Tutors-Learner Teams are invited to join the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club

This is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers Book Club during the first few months of 2013. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon: (Books & audio available on January 31, discussed at the February 27 meeting)
    In Chicago in 1968, Sam, 14, obeys his father, an eloquent civil-rights leader who is close with Dr. King and is passionately committed to nonviolent protest. But after King is assassinated and Sam witnesses police brutality toward a friend, Sam follows his rebellious older brother and joins the Black Panthers, whose revolutionary platform is the opposite of the nonviolent philosophy that Sam has been taught at home. (283 pages)

Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (Books & audio available on February 28, discussed at the March 27 meeting)
    Reginald Rose's landmark American drama was a critically acclaimed teleplay, and went on to become a cinematic masterpiece in 1957 starring Henry Fonda, for which Rose wrote the adaptation. A blistering character study and an examination of the American melting pot and the judicial system that keeps it in check, Twelve Angry Men holds at its core a deeply patriotic belief in the U.S. legal system. (73 pages)

Gone Fishin’ by Walter Mosley (Books & audio available on March 28, discussed at the April 24 meeting)
    It is Texas, 1939, and nineteen-year-old Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins has agreed to drive his best friend Mouse to Pariah, Texas. The volatile Mouse plans to ask his stepfather, Daddy Reese, for money to start his marriage to Etta Mae. Afraid that his friend may be aware of his earlier dalliance with Etta Mae, Easy is happy to accept Mouse's IOU for fifteen dollars as payment for driving services. Setting off in a "borrowed" 1936 Ford, the two friends are soon engulfed in a mysterious bayou world of sex, voodoo, revenge and death-- a masterful entry in the acclaimed Easy Rawlins mystery series. (199 pages)

My Abandonment by Peter Rock (Books & audio available on April 25, discussed at the May 29 meeting)
    A thirteen-year-old girl and her father live in Forest Park, an enormous nature preserve in Portland, Oregon. They inhabit an elaborate cave shelter, wash in a nearby creek, store perishables at the water’s edge, use a makeshift septic system, tend a garden, and even keep a library of sorts. Once a week they go to the city to buy groceries and otherwise merge with the civilized world. But one small mistake allows a back country jogger to discover them, which derails their entire existence, ultimately provoking a deeper flight. Inspired by a true story and told through the startlingly sincere voice of its young narrator, Caroline, My Abandonment is a riveting journey into life at the margins and a mesmerizing tale of survival and hope. (225 pages)

Blue Shoes and Happiness (book #7 in No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series) by Alexander McCall Smith (Books & audio available on May 30, discussed at the June 26 meeting)
    Life is good for Mma Ramotswe as she sets out with her usual resolve to solve people’s problems, heal their misfortunes, and untangle the mysteries that make life interesting. And life is never dull on Tlokweng Road. A new and rather too brusque advice columnist is appearing in the local paper. Then, a cobra is found in the offices of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Blue Shoes and Happiness will not fail to entertain Alexander McCall Smith’s oldest fans and newest converts with its great wit, charm, and great good will. (227 pages)

Join Us for a Tutor Roundtable Meeting in 2013



Project Read's monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are an opportunity for volunteers to engage in an open and rewarding discussion with other tutors and Project Read staff. At these informal meetings, you'll be able to share your success stories and offer encouragement to your fellow tutors. You will also pick-up some fresh instructional strategies to enhance your tutoring skills. And of course, we will provide some tasty pizza and drinks to support the conversation. 

Here are some upcoming dates for Tutor Roundtables for the first six months of 2013. These meetings are held in the Conference Room of the Project Read office at the Main Library.

