link to the English speaking world, not because our students have no English skills but because they haven’t developed enough specialized English yet to know how to seek the information they need or are not yet confident enough to make the attempt at all. It’s a complicated world out there. Challenges abound in everyday life and we, as tutors, can be the one resource that makes all the difference.
Linda Lambert, Board Co-President
More LLVC News Below.
Laubach Literacy Online Donation Website
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DONATIONS
LLVC wishes to thank the following companies and individuals for their support from December through February of this year. We can't do it without you. Thank you very much.
Financial donations were received from: AmazonSmile and a $511.50 grant from the Prudential on behalf of Barbara Wagner’s volunteerism.
In-kind contributions were received from: Marianne Flam, Linda Lambert, Joyce Thomsen, Amy Trejo, Louise Vien, and Barbara Wagner.
You can also provide support by specifying us as your nonprofit to share in the Ralph's Community Program at communityprograms@ralphs.com; LLVC is NPO #82697. Note: Those of us who participate in this program need to re-register each year after September 1. That can also be done at the Ralph's website.
Another way to support us is by selecting LLVC as your nonprofit when ordering at Amazon through smileamazon.com.
Thanks.
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WELCOME NEW TUTORS
There were 12 attendees at the April 14 tutor training workshop. The following received their certificates of completion: Susan Brown, Anita Carroll-McKown, Peggy Celic, Richard Celic, Dorothy Charnaw, Luis Gonzalez, Mariana Gonzalez, Sue Ross, Bruce Roth, Mary Roth, Mickey Shaevitz, and Sandra Smith.
Welcome to all of you and thanks for joining us!
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(Pictured above are the graduates from the April 14 tutor training workshop and two students from Lee Woodward’s conversation classes – Patricia from Ecuador and Maria from Mexico.)
FUTURE TUTOR TRAINING
Our next training opportunity for new tutors will be on October 13, 9:00 AM – 4 PM. We'll be presenting information about cultural awareness, how adults learn, second language acquisition, lesson planning, tutoring materials and tips and tutoring practice; all of you are invited to attend as a refresher or to take the opportunity to meet one on one with any of our trainers. Please call (805) 385-9584 or email at info@laubachventura.org to have us save a space for you and provide directions. Please let your friends know about this opportunity; as always, there’s no charge for the training and materials for those who tutor.
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FROM OUR TUTORS
1. I’ve been using take out menus from Wood Ranch and Eggs and Things to discuss important topics such as “over easy” and “until we run out.” (Joan Handzel, Camarillo tutor)
2. My student, Cam Pham, from Vietnam, was a lawyer at home. She is married to an American and needed to learn English so that she can take our bar exam. She really worked hard and now attends the Oxnard adult school 5 days a week. (Martha Zoloth, Oxnard tutor)
3. My student Ahlam, from Egypt, has been attending Early Child Development classes at Oxnard College and recently obtained a job in one of our local preschools and was able to quit her “box boy” job at Vons. (Barbara Wagner, Camarillo tutor)
4. I just wanted to let you know that the tutor workshop was interesting and very helpful. I started with a student last Wednesday in Oxnard and the session went really well. We laughed a lot at English words and pronunciations. We looked at the calendar (with animal pictures) and talked about the animal names, their colors, and things like whiskers and feathers, eye color, etc. I found out that my student wants to be able to read books with/to her 7 year old son. So we plan to work on reading using the booklets I received at the workshop and/or a book she brings from home. Also, we’re in a library so books are abundant. She wanted to change our day to Monday, which is fine with me, and also asked if other family members could come to our sessions. I said of course. I’m planning the lesson now, and will see who all shows up today. (Susan Brown, Ventura tutor)
5. I'm preparing to leave for Alaska. I'm hopeful that Amy will find a zealous volunteer for my student Virgida; we had a wonderful time learning. We spent 91/2 hours. The best part was that we could spend more time together. (Marie Briguglio, Oxnard tutor)
6. My student Richard is a practicing psychotherapist in Ojai who specializes in men's work. He is also a published poet, but has limited experience working with computer and internet resources and publishing opportunities. We are working on his computer and internet skills to support his ambitions for wider publication; recently, he submitted poems to First Publisher Online. (Ed Lynch, Ventura tutor)
7. Here’s Don Nelson at a campsite on a Minnesota lake as Don and Leslie (former Ventura tutors) tour the country, before returning to Guatemala to pursue tutoring there. |
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8. I recently visited with Beverly Wallace (former tutor/area coordinator) in observance of her 98th birthday – a great lady, who introduced me to LLVC. Happy birthday, Bev! (Barbara Wagner, Camarillo tutor)
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ABOUT OUR STUDENTS
1. Adult learner Patricia, from Ecuador, chatting with some of the new tutors at the April workshop.
2. Adult learner Maria, from Mexico, chatting with some of the new tutors at the April workshop.
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ADDITIONAL TUTORING SITES
The following sites are used by the County’s READ Literacy Program which generously has offered them to us as well. Please contact the site before use to confirm availability, which is sometimes offered after regular hours.
