Here are excerpts from our March '98 newsletter.

Welcome to Diane Wozniak

Hi, I am the new Administrative Assistant for the Provincial Centre for Family Literacy. I am originally from Vancouver, BC. but we moved to Edmonton about 25 years ago. I am married and have two daughters. My oldest daughter just left to live in Indonesia for a year and my youngest daughter is in her last year at the University of Alberta. I worked for the provincial government for several years while going to the U. of A. part-time to get my B. A. in Sociology. Most recently, I worked at The Canadian National Institute for the Blind as the Special Event Coordinator.

I have always loved to read and my favourite place when I was a child was the library. I began taking my daughters to the library before they could walk and enjoyed reading them bedtime stories when they were small. I am very pleased to be involved in the development of the Centre for Family Literacy. I look forward to getting to know the staff, students and tutors at Prospects.

B.O.O.K.S. Notes from the Aboriginal Branch by Colleen F. Crozier Aboriginal Family Literacy Coordinator

In last month's newsletter I told you a bit about the B.O.O.K.S. (Books Offer Our Kids Success) program - how it works, what books we read and what parents think about it. This month I focus on the Aboriginal branch of this program. Essentially it is the same as all the other B.O.O.K.S. programs. The only difference is, that at least half of the books we read, are by and about Aboriginal people.

One of my B.O.O.K.S. programs was held at the Red Road Healing Society. The Red Road Healing Society uses traditional Aboriginal healing and teaching methods at a community centre in east Edmonton. They have parenting programs, healing circles and programs for young people.

One day, we discussed a book called Billy's World by Cora Weber-Pillwax. In this book, a little Native boy wonders what he is missing when he is at school in town. Only when he goes out on the land with his grandfather, does he realize that it is the close connection with nature - the animals and the land - that he has been missing. That, and his grandfather's stories.

This book often prompts recollection of childhood memories by the people in my classes, memories that are similar to Billy's experiences. Richard, a soft spoken Cree from Saskatchewan, spoke about life on his reserve when he was young. Richard took care of his father, who was a respected Elder, after he had had a stroke. Many people, often from different tribes, would come to visit his father to get advice about spiritual and other matters.

Discovering children's books with positive portrayals of present day Native people, as well as Native people who lived in the past, is a real bonus for the parents in my classes. Some of these books are: My Kokum Called Today, Dreamcatcher, Ten Little Rabbits, In the Garden and Coyote Places the Stars.

One of the exciting things about reading stories is that it often encourages people to tell their own stories. This is particularly significant in the Native community, as the oral tradition is still important. Telling stories is how tribal history and customs, as well as spiritual practices, are passed on to the next generation. Many Elders do not wish to have their words written down or recorded. They will only pass on their knowledge through the spoken word.

When we read, we make a medicine wheel. The medicine wheel is an ancient symbol used by many Plains Aboriginal peoples. Elders use it to teach about the four elements, the four winds, the four directions. It is also used to teach about the four aspects of human nature: the physical, the mental, the emotional and the spiritual. The Elders say that there must be an equal balance among these aspects in order for us to be truly healthy. Richard spent a lot of time working on his medicine wheel, "Because," he said, "I believe what it stands for."

The Fall sessions were a wonderful learning experience for me as well as for the parents. I met Elders; took part in the purifying ritual known as smudging (in which fragrant sweetgrass is burnt); I drank muskeg tea and I listened to stories about the old days and the old ways. The B.O.O.K.S. programs for the winter of 1998 are now underway and I am looking forward to what future sessions will bring.

Spotlight on Tutors

Gordon McLeod has tutored with Prospects for two years. He has been a great advocate and supporter of our work. Thanks Gordon!

Prospects Notes: What got you interested in volunteering at Prospects?

Gordon: The high pay. But seriously... I'd been interested in literacy for a number of years and became even more interested when I had a neighbour who couldn't read or write well. Even though I knew him well I didn't realize he had this problem. I thought he was amazingly successful at covering this up. At work, he was successful and responsible for 60 industrial workers! He had to put so much effort into keeping up a front as he was afraid of losing his job and of ridicule. He was ashamed that his children could perform better than he could and that he was unable to help them with their school work. I was fortunate in my own life to have access to a library from a young age. I can't remember when I couldn't read. I wanted to pass on this ability.

Prospects Notes: What do you like about volunteering at Prospects?

