Newsletter
Big Change at LCS — Sara Retires; Welcome Jami!
This Fall, our beloved Sara will be retiring from working at Literacy
Council of Seattle. She is trading her worn desk and computer for
traveling and cuddling her baby grandson. Can you imagine!
In 2000 Sara volunteered in the office while she studied English at
Community College and with tutors at LCS. She did the office tasks
so well and took on more and more responsibilities, so of course we
had to hire her!
Sara began answering the phone and soon was matching tutors and
students, updating the data base, and planning the parties.
Gradually Sara assumed a more managerial role, set up partnerships
for classes, and represented LCS to the public.
All of us at LCS will miss Sara deeply - her patience and cheerful
attitude, not to mention her excellent work and skill. Many of you have said it well:
- "Your commitment to these programs is phenomenal."
- "We have been so lucky to work with you for so long."
- "Oh, no, you can't do that! We'll miss you!"
- "You made all of our lives so much easier."
Best Wishes to Sara on this next phase of her life!
Welcome to our new Program Coordinator Jami Enger!
She too is a volunteer who values deeply the work of LCS. Jami is tutoring an ESL learner and has volunteered in the LCS office since May 2010.
Jami comes to LCS from Las Vegas where she worked as Office Manager in a medical office for 12 years and in marketing for an industrial equipment firm. She has a grown son and loves to read, garden and spend time with her dogs and family.
When asked "Why do you want to work at LCS?", Jami replied "I really believe in LCS' mission and look forward to helping support the students and tutors to be successful."
She will be working Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday plus some Thursdays.Jami’s extensive experience and the training that Sara is providing will help keep LCS programs thriving.
Come by the LCS office before September 22 to bid “goodbye” to Sara and then later “Hello” to Jami.
Literacy Council & Seattle Public Library: A Literacy Partnership
LCS Volunteer instructors are now teaching four ESL classes at the Central library and four classes in various branches. This winter a Beginning Level 2 class was added downtown and a Beginner 1 class was added at Rainier Beach branch.
Our involvement in teaching ESL classes at the Seattle Public Library emerged in 2003 when non-native English speakers asked for ESL classes at the library. Emily Wong, then manager of the ESL Department, approached LCS to begin classes at the Central Library to supplement Talk Time programs.
In this organization built on one-to-one tutoring, we must ask: How does this program support the mission of the Literacy Council of Seattle?
Our library classes help the adult students become familiar
with the Library system and learn to use it for access to books, computers, and language learning software. They help learners increase their skills so they can get into college English classes or a Citizenship class. Very low Beginners are assigned a one-to-one tutor to give them a good start learning English.
In addition, the Partnership with the Seattle Public Library provides a venue for LCS to serve over 100 adult students in or near where they live. The program has increased the number of students we serve from 110 to 225.
We owe the success of these classes to our wonderful group of experienced classroom tutors (see page 4) and to the efforts of Sara Elefson, LCS Program Coordinator. She recruits the instructors, works out the days and times with the librarians, published the flyers, negotiates changes, enters the attendance date, and generally dances as fast as she can to pull it all together. "Wow", Sara, and "thanks" instructors.
Sharon S. Victor, President