Reading Buddy Times
An eNewsletter for Volunteers & Friends of SAYL
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Spring is in the air, and we are charging ahead. This week at our annual fundraising dinner, we will be celebrating our 30- year anniversary and roasting our founder and biggest supporter, Harriet Marmon Helmle. We are super excited because, for the first time ever, we have the opportunity to talk about SAYL to a sold out crowd. That's right, we have sold every available seat in the house, and we are overwhelmed by the amount of support coming from all over San Antonio! Make sure you check out our Facebook page and website to see all the event pictures. We are sure it will be a wonderful time for everyone in attendance.
Don't forget to support us on Tuesday May 6, for The Big Give SA. This 24-hour day of giving is the first of its kind in San Antonio, and there are more than 450 non-profits participating. It's a great way to give back to the organization of your choice and, of course, we hope you recognize us. Our fundraising goal for that day is $5,000.00. We currently have 500 Reading Buddies, and if each one of you gives just $10.00 that day we will meet our goal. We hope you will consider giving on May 6th. The non-profits supporting our community uplift our city and make it better place for all of us. But, we cannot do it alone. In addition to your generous gift of time, we need monetary support to meet our Mission and goals.
And if you prefer to eat or drink for a cause, we've got you covered there too! Join us on Thursday, May 22 at Blue Box Bar in the Pearl Brewery. It should be a great night to hang out with friends, win some cool raffle prizes, and support SAYL. Stay tuned for some eat for a cause events we have planned for the summer.
Sincerely,
Christina M. Martinez-Rodriguez
Executive Director
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Shout Out to Our Supporters! |
SAYL wishes to give special thanks to the Harvey Najim Family Foundation for their gracious award of $15,000, to the Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation for a gift of $10,000 and to Mission Trail Rotary for a donation of $1,900. Each of these organizations has supported SAYL in the past and continues to believe in the work of our Reading Buddy Program and the impact it has on the youth of our community. A BIG Thank You to each of them for their support and for believing in San Antonio's youth!
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End of Year Wrap Up & Last Sessions
It's hard to believe, but the end of the school year is just around the corner. The last week for tutoring will be May 5-9.
On your last session please complete the following with your student:
- Please complete the End of Year Survey, found in the student folder.
- Give your student their books.
- Talk about the library card application. If you know where the closest library branch is, point it out to your student (there is a map on the application).
We appreciate your time and dedication this school year! As soon as we compile the end-of-year results we will contact you to let you know how your student(s) did. Please also stay tuned for our Back to School Kick-Off & Volunteer Appreciation Celebration this summer - more details to come!
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The Big Give SA
May 6, 2014
Save the date! We hope you join us on May 6 for this 24-hour day of giving. Tune in to www.thebiggivesa.org on May 6!
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Cocktails for a Cause
May 22, 2014
Join us for our 2nd Cocktails for a Cause at Blue Box Bar! A percentage of all drink sales between 5-8pm will be donated to SAYL!
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Check out all the latest happenings with SAYL via sayl.org
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Stay Connected with SAYL!
San Antonio Youth Literacy [email protected] | www.sayl.org 1616 E. Commerce, Building 2
San Antonio, TX 78205
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Volunteer and Site Director of the Month!
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Volunteer of the Month
Markham Benn
Our Reading Buddy for the month of April is Markham Benn, Vice President of Commercial lending at IBC Bank. He first got involved with San Antonio Youth Literacy when IBC Bank bought a table for SAYL's Hooked on Books Breakfast this past fall. Markham believes that involvement in community service and education are important for a community. "The only way we can continue to grow our great nation in the proper direction is through the education of our children. Education starts with reading proficiency. Once you are able to express to the young children that reading is not only fun but not hard to master, you have established the path to success 101 as reading is the key." After Benn learned more about SAYL's program, he decided to sign up to become a Reading Buddy at Camelot Elementary. At the school, Benn was matched with two second grade girls with whom he quickly formed a strong bond. "I have seen both of my girls improve vastly during our time together. I take my time teaching them about writers and publishers, and telling them they also could be successful writing books if they so desire. When I tell them, "you have really improved" (and they have), they light up with glowing confidence in themselves. When they would have a problem with word recognition, I stop and have them spell it out and we go over it several times. This seems to really work as it bolsters their confidence in something they might once have been afraid about. At this age having fun while we read is the key. We laugh a lot."
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Site Director of the Month
Amy Fouse
Ms. Fouse first got involved with SAYL when she took the job as the Instructional Intervention Teacher at Northern Hills Elementary. "At the time, very few schools had been adopted by SAYL, so we were happy to be chosen. SAYL has been on our campus for five years now and we love it!" Ms. Fouse has always praised SAYL as being a strong, community partner, "Community service is vital to a city as large and as needy as San Antonio. Families are often struggling and, without the support of the community, it is often the children that suffer. That old saying, "It takes a village," rings true. The children of today become the adults of tomorrow. If you want to live in a city that is safe, vibrant, and progressing towards the future, then you need to do your part. An added benefit to community service is the rewarding feeling you get from helping others. I would strongly encourage others to get involved with SAYL. The children love their Reading Buddies and look forward to their weekly visits. The children in the program receive that extra help they usually don't get at home. The adults that volunteer get just as much out of the relationship as the children do. They really bond with the kids and become invested in their lives. Those students that are in the program for the year begin third grade ready to learn. By mid-year testing, we have some second graders that have grown a year and a half. That's phenomenal progress and I know it would not be possible without the extra help they are getting from their SAYL tutors."
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Copyright � 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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