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.

6 Opportunities to Attend 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 some upcoming dates for Tutor Roundtables for the first six months of 2012.  These meetings are held in the Conference Room of the Project Read office at the Main Library.

*   Tuesday, January 3 – 6:00-7:30 PM,

*   Saturday, February 4 – 1:00-2:30 PM

*  Tuesday, March 6 – 6:00-7:30 PM

*  Saturday, April 7 – 1:00-2:30 PM

*  Tuesday, May 1 – 6:00-7:30 PM

*  Saturday, June 2 – 1:00-2:30 PM 

Holiday Party & Potluck -- December 8, 2011

Come celebrate the season with your fellow tutors,

learners, & library staff!

Project Read's Annual

Holiday Party & Potluck

Thursday, December 8, 2011

6:00 - 8:00 PM

Main Library - Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room, Lower Level

You'll enjoy some great food, music, a free raffle,
and special door prizes for everyone.

Friends and family members are always welcome.

Call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend,
and please bring a favorite holiday dish to share.

Voting Workshop for Project Read Learners - October 19

Adult Learner Voting Workshop 

Presented by San Francisco Department of Elections Staff

Be prepared for the election on November 8th!

Learn all you need to know to cast your vote in
 San Francisco.

and
Complete your voter registration in time for the

November 8th election.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

6:00 — 7:00 PM

Project Read Conference Room

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

Tutor In-Service Class -- Tuesday, October 18

The Emotionally Intelligent

 Tutor-Learner Team

Presented by Annie Leuenberger, Project Read Tutor

At this workshop you will…

• Gain an understanding of the theory of Emotional Intelligence and how it can benefit the relationship between tutors and learners
• Explore techniques you can use to strengthen tutor-learner communication
• Discover practical ideas for creating a positive motivational focus for your tutoring sessions

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

6:00—7:30 p.m.

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room—Lower Level

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

New All-Electric Project Read Van On the Road!

Project Read goes GREEN! Soon you will see a brand new Project Read Outreach Van traveling around the city.  This Ford Transit Connect van will be the first all-electric van in the city's fleet.  We want to thank the State Library (California Library Literacy Services grant) for providing the funding, the San Francisco Department of the Environment for supporting this purchase, the Office of Contract Administration for enabling the purchase process, SFPL graphic artist Barbara McMahan-Dennis for creating a wonderful exterior design, and our own Facilities Division (Roberto Lombardi, April Wan & Rhonda Porter) for their devoted hard work that made this project possible. 

In-Service Workshop for Project Read Tutors -- August 24

Those Handy Instructional Aids

Presented by Randy Weaver,  Project Read Manager

This workshop will offer a hands-on review of the instructional aids located in the Project Read office. We’ll brainstorm ways to enhance your tutoring sessions by using the many 3-dimensional words, letters and games which are available, and we’ll discuss the importance of including multi-sensory techniques in your instructional plan.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011
6:00—7:30 p.m.
Project Read Conference Room, Main Library—2nd Floor

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

Tutors are Invited 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 lively conversation. 
     Here are the dates for Tutor Roundtables during the remainder of 2011:

• Tuesday, July 5 -- 6:00 PM
• Saturday, August 6 -- 1:00 PM
• Tuesday, September 6 -- 6:00 PM
• Saturday, October 1 -- 1:00 PM
• Tuesday, November 1 -- 6:00 PM

All Tutor Roundtable meetings are held in the Project Read Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the Main Library at 100 Larkin Street.  Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend any of these meetings.

Tutor-Learner Teams: 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 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 held on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.

Night by Elie Wiesel (discussed at the July 27 meeting, books & audio available June 29)
     In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? (120 pages)

The Journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall III (discussed at the August 31 meeting, books & audio available July 27)
     Marshall draws on a rich Native American oral tradition to carefully and lovingly tell the life of Crazy Horse as a storyteller would. The result is a vivid, haunting biography. Raised on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, Marshall recalls hearing his grandfather share stories of battles fought 75 years earlier against "Long Hair," the Lakota name for Gen. George Custer, vanquished at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Marshall reveals Crazy Horse as loyal son, spurned lover, instinctive warrior, doting father, compassionate hunter and natural leader. (336 pages)


Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich (discussed at the September 28 meeting, books & audio available on August 31)
      Stephanie Plum, the Jersey bond enforcement agent, who already has two guys in her life, reconnects with Diesel, a third heartthrob. Diesel offers Stephanie a deal: if he lets her find Annie Hart, a relationship coach who's become a big-ticket bond on Stephanie's Most Wanted List, then Stephanie can do Annie a big favor by playing Cupid for a number of Annie's lovelorn clients, including a shy butcher, a desperate vet, an overworked single mom, a 30-something virgin and the marriage-phobic fellow who just happens to be Stephanie's pregnant sister's boyfriend. (176 pages)


Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (discussed at the October 26 meeting, books & audio available on September 28)
     "Uproariously funny" is an unlikely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. Roach delves into the many productive uses to which cadavers have been put, from medical experimentation to applications in transportation safety research. Even Roach's digressions and footnotes are captivating, helping to make the book impossible to put down. (304 pages)


A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (discussed at the November 30 meeting, books & audio available on October 26)
     The story of Ebenezer Scrooge opens on a Christmas Eve as cold as Scrooge's own heart. That night, he receives three ghostly visitors: the terrifying spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Each takes him on a heart-stopping journey, yielding glimpses of Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit, the horrifying specters of Want and Ignorance, even Scrooge's painfully hopeful younger self. Will Scrooge's heart be opened? Can he reverse the miserable future he is forced to see? Now in an unabridged edition gloriously illustrated by the award-winning P.J. Lynch, this story's message of love and goodwill, mercy and self-redemption resonates as keenly as ever. (158 pages)

Cautiously Good News for Libraries in Governor's May Budget Revision!

Governor Brown's May budget revision includes the $15.2 million for libraries that many of you fought so hard for earlier in the year.  The $15.2 million includes $8.5 million for the California Library Services Act, $3 million for the Public Library Fund, and $3.7 million for California Library Literacy Services.  Clearly we are not out of the woods yet, as the Governor's budget revision still relies on a series of tax extensions, but it is good news for now.  Let's take the opportunity to thank the Governor and our legislators for acknowledging the value of libraries and literacy!

SAVE THIS DATE! June 14 -- Project Read Tutor & Learner Celebration

Annual Project Read Tutor & Learner Celebration

A special evening to honor Project Read’s
learners & tutors

Featuring:
* Tasty Food * Volunteer Service Awards *
* Adult Learners & Tutors as Guest Speakers *

Tuesday, June 14
6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Main Library — Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room — Lower Level
Bring your friends and family!

Invitations will be coming your way in May

In-Service Workshop for Project Read Tutors: April 19 - 6:00 PM

Using Poetry to Enrich
Basic Literacy Instruction

Presented by Randy Weaver — Project Read Manager

Join us for this fun and interactive workshop where you will discover how poetry can be used to teach basic skills while adding variety and excitement to your tutoring sessions.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

6:00 — 7:30 pm

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room, Lower Level

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

2-Part Writing Workshop for Project Read Learners

Creating Your Writer to Writer Letter
Presented by Leon Veal,
Project Read Outreach Coordinator

In this 2-part workshop, Project Read learners will explore the parts of an award-winning letter, begin organizing their ideas for their personal letter to a favorite author, and review the step-by-step process for working with their tutors to create their own Writer to Writer entry (due April 29).

Part 1 — Wednesday, March 9, 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Part 2 — Wednesday, March 16, 6:00 to 7:30 PM

Project Read Conference Room

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

Tutor In-Service Workshop - Thursday, February 17 - 6:00 PM

Sizing-Up Your Syllables
Presented by Andrea Jesse,
Project Read Tutor & Language Teacher

Tutors, this workshop is a chance to review the basic principles of syllabication. Via a jazzy PowerPoint presentation and hands-on materials and activities, you will review many of the rules used to divide words into syllables. Exercises will be presented that can help your learner recognize syllable types and syllable division which can help improve spelling and pronunciation. Resources available to all tutor-learner teams will also be shared and discussed.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

6:00—7:30 p.m.

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room—Lower Level

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

Writing Challenge for Adult Learners -- Writer to Writer 2011

Writer to Writer

10th Annual Writing Challenge

 for Adult Learners

sponsored by

Bay Area Literacy

 

 Adult Learners are Invited to...

• Read or listen to a book that inspires you.
• Write a letter to the author (living or dead)
• You can write the letter yourself or get as much help as you need from your tutor/staff. You can even dictate your story to your tutor as s/he writes down your words. This challenge is for everyone—from beginning to advanced learners.
• Give the letter along with the entry form to the Project Read staff.
• All authors will have their letters published in a booklet.

Entry forms and a 10-page instructional curriculum, that can be used by tutor-learner teams as part of their lesson plan, are available in hard copy at the Project Read office and electronically on the Project Read website -- www.projectreadsf.org -- under "What's New!"

(Writer to Writer Materials at http://www.projectreadsf.org/)

Tutor-Learner Teams: Make Plans to Join the Project Read Book Club in 2011

This 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.


A Mercy by Toni Morrison (Discussed at the February 23 meeting, books & audio available January 26)

In the 1680s the slave trade in the Americas is still in its infancy. Jacob Vaark is an Anglo-Dutch trader and adventurer, with a small holding in the North. Despite his distaste for dealing in “flesh,” he takes a small slave girl in part payment for a bad debt. The girl is Florens, who can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Rejected by her mother, Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, and later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives. A Mercy reveals what lies beneath the surface of slavery. (224 pages)

The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller (Discussed and the March 30 meeting, books and audio available February 23)

Set in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials of the late 1600’s, this play is the story of a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife's arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lie and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others. (160 pages)

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (Discussed at the April 27 meeting, books and audio available March 30)

This is Dashiell Hammett's classic tale of murder in Manhattan, which became the popular movie series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, and both the movies and the novel continue to captivate new generations of fans. Nick and Nora Charles are Hammett's most enchanting creations, a rich, glamorous couple who solve crimes in between wisecracks and martinis. (208 pages)

The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back by Kevin Salwen (Discussed at the May 25 meeting, books and audio available on April 27)
It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen saw a homeless man in her neighborhood at the same time that a glistening Mercedes Benz pulled up. She said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.” Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. As a family, they made the decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too. (239 pages)

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain (Discussed at the June 29 meeting, books and audio available May 25)
This short story by Mark Twain satirizes the pomposity of small town virtues that really aren't what they seem. A stranger sets out to ruin Hadleyburg's reputation as "the most honest and upright town in all the region." His scheme involves a fake bag of gold coins and notes that lure leading townsmen into greed and eventual public ridicule. (70 pages)

Tutors: You're Invited to Join Us for a Tutor Roundtable Discussion in 2011

Tutor Roundtable Schedule

January to June, 2011

Project Read's monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are an opportunity for volunteers to engage in an open and rewarding discussion with other working 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--they are held in the Conference Room of the Project Read office at the Main Library.

Tuesday, January 4, 6:00-7:30

Saturday, February 5, 1:00 – 2:30

Tuesday, March 8, 6:00 – 7:30

Saturday, April 2, 1:00 – 2:30

Tuesday, May 3, 6:00 – 7:30

Saturday, June 4, 1:00 – 2:30