• Wednesday, January 2 - 6:00 to 7:00 PM
• Saturday, February 2 - 1:00 to 2:00 PM
• Tuesday, March 5 - 6:00 to 7:00 PM
• Saturday, April 13 - 1:00 to 2:00 PM
• Tuesday, May 7 - 6:00 to 7:00 PM
• Saturday, June 1 - 1:00 to 2:00 PM

Holiday Party & Potluck - Tuesday, December 11

Please join us for the annual

Holiday Party & Potluck

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

6:00 — 8:00 p.m.

Main Library — Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room, Lower Level

Featuring:

Music * Free Raffle * Door Prizes * Great Food

You may bring a favorite holiday dish to share.

Please call (415) 557- 4388 if you plan to attend.

Friends and family are always welcome.

Workshop for Project Read Tutors and Learners - October 10

Introduction to Facebook

Presented by Emily Lavin, Project Read Tutor

 

Have you been wondering about Facebook
 and how to use it?

Then join us to learn how to: 

• Create a new Facebook account
• Use the main features of the site
• Share photos
• Search for friends and family
• Be a safe and considerate Facebook user

Wednesday, October 10

6:00 - 7:30 PM

Project Read Conference Room and Computer Lab

Please call (415) 557– 4388 if you plan to attend.



Voting Workshop for Project Read Learners

Prepare for the General Election

on November 6th!

• Learn about the details of voting in San Francisco from a representative of the Department of Elections.
• Complete your voter registration in time for the election.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

6:00 — 7:00 p.m.

Project Read Conference Room — 2nd. Floor

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Project Read Workshop for Learners and Tutors

Tech Tips for Digital Devices
Presented by Brian Castagne & Susan Fink

Join Brian, Susan, and some tech-savvy teens to learn

 some helpful tips for making the most of your iPhone,

cell phone, tablet, laptop or other digital device.

If you bring it in, we’ll do our best to figure it out.

Wednesday, August 22
6:00 pm
Project Read Conference Room & Lab

Please call the Project Read office @ 415-557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Upcoming Tutor Roundtable Meetings

Project Read's monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are an opportunity for volunteers to engage in an open and rewarding discussion with other tutors and Project Read staff. At these informal meetings, you'll be able to share your success stories and offer encouragement to your fellow tutors. You will also pick-up some fresh instructional strategies to enhance your tutoring skills. And of course, we will provide some tasty pizza and drinks to support the conversation. 


Here are the upcoming dates of Tutor Roundtables for the remainder of 2012. These meetings are held in the Conference Room of the Project Read office at the Main Library.

• Saturday, August 4 -- 1:00 PM
• Tuesday, September 4 -- 6:00 PM
• Saturday, October 13 -- 1:00 PM
• Tuesday, November 13 -- 6:00 PM

Tutor-Learner Teams: Join the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club!

    Here is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion. The discussions are lively, informative, and take place in a supportive environment that makes everyone feel comfortable and welcome.

    Many tutor-learner teams use the monthly book club selections as part of their regular lesson plans, and since books are provided FREE to both tutors and learners, you know the materials will always be available. Also, most of the fiction selections come with comprehension questions which can be used in your sessions. All we ask is that the learner (and tutor, if possible) attend the book discussion on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM.

------------------------------

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: (Books and audio available on June 28, discussed at July 25 meeting)
    If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking, this novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny's old racing videos, coins aphorisms that apply to both driving and life, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man. (320 pages)

O’ Pioneers! by Willa Cather: (Books and audio available on July 26, discussed at August 29 meeting)
    O Pioneers! (1913) was Willa Cather's first great novel, and to many it remains her unchallenged masterpiece. No other work of fiction so faithfully conveys both the sharp physical realities and the mythic sweep of the transformation of the American frontier -- and the transformation of the people who settled it. (188 pages)

A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller: (Books and audio available on August 30, discussed at September 26 meeting)
    Set on the gritty Brooklyn waterfront, A View from the Bridge follows the cataclysmic downfall of Eddie Carbone, who spends his days as a hardworking longshoreman and his nights at home with his wife, Beatrice, and niece, Catherine. But the routine of his life is interrupted when Beatrice's cousins, illegal immigrants from Italy, arrive in New York.

