9th Annual Scrabble Challenge

It's time to dust off your dictionary!

Reading Connection's 9th annual Scrabble Challenge will be held on April 7th, 2009 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel in Downtown Greensboro (304 N. Greene Street).

Come join us for an evening of entertaining wordplay, food, and prizes!

Tickets are $35 for individual players, $100 for a team of 3 players, or $30 for spectators. For more details, including registration and rules, visit our website at www.readingconnections.org/scrabble.asp. Don't miss this fantastic fund raiser. Door prizes will be awarded, and we will draw the winners of our "Go the Extra Mile" raffle.

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Go the Extra Mile for Reading Connections

Buy a raffle ticket.
Support Reading Connections."
WIN A NEW SCOOTER OR BIKE!

Every year, in conjunction with our Scrabble Challenge, we hold a raffle to benefit Reading Connections. This year the prizes are fantastic!

First Prize:
Zongshen Metro 50 Scooter

$1100 value. This zippy scooter will get you where you're going...no license required! (You still have to wear a helmet.) From Scooternerds.

Second Prize:
Haro Flightline 2 Unisex Bike

$350 value. Courtesy of Friendly Bike. Get in shape and save some gas in the process! Perfect for trails or pavement.

Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Contact info@readingconnections.org or call 230-2223 to purchase tickets or to help sell tickets.

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New Monthly Tutor Report Form

Reading Connections is adopting a new format for the monthly reports that are due by the 5th of each month. You can access this document through our website- www.readingconnections.org in the "Useful Documents" section under the "Tutor Login" tab. If you have questions about this form (including the username and password for logging in) please contact Rhiannon Kelly, Volunteer Coordinator at 336-230-2223 or rkelly@readingconnections.org . Thank you all for your promptness on submitting this form each month!

Monthly tutor reports are very important for keeping track of student instruction and are a requirement for continuing to be a tutor. Our data tracking system requires that we enter hours at least once every 90 days, or it lists a student as inactive. Please be sure to submit your hours so we can keep our data tracking current. Remember you can submit these hours by email, mail, fax, or phone. Call the office if you have questions about reporting your tutoring hours.

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Writing Lab

As you well know, most of our students at Reading Connections are working to read better. Research shows that improving reading skills goes hand in hand with improving writing skills, yet our students, like so many people, struggle to get their thoughts on paper. It is reported that the most frequently failed section of the GED is writing. And our students frequently ask for help in spelling and mechanics. Since improving writing skills is a critical need among our students, we will be offering a six-week writing class for higher level students to work on their narrative writing skills by learning the stages of the writing process as well as spelling and mechanics. This evening class will have three instructors and begin Wednesday, March 18th from 6 to 8 pm and run for 6 Wednesday evenings (until April 22). Please spread the word to your higher level students !

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Student Council

Student Council is a great opportunity for students who are interested in becoming a leader, speaking in classes and at events, giving back to our community, and/or helping to plan our socials and celebrations. There are several upcoming opportunities for students to get involved:

Greensboro:

The Greensboro RC Student Council has reconvened! 14 students attended our first meeting with much enthusiasm for becoming involved!

The second Student Council meeting will be held Tuesday, March 17th from 5:30-7:00 pm in the 8th Floor Conference Room in the Self-Help Building downtown Greensboro.

Please contact Micah Guindon at mguindon@readingconnections. org or call 230-2223 if your student would like to be involved.

High Point:

The next High Point Student Council Meeting is Friday, March 20th at 3:30 pm . It will be held at Reading Connections' offices at the Employment Security Commission (919 Phillips Avenue) on the third friday of every month. Please contact Kyri Murdough at kmurdough@readingconnections. org or 336-404-3474 more information.

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Wish List

Reading Connections is in need of a few basic supplies:

We need fifty 1 1/2" white Basic Economy binders.
(Similar to item #396251 at Office Depot)

We need fifty 1/2" white Basic Economy binders.
(Similar to item #396941 at Office Depot)

These binders are perfect for organizing tutor and student materials, and we go through them like hotcakes!

Reading Connections is also in need of one or two used laptops. These are great for making presentations on the road or for checking out to tutors and students for instructional purposes.

If you have or could arrange for donation of any of these items, please let us know.

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Upcoming Tutor Events

Tutor Reflection:

Please come meet other tutors and Reading Connections staff for light refreshments & discussion of your tutoring experience.  Come prepared to ask questions and share your ideas, experiences, and resources.  All are welcome!

Thursday March 12th
6-7 pm
Millis Health Education Center, Room 3
600 N. Elm Street, High Point, NC
RSVP to Claire Dixon: cdixon@readingconnections.org

Supplemental Tutor Training

Thursday April 23rd
6-8 pm
Reading Connections
122 N. Elm Street, Greensboro, NC
RSVP or send topic suggestions/requests to Rhiannon Kelly: rkelly@readingconnections.org

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ESOL Volunteers Needed

The Community Bible Church in High Point is interested in re-starting their small group ESOL classes.  They have rooms available and money to pay for babysitting for students' children on Sundays from 2 - 3:30 pm.  They need more volunteers to help lead the classes, which are divided into Beginning, Intermediate & Advanced ESOL.  The classes focus on English conversation, reading, and writing skills.  Any interested volunteers should contact Claire Dixon, High Point Program Coordinator, at 404-3474 or cdixon@readingconnections.org.

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Websites of the Month

"My student and I have started using the English resources at Voice of America News (http://www.voanews.com/ ). We use the news stories as reading comprehension lessons and she particularly likes the idiom and slang practice from "Words and Their Stories." My student is advanced, but I can see how an intermediate reader would find help from the Special English Wordbook, which is a simplified glossary of the terms VOA uses in its English-language broadcasts." - Britta Waller, Tutor since 2007

One of our new tutors, Kim Wilson, recommended www.freerice.com . It is a great tool for both intermediate to advanced ABE & ESOL students to improve their vocabulary, grammar, math, and geography.  You can choose levels of difficulty, and it will adjust to your level depending on your answers.  For each answer you get correct, the program donates 10 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program.

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We are always interested in your feedback. Do you have questions or concerns? Please contact the office. Sincerely, Reading Connections Staff

Greensboro Office
122 N. Elm St., Ste. 520
Greensboro, NC 27401
info@readingconnections.org
Phone: (336)230-2223
Fax: (336) 230-2203

High Point Office
919 Phillips Ave, Suite 107
High Point, NC 27262
info@readingconnections.org or cdixon@readingconnections.org
Phone (336) 882-4141 or 404-3474
Fax (336) 882-4142

If you think you've received this email in error or would like to be removed from the list, send an email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to info@readingconnections.org