Literacy Volunteers of America, Essex & Passaic Counties, NJ Inc.
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June 2018

Volume 6, Issue 6

The Insider

Download PDF

The Insider, the monthly newsletter of LVA, Essex & Passaic Counties, will keep you in the loop on all of the organization’s upcoming events.
Picture
Tutors learn to teach  vocabulary with pictures at  our June Tutor Support Workshop. with trainer Mary Koa.

Literacy Volunteers of America Essex & Passaic Counties

90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(973) 566-6200, ext. 217 or 225
 
195 Gregory Avenue, 2nd Floor, Passaic, NJ 07055
(973) 470-0039
Cristhian Barcelos      -Executive Director
                                           cbarcelos@lvaep.org
Jorge Chavez               -Data Processing Coordinator
                                           jchavez@lvaep.org
Debbie Graham           -Education Coordinator
                                           dgraham@lvaep.org
Ellen Rooney Martin  -Recruitment & Training Coordinator
                                           emartin@lvaep.org
Mary O’Connor          -Trainer & Tutor Support Specialist
                                           moconnor@lvaep.org
Marisol Ramirez          -Student Coordinator
                                           mramirez@lvaep.org
Greetings LVA Family,
 
  If you’ve stopped in the office and wondered who was sitting at Russell’s desk, it’s been strange for me too.  I’m very excited to be in the new job, but a bit bewildered as to how he did it all, made it look effortless and was friendly and helpful in two languages.

  Luckily the LVA staff is incredibly helpful and patient while I figure out everything from the phones to the newsletter.  From my desk I can see the incredible wealth of books available for tutors and students to use in their lessons. The collection includes everything from the 1,500 most common words to picture dictionaries and more.

  On my computer, the easiest thing to open is www.lvaep.org, our website where there is a wealth information for students and tutors.  When you open the page, in the top right-hand corner you will see “Resources” hover your mouse over it and click “Students” to find information on everything from Health to Finances, and Education to Transportation. If you click on “Tutors” you’ll find information on Lesson Plans and Materials. If you aren’t sure how to navigate it, stop in and we’ll show you.

  LVA is always searching for ways to make the program better for students and tutors. In the past year, we’ve offered id’s for students. This seemingly simple idea, is often the first picture id card our students have in this country and can be used to whenever they are asked for a picture id, is a source of pride and acknowledgement of their efforts at LVA EP.

  In this issue of the newsletter you’ll meet one of those students.  Carlton makes a secret sauce that has everyone from friends and family, to state politicians swooning.

  On the tutor side, meet Randy Budros, he is deeply involved in helping immigrants in his community. This California native is rightly proud of the progress his students have made.

In the News

  To view the following stories, copy and paste the highlighted website into an internet search bar.
 
New Jersey literacy programs focus on better educated children and a stronger workforce,” My Central Jersey. https://mycj.co/2LaVFpz

“Nonprofit helping East Texans overcome adult illiteracy,” a report by CBS 19 in Tyler Texas. https://bit.ly/2xx9BbM

“Incarceration to Reentry: Education & Training Pathways in Ohio,” Clasp https://bit.ly/2Lmvux6

Picture
 Long a wizard in the kitchen, Carlton is working on reading and writing skills to help launch his secret sauce.

Tutor Training Workshops

Montclair Public Library -by Mary Kao
50 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
Saturdays, 12:15-3:45 pm
September 8, 15, 22, 29, & October 6, 2018
 
 
Bloomfield Public Library -by Sable Lomax
90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor Boardroom
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00- 3:00 pm
October 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, & 18, 2018
 
 
West Orange Public Library -by Mary Kao
46 Mount Pleasant Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052
Wednesday 6:00 - 9:00 pm
October 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, & 14, 2018
 
 
Hilton Branch, Maplewood Library -by Mary O'Connor
1688 Springfield Avenue
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-4:00 pm
October 17, 22, 24, 29, 31 & Nov. 5, 2018

Getting to Know Us
 Carlton, LVA student

  Carlton’s life in the kitchen goes back a few years. Well, actually five decades or more.
 
  At age eight, Carlton began cooking in his family’s small kitchen in their mud house in Kingston, Jamaica. “I was most happy growing up when I was cooking. Everybody cooked. We picked things out of the fields like yams, bananas, plantains and peas and brought it home to cook,” Carlton said. “Everyone wanted to eat my food.”
 
  Today, in the United States, people still want to eat Carlton’s food. Carlton’s patented jerk sauce will soon be on the shelves in local markets for people to enjoy. But one thing Carlton doesn’t want eaten up is his profits. “People have offered to help me in my business, but I won’t take it. I am not going to kill myself for somebody else. We are keeping it as a family business,” Carlton explained.
 
