We need your help.
We need your help. A lot.
We’ve lost 48% of the AmeriCorps positions on our team. A huge percentage of our loss is due to the fact that our very deserving partners in Mount Vernon can’t afford to pay the $3,000 cash match for each member. We need YOUR help to help keep the kids from losing valuable support: Please help us win the local Pepsi Refresh Grant sponsored by Walton Beverage and Haggen!
Help us win in 5 easy steps:
- Go here.
- Click on the Vote Now link under the Save Reading Support in Mount Vernon Schools section.
- Sign-up for an account & confirm your e-mail address.
- Choose Northwest Washington Reading Corps: Save Reading Support in Mount Vernon Schools!
- Vote once daily!
Thank you so much. Please share this on Facebook, Twitter, send the link to your friends and family… Your time is appreciated more than words can describe.
Ashley’s 10 Tips for Applying to Graduate School
By Ashley Gevaart-Durkin
Applying to graduate can be daunting, as it should be. It’s a major life decision that goes beyond “just going to college” and really defines one’s career path. Although the process can be stressful, I found that a few strategies made the whole application experience much simpler and more bearable.
10. Start early. Really early. The most time consuming part for me was writing multiple Statement of Purposes. I really hadn’t spent enough time researching all the different schools I could potentially apply to, so by the time I actually figured that out (which takes a considerable amount of time), I found myself a little closer to deadlines than I had hoped. Then having to write at least five different statements, I was really pressed for time. Bottom line is, it’s going to take longer than you think, so plan accordingly.
9. Make a checklist or spreadsheet to keep track of everything. If you’re applying to more than one school, it can quickly become difficult to keep track of everything. Some schools want you to submit things online, others want three recommendations instead of two, and most of them will have different deadlines.Trying to keep track of all this information in your head is overwhelming. I’d suggestmaking a spreadsheet or keeping a notebook of all the information.
8. Take advantage of your available resources. My applications asked for anupdated resume or CV and I was feeling a little less than confident about the one saved on my computer. So, I called my college’s career center and asked them for help. Alumni at my school have life-long privileges to their services so I made sure toget my resume approved by those who knew best. I also had former professors look over my Statement of Purpose to make sure I was on the right track.
7. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for letters of recommendation…. This for me was one of the most stressful parts of the application process, largely because I had to rely on other people to get things turned in on time. Be sure to give your recommenders at least one month to submit your letters. Email them before hand toask if they are willing to write you a strong letter and if they are, provide them with some information about the program and some of your strengths you’d like them to highlight. After they’ve submitted all the letters you’ve asked for, be sure to send them a thank you card!
6….or to submit your test scores. Most graduate programs will require you totake some sort of standardized test whether it’s the GRE, the MCAT, or some other acronym. When ordering these test scores online, the time it takes for them to arrive at the school can really vary and there’s no clear way to track them. The last thing you want to worry about is if your application is missing something as simple as your test scores, so be sure to send those out early as well.
5. Save up. Applying to graduate school is expensive. Application fees can range from $55-$125 each and that doesn’t include paying to send transcripts or test scores. Set aside some cash or be prepared to rack up a serious credit card bill.
4. Make sure you fill out the FAFSA before April 1. Even if you are applying forprograms that are funded or you have money saved up for your tuition, I think it’s always a good idea to apply for financial aid. You never know what scholarshipsor grants you might qualify for and if you end up having to pay less money, that’s awesome! It’s free to fill out and only requires some basic tax info. Here’s a link tothe form: www.fafsa.ed.gov\.
3. Make connections with professors in the program you’re applying for. A lot of the time, graduate schools admit people based on how many professors are looking for new research assistants or people to work with them and they’re likely to sit on the admissions committee. Take the time to do some research into theprogram and learn about the professors. Email one or two of them and introduceyourself as an applicant and talk about why you want to go there. Worst-casescenario is they won’t email you back, but you could potentially make a really great impression and get a leg up over other applicants.
2. Proofread EVERYTHING. I probably looked over each application three or four times before I submitted them because I was so nervous about having glaring mistakes—I at least wanted a fair shot and wasn’t going to let a typo ruin my chances. But, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t do this and it doesn’t look good. Make sure you proofread and check every part of your application–it might even beworth it to have a friend look over all your written components just to double check.
1. Relax and try not to think about it. It’s really tough not to sit and worry aboutwhether you’ll get in after you’ve submitted everything. It’s a pretty anticlimactic moment after you submit everything since you might not hear anything for awhile.Try to just let it slip your mind because really, there’s not much you can do but wait.In the meantime, celebrate your completed applications!
On your mark, get set: GO!
