LCoM Literacy Blog- January 8, 2015

LITERACY CENTER NEWS


Happy New Year!

In many places people stay up late to see the old year out and the new year in. Almost everywhere in the world church bells ring, horns toot, whistles blow, sirens shriek. London’s Trafalgar Square and New York City’s Times Square swarm with crowds of happy, noisy people. The hullabaloo expresses people’s high spirits at holiday time.


Chinese New Year
Many Chinese children dress in new clothes to celebrate the Chinese New Year. People carry lanterns and join in a huge parade led by a silk dragon, the Chinese symbol of strength. According to legend, the dragon hibernates most of the year, so people throw firecrackers to keep the dragon awake.
In the Chinese lunar calendar each of the 12 years is named after an animal. According to Legend, Lord Buddha asked all the animals to come to him before he left the earth. Only 12 animals came to wish him farewell, and as a reward Buddha named a year after each one.

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur
In September or October, Jews believe that God opens the Book of Life for 10 days, starting with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and ending with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). During these days, the holiest in the Jewish year, Jews try to atone for any wrongdoing and to forgive others. A ram’s horn trumpet, known as the shofar, is blown before and during Rosh Hashanah and at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.


Songkran
In Thailand, a special three–day water festival on April 13–15 marks Songkran, the Buddhists’ celebration of the new year. Parades feature huge statues of Buddha that spray water on passersby. In small villages, young people throw water at each other for fun. People also release fish into rivers as an act of kindness.
At Songkran, people tie strings around each other’s wrists to show their respect. A person can have as many as 25 or 30 strings on one wrist, each from a different person. The strings are supposed to be left on until they fall off naturally.


New Year History
Ancient Greeks began their new year with the new moon after June 21. Before the time of Julius Caesar the Roman new year started on March 1. In most European countries during the Middle Ages the new year began on March 25, the day of the Feast of the Annunciation.


More New Year Traditions
    •    Indonesia also has two New Year celebrations — the official one on January 1 and another on the Islamic New Year, whose date varies from year to year.

    •    The Russian Orthodox Church observes the New Year according to the Julian calendar, which places the day on January 14.

    •    In Vietnam the new year usually begins in February.

    •    Iran celebrates New Year’s Day on March 21.

    •    Each of the religious groups in India has its own date for the beginning of the year. One Hindu New Year, Baisakhi, comes sometime in April or May.

    •    The people in Morocco observe the beginning of the year on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year.

    •    The Koreans celebrate their New Year the first three days in January.

 Reaching for the Stars!  

For this month’s student profile, we chose Maryam Rahim.
Maryam Rahim is in her freshman year at Housatonic Community College. She is a full time student and wishes to become a Nurse. Maryam’s goal is to get into the nursing program at Bridgeport Hospital. She’s a hard worker and plans to reach her goal. Eventually, she expects to be transferring to St. Vincents for their Nursing program.

Prior to her interest in Nursing, Maryam was a hairdresser and a make up cosmetologist. In addition to her studies, she currently works as a PCT evenings and weekends, caring for the elderly.

Maryam works with her tutor Barbara Hili weekly at the Literacy Center and she and her family are from Afghanistan.  She received a 3.49 GPA in the Fall semester.
Way to go Maryam!  Keep up the good work.


THANK YOU FOR OUR BOOKS!

Children from Good Shepherd Child Development Center were excited to receive a new book from volunteer reader Dave Gregory from the Literacy Center of Milford.  One Mitten is a story about using your imagination and what do you do with only one mitten?  It is a celebration of a small child’s joyful discovery of many things she can do, be, and how to play with a single mitten. And when she finally finds the mitten’s missing mate, two mittens open up a whole new realm of possibilities.

The LCoM donated 150 books in December and in June to children in local pre schools.  We have 7 volunteer readers who read weekly to 8 pre schools. 

CHILDREN’S LITERACY
At the Literacy Center of Milford, we care about your children! We help many programs in the community improve children’s literacy levels with a big focus on reading. We know it’s the one skill that all kids must master because they must read in order to learn all their other subjects. So, we make reading a part of every child’s every day, and run programs designed for children of every age, from babies and toddlers to kindergarten, grade school and middle-school-age kids. We also promote parent-child togetherness in the learning process, reflected in our programs, as well. 
Click here for volunteer opportunities.

2015 UPCOMING EVENTS

January
5- Center Open- Happy New Year! 

21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 18- Tutor Training Class- Must preregister
21- National Hug Day
27- Family Literacy Night- Harborside Middle School

February
25- Family Literacy Night- West Shore Middle School

March
15- Leprechaun Leap- Walnut Beach

July
11- Neon Night Run- Milford Rotary/Fowler Pavilion

English Classes
Monday, 7:15 pm- Conversation Class
Tuesday, 9:00 am- Advanced Class
Tuesday, 6:30 pm- Intermediate Class with child care
Wednesday, 12:30 pm- Intermediate Class

Computer Classes
TBA- March

Call to sign up, 203-878-4800


VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AS AN
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TUTOR

The Literacy Center of Milford Offers English Language Tutor Training to Help Local Adults

A wonderful opportunity for you can make a difference in someone else’s life! 
Did you know there are more than 15,000 people in Milford and Stratford without a high school diploma? 
Did you know there are more than 1,800 adults who are not fluent in English in Milford and Stratford?
  Did you know there are 45 non-English languages spoken in these cities?  

(Data taken from the Milford and Stratford School District Strategic School Profile, 2012-2013)

The Literacy Center of Milford is offering a five-week volunteer TUTOR TRAINING classes in ESL
(English as a Second Language).  
TUTOR TRAINING classes will be held in Milford at the Literacy Center, 16 Dixon Street in Milford from
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on

January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18.

There is a $25 fee for course materials. Knowledge of a foreign language is not necessary. All prospective volunteer tutors will be interviewed in advance. 
For further information, call The Literacy Center office between the hours of
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday – Thursday at 203-878-4800.

Additionally, if you are interested in working with students preparing for their GED (General Equivalency Diploma) examination, or prefer to help adult students with basic literacy skills, call the Center’s office for an interview. The Literacy Center of Milford is part of the ProLiteracy network of adult basic education and literacy programs. ProLiteracy is working with its member programs to raise awareness of available ESL services. For more information on the Literacy Center’s ESL and other volunteer programs, visit www.literacycenterofmilford.com or call 203-878-4800.

THANK YOU BARNES AND NOBLE!

Above, l-r, Head Cashier Cathy Vaught, Tami Jackson, Executive Director, LCoM and Assistant Store Manager Erika Frazier-Miller.
Barnes and Noble in Milford coordinated a book drive during the months of November and December for the Literacy Center of Milford.  Patrons purchased books and donated to the Center.  THANK YOU for supporting the Books for Baby, Books for Toddler and Books for Birthday programs!

 Ways to Support our
Literacy Programs!

Consider choosing the Literacy Center of Milford
on Amazon Smile
A donation is made to the Center with
every purchase you make!  WOW, How easy is that?



Or visit Helping Hands in Orange when dropping off your donated items and choose the Literacy  Center of Milford.  A donation will be made from the sale of your donations when you choose LCoM.


Or go to Chari Deal and save big with great
Coupon Deals and support the
Literacy Center of Milford.