Gordon: The student I work with and I have a number of things in common, and he is interesting and interested in what he is doing. He's a real pleasure to work with. I've got to know his wife and family and become friends. I particularly like the staff. They make me feel like I'm volunteering in an organization that is making a significant change in many people's lives and also contributing to the whole area of literacy education.

Terry Lyons is in her second year at Prospects. We appreciate the great work she has done. She goes the extra mile for her students.

Prospects Notes: What got you interested in volunteering at Prospects?

Terry: I had so many problems myself when I was learning to read as I am dyslexic. That's given me empathy for others and I can relate to how difficult it can be. I admire people who struggle to learn.

I like the people at Prospects, especially spending time with the students. Tutoring at Prospects has given me a life outside my family and my job. I enjoy laughing and Prospects has put a lot of fun in my life.

Annette Hemminger has been at Prospects for 3 years now. She is a wonderful and caring tutor.

Prospects Notes: Tell us about your volunteering experience.

Annette: I heard about Prospects on the radio. I'd been retired for a year and I was looking for something to do. It had never dawned on me that adults wouldn't be able to read and write.

I like the people and the students' enthusiasm. When they accomplish something, it's great!

Ying Yau and Sonia Allore

Sonia Allore and Ying Yau make a Christmas creation together every year. Reading a recipe and following directions is a fun way to apply literacy learning. Sonia is in her third year as a tutor with Prospects. She started volunteering because she felt she wanted to give something back to the community. She tried a couple of volunteer positions but neither seemed right for her until she came to Prospects. She enjoys tutoring her student very much, loves the atmosphere and really appreciates our resource library.

Attention Students and Tutors!

Don Trembath is organizing three interesting projects that students are invited to take part in. These projects are: two Readers' Theatre events, a film-making project and an art gallery project. If you are interested in taking part in any of these projects, please call (403) 421-7323 and leave your name with Dolores. Don will then contact you with more details.

Casino

Tuesday & Wednesday
June 30 & July 1, 1998

Volunteers are needed, daytime or evening.

No experience necessary, on-the-job training.

Casino funds help Prospects to continue our high level of programs.

$20,000 was raised in the 1996 casino, thanks to 40 wonderful volunteers.

Reminder

Prospects is still operating on a four-day week. Our office hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday and Tuesday and we are open 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thanks so much...

to Donna-Lynn Moos and Linda Mattern who appeared on Videotron Cable Television to promote all the good work we do at Prospects. They did a wonderful job!

to Diana Seemann who went to Videotron to keep Donna-Lynn and Linda company.

to Joe Soares for making a broken old desk brand-new again.

to Anne Force for her generous donation of some interesting library materials.

to Lolita Romero for her donation of library materials.

to United Way Gifts in Kind Program for donating furniture for the Centre for Family Literacy Project.

to Jacquie Dumas, Orlando Books for 100 copies of "Read to Your Bunny" for the Books for Babies project.

to the Students, Tutors and Board Members who attended the Alberta Literacy Program Standards focus groups.

Palmira Baretta win$ the bigge$t jackpot ever!

EDMONTON, AB - Palmira always dreamed of being a millionaire. On the 10th of February, as she walked to the Mall, she remembered she had a 649 ticket. She went and checked it and Bingo! She won the biggest jackpot of the year - $100,000,000.

She played the same numbers over and over again. They are birthdays.

The next morning it's on the front page of all the newspapers. Her phone is ringing.

Everybody asked Palmira what she's going to do with all the money. She had a plan for 50 years. Her big dream is to travel and make a lot of people happy.

Shaun Clarke Wins World Championship!

LONDON, U.K. - Shaun Clarke is a great bowler and basketball player. He won the World Cup with 280 points in the World Competition in London, England in December 1997. He said, "I worked very hard. I'm the best. It was easy!"

Allison Day to Star in Tom Selleck Movie!

LOS ANGELES, CA - Allison Day went to Los Angeles to star in a movie called Rich Girl with Tom Selleck. She sailed in her yacht and she and Tom went out for dinner. She went to Venice to sail on the water, to London to see Westminster Abbey and to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. She has won an Academy Award and an Emmy.

Rent Increase
By KAREN BAUM

EDMONTON, AB - They told me my rent would go up from $425.00 to $485.00 for a large one bedroom suite. They told me that subsidized tenants could not live here.

Handicapped people will not be able to afford it either. They told us in April the rent would go up and it did a month later.

When a new renovated suite became available they offered it to me. I asked a friend to help me move and we did it in two hours. If the rent goes up again, I cannot afford to live here anymore.