The Northwest Washington Reading Corps is now accepting applications for the 2011-2012 year!
Many of you have already expressed interest in being part of the 2011-2012 team and we look forward to reviewing your applications!
Please take note that our application requirements have changed. Due to the competitive nature of our program, following all application instructions is required to guarantee consideration for our program. See tab above for application instructions.
I LOVE MY JOB!
By Rachel Andersen
So…we tutor kids who struggle with reading, as you all know. One of our techniques is to have them all read the same book (There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom which is AMAZING for students on SO many levels!) out loud, and pause periodically to “make connections” to the story through acting things out or having discussions about the characters’ choices.
Anyway, today, while we were doing this, one of the kids looked at me and asked “Do we have to take the AR test?”
“No, you don’t have to, but you could.” I responded.
“And then we can watch the movie” someone else said.
“There isn’t a movie.” I responded.
Of course, shock abounded because these kids are used to the Books to Movie program where they read a book, take and pass the AR test, get permission from their teachers, and watch the movie with the WRC. The idea that there is no movie for this book was absolutely crazy!
“Could we make it a play?”
My teacher heart was overjoyed and overwhelmed. “Sure. We could write a play.”
“I want to be Bradley!” “I want to be Colleen!” “I want to be Jeff!”
“What scenes should we put in the play?” I asked.
“We should do the scene where Jeff goes in the girls’ bathroom!”
“And the scene where Bradley talks to his stuffed animals!”
“Can we perform it for the whole school?”
“I…I…will look into the possibility.” I stammered, absolutely awed by this magical chaos. “How many of you would actually want to do that?”
Three hands went up instantly.
“So…three yeses and two nos.” I said, counting. “I want you to know this isn’t a vote – I still need to talk to the principal.”
“Actually…I want to do it too.”
“FOUR YESES!” One of the kids crowed, excitedly.
“Four yeses!” I said, astounded.
It wasn’t long before our time was up and they left the room, still chattering excitedly about this possibility. When they left, I darted toward my desk and pulled out my cell phone. “I LOVE MY JOB!” I texted my mother.
I still have yet to really research the viability of this, but I thought I’d just share the victory I had here where these kids started to own this story and wanted to share it with their friends. In my book, this is as much a victory as the others: testing out of Title, reaching grade level, and hosting a successful literacy night. These kids are learning to love to read.
Creative Writing Challenges & Prompts
By Rachel Andersen
I would imagine that, as Washington Reading Corps members, we enjoy reading, and that perhaps, given our love of reading, we have also tried our hands at our writing. I’ve found that I’ve had a lot of opportunities to do some writing in the classroom with my job. From creative writing prompts to MadLibs, I’ve enjoyed the creative challenge of writing for our before and after school programs. So, for those of you who enjoy creative writing challenges and prompts, here are the last few we’ve sponsored at our school.
1. Harry walked down the dark hallway, looking around himself nervously. The squeaking of his sneakers against the tile was the only sound he heard as he took each step toward his destination – a door at the end of the hallway that seemed to be glowing with a strange, orange light. With each step, Harry’s heart pounded loudly in his ears.
2. Imagine that your class is going on a field trip to Antarctica. How would you get there? Why would you go? What would happen when you get there? Tell the story either in a letter to someone or as a story you’re telling your family when you get home.
Ex. Letter:
Dear Mom,
We went to Antarctica today, and it was cold…
Ex. Story:
We were at school, just minding our own business when it started to get really hot. Roger, the maintenance man, said our air conditioning had broken.”I wish I was in Antarctica,” Katie complained. A sudden gust of wind blew open the door. It was so cold that it was refreshing. Then, we saw white flakes flurry around us…
3. Think about a well-known story (such as Cinderella). How can you change one of the elements of the story to tell your own version of the story?
4. Choose a setting and describe it so that even if I had never seen that place before, I would know what you saw in your head when you wrote about it. (Examples: Your house, the woods, a castle, a spaceship, a school, etc.) Write about a character who might be in that setting. What would his/her name be? What would he/she be doing? Who would they meet? Would they be friends with the people they meet or would they be enemies? Why or why not?
NWWRC Talent Show
On December 17th, the NWWRC took a small break from serving to show off their many talents! Here are the pictures to prove it! THE NWWRC GOTS TALENT – WHAT? WHAT?
Emcees, Cris and Katy, warming up the crowd while Omar warms up
Click below to see more pictures!
