Here are excerpts from our September '99 newsletter.

Welcome Back

Hello everyone. We hope you all had a great summer with lots of time to relax and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Here at Prospects, we sweltered through the August heat as we did our planning for the coming months.

As always, there are some exciting things ahead. Our basic tutor training workshops are set for the fall and winter. We also have some interesting extra training workshops for tutors and small group classes for students.

Coming up right away on October 16th will be a workshop for everyone -- students, tutors and staff -- called "True Colours." It's all about learning styles and it will be lots of fun! Call in and register soon as spaces are filling up fast. The family literacy programs are being set for September, with many Rhymes That Bind programs around the city and several B.O.O.K.S. programs. With some additional funding, we are also expanding our Books for Babies program to the Clareview area. If you are interested in participating in any of these programs, please call the office (421-7323) to find out about programs close to where you live.

Don't forget to celebrate International Literacy Day on September 8th! Come down to City Hall to join in the celebrations, read to a child, or just find a quiet spot to enjoy your own good book!

Maureen Sanders, Executive Director

News from the Library

A Friendly Reminder:

I would like to ask anyone who has over-due books to please return them to the library. Other people are waiting, so please return all late material as soon as possible.

Thank you,

the Librarian

Information Sessions

Starting September 22nd, there will be someone in the library on Wednesdays from 5 to 9 p.m. to help students and tutors. You can learn how to use the computer and library database as well as find books. Feel free to drop in and ask questions.

Students & Tutors

Have you seen the computer and printer in the Learning Centre? It is for the students and tutors to use during their lessons. There is a simple set of instructions which is posted next to the computer and printer. We ask that you book your computer lesson on the sign-in sheet. Help sessions for students and/or tutors can be arranged with some of our volunteers if you are looking for some extra help.

Blossoming Readers...

A fund raiser for family literacy programs, was a joint campaign involving Prospects and the Junior League of Edmonton. The campaign ran June 17, 18 and 19, and kicked off with a morning program of Rhymes That Bind which was televised on ITV. An excellent luncheon at Hole's Greenhouse followed. Everyone attending had a pleasant lunch while listening to Lois Hole, the honorary chair, give a talk about gardening.

During the following days, many Prospects and Junior League volunteers were busy selling the potted plants donated by Hole's at the nine participating bookstores. These volunteers donated many hours of their time to this fundraiser. A large bouquet to all those who served on the committee and thanks to everyone who supported the endeavour by selling and/or buying plants and attending the luncheon.

by Marg Reine

Proud People

The Eskimo are a proud race with lots of history. They are indigenous to the Arctic Circle. There is a lot of fact and fiction about the Eskimo people. I was intrigued about their lives. One of the things I found out, is that after they hunt, the dogs receive their food first.

Another fiction is that they all live in igloos all the time. The only time they live in igloos is when they go hunting. The dog sled is something that they still use, but on long trips they still use snowmobiles. The snowmobiles are faster and can carry a lot more supplies. I think that the dog sled would be more fun. It would be a lot harder to train the dogs and to keep them in a healthy condition.

I would like to try to live in an igloo, but only for one night. I found out that it would be a lot harder than I thought. I would have to catch my own food and build my own shelter. And keep the dogs fed. It's a life that I just like to read about. Maybe we all should live like that for a little while. We might think about how lucky we have it here. Shopping for our clothes and food make it really simple. I think that this will change my way of thinking about the way I live.

Mark McCarthy

Camping

On my camping trip I had to remember to pack all sorts of things. I needed food, lots of warm clothes and I couldn't forget the toilet paper because for sure I'll be visiting the washrooms. When I got to the lake I unpacked my sleeping bag, set up the tent, and gathered wood for the fire. Now I can start relaxing!

When the sun started going down I decided I wanted to try fishing. I started walking towards the lake and it was so peaceful, all you could hear was the sound of the frogs and birds. I found a good spot at the end of the dock. I threw the line into the water, "Son of a gun" the bugs were so bad I gathered my things and went back to camp. I grabbed the axe and chopped a bit of wood. I made the fire bigger and invited some people from the next campsite over. We soon started laughing and playing cards. This is one of the best camping trips I ever had.

by Palmira

Camping

My family and I do a fair amount of camping in the summer and in the winter.

In winter we try to go to the cabin at the lake every second weekend and in the summer we go every weekend. In the winter we go ice fishing, tobogganing in the snow and quad riding in the woods.

In the summer we do water sports such as tubing, knee boarding and boat rides. Also in the early mornings and in the evenings we go fishing and at night we have our camp fire.

The best thing about camping is to get up in the early morning and go for a walk and hear the birds sing. Our problem with camping is that the summer bugs were very bad, but with a little spray a person can relax and enjoy the outdoors. When a person goes camping, time seems to go much faster than being in the city and the food tastes much better than when cooked at home.

The inconvenience is we don't have running water. To take a shower we use a twenty liter water jug with a shower head on. We use two trees to secure the jug high enough to stand under to take our shower.

Another inconvenience is the outhouse; we have to go outside every time to use it. It is not too bad in the summer but it is very cold in the winter.

But overall the joy of being together with my family makes you forget all the inconveniences we have at the lake.

by Joe Soares

Camping at Night

The campfire is very hot. The heat coming from the fire is warming the air. At night, the fire throws off light and the flame is orange in the dark night. The sound of crackling in the night and the smell of the fire is refreshing. But in the morning, the fire is out and the ground is dirty.

David Brown