Animal Farm by George Orwell: (Books and audio available on September 27, discussed at October 24 meeting--one week earlier than usual due to Halloween)
    First published in 1946, this is George Orwell's fable of a workers' revolution gone wrong. Fueled by Orwell's intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism, Animal Farm is a nearly perfect piece of writing, both an engaging story and an allegory that actually works. When the downtrodden beasts of Manor Farm oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land, all are awash in collectivist zeal. Everyone willingly works overtime, productivity soars, and for one brief, glorious season, every belly is full. Too soon, however, the pigs, who have styled themselves leaders by virtue of their intelligence, succumb to the temptations of privilege and power. (113 pages)

A Separate Peace by John Knowles: (Books and audio available on October 25, discussed at November 28 meeting)
    The volatile world of male adolescence provides the backdrop for John Knowles' engrossing tale of love, hate, war, and peace. Sharing a room at Devon, an exclusive New England prep school, in the summer prior to World War II, Gene and Phineas form a complex bond of friendship that draws out both the best and worst characteristics of each boy. (204 pages)

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman: (Books available on November 29, discussed at January 30, 2013 meeting--book club does not meet in December)
    Leaves of Grass reveals Whitman's passion for nearly every aspect of life, from amazement of great ships to the enchantment cast by the beauty of a sunset. Whitman creates a vivid imagery throughout the poetry that gives the reader a sense of life as a whole. (681 pages, but we have two months to read it!)

Annual Tutor-Learner Celebration - June 12

Please join us for the annual

Tutor and Learner Celebration

Tuesday, June 12
6:00 — 8:00 p.m.

Main Library — Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room — Lower Level

Featuring:
*  City Librarian Luis Herrera *
* Volunteer Service Awards *
* Adult Learners & Tutors as Guest Speakers *
* The UNESCO Right to Literacy Scroll *
http://www.righttoliteracy.org/
* Delicious Catered Food *

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Voting Workshop - May 15



Voting Workshop

for Project Read Learners

Presented by San Francisco Department of Elections Staff

Be prepared for the election on June 5th!

   

Learn all you need to know
to cast your vote in San Francisco
and complete your voter registration

in time for the election.

Tuesday, May 15

6:00 — 7:00 p.m.

Project Read Conference Room — 2nd. Floor

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.



Tutor In-Service - May 9, 6:00 PM

Tech Tips Power Hour 2
Google and other Web Resources

Presented by Brian Castagne,
Project Read Computer Lab Coordinator

Join Brian for an interactive workshop using custom-crafted lessons for making Google and other web resources helpful tools in your turoring sessions.

Limited to 8 tutors--don't delay, call today!

Wednesday, May 9
6:00—7:00 p.m.
Project Read Conference Room

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend

Tutor In-Service Class: April 11

Tech Tips Power Hour 1 - Phonics!

Presented by Brian Castagne,

Project Read Computer Lab Coordinator

Join Brian for a hands-on interactive workshop where you will learn the ins and outs of Ultimate Phonics software

 and other web-based resources.

Limited to 8 tutors — so don’t delay, call today!

Wednesday, April 11
6:00—7:00 p.m.

Location: Main Library, Project Read Conference Room & Computer Lab

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Tax Tips Workshop for Learners - March 20

Tax Tips Workshop
for Project Read Learners

Presented by John Caton,
Project Read Tutor and Certified IRS/VITA Tax Volunteer

Learn about new tax laws that could affect you.

Learn how to organize the information
 you need for tax preparation.

Find out how and where to receive
FREE assistance with your taxes.

