Thank You for Making 50 Years of Success Happen!
August 29, 2012 at 3:12 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on Thank You for Making 50 Years of Success Happen!Tags: 50th anniversary, alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, annandale, anne poad, anne spear, announcement, Announcements, annual meeting, audrey lipps, avis black, Basic Adult Literacy, becca lipps, Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund, bob stump, bobby joe small, candelario chavez, citizenship, Class, community, decades of success, delegate mark keam, Development, doris addo, elsa angell, elsa ortiz, Ernst Community Cultural Center, ESOL, family event, Family Learning, friends, giving, Golden Reunion, jan auerbach, jean sweeney, jeannie baliles, jessica raines, juana merlo, july 1, karen lezny, LCNV, lcnv learners, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, little river turnpike, Loudon Literacy, Mark Keam, mary hollinghead, mary hollingshead, my celebrations: big and small, Nasr Youssef, northern virginia community college, panel discussion, Posted in Teaching, program and reception, rebekah bundang, recognition meeting, rena baker, ruth hansen, sarah jaggar, student essay contest, student essay contest winners, Sunday, sydney savage, teaching, thank you!, tutoring, virginia literacy foundation, Volunteer, volunteers
See more GOLDEN REUNION pics on LCNV’s Flickr.
* Photos courtesy of Hernan Vargas and Daniel Afzal
The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia would like to thank all of the students, volunteers, and supporters who attended LCNV’s Golden Reunion this past Sunday. Bringing new and old friends together, the Golden Reunion honored the accomplishments of its students and volunteers. The event was truly a success, and included many highlights!
Every year LCNV holds a student essay contest. The Literacy Council received many essays in response to this year’s student essay contest topic: Celebrating Literacy: My Celebrations, Big and Small. Anxiously, LCNV announced the Student Essay Contest Winners which included: Nasr Youssef (1st Place Basic Literacy Tutoring Student Essay); Janice dos Santos (2nd Place Basic Literacy Tutoring Student Essay); Miriam Rosas (1st Place ESOL Tutoring Student Essay); Ann Choi (2nd Place ESOL Tutoring Student Essay); Huiyan Wang (1st Place Classroom Student Essay); and Elsa Ortiz (2nd Place Classroom Student Essay). We are incredibly proud of all the winners! Many of the winners were surprised to find that LCNV proudly displayed excerpts from their essays throughout the venue. We’d like to once again, congratulate our winners!
The Council also recognized the Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund and the Virginia Literacy Foundation for their exceptional support of our mission. Without the help of organizations such as these, LCNV would not be able to bring much needed services to individuals who need and want to learn how to read, write, speak, and understand English. We are truly thankful to the Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund and the Virginia Literacy Foundation for their continued support.
A special event highlight included LCNV’s “Decades of Success” panel discussion. Moderated by Laurie Hayden, a teacher and tutor, the panel included: Candelario Chavez, Kerrin Epstein, Doris Gone, Maria Henriquez, Sally Jaggar, Bobby Jo Small, and Bob Stump. Here, students, teachers, and tutors came together to discuss how LCNV has changed their lives; they commented upon the surprises and challenges they faced, as well as the lessons they learned throughout their experience at LCNV.
The Golden Reunion would not have been possible without the help of the Golden Reunion Committee and the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. The Literacy Council extends a big thank you to the Golden Reunion Committee: Audrey Lipps, Golden Reunion Committee Chair; Doris Addo; Rena Baker ; Fatima El Amrani; Ruth Hansen; Mary Hollingshead ; Sarah (Sally) Jaggar ; Karen Lezny ; Becca Lipps ; Juana Merlo ; Jessica Raines ; Bobby Joe Small; Anne Spear ; Robin Walker ; Ron Wise ; and Michael Wolff. LCNV extends another big thank you to the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee: Jan Auerbach, 50th Anniversary Events Chair; Elsa Angell; Rena Baker; Avis Black; Rebekah Bundang; Mary Hollingshead; Anne Poad; and Jean Sweeney. The Council would also like to thank Delegate Mark Keam for attending the Golden Reunion, and showing his support.
Once again, the Literacy Council thanks all of the students, volunteers, and supporters who made the Golden Reunion such a successful and memorable event!
Visit LCNV’s Flickr to see more Golden Reunion pics!
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, Va 22042
(703)237-0866 ext 112
www.LCNV.org
Setara Habib: My AmeriCorps Year
August 10, 2012 at 2:51 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on Setara Habib: My AmeriCorps YearTags: alumni, american dream, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, Basic Adult Literacy, best practices, Class, community, Development, ESOL, family, Family Learning, friends, g, giving, immigration, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, students, teaching, thank you!, training, transformative year, tutoring, Volunteer, volunteers, Writing
I can’t believe today is my last day of my service year here at the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia. Overall, I have had much success and feel I have gained much from this experience. I have gained confidence in myself as a teacher and pride in the work I have done. I would really once again like to thank EVERYONE at the Literacy Council for being wonderful people and doing good work. I feel lucky to have been able to work with this organization for a year. As I move forward in my life, or rather South to Richmond, I can take with me all my new skills and experiences and the knowledge that I have spent one year of my life devoted to helping others. Teaching adult ESOL was such a rewarding experience. I can only hope that I find something equally as rewarding in the future. or maybe I’ll just come back some day.
