Many thanks to our friend Tina for the righteous drawing!

Want to join our fellowship? Check out our previous post here.

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:

1. Go here.
2. Click on the Vote Now link under the Save Reading Support in Mount Vernon Schools section.
3. Sign-up for an account & confirm your e-mail address.
4. Choose Northwest Washington Reading Corps: Save Reading Support in Mount Vernon Schools!
5. 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.

Washington Reading Corps AmeriCorps team members provide one-on-one and small group literacy intervention to students identified as struggling readers, recruit community volunteers, and support family involvement events and activities in the schools.

Our sites contribute a cash match per member in the amount of $3,000 payable by October 31, 2011. WRC sites may choose to support the cash match through a variety of ways, including PTA, general district funds or other grants.

Why do we require a cash match for our AmeriCorps members?
The cash match provided by your school is what allows our program to provide valuable services to your community. Without this per-member match our program could disappear, leaving over 1,300 students without literacy support in our project area alone.

Value provided by project: The NWWRC is responsible for the overall administration of the program, including providing training, support, and technical assistance to schools and WRC AmeriCorps members. We have developed a Leadership and Professional Development training curriculum to prepare our members to become community leaders during their service term and beyond.

Lasting impact: So far this year our 54 members have recruited over 200 additional community volunteers. Our members help recruit, train and manage community volunteers to tutor students in schools. What better way to create lasting impact than by training volunteers to continue their work for free?

Student performance: So far this year our 54 members have tutored more than 1,300 students. In addition to being positive adult figures in students’ lives, WRC AmeriCorps members have consistently improved student performance through:

• Improved attitudes about reading, including greater enthusiasm and enjoyment of reading.
• Improved self-esteem and confidence.
• Improved basic-reading skills and critical-thinking skills.

Please contact Meghann or Sara if you have any questions, or are interested in applying for Washington Reading Corps support in your district.

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!

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.

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.

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?

It is a highly participatory and community-driven people’s movement—an inclusive, diversified, non-governmental and non-partisan effort bringing together individuals and organizations for a meaningful exchange of experiences, ideals, methods, and tactics. It is a gathering belonging to all of us.

To learn more, visit the event description here.

Emcees, Cris and Katy, warming up the crowd while Omar warms up

Click below to see more pictures!

Hailey reading Morgan's palm

Team Integrety!

Meghann leading us in a jazzercise routine!

Game time!

More games

Crafts

Chuck teaching us how to dance

We’d like to thank everyone for participating!  Also a warm thank you to the many generous businesses and individuals who donated prizes:

Quinn Slayton
LaFiamma
Meghann & Sara
Lynn Christoferson
Rachel Benson Cannon
Jazzercise – Amber Kalsbeek
Chuck Crooks
Laura Lilly
Mat Hudson
Deanna Davis
Amy George
Teo Crider

Photos by Erik

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)

MATERIALS!

old book (libraries often give away free older books perfect for this project) glue stick needle and embroidery thread scissors glue stick tape about 25 sheets of paper (make sure they are the right size for your book) paper ruler pencil poker thing (i don’t know what else to call it…) razor blade.

for covering the book, i used this “magic cover” wall and appliance sheet that i found at a thrift store, but any sort of paper will do.

first, remove the book cover if it has one, and use a razor blade to remove the pages. cut along the seam of the binding on each side, making sure not to cut through the cover of the book.

now you should have just the shell of the book. place the pages aside.

now simply wrap the cover of the book in paper or, “magic cover” as i did. the “magic cover” made the process simple because there was no gluing or wrinkles. if you are using paper and glue make sure that you have allowed enough flexibility to close the book.

cut the corners diagonally (as shown on bottom) when wrapping for a smooth corner.

once your book is beautifully wrapped cut a piece of paper to fit the inside cover.

use a glue stick to apply.

ta da! you have finished the shell!

now for the binding! return to the pages of the book and cut a strip for the hole pattern. the strip should be the same length as the pages of the book.

use a ruler to make your binding hole pattern. i did five lines evenly spaced (about a quarter of a centimeter), with holes every 3 centimeters and 1 centimeter. this part can vary, and will depend on the thickness of your book cover’s binding. (a fatter binding will take more lines)

place your hole pattern on the seam of your shell. use a small piece of tape to keep it in place.

use your poker thing to poke through the holes where you will sew. (if you don’t have a “poker thing” an embroidery needle should work)

your seam should look something like this.

depending on how many lines of holes you made, you will fold sets of paper to bind. i had 5 lines so i made 5 sets of paper with 4-5 pieces of paper for each. i used mostly 8 by 11 paper, but it’s fun to mix it up with different sizes and types of paper.

make sure you have a crisp fold

now, use your hole pattern to mark holes in the fold of your sets of paper.

now you can easily sew each set of paper into a line of holes on your shell.

once you have finished a row, make sure it is tightly sewn, then tie it off. repeat for each set.

now you have a lovely journal!

you can decorate your journal, however you please..

here are some of my past project journals: