The Literacy Council Reader

MARCH 2012
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Literacy Council, We've had an exciting start to the new year at the Literacy Council of Seattle. Our tutor trainers continue to revamp our tutor orientation to better meet our volunteers' needs. Our program committee is working to assess the changing demographics of the city and reach out to organizations city-wide to make sure those populations are receiving our much-needed services. Our fundraising committee is busy with grants and a brand new event -- a used book sale -- to make sure we have the funds to support all this important work! We have already begun collecting used books for the sale. If you have any to donate, contact us or drop them off during normal office hours, Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 3 pm. Of course, so much of our vital work is done through the tireless efforts of our volunteers. In honor of that, I'd like to dedicate this edition of the Literacy Council Newsletter to one of our most beloved volunteers, Lois Reece. Lois passed on this November after dedicating nearly 40 years of her life to the cause of literacy. To read more about Lois and her inspiring work, see the article at the end of the newsletter. As always, thank you for your support, Jennifer Collins-Friedrichs President, Board of Directors

In This Issue
NEW STUDENT NEWSLETTER UPCOMING EVENTS LOIS REECE

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MEET OUR NEWEST VOLUNTEERS!

We here at the Literacy Council want to extend a warm welcome to the 30 new volunteers who joined us at our most recent Tutor Orientations in November and February -and extend a big thank-you to instructors Ellen Blaney, Vilas Menon, John Davis and Billie Lou Craven for their help!

HOW YOU CAN HELP

JOIN A COMMITTEE - We are especially looking for help with marketing, fundraising and communications! DONATE USED BOOKS - We are organizing a community book sale for literacy in June. TUTOR A STUDENT - We are especially in need of tutors who can meet in south Seattle. SUBMIT PHOTOS - We are looking for photos of tutors and students for our newsletters and marketing materials! If you have a good one, please send it to info@literacyseattle.org

SEEKING SUBMISSIONS FOR STUDENT NEWSLETTER

Student Board Representative Franziska Kratz recently began work to revive our student newsletter, formerly "Sharing Voices". Every Monday at 12 pm, students meet at the LCS office to work on collecting, editing and reading student entries. We are still looking for stories, recipes, comments, ideas, worries, traditions, etc.

Please share this information with your students and encourage them to write an entry and /or come to the Monday meetings! For more information, contact Franziska Kratz: kratz.franziska@web.de

VOLUNTEER PROFILE: DWIGHT STEVENS

After 20 years as a volunteer tutor and teacher with LCS, Dwight Stevens (third from left, back row) has retired. At the Montlake Terrace Library, on an extremely wet and windy Tuesday just before Thanksgiving, Dwight Stevens' class topic was "Driving in Wet Weather." For eight years, his class met every Tuesday for conversation and Friday for grammar. Some of the 9 students in attendance had been there for the duration, while others were walk-ins. But nothing would faze Dwight, who turns 88 in May 2012! His long life includes a series of notable achievements, from being a pilot in WW11 to a Park Commissioner in Shoreline, where he remains involved in politics. He has taught recycling and composting in schools, refereed basketball, and remains an involved veteran. It is no wonder he is such an engaging conversationalist. Since taking the Tutor Training in 1991, when he first retired from the insurance business, Dwight began tutoring a Chinese student who started her lessons with the

alphabet and went on to open her own business with her children, who also came to join in their sessions. After 13 years as a tutor, Dwight began teaching a class of 25 Korean students in Lynnwood, which he continued 2 nights a week for 3 years before moving the class to Lake City, where he taught for 6 more years before his move to the Montlake Library. Needless to say, Dwight Stevens' enduring commitment to literacy is an inspiration to us all. We have nothing but praise and thanks for all this amazing volunteer has done over his 20 years with The Literacy Council. -- Paula Jenson

UPCOMING EVENTS
Tutor In-Service Event: Teaching with Phonics
Phonics help students discover the connections between letters and sounds. Add some Henry Higgins skills to your teaching repetoire. Do you have questions about how phonics fits with your student's needs? Are you familiar with the phonics materials available in our library? Let Billie Lou Craven answer your questions and enjoy networking with other tutors and teachers. Bring a teaching tip to share.

When: Saturday, March 31st 9-11am Where: 8500 14th Ave NW (our office)

Volunteer Appreciation Event: Family Game Night When: Thursday, April 19 Where: 8500 14th Ave NW (our office)

Mark your calendars!

Questions? Call us at (206) 233-9720.

IN MEMORY OF LOIS REECE

Remembering A Literacy Council Founder
Lois Reece, one of our founders and a tireless volunteer for 42+ years passed away last November. Nationally recognized for her work with literacy, Lois Reece tutored countless students and developed many curriculums, not to mention mentoring the present Executive Vice President of ProLiteracy. Thank all of you who sent memorial contributions for her legacy to continue. If you have a photo, memory or story to share about Lois, please send it to us at info@literacyseattle.org. Thank you for all your support. We are excited to begin our 43rd year of providing FREE services to adult students in Seattle. With your continued support, we hope to help even more students this year.