Setara Habib
Americorps Instructor
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, Va 22042
(703)237-0866 ext 112
www.LCNV.org
Raymond Chow: Thoughts and Thanks.
August 7, 2012 at 12:29 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on Raymond Chow: Thoughts and Thanks.Tags: alumni, american dream, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, Basic Adult Literacy, best practices, Class, community, Development, ESOL, family, Family Learning, friends, give, giving, immigration, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, students, teaching, thank you!, training, transformative year, tutoring, Volunteer, volunteers, Writing
I am grateful to AmeriCorps and the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia for my exciting and rewarding year as an ESL teacher. I have nothing but admiration and respect for the dedication and hard work of both the Literacy Council’s staff, volunteers, and students. I have grown as an educator and as a member of my community through the work I’ve done here.
At the class graduations this summer I told my students that they were my family. Specifically they were all my parents, only 40 years removed. They came to America for the same reasons, the same aspirations – something better for themselves and for their children. My parents were able to own their own house, their own small business, and put two children through college. And I told them this not to brag about my parents’ successes but to confirm theirs. All those great Frank Capra American dreams are possible. I am proud of every one of my students. I only hope they continue to gain knowledge and confidence as they continue to better themselves.
But if they are my parents then I am their son. And in that I have to reflect on the question of whether I have been a good one. I can only say that AmeriCorps has been a reaffirmation that I’m trying. I want to help others. I want to do good and take advantage of all the gifts I’ve been given so that I can give back to others. To that end, when I take my leave of LCNV I will be going back to law school to become a better advocate (in some fashion) of this community.
Everyone at the Literacy Council has been both dedicated and kind. Although I will not be able to teach in the coming year I have every intention of helping LCNV in its mission. I sincerely thank the Literacy Council for helping me be a better person.
Raymond K. Chow
Americorps Member
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Chuch, Virginia 22042
(703)237-0866 ext. 118
www.lcnv.org
Catherine Ludwig: My AmeriCorps Experience
August 3, 2012 at 2:37 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on Catherine Ludwig: My AmeriCorps ExperienceTags: alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, Basic Adult Literacy, best practices, Class, community, Development, ESOL, family, Family Learning, friends, give, giving, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, students, teaching, teaching strategies, thank you!, training, transformative year, tutoring, Volunteer, volunteers, Volunteers | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: alumni, Writing
Throughout my year with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia I have learned so much about teaching, my students’ lives, and ultimately, about myself. The most rewarding thing has been to see my students improve, progress at LCNV, and graduate from our program. I have several students who have graduated, but have kept in touch with me about their future plans, including one who plans on taking nursing classes in the fall. I am so proud of my students, and their dedication to learning a scary and challenging language while pursuing their dreams in a new country.
The upcoming year holds many changes for me as well as my students. I will be moving to Turkey to complete a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. I will be teaching English at Usak University and I am grateful that my AmeriCorps year has prepared me well to take on this task. I will be taking with me a great appreciation for patience in teachers as I myself will begin learning a new language in Turkish. This year has also helped me determine my focus for graduate school, which I plan to pursue upon my return from my Fulbright. I plan on attending a graduate program in International Studies with a concentration in International Development. After hearing my students’ stories about their home countries, and learning about the various economic and social problems that exist, I now want to study ways to alleviate those problems.
I hope the new group of AmeriCorps will have an equally transformative year of service and that they will continue to have a profound impact on our students. I plan on returning after my year in Turkey to volunteer with the ESOL classes again – I’m sure my students will hold me to it. Hopefully I will be able to volunteer teach at Lincolnia next summer and into the school year so I can continue to play a role in the betterment of our students’ lives.
Catherine K. Ludwig
AmeriCorps ESL Instructor
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 237-0866 x 117
www.lcnv.org
Jessica Raines: My AmeriCorps Year
July 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on Jessica Raines: My AmeriCorps YearTags: alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, best practices, Class, community, Development, family, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, students, teaching, teaching strategies, thank you!, training, Volunteer, volunteers, Writing
I came to the Literacy Council with practically no teaching experience. My background is in psychology and political science, but I wanted to try something new. I did not really know what to expect from this upcoming year of teaching, but I knew it would be hard and rewarding.
The first semester, my fellow AmeriCorps members and I hit the ground running. I had to learn to teach through trial and error. Quickly, I discovered that teaching is not an easy task. Often, there are so many available resources that you can feel like you are drowning in textbooks, websites, and advice. Plus, actually being responsible for someone else’s learning felt incredibly overwhelming. Part of me expected teaching to come naturally, but I found myself spending substantial amounts of time lesson planning and feeling incredibly nervous before each class.
