Thirty-six enthusiastic and talented volunteers completed our two-day tutor training on February 22nd and March 8th. Dixie Catlett, Phil Tawes, Jill Mischo, and Maggy Cullman were our trainers for Day 1, and on Day 2 our trainers were Deborah Stoeckle, Nancy White, Jill Mischo, and Maggy Cullman. The training was held at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park and feedback from the trainees was very positive for both days of instruction.
Bob Caspar has served as our AACLC Board President since July 2012. Bob leads by example and his vision and enthusiasm for expanding our free adult literacy program in Anne Arundel County has had a tremendous impact on our success. Jolene Caspar also volunteers at many of our AACLC events and we are fortunate to have both Bob and Jolene on our Literacy Council team.
Mary Jane McCarthy has served as our recording secretary and AACLC board member since 2012, and has tutored several students as well–including her current student, Alfred. Mary Jane describes Alfred as a very dedicated man who is working hard to improve his reading, writing, and comprehension skills. “I’m really proud to be able to help Alfred reach his personal goals,” Mary Jane notes.
Alfred tells Mary Jane that the AACLC program has not only made him feel more confident at work; he’s even started to participate in more activities outside work. Alfred also credits his wife Sandra with providing unfailing support for his hard work. Sandra attends all his tutor sessions and reports an unexpected side benefit: her English-speaking abilities are also improving!
February was a very productive month for the Literacy Council. Activities included tutor/student recruitment at the North County, Crofton, and Brooklyn Park libraries; a well attended math workshop led by Larry Smith:February 22/March 8 tutor-training preparations for our class of 36 new tutors, including the completion of student assessments for their tutor/student matches; and the fine-tuning of our new AACLC database as well as the initial training for data entry. A tremendous thanks goes out to the team of volunteers who made this progress possible through their hard work, time, and talents.
Warmest Regards,
Lisa Vernon
410-269-4419 (office)
410-798-0408 (home)
Above Photo taken by Zach Sparks: A former teacher, Davidsonville’s Jill Mischo (right) teaches adults like Deborah Bias (left) how to read and write at the Light House, a transitional housing and emergency homeless shelter in Annapolis.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We wanted to share this wonderful article by Zach Sparks in the Arundel Voice on January 15, 2014.
“To accommodate her husband’s job in the Air Force, Jill Mischo has lived across the globe, from California to Alabama to Ramstein, Germany. But of all those places, perhaps her favorite environment is the classroom, where she served as an educator for 15 years. Now that she is semi-retired, Mischo is testing that skill on another generation, instructing adults how to read and write at the Light House, a transitional housing and emergency homeless shelter in Annapolis….” REST OF STORY
I’m one of the luckiest tutors around! Meet Shirley Copland, my student. Shirley sought out the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council in September 2013 because she had a burning desire to obtain her GED. She comes from a family of 10 children, where, for a variety of reasons, only four were able to complete high school.When she became a mother, one of her goals for her children was that they would understand the importance of a high school education and master the study habits that would help ensure their success.And once you’ve met Shirley, it comes as no surprise that all of her children did succeed in graduating from high school with flying colors. But in recent years, her children lovingly insisted that now was the time to give the same gift to herself, Shirley worked through her fears of admitting to others that she had not obtained her high school degree, and called the AACLC.
Not long before, I had contacted the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council to explore ways in which I could give back to the community. When I was put in touch with AACLC Director Lisa Vernon, Lisa invited me to join the September tutor training even though it was booked to capacity.Now, after tutoring Shirley for almost four and a half months, I have received more than I ever expected.I have had the intense pleasure of seeing Shirley’s eyes light up with each new step she takes. She personifies the meaning of the word “motivation.” I not only know that I am making a difference in the life of another person; I have gained a new friend. Together we share many moments of laughter and fun when we meet at the library three days each week. I am supported by a committed staff at the Literacy Council, as well as by many seasoned AACLC tutors. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest tutors around!
Sally Jones
We will be having informal tutor workshop opportunities throughout 2014. Nancy White led a wonderful workshop for tutors with Special Needs students in January, and Larry Smith has a math workshop coming up on February 18th.
Has your student requested help with math? If the answer is “yes”, then this is the workshop you have been waiting for! Come to Panera Bread in Edgewater on Tuesday, February 18th, from 7:00-8:30 pm, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and learn about new ways to teach math. Larry Smith will show you the math resources that we now have available, help you select the appropriate workbook for your student, and will even demonstrate how to teach division. Seating is limited, so please RSVP to programdirector@aaclc.org or call 410-269-4419 if you plan to attend.
Larry graduated from Loyola University in Chicago, and over the course of his 35-year career taught elementary through high school math, as well as other subjects. Larry was also a part-time instructor at Sylvan Learning Center and Huntington Center, and has volunteered as a math and basic literacy tutor with both the Prince George’s County Literacy Council and the AACLC.
Cindy Toft is changing many lives through literacy! On Tuesday and Thursday mornings she tutors two moms, from The Head Start Program at Shady Side, MD., who are working towards their GED. These moms are proud of the example they are setting for their children and are eager to improve their literacy skills so that they can get a job. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, Cindy tutors a Davidsonville husband and wife who would like to improve their reading and writing skills to get better paying jobs. In addition to tutoring, Cindy is also an active Student Assessor for the Literacy Council.
Excerpt from Maria Popova’s 2012 book titled Big Questions from Little People & Simple Answers from Great Minds, in which some of today’s greatest scientists, writers, and philosophers answer kids’ most urgent questions, deceptively simple yet profound.
Some people might tell you that books are no longer necessary now that we have the internet. Don’t believe them…
And though the body and form of the book will continue to evolve, its heart and soul never will. Though the telescope might change, the cosmic truths it invites you to peer into remain eternal like the Universe.
In many ways, books are the original internet – each fact, each story, each new bit of information can be a hyperlink to another book, another idea, another gateway into the endlessly whimsical rabbit hole of the written word. Just like the web pages you visit most regularly, your physical bookmarks take you back to those book pages you want to return to again and again, to reabsorb and relive, finding new meaning on each visit -because the landscape of your life is different, new, “reloaded” by the very act of living.
