Thank You from Consul General

We received a very lovely thank you note from Hiroshi Inomata, Consul General of Japan, thanking us for our school donation of $4767.88 to the Tohoku Earthquake Relief effort in Japan.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to this effort and the hard work that went into making the Benefit events.

Age and Money

Whether or not you are a member of the AFT - American Federation of Teachers - the union that represents teachers at San Mateo Adult School, you (if you are a teacher) are a member of STRS - State Teachers' Retirement System. For that reason, you might be interested in what is happening in Wisconsin.

You can learn more about that here on Fresh Air in an interview with Steve Greenhouse, New York Times Labor Reporter.

Why did I title this blogpost "Age and Money"? Because when you are old, and hopefully we are all heading in that direction and not off some mortal cliff, it's nice to have some.

And as we all know, there is lot of arguing going on - on both national and state fronts - about how much and for whom and from what that will be.

Brain Games (and Gains)

Jane McGonigal writes about the benefit of games in Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.

Factoid: Playing a game you're good at for five minutes helps you do better at whatever task or test follows. Now hmmm... maybe some possibilities for the classroom?

Ms. McGonigal was interviewed on the Science Friday program and you can give the interview a listen (and learn more) here:

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201102181

CCAE Documents

Click on "Read More" to see all the documents from CCAE that Fred got for us. You can view the files directly or download them.


2010 Why Adult Education Works Paper

2010 Tips for Successful Advocacy

2010 Talking With Your Legislator

2010 Summary of Visit

2010 Phoning Your Legislator

2010 Feedback Form

2010 Face to Face Visits

2010 Write to Your Legislator

AE Needs Assessment

Help Your Students Learn to Listen Online

Teachers: I posted information on the student blog about learning through free audio material available from public libraries and http://www.eslpod.com/. Take a minute to show your students the post on the student blog via your Smartboard and help them understand what this means and how to do it.

You might want to go over it, yourself, first, of course. It's a great resource - free audiobooks, eBooks, movies, music, etc. all available via our wonderful public library system.

Help the students connect to both community resources and deeper learning by showing them how to use these services.

Swine Flu Information

Please pass on information to your students. General information is posted on the student blog. (click here to see)

Information forwarded from the district nurse

First and foremost this 2009-2010 school year
NO ONE SHOULD BE COMING TO SCHOOL WITH A FEVER, students or school personnel! Must be FEVER FREE FOR 24 HOURS (without the use of fever reducing medication) BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL!

“Cover your cough” and hand washing campaigns to continue throughout the District! Be an active participant!

Fact Sheet - Action Steps for Teachers/School Personnel to Prevent the Spread of Flu

Take the following steps ALL the time and not only during a flu pandemic to help keep your students and yourself from getting sick with flu.

• Educate and encourage students to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Also, provide them with easy access to tissues. Remind them to cover coughs or sneezes using their elbow instead of their hand when a tissue is not available.

• Remind students to practice good hand hygiene and provide the time for them to wash their hands as often as necessary. Allow use of alcohol-based hand cleaners in class and at school.

• Be a good role model by practicing good hand hygiene and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

• Keep an eye out for sick students and send them to the school Health Office for further evaluation. Sick people should stay at home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).

• Clean surfaces and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact such as desks, door knobs, keyboards, or pens, with cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas.

• Teachers/staff should also stay home when sick. Stay home until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).

• If you are pregnant, have asthma, diabetes, or other conditions that put you at higher risk for complications from the flu, you should speak with your doctor as soon as possible if you develop symptoms of flu-like illness. People at high risk of flu complications who develop flu can benefit from early treatment with antiviral medicines

Listen and Learn - via Online Library

Both the Peninsula Library System http://plsinfo.org/ and the San Francisco Library System http://www.sfpl.org/news/overdrive.htm have audio material available online now.

I am not sure about the Peninsula library system, but audio material from the SF system is free for library patrons and anyone can get a library card.

You might want to consider using the SMART Board or time in the computer lab to show your students how to access this material online, how to use it, etc.

The audio material from the SF system can be downloaded onto a computer, burned onto a CD, or downloaded onto an MP3 player. All sorts of material are available - eBooks, audio books, music and video downloads. Audio books include fiction, non-fiction, adult, young adult, children's, etc.

And the best part? No late fees!

NPR Radio Station Interviewed us!!

Lisa Morehouse of the KQED radion station came and interviewed some of our teachers and students last week. You can listen to the report by clicking here.

National Public Report regarding Adult School cuts featuring San Mateo Adult School.

Budget Crisis - Back and Bigger Than Ever

Well, we all know it. We're reading the headlines:
Possible huge cuts to education, health care, state parks and a lot more.
Use this wiki page to find original articles on the news and learn more.

