Providing English language skills to help people thrive in our community since 1973 |
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Winter Newsletter
January 2021
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Dear friends,
I was going to write another reflective message about the year we've had, but I think that everything there is to say about 2020 has already been said. Instead, I'd like to focus on the year to come. With your help, we exceeded our end-of-year fundraising goal, setting us up for success in the new year. That is incredible. Hundreds of adult learners in Worcester will be able to access our continued programs throughout 2021.
At the moment, all of our activities remain remote, including our staff working from home, online classes, and distance tutoring. We are optimistic about the progress on curbing covid-19 with the new vaccines, and we hope to transition back to some in-person activities later this year. We'll continue to follow the guidance of public health professionals and the team at Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts.
Please read on to find out what's new at LVGW. Thanks for sticking with us, and happy new year!
Sincerely,
Executive Director
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ESOL Courses - Literacy Academy
Winter Trimester Starting Soon!
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“It is more easy for me to take the classes online. I care for my daughter all the time and it is the first time in three years in this country I can take an English class. Your program is excellent.” -Fall ESOL student
We will be holding online ESOL courses again this winter! Classes will be held over Zoom and include Survival, Beginner, and Intermediate levels. Students can register between January 11th and January 22nd on our website here. Students who register will receive a confirmation email by January 29th. All looking to improve their English language skills are welcome to join us virtually! If you have any questions about classes, feel free to email [email protected] or call (or message via WhatsApp) our office, 508-754-8056.
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Darlyne Chéri, a student from Haiti, reads a short story aloud in Hossam's Beginner Reading & Writing class, Fall 2020
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Upcoming Events
Save the dates
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Open Mic Night
February 24 at 7 pm
LVGW is partnering with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division for a live virtual open mic night with the theme of "Language of Love."
We hope to have some LVGW students, volunteers, and friends sign up to speak or perform in multiple languages. The event is free and open to the public, and will be livestreamed from the City of Worcester's official Facebook page. Registration coming soon!
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Scrabble Scrambler & Online Auction
May 6 at 7 pm
Please join us for an online word game night this spring! We will have a variety of mini games to play, speakers to hear from, and lots of great auction items to bid on. Proceeds will support our 36 ESOL courses and 100+ one-to-one tutoring matches this year.
Stay tuned for more details!
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Yosiris, a student from Honduras, has spent years improving her English and studying US history and government in hopes of passing the citizenship interview. In December, that dream became a reality! Naturalization is a rigorous process with many steps, costs, and requirements, so achieving this goal is no simple feat.
Yosiris is the first in her family to become a US citizen, making her whole family and all of us at LVGW very proud. Congratulations, Yosiris!
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Honggang, a student from China, came to the US five years ago for a PhD program in engineering at a local institution. Honggang studied English one-on-one with his tutor Bill for the past three years. In December, Honggang completed his PhD dissertation and he has accepted a job at a university.
We will miss you, Honggang, and we are so proud of your achievements. Congratulations and best of luck on your new journey!
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Recap: 47th Annual Meeting
November 5, 2020
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first ever virtual annual meeting! Although it was certainly different than our usual international potluck dinner, we still had a jam-packed agenda and lots of friendly faces.
President Amanda Addeo and Executive Director Elyse Waksman spoke on the organization's activities from the previous year and our response to the covid-19 pandemic. Treasurer Kelsey Miller shared a financial update, demonstrating LVGW's resilience and strong financial position, thanks to all of our generous funding partners and individual donors. View our slideshow here. We also invited speakers from different programs to reflect on the year we've had. BJ Hill, Civics and Citizenship teacher, spoke about the diversity and determination of his students who are studying to become US citizens. Lisa Osmolowski, ESOL tutor, shared some of her tips and tricks for tutoring her students remotely.
Lastly, Rafaela Joseph, student and Admin/Program Assistant, told her inspiring story of finding LVGW when she first moved here from Brazil. A highlight in case you missed it: "When I applied to be a student at LVGW, one of the questions that most caught my attention was what I studied in my country. It made me believe that what I lived and studied in my country mattered to them. I think many students feel the same way, and I'm sure they are happy to know that their history and culture has value for us at Literacy Volunteers."
We hope that our next annual meeting will be in person with lots of food and friends again!
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While we are all staying safe at home, we'd love to stay connected. If you would like, please share a picture of something that has brought you joy at home, something someone has done for you, or something you have done for others during this period of physical distancing. Please send your photos and captions to [email protected].
Thank you to our friends at the Quincy literacy program for this lovely idea!
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For example, Elyse adopted Barney in June. Here he is at the top of Mount Greylock. |
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Resource Center
Helpful web resources for English learners
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Rafaela recommends Language Learning with Netflix to practice listening comprehension. This is a Google Chrome extension for current Netflix subscribers. Great way to learn English and learn about American culture.
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"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."
― Frederick Douglass
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