Tuesday, March 20
6:00—7:30 p.m.
Location: Main Library - 2nd Floor, Project Read Conference Room

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Tutor In-Service Class -- February 28

Technology Tune-Up:

Expand Your Tutoring Resources
 Via the Computer
 Presented by Brian Castagne,
Project Read Computer Lab Coordinator

Join Brian for a relaxed but ultra-informative tour of our many computer and technology resources. Discover the many ways that the Project Read Computer Learning Lab can be used to enhance your instruction and support your learner’s goals.  In addition, we will provide some tasty food to nourish your brain.

Tuesday, February 28
6:00—7:30 p.m.

Main Library, Project Read Conference Room & Computer Lab
Please call (415) 557-4388
 if you plan to attend.

Tutor-Learner Teams are Invited to Join the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club



Here is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.  The discussions are lively, informative, and take place in a supportive environment that makes everyone feel comfortable and welcome. 

Many tutor-learner teams use the monthly book club selections as part of their regular lesson plans, and since books are provided FREE to both tutors and learners, you know the materials will always be available.  Also, most of the fiction selections come with comprehension questions which can be used in your sessions.  All we ask is that the learner (and tutor, if possible) attend the book discussion on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. 


Finding Oprah’s Roots: Finding Your Own by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Discussed at the February 29 meeting, books & audio available January 25)
    Gates chronicles the fascinating process of uncovering Oprah's family history. He was challenged by the same obstacles that all African Americans face in finding documentation during and after slavery. He recalls the process of talking to Oprah's relatives and the arduous task of finding a paper trail. Gates also suggests strategies for tracing your own family’s roots beginning with the gathering oral histories from living relatives. (192 pages)

Lost in Yonkers, a Play by Neil Simon (Discussed at the March 28 meeting, books & audio available February 29)
    This is an insightful drama about one woman's drive and its emotional toll on her and her family. Grandma Kurnitz has endured many crises, ranging from a harsh childhood in Germany to being a young widow with six children in a foreign country. From her life she learned to be strong, hard, and cold, and this is the lesson she tries to instill in her four remaining children. While her two teenage grandsons are in her care, the three learn the importance of being loved and loving, and the difference between living and surviving. (114 pages)

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli (Discussed at the April 25 meeting, books & audio available March 28)
    In Warsaw in 1939, a boy wanders the streets and survives by stealing what food he can. Reading this unusual, fresh view of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of a child who struggles to understand the world around him is like viewing a poignant collage of the boy’s impressions. This historical novel can be appreciated both by readers with previous knowledge of the Holocaust and by those who share the child’s innocence and will discover the horrors of this period in history along with him. (208 pages)

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie (Discussed at the May 30 meeting, books & audio available April 25)
    This beautifully presented novella tracks the lives of two teens, childhood friends who have been sent to a small Chinese village for "re-education" during Mao's Cultural Revolution. But the boys receive a bit of a reprieve when the villagers discover their talents as storytellers; they are sent on monthly treks to town. Through a series of comic and clever tricks and favors, the boys acquire a suitcase full of forbidden Western literature. One of the boys decides to "re-educate" the ignorant girl whom he hopes will become his intellectual match. That a bit of Balzac can have an aphrodisiac effect is a happy bonus. Ultimately, the book is a simple, lovely telling of a classic boy-meets-girl scenario with a folktale's smart, surprising bite at the finish. (184 pages)

Welcome to Susan Fink - Project Read's New Tutor-Learner Coordinator

We are extremely happy to announce that as of January 9, Susan Fink has assumed the duties of Tutor-Learner Coordinator at Project Read.  Susan has been a member of the Project Read family for over 15 years. She began as a one-to-one tutor, and then took on the additional responsibilities of a Tutor Contact/Mentor Tutor.  For the past few years, she has also offered a drop-in math class every Thursday evening, providing learners (and even some tutors) with expert instruction in all things math-related.

In her new position, Susan will be responsible for assessing in-coming learners, matching tutor-learner teams, collecting follow-up Roles and Goals surveys, as well as other important program functions. 

So the next time you are in the Project Read office, stop by and meet the newest member of our team.