D.I.Y. recycled book journal
hello all! i thought i would share a fun D.I.Y. with you all! i took a class in college called “the illustrated journal” and learned this technique of making journals out of old book covers. at Jefferson, our library recently discarded a bunch of books so i grabbed a couple for journal making. this is a really fun way to make a journal out of recycled objects that are not in use anymore. (this is not like book burning or anything, you can keep the pages and read the book if you please…) i hope you enjoy this how to! it is my first one, so let me know if you have any suggestions!
thanks!
-Krystin
(you can also view this post on my blog)
Proposed Cuts to the WRC
This is a long post with a lot of information, so I’ll break it down into the following segments:
- The Situation
- What will happen?
- What now?
The Situation
As many of you may be aware by now, from media coverage and perhaps other avenues the State of Washington is experiencing difficult budget challenges. The Washington Reading Corps (WRC) is funded by both federal and state funds. Following the special legislative session in December and the release of the 2011-13 Governor’s budget before the holidays, the WRC was reduced to 50% of it’s funding for the current program year and eliminated completely from the 2011-13 budget. This is disheartening and disappointing news to all of us closely associated with and committed to the WRC.
Although we have seen the cut from the Governor’s budget in previous years (and have subsequently been refunded thanks to legislative support), this is the first time that the WRC was cut in the middle of the program year.
The Washington Service Corps is looking at all possible options to continue the current program year for the WRC. There are many issues that need to be considered and information gathered so sound and careful decisions can be made.
The exact language in the 2011 supplemental budget (link below) is:
160. ELIMINATE READING CORPS – The Reading Corps program provides grants to schools with low reading scores to provide student tutoring through the use of AmeriCorps and VISTA members. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
Link: Under Early Action Supplemental as Passed Legislature 12/11/2010, choose the Summary. The WRC is listed as item 160. http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detail/2010/so2010p.asp
What will happen?
At this point we do not know for sure what the future of the WRC will be. As of right now, our understanding of the situation informs us that we could proceed under any of the following three scenarios:
- First Scenario: Be fully refunded by the state legislature for the remainder of the 2011 program year. It is not clear at this point that the WRC would return for the 2011-12 school year.
- Second Scenario: The Washington Service Corps is able to find alternative funding that will allow our members to serve through May or June 2011 in order to finish the school year and get as close to their 1700-hour requirement as possible. The Service Corps is currently feeling confident that members will be able to make it to the end of the school year.
- Third Scenario: The WRC runs out of funding in February and our members would be exited in March 2011.
Again: We do not know which of these scenarios will happen. While we like to remain hopeful for a complete program year, we are preparing for the possibility that our members will be ending their service term earlier than their scheduled July 2011 exit.
Again, we want to convey that the Washington Service Corps is pursuing every avenue to sustain the WRC through as much as the program year as possible. But it may take a bit of time to fully determine timeframes.
What now?
If you are a current or former member or Site Supervisor of the NWWRC and would like to share your feelings around the importance of this program, you are welcome to submit a post to us (email your draft to russell@servenorthwestwa.org).
We also encourage you to go to http://skagitcap.org/page/Community-Action-E-News-Feed.aspx and read more about the proposed budget cuts to other programs at Skagit County Community Action Agency. You will find a resource there on how to contact your legislators if that is something you would like to do.
You may also contact your state legislator by following this link: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.
Saving Money on Laundry
Does anyone else hate doing laundry? I dislike all aspects: searching for quarters, finding an open machine, sorting, folding. And don’t even get me started on ironing. My Grandmother, who grew up washing her clothes on a washboard, would probably slap me if she heard this rant. But really, who wants to spend their Saturday guarding clothes at a laundromat (yes, yes, I am a victim of laundry room theft, but that’s a different story). On top of all the fuss, doing laundry is expensive!
Click below to see my fool proof way to save $$ on laundry:
Bruce, you will be missed.
We received some sad news at Serve Northwest WA today. One of our former Northwest Washington Reading Corps members, Bruce McCulloch passed away earlier this month. Bruce began service with the NWWRC in February 2008 as a reading tutor at Coupeville Elementary School, and served two terms with us. Bruce’s positive attitude, compassion, and sense of humor made him the perfect role model and mentor to children.
- Bruce in his everyday tutoring wear: bright shirts and wacky ties.
On top of being a wonderful tutor and team member, Bruce was an inspiration to all of us. Bruce led a workshop for the NWWRC team called “MO(mentum)” which encouraged all of us to keep on pursuing our dreams even when there are roadblocks. Bruce is also the author of “101 Ways to Beat the Blues” a quirky and hilarious book filled with his cartoons and words of wisdom. Bruce’s full obiturary can be found here, and you can leave comments in the guestbook for his friends and family.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland, WA on Whidbey Island at 2 pm on Fri., December 10, 2010. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Coupeville WAIF or WAMI.
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