Happy Thanksgiving

November 27, 2020

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We are so thankful for the generosity and kindness of the First Baptist Church in Glenarden, Pastor John Jenkins and his wife Trina, Lee Goode a.k.a. DJ Dynasty, and the Good Time Gang in Gambrills! They provided 31 boxes of delicious Thanksgiving food for our AACLC students last Saturday. Literacy Council staff and tutors delivered the boxes to low-income students throughout Anne Arundel County.

This challenging year, more than ever, we are grateful for our tutors, volunteers, students, and friends from our county and beyond. Your time, energy, and support mean the world to us as we collectively work to improve lives and impact our community.

Two of our generous AACLC supporters and donors will match donations up to $3,000 this year for #GivingTuesday on December 1! If you haven’t submitted your AACLC membership donation yet and would like to do so, this is a great opportunity. You can donate this year on our AACLC website or by check and either option will qualify to be doubled!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Jane Seiss, Executive Director AACLCJane Seiss, Executive Director
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council

Student Congratulations: TaArmo McGowan

November 20, 2020

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U.S. Army LogoStudent congratulations!

Our congratulations to student TaArmo McGowan! After working with tutor John Carley, TaArmo passed the ASVAB test and is making plans to enlist in the US Army.

We are working with the Army Recruiting Stations in Annapolis and Glen Burnie to tutor students who are working towards passing the ASVAB, a military entrance exam.

Tutoring Via Skype

November 15, 2020

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Tutor Sue Tafler

Tutor Sue Tafler

Jenna Yim and I started meeting in February at the Crofton Library while her son was at kindergarten. Then coronavirus shut everything down!

We have continued to meet on Skype while her son is on another computer in first grade.

Jenna studied English during her school years in South Korea and she even studied nursing in Nevada, graduating in 2009. But then as a US Army spouse, she ended up living in Japan, Okinawa, and South Korea. Jenna’s husband is now stationed at Fort Meade so they are living in Gambrills.

AACLC Student Jenna

AACLC Student Jenna

While her English is still pretty good, Jenna knows she needs practice to be able to use English every day. (Jenna and her husband mostly speak Korean at home as well as at church.) She wants to be able to speak confidently with neighbors and her son’s teachers, to read fluently, and to write easily in English.

During our weekly sessions, we make sure to allow time for conversations. Jenna has just finished Challenger book 3, where she has found idioms and common expressions the most challenging to read, as well as words that are spelled the same but mean different things. We just started Challenger book 4!

I have been assigning Jenna one-page personal essays so she can practice expressing herself in writing. She scans her handwritten piece and sends it to me attached to an email, and then I mark it up with corrections and suggestions and send a new scan to her by email so we can go over it at our next Skype session.

I look forward to when Jenna and I can sit next to each other at the library!

We’re Part of the Maryland Charity Campaign!

November 11, 2020

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Anne Arundel County Literacy Council is participating in the Maryland Charity Campaign. MCC is a workplace charitable giving program, providing MD State Employees/Retirees the opportunity to support causes they care about. October 5 – December 14, visit https://mcc.maryland.gov/ and click on “Give Now” to participate. Our MCC charity code is 52-1479101.

Thank you for your support!

Thank you, Koons Toyota Annapolis!

November 10, 2020

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We received a generous donation from Koons Toyota of Annapolis in October. Vice President Wendell Williams arranged a gift of $5,000 from the West Street dealership.

Thank you!

Conversations in Color Recap

November 10, 2020

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The beautiful Shangri La by Anita Ewing

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Did you know that Conversations in Color was sparked by artist Marcia DeFalco? She generously donated 38 pieces to the sale to kick start our event. Sixteen artists joined Marcia in supporting our mission with their generosity — thank you local art community! We are also grateful to our Conversations in Color sponsor, Sandy Spring Bank.

The beautiful artwork that we used to promote the event was sold in our art sale. Longtime AACLC volunteer, Anita Ewing, donated her watercolor Shangri La, and it found a home with one of our tutor-assessors.

Special thanks to Lisa Vernon and AACLC volunteers Anita Ewing, Catie Comer, Drew Thimmesch, and Alec Bayne, as well as our staff for all of their help!

 

Director’s Message November 2020

November 10, 2020

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Our first-ever virtual art sale was a success! Many thanks to the artists and donors who contributed. We raised over $2,300 to support AACLC’s free tutoring programs.

In other virtual news, we continue to train new tutors in this time of remote learning. Through ProLiteracy, the international adult literacy organization, we have access to online training modules. Since the spring, we have trained more than 30 new tutors.

Eight of our ten laptops are currently loaned to students so that they may connect with tutors, lessons, and resources. Smartphones have also been useful — many of our students do not have access to technology or the internet, thank you for your patience as we work hard to find ways to match tutors with students.

Please stay tuned to the Literacy Council’s Facebook page and our Instagram. We will continue to share news and updates there. We’re on Twitter and LinkedIn too.

Sincerely,

Jane Seiss, Executive DirectorJane Seiss, Executive Director
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council

Student Update: Felita Thompson

October 8, 2020

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Felita Thompson (the student) shares about her experience with remote learning.

“I started with my tutor, Pat Baker, in 2018 and here I am almost two years later. There have been times when I just wanted to give up and thought it was not worth it, but with her words of encouragement, my tutor gave me the push to keep going. Admitting to myself and to a stranger that I needed help was the hardest part. If you have a tutor you know what I’m talking about.”

“So for those of you who are striving to better your reading skills, your math skills, or just getting started this is what I have to say to you: ‘good, better, best.’ Never let it rest until your good is not just better, but is your best.”

“We meet by phone every week and have not missed a beat. But, I do miss the face-to-face.”

— Felita Thompson

AACLC Tutor Pat Baker

Tutor Pat Baker

Pat’s view (the tutor)

“Sometimes you have to look back to know the distance you’ve traveled. During the two years Felita and I have been working together, she has read 21 books and is about to embark on her 22nd book, Angela’s Ashes. These books run the gamut from the classics, to the modern novel, to biographies, to memoirs, and to best sellers. Sometimes I have to ‘run’ to keep up with Felita’s readings.”

“As James Baldwin said, ‘Read, read, read, never stop reading. And when you can’t read anymore . . . WRITE!’ And that is what Felita is now engaged in, writing a memoir.”

“So when I look back over the past two years, and I see all those new books lining my bookshelves, I smile, and wonder how many more books will line those bookshelves all because of Felita’s desire to read.”

— Tutor Pat Baker

Wendy Wellington New Tutor Coordinator

October 5, 2020

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Wendy Wellington, AACLC Tutor Coordinator

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Wendy talks about her work with the Council —

“I’ve always loved teaching and throughout my career in computers, I found many ways to teach, such as managing a small IT Help Desk, working as an Adjunct Faculty teaching user applications, and participating in a tutor program with a high school.”

“After a few years as a substitute teacher primarily in elementary schools, I decided to become a tutor for AACLC and have been impressed with the training and support they provide tutors. I have learned through the several students I’ve worked with just how difficult it is as an adult to play catch-up, whether it’s math or reading.”

“I find tutoring to be very rewarding and particularly like the challenge of fine-tuning the teachings to connect with a particular student and their needs.”

Welcome, Wendy!

Conversations in Color: Our Fall Virtual Event

October 3, 2020

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Conversations in Color Official Sponsor
Sandy Spring Bank

Sandy Spring Bank logo -- art sale sponsor

CLICK HERE for the event flyer

Conversations in Color Art Collage

Beautiful donated art featured on our Instagram gallery @aacoliteracy

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