Now is the time to mobilize.

Write or call your representatives.
Tell your friends and family to write and call their representatives.
Tell your students about the situation and encourage them to write and call, as well.
(There will be a post on the student blog giving them basic info about this.)
If you would like information on what the Teacher's Union is doing about this, talk to Union President Lisa Sparks.

Find your California Representatives (for anyone in the state of CA):

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Enter your zip code, click on your legislator and it will link to the members home page with email contact information.
__________________

Senator Leland Yee
400 South El Camino Real, Suite 630
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: 650 – 340 – 8840

Assemblymember Jerry Hill
1528 South El Camino Real, Suite 302
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: 650 – 341 – 4676

San Mateo County Trying to Recoup Lehman Bros. Loss

Remember this?

San Mateo County Office of Education State of Profit/Loss Statement.

Which was followed by this?

Late 2000s Recession.

Well, now we have this

"San Mateo County Takes Lehman Loss to Congress" (San Francisco Chronicle, 5/5/09)

Let's hope they succeed!

To their credit, our local representatives Speier, Eschoo, and Feinstein have been working on our behalf.

OPEN COMPUTER LAB: New Hours!

The afternoon OPEN COMPUTER LAB for ESL students is now open Mondays through Thursdays from 4:20 to 6:20 pm.

This new schedule provides students with two hours to use the computer before evening ESL classes. Teacher Martin can help you learn how to use the computer to:

* learn English
* open your own e-mail account
* look for a job
* write a resume
* research on the Internet
* learn computer applications
* ...and much more!

Help the Adult School! Write to the legislators

You will find below a list of contact information to the various legislators who can help the Adult School!

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Enter your zip code, click on your legislator and it will link to the members home page with email contact information.

You can also read the full post to see a list of people that we recommend you to write to.

Darrell Steinberg

Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814

District Office
1020 N Street, #576
Sacramento, CA 95814

North Highlands District Office
5722 Watt Avenue
North Highlands, CA 95660


Karen Bass

District Address
5750 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 565
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 937-4747
Fax: (323) 290-5127

Capitol Address
P.O. Box 942849
Room 219
Sacramento, CA 94249-0047
Phone: (916) 319-2047


Jerry Hill

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0019
Tel: (916) 319-2019
Fax: (916) 319-2119

District Office:
1528 South El Camino Real
Suite 302
San Mateo, CA 94402
Tel: (650) 349-1900
Fax: (650) 341-4676


Leland Yee

Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 4074
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4008

San Francisco Office
455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 14200
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 557-7857

San Mateo Office
400 South El Camino Real, Suite 630
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: (650) 340-8840


Mark Leno

Capitol Office
(916) 651-4003
State Capitol, Room 4061
Sacramento, CA 95814


Fong, Paul
274 Castro Street State Capitol
Suite 202 Room 5135
Mountain View, CA 94041 Sacramento, CA
(650) 210-2000 94249-0022


Hayashi, Mary
22320 Foothill Boulevard State Capitol
Suite 540 Room 3013
Hayward, CA 94541 Sacramento, CA
(510) 583-8818 94249-0018
(916) 319-2018

Ma, Fiona
455 Golden Gate Avenue State Capitol
Suite 14600 Room 3091
San Francisco, CA 94102 Sacramento, CA
(415) 557-2312 94249-0012

Eco-Gardening Conference Jan 21 - 24 in Pacific Grove

If anyone is interested in going, more information can be found in the article here.

I have also posted the article in the Teacher Share folder in the Community Garden section.

School Garden Info in the Teacher Share Folder

As I'm finding information about school garden grants and other good things, I'm adding them to the Community Garden folder in the Teacher Share folder.

I've been thinking: We can pull in community volunteers to work with us. They could:

1. Teach the students about plants, gardening, sustainable agriculture, the community, local history, perhaps share about new green economy jobs, etc. (Half Moon Bay has some sustainable ag, for example.)

2. Give the students a chance to practice English conversation in a natural and supportive setting.

It would also be a good way to build up good feeling between the school and the community, our students and local residents, etc.

Note: I talk about the community as if it is "separate" from our school and students when in fact, our school and students are a part of the community. But I'm guessing you get my idea here.

As I'm doing my ESL Outreach work, I'm keeping our garden in mind and looking for connections, help, opportunities, etc. I have a good lead on one and will share if it comes through.

I know that many teachers and staff members (and students!) also have great information, resources, knowledge, and leads to share. Maybe we can share all that through the Community Garden folder in the Teacher Share area.