  Carlton and his wife Paulina are both partners in life and in business. Carlton, a student with Literacy Volunteers of America who is working on his reading and writing skills, is the creative director of the household, while Paulina has a brain for business. She attended classes in how to start a small business. In about three months, “Castro’s Jerk Chicken” will be off and running. Castro was Carlton’s boyhood nickname in Jamaica.
 
  Carlton’s business grew out of his own backyard in New Jersey. He held family barbecues. Neighbors, friends, and anyone who may have wandered by were enticed by the aroma of his secret sauce. Carlton, a quiet, gentle man of few words jokes, “I can give you the recipe but then I have to kill you.”
 
  Carlton has catered events for noted politicos as well. His sauce has been enjoyed by guests of one-time New Jersey Senator Jim McGreevy, former Governor Jon Corzine. When Corzine tasted Carlton’s jerk chicken, Carlton remembers Corzine swearing at him and saying, “You need a #$&# place to sell this!” Carlton’s eyes lit up and he said, “Yea, Corzine was really into it.”

Literacy opens a wide door to life. Help us keep that door open with your donation!

Thanks in large part to you, we are able to aid hundreds of students each year. Please continue your efforts to improve the lives of others by giving the gift of literacy. You can contribute by mailing us a check or through our website  @:
 
http://www.lvaep.org/donate.html

Picture

“The Importance of Early Childhood Reading,”

NJTV News
by Laura Wanko

  Children learning to read at an early age is really important because the longer they go in school, the more complicated reading materials get, and the more complicated vocabulary gets. What we know is around 4th grade or so, we really start to see the divide between students who are well prepared and who are ready to keep excelling in school and kids that are really going to start to struggle,” said Erik Jacobson, an associate professor of early childhood, elementary and literacy education at Montclair State University.

  The Nation’s Report Card indicates 49 percent of New Jersey fourth-graders and 47 percent of eighth grade students performed at or above the NAEP proficient reading level. That’s higher than the national average, but Erik Jacobson, an associate professor of early childhood, elementary and literacy education at Montclair State University says the numbers should be higher, not just in the state but nationwide.
Early literacy isn’t just about understanding letter sounds. That’s the building block, but not the limit of what early childhood education should be about when it comes to reading and writing, says Jacobson.

  “It really has to be about a full range of activities, encouraging a love of reading, encouraging a love of language and encouraging a love of storytelling,” Jacobson said.

  Literacy New Jersey indicates the single most significant predictor of a child’s literacy is their mother’s literacy level. Jacobson insists a child’s first literacy instructor is their parent because it gets kids thinking about the nature of language, vocabulary and how stories work.

For full story: https://bit.ly/2rwwxT6

Student Resources

Learning a new culture is more than studying a language. Tutoring is more than learning techniques. Our ‘Resources’ page covers everything from legal matters, health care, & scholarships for immigrants, to professional development for tutors. Give us a look @:

http://www.lvaep.org/students.html

Getting to Know Us
Randy Budros, LVA tutor
by Debbie Graham

Picture
  Literacy Volunteers of America tutor Randy Budros has his finger on the pulse of the immigrant experience.

  With his friendly, laid-back style you’d never know in addition to LVA, he also works closely with refugees from the Ivory Coast and Columbia and is actively involved in his South Orange and Maplewood community. At LVA, Randy works very hard to help his two students learn English and engage in their communities. “It is challenging because I am working two students simultaneously who are on two different levels,” Randy said. “The students’ lives are very complicated and it helps you to appreciate your own life.”

  Randy’s grew up in San Jose, CA and went on to earn graduate degrees in sociology and education, which ignited his fascination with people and his dedication to teaching.  He went on to teach graduate students at the University of San Francisco, before joining Gallup as a senior research consultant.

  “A lot of people who worked at Gallup came from universities,” Randy said. “Lunches as Gallup had nothing to do with what was going on with work. We discussed what was going on in the world.”

  After retiring he was looking for something.  “Like many people who retire, I looked for an opportunity to give back and contribute to my community,” he said. “The political environment has changed and I wanted to be part of a community that helps immigrants and refugee families.”
Randy and his Parisian wife, Francoise, regularly host get-togethers with their adopted families for informal cultural exchanges around the kitchen table. They also help new families buy clothing, food and other needs arise that may arise.

  In his spare time, Randy also works with SOMA, a South Orange and Maplewood initiative that strives to build a community for residents of all ages. One of Randy’s current projects is advocating for criminal justice reform.

  At LVA, he’s seen his students’ progress and beams with pride at their accomplishment.

  Randy is a long way from San Jose, but his interest in the immigrant community is LVA EP’s great fortune.

Contact Us
90 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ 07003 | (973) 566-6200 x225
195 Gregory Avenue, Passaic, NJ 07055 | (973) 470-0039

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