Teaching is an art AND science; skill and practice are required if you want to hone your craft. As time went on, I became more comfortable with it. I took advantage of trainings, sifted through resources and articles, and practiced five times a week in front of my own class. Eventually, lesson planning and teaching became easier. I also stopped stressing about being responsible for someone’s education and focused on enjoying my time with my students; as the saying goes “showing up is half the battle.” Students are ecstatic that someone is willing to take time out of her day to show up to class with a smile on her face and talk to them. I really enjoyed conversing with my students, even though it was extremely difficult at times given their limited language skills. While working with my students to accomplish their goals, I learned about their lives and cultures, and this was incredibly rewarding – more rewarding than words can express.
Jessica Raines
AmeriCorps Member
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 237-0866 x 104
www.lcnv.org
Making LCNV’s 50th Events Happen
June 28, 2012 at 12:14 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on Making LCNV’s 50th Events HappenTags: 2012, 50th anniversary, alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, annandale, anne poad, anne spear, announcement, Announcements, annual meeting, audrey lipps, avis black, Basic Adult Literacy, becca lipps, Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund, bobby joe small, Class, community, Development, doris addo, elsa angell, Ernst Community Cultural Center, ESOL, family event, Family Learning, Family Learning | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: give, friends, giving, Golden Reunion, jan auerbach, jean sweeney, jeannie baliles, jessica raines, juana merlo, july 1, karen lezny, LCNV, lcnv learners, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, little river turnpike, Loudon Literacy, mary hollinghead, mary hollingshead, northern virginia community college, Posted in Teaching, program and reception, rebekah bundang, recognition meeting, rena baker, ruth hansen, sarah jaggar, student, Sunday, teaching, thank you!, tutoring, virginia literacy foundation, Volunteer, volunteers, Volunteers | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: 50 years of literacy, Volunteers | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: 50th
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia Golden Reunion is just days away. This event, which highlights the impact the Council has had on the lives of both instructors and learners, would not have been possible without the help of the Golden Reunion Committee and the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. The Literacy Council extends a big thank you to the following individuals for all their hard work:
Audrey Lipps, Golden Reunion Committee Chair
Golden Reunion Volunteers: Doris Addo; Rena Baker ; Fatima El Amrani; Ruth Hansen; Mary Hollingshead ; Sarah (Sally) Jaggar ; Karen Lezny ; Becca Lipps ; Juana Merlo ; Jessica Raines ; Bobby Joe Small; Anne Spear ; Robin Walker ; Ron Wise ; and Michael Wolff
Jan Auerbach, 50th Anniversary Events Chair
50th Anniversary Planning Committee: Elsa Angell; Rena Baker; Avis Black; Rebekah Bundang; Mary Hollingshead; Anne Poad; and Jean Sweeney.
Come to the LCNV’s Golden Reunion and join us in honoring students, volunteers, and our exceptional partners. This is one event you won’t want to miss! Event Details follow:
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2012 │ 4 PM to 7PM
Northern Virginia Community College │ Ernst Community Cultural Center
8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
Complimentary Program and Reception │ Dress Casual │ Free Parking
RSVP to 703-237-0866 or info@lcnv.org
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LCNV’s Golden Reunion is this Sunday!
August 23, 2012 at 1:47 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Comments Off on LCNV’s Golden Reunion is this Sunday!Tags: 50th anniversary, alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, annandale, anne poad, anne spear, announcement, Announcements, annual meeting, audrey lipps, avis black, Basic Adult Literacy, becca lipps, Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund, bobby joe small, Class, community, Development, doris addo, elsa angell, Ernst Community Cultural Center, ESOL, family event, Family Learning, friends, giving, Golden Reunion, jan auerbach, jean sweeney, jeannie baliles, jessica raines, juana merlo, july 1, karen lezny, LCNV, lcnv learners, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, little river turnpike, Loudon Literacy, mary hollinghead, mary hollingshead, northern virginia community college, Posted in Teaching, program and reception, rebekah bundang, recognition meeting, rena baker, ruth hansen, sarah jaggar, Sunday, teaching, thank you!, tutoring, virginia literacy foundation, Volunteer, volunteers, Volunteers | Leave a comment Tags: 2012
Please join the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia this Sunday for our
Golden Reunion
Celebrating 50 years of promoting literacy!
Reconnect with old friends, students, tutors, teachers, and supporters. Hear about the impact the Council has had on the lives of both instructors and learners. Learn how the Council has evolved to support the changing needs of the community. Program begins at 4 PM and will be followed by a reception.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2012 │ 4 PM to 7PM
Northern Virginia Community College │ Ernst Community Cultural Center
8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
Complimentary Program and Reception │ Dress Casual │ Free Parking
RSVP to 703-237-0866 or info@lcnv.org