Buena High School Library, Ventura (805-701-1323) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 – 7 PM.
Simi Valley Library, Community Room (805-256-5122) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:30 – 7 PM.
Ray D. Prueter Library, Port Hueneme (805-340-1724) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 – 7 PM.
CONVERSATION CLASSES
Conversation English classes are conducted in Camarillo, El Rio, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Saticoy, and Ventura. The classes in Camarillo, El Rio, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Saticoy, and Ventura are open to all on a drop-in basis.
At the Camarillo Library on Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 PM, Wednesdays from 1:00 – 2:30 PM, and on Fridays from 10:00 AM – noon. (the contact is Lee Woodward: 805-482-4005).
In Oxnard, at the Soliz Library, 2820 Jourdan Street, (El Rio) on Wednesdays from 10:00 - 11:15 AM. At the Rio Plaza Elementary School on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to noon. And at the Salvation Army Center (622 W. Wooley Road) on Tuesdays from 10:30 AM - noon.
In Santa Paula, at the Rodney Fernandez Gardens Community Center: ESL 1 on Monday from
1 - 2 PM and Wednesday from 9 – 10 AM, ESL 2 on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 – 10 AM, and for Citizenship on Monday from 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM (the contact is Yoko Mansfield, yokomansfield@hotmail.com).
At the Saticoy Library at 1292 Los Angeles Avenue on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3 PM (the contact is Louise Vien).
At the Avenue Library, 606 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura on Mondays at 11:00 AM (the contact for the Ventura class is Louise Vien, louisev99@juno.com). Any tutors who would like to help with this class can just drop in.
The class in Ojai has a specific roster of attendees, but contact can be made for Ojai with Linda Lambert (ojailamberts@sbcglobal.n
TUTOR TIPS
Want to help a farmworker improve their English? Email Alex Castilla (azaharplace@cabrilloedc.org).
Thanks to Lee Weiss, we now have a complete copy of the Scottish Rite Hospital Literacy Program designed to help people with learning difficulties. If you have a student that you think might benefit from some specially designed help, contact Barbara at: barbarawagner37@yahoo.com to obtain a copy of the program or a portion of the program that might be helpful to them.
Crossroads Café was a PBS program about an eclectic group of characters experiencing everyday happenings in the venue of a small café. There's tutoring material available in the form of books with photo's of the characters dialoguing briefly and a workbook with comprehension related exercises. This material is available in DVD form. Call us at (805) 385-9584 if you're interested in more information or obtaining copies.
A number of our tutors have reported success with their students using News for You. This is a weekly newspaper that has a variety of international articles including hard news, entertainment, and sports along with a crossword puzzle. It comes with a Teacher's Guide and is also available in hard copy, but the online version allows the reader to listen to the stories while they read. They can listen over and over again to help with their aural comprehension. Please take a look yourself and share with your students; call us at (805) 385-9584 to get the password.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
June 29: Tutor Talk at 10 AM at the Barristers Executive Suites, 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura (first floor conference room).
July 19: Board meeting (bi-monthly) at 6:45 PM at the Barristers Executive Suites, 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura (second floor conference room).
September 20: Board meeting at 6:45 PM at the Barristers Executive Suites, 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura (second floor conference room).
October 13: Saturday (9 AM – 4 PM): Tutor Workshop, 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura (second floor conference room).
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THANKS
As you know, we try to get as much mileage as possible out of our tutoring materials. If you have any books you’re not using, they could be put to use by other tutors. Please give us a call at: (805) 385-9584 so that we can make arrangements to pick them up. This will help us stretch our funding to its greatest value. Thanks.
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If you believe this is a public service that is important, support this work by donating online at Laubach Literacy Online Donation website. Or, send a check made out to "Laubach Literacy of Ventura County" at: 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura, CA 93003.
Thank You For Your Support!
The 2016- 2015 Board
Co-Presidents: Linda Lambert, Ojai Area Coordinator
Louise Vien, Ventura Area Coordinator
Vice President: Lee Woodward, Camarillo Area Coordinator
Secretary: Barbara Wagner, Librarian
Treasurer: Amy Trejo, Oxnard Area Coordinator
Directors:
Sergio Cifuentes Webmaster
Marianne Flam Tutor Liaison/Tutoring Data Manager
Yoko Mansfield Santa Paula Area Coordinator
Joyce Thomsen Conejo Valley Area Coordinator
Damon Wing Master List
Oxnard Adult School Liaison: Diana Batista
Oxnard Library Liaison:
Camarillo Library Liaison: Peter Laurence
Moorpark Library Liaison: Christine Conwell
Simi Valley Library Liaison: Kathryn Shumaker
Rosamond Adult Literacy Liaison: Jo Ellen Alexander
Ventura County Library Liaison: Carol Chapman
Community Advisor: Dr. Deborah DeVries
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Laubach Literacy of Ventura County 1500 Palma Drive Ventura, CA 93003 (805-385-9584) www.laubachventura.org
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