Midyear Program Snapshot

Midyear data, while preliminary, indicates very exciting reading gains. You might remember this is Year 2 of ACPS's and ATC's delivery of heavy phonics instruction. So far, students are showing great progress.

1st and 2nd graders' ability to sound out words is advancing more rapidly than in prior years, leaving more time to hone in on fluency and writing;

Kindergartners are at the highest level we've ever seen, with many reading about two months ahead of past years and beginning to write sentences (which didn't used to happen until 1st grade)!

Our 310 tutors will continue tutoring their 275 Book Buddies through May. We look forward to watching these students' reading skills grow!

ATC Celebrates Student Diversity

Book Buddies students are selected by their teachers based purely on whether they need reading assistance. Because we live in such a culturally rich and diverse city, that means we work with students from all backgrounds - children whose families have been here hundreds of years, decades, or just a few months. 56% of ATC's students are English Learners (EL), a higher percentage than the school division's EL rate of 38%, likely because teachers highly value ATC tutoring which gives children a chance to work on pronunciation and vocabulary one-on-one with a caring adult.

ATC is grateful to serve all kinds of kids in the Alexandria community. This month we'd like to feature one of the populations we serve, students from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan to Alexandria:

English Learners in Alexandria and ATC

Since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has seen a significant increase in its Afghan student population. Many Afghan students come to Alexandria speaking Dari, Pashto, English, Urdu, Uzbek, or a combination of those languages.

ATC provides reading tutoring to English Learners and monolinguals, alike, including many Afghan children.

Kites in Kabul

If you have read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, you know flying kites in Afghanistan is not a leisurely activity. Instead, it is a fierce competition with one objective: to be the last kite flying. Flyers cover their strong strings in shards of glass to take down rival kites.

Tim Dombro, a Tucker tutor, sent us a sweet note describing when his Book Buddy reminisced about flying kites. "After wishing me a Happy New Year, my Book Buddy and I read his warm-up exercise. He then began telling me about flying little kites in his home country of Afghanistan. He talked about how fun it was flying the little kites and how cool it was to go with his uncle who had a big, expensive fighting kite. He recounted how he grabbed the kite string inadvertently and cut his hand. I was momentarily transported to reading The Kite Runner from a few years ago. The smile it gave me and the cultural experiences I’ve gained from tutoring, make venturing out into these cold mornings all the more rewarding."

We love hearing stories like these. When tutors build rapport with their Book Buddies, it shows they value their experiences. During tutoring sessions every week, Buddies make astounding reading progress AND share daily exchanges like the one above. Those little moments build trust that translates into confidence for the kids and heartfelt satisfaction for the tutors.

Photo credit: https://culturalreads.com/books-about-afghanistan/

*It is worth noting here that kite-flying has been banned in Afghanistan under the Taliban; however, some Afghans, and their allies, continue to fly kites as an act of resistance.

Is ATC Reliant on Federal Grants?

Several of our supporters have asked whether recent changes in federal grants to nonprofits might affect ATC. The answer is, "Not at all." ATC received a federal AmeriCorps Seniors Demonstration Grant funded through the American Rescue Plan from July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024. We also received ESSER III funds through Alexandria City Public Schools, but that funding source has ended, too. Thus, ATC will not be affected by changes in federal grant distribution.

ATC is proud to have a healthy and robust revenue model. The bulk of our support comes from dedicated and generous individuals. We are fortunate many local foundations, corporations, civic organizations, and congregations donate to ATC. Additionally, ATC receives funding through the City of Alexandria's Fund for Human Services to run 2nd-grade Book Buddies programs in four Title I schools.

Grateful for Year-End Giving!

On the topic of income — we are on track to meet our 2024-2025 budget projections, thanks, in part, to 134 very generous end-of-year donors. Thank you, donors! ATC also is grateful for the tribute gifts we received this year.

Donations were made in honor of:

All ATC Tutors

Allison Hall

Binh Tran

Coordinator, Debbie Glenn

Coordinator, Molly O'Brien

Coordinator, Siobhan Gordon Mould

Coordinator, Courtney Lombardi

Dick Christenson

Pat Lovo

Additional gifts were made in memory of:

Carlton Nichols, Jr.

Joan Bradley

Max Berridge

Stephen Newman

Thank You, Anonymous Donors

Thanks to our nine Anonymous donors in December and January! We greatly appreciate your support in helping kids learn to read. You have warmed our hearts in this cold weather.

We don't know how to thank you.

No, really. Unless you specifically add your contact information, donations made through the PayPal link are completely anonymous to us. Please drop us a note if that was inadvertent so we can properly thank you — email office@alexandriatutors.org.

Dine Out and Support ATC at

Royal Restaurant on February 27

Come by Royal Restaurant and grab a bite to eat or get a drink anytime between 4-10 pm on Thursday, February 27. 20% of food and bar proceeds (after tax and tip) will go straight to ATC!

This is a great opportunity for tutors to meet up and hang out outside of school. You can also invite your family, neighbors, and friends to gather around a great cause and great food.

Community Partner Spotlight:

American Water

Thank you, American Water, for your generous $10,000 donation! We appreciate you tapping into your community. Your gift will help 275 kids in Alexandria learn to read and open the floodgates to a world of knowledge.

ATC's Board Chair Anna Davis, Board Vice Chair Linda Thoms, Percy Paik and Director Woody Paik, and Executive Director Lisa Jacobs accept a check from Virginia American Water's External Affairs Manager, Marybeth Leongini (front right, in white).