Also: if anyone wants cuttings from my Mexican Sage plants or scented geraniums (pelargoniums), let me know. Mexican sage is wonderful for hummingbirds and bees - both excellent pollinators. I also have tons and tons of Dutch iris which is not edible but awfully pretty. I'm happy to dig up bulbs to share anytime. (Aleth and Patricia both took some in the past and can attest to their hardiness.) I also have a large compost pile and very big earthworms. I can bring in a few buckets of compost if anyone wants that and/or earthworms. (Note: it's easiest to bring in the worms after the rains have started.)

How Are Your Numbers?

Reading over the PLC list of what would be in a "Ideal San Mateo Adult School World," I noticed that community outreach was amongst the many good things listed.

Well, I'm out there doing that now.

(The "I" being me, Cynthia Eagleton.)

What does that mean for you?

If your class numbers are low and you think your class needs promoting, I might be able to help.

What do I do, exactly?

I try to get the word out about the Adult School and our many, fine classes.

I've created brochures - in English, Spanish, Chinese. (Thank you, Mary Weng and James Wu, for translation help!)

I've created newsletters (in English and Spanish) for parents and business owners.

I go around and talk to folks in the community and tell them about our fantastic classes.

I visit Latino Parents meetings at Middle Schools and High Schools and tell parents about fantabulous programs.

I contact Chambers of Commerce and other groups, agencies, etc. to let them know about our very helpful classes and resources.

I make flyers about classes. Great classes - like yours.

I've made a powerpoint presentation about the school - available in both English and Spanish. It's in the Teacher Share folder if you would like to show it to your class. Sometimes students don't know about all the programs we have available.

My latest project idea: Student Ambassadors.

Student ambassadors are students who know how to learn and succeed and can teach others how to do so. Role models in action, they can share from their strength, knowledge, and experience. They might be available to speak to a class or to the community. They will be rewarded with certificates of appreciation, letters of reference, and possibly a thank you event of some kind. (Coffee and donuts, maybe?)

Very importantly: these folks can tell us - teachers and staff - how and why they have succeeded and can share what they know about the communities they come from and how we can best connect with them.

I'll be working more on this project idea in the New Year.

Right now I'm working on a new newsletter for parents.

What can you do for me? (And yourself? And the school? And the students?)

You can tell me about students you know of who might be good Student Ambassadors.

You can tell me if your class needs promoting.

You can share with me any ideas you have about outreach, the community, events where we can provide info about our programs, etc.

You can pick up some flyers or brochures or newsletters and share them as you go about your normal business in the community. Example: you're visiting a local school or library or laundromat. Would dropping off a flyer there be helpful? Take one with you!

(Note to self: make an easy way for teachers and staff to pick up this information. I will create that in Room 28 and make it easy to see, etc.)

And finally, you can tell your students about the many programs and classes we have. Many students don't know about or really understand Distance Learning, Online Writing, GED classes, Saturday classes, Medical English, ESL singing, Building Futures, Fifty Plus, etc.

For example, an ESL who is fifty two years old, might not know they can go to Fifty Plus exercise class (which is free!) and learn Tai Chi or Pilates and in the process of doing that, practice their English in a "natural" setting.

You can let your students know about all the classes we have which might benefit them. (That's where that powerpoint comes in. Pictures are a great way to make ideas real. Yes, that could be you painting, learning yoga, or becoming a childcare provider.)

You can tell your students about the new school blogs that are just for them and encourage them to read them.

What is my philosophy?

Okay, maybe you didn't want to know that but being a philosophical person, I'll share, anyway. ;-)

I see my job as being a connector between the school and the community.

We're providing a service to the community. In order to serve well, we need to know whom we're serving and what they need. I'm always working to better understand what people want and need from us in terms of ESL classes, job skills classes, etc. I relay that information back to Fred.

I'm also always working to try to let folks what we have which might meet their needs.

And very importantly, I try to mull over and learn more about retention and persistence. What stops people from coming to school? What gets them to come back? What helps people to take a risk? (And learning something new IS a risk!) What gives the people the courage to put themselves out there, inconvenience themselves, look foolish, and risk failure?

Food, family, and friendship - I can tell you those things for sure work to pull people forward into something new. And I think our school does a great job of operating with that truth in mind.

Pride - that's something I've realized is important. We're not teaching blank slates. We're teaching smart, strong folks who know a lot about a lot. Recognizing that our students have much to teach and share and providing them with the forums to do so is important. It's also a good motivation for folks to come to class.

Help your students to share of some their skills, strengths and knowledge on the student blog.

And send them to me with their many great ideas so I can use them in outreach!

Where can you or they or anyone else find me?

I'm in Room 28 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

And I'm always available by email: zimzamjamz@yahoo.com

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