NEWSLETTER
Central (925) 927-3250 East (925) 754-8317
West (510) 527-7558 FAX (925) 646-6461
ccclib.org/psc

January/February 2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!! Project Second Chance (PSC) wishes many wonderful things for you and your family in the new year.

And Happy Birthday to PSC! PSC turns 30 years old in 2014. Our program has gone through many changes over the years, but one thing has remained the same – our unwavering commitment to helping adults in Contra Costa County read, write, and spell better.

One of the hallmarks of PSC is we are always willing to try new approaches – some have worked and some haven’t! But we keep trying, because when we stop trying for fear of making mistakes, we stop growing. I’d like to share some wisdom from author Neil Gaiman.

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work, or family, or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

That is our hope for each of you – that you reach high, make some mistakes, and grow and prosper in the process.

BOOK CLUB - Pleasant Hill

Students of all levels are invited to try PSC's Book Club, with or without their tutors. Ask for the book to read and/or audio CD to listen to now, then bring questions or comments to the meeting.

Monday, February 24, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Twelve Angry Men (by Reginald Rose, 73 pgs., 2 hrs CD): In this award-winning story, twelve jurors must decide if a 19-year-old boy killed his father. What seems like an easy court decision is not. Interesting aspects are that it’s written as a play and illustrates the U.S. jury system. Contact Kate.

BOOK GROUP – Antioch
Voting for the next book will open on Monday, February 10. There will be 6 titles to choose from. We will meet for a discussion on Monday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the Antioch Library Meeting Room. Minimum of 4 students needed. Contact Karin for a ballot and more details.

SAVE THE DATE:
Wednesday, March 26
10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. or 3 - 4:30 p.m.

The East County Student iPad Group will meet on Mondays, January 13, February 10, and March 24 from 2-4 p.m. in the Antioch Library Meeting Room (not PSC area). This is for students who use iPads and are interested in learning more and sharing what they already know with other students. This will be an informal gathering led by PSC students for PSC students. No RSVP is needed - just join in the fun!

Students are reading:

Chloe T. – Nancy Drew Notebook: The Ice Cream Scoop
Monika S. – Tuesdays with Morrie
Lily L. – The Help

Consuelo S. has BIG news. First, after many months of diligent, hard work with her dedicated tutor, Judy Crosby, Consuelo passed the final section of the GED exam to complete all requirements for her GED! You are our hero, Consuelo! What’s more, big things are already happening for Consuelo. She applied for and received a promotion to supervisor in her job.

Tutor Frankie Watkins reports that her student, Kim M.’s writing skills have blossomed and that Kim has written her first book report. PSC staff also received a lovely note from Kim after the August Recognition event which was appreciated by all.

Ehte A. completed her goal of reading a magazine article for pleasure. She and her tutor Jane Copps enjoyed reading “Awake in a Nightmare” in Diablo Magazine. That sounds interesting!

Marilyn Lloyd shared that working on medical vocabulary together has helped Esmat M. to better communicate with doctors and caregivers. Excellent!

Parvin M.’s hard work studying for her ESL class at the adult school paid off – her tutor Jane Copps reported that Parvin did very well this term. Well done!

Is your student proud of a recent accomplishment? Would she or he like to see it listed here? If so, tell us your “celebration” on your monthly tutor calendar and checkmark the box at the bottom of your calendar that says, “check here if we may mention these accomplishments in the next newsletter.”

Work completed:

Maryam G. with Kathy Bishop – Endeavor 3
Nobuo S. with Sandi Gritzer – Endeavor 3
Esmat M. with Marilyn Lloyd – Challenger & Endeavor 3
Phoenix C. with Stephen Hemperly – Wordly Wise 4
Ferozan M. with Leslie Satin – Wordly Wise 5
Lucy E. with Anna Garrison – Wilson Step 6
Kenny C. with Cristine Hilsinger – Wilson Step 8

Join us for a chance to learn about unique, fun ways to help students practice their skills. We will be looking at new manipulatives available through PSC. These hands-on learning materials are especially helpful for engaging all learning styles. Skills covered include phonics, spelling rules, vocabulary, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and more!

Location: Pleasant Hill PSC
Day: Thursday, January 16
Time: 2 – 4 p.m. OR 6 – 8 p.m.
Space is limited. To register or find out more information, call (925) 927-3250.

Don’t forget to submit a short story, poem, recipe, etc. for our next book of student writings!

Written pieces should be between one line and 500 words in length. To be included in our 30th anniversary edition, submissions are due to the office by Friday, May 30.

Please call PSC staff at (925) 927-3250 with any questions.

New Year, a New GED Test
By Karin

The GED test, the high school diploma equivalency test, is undergoing major changes as of Jan. 1, 2014. While Project Second Chance (PSC) is not a GED test preparation program, many of our students have set a long term goal of obtaining a GED. We assist struggling readers increase their basic reading skills so they can attend GED prep classes at the adult schools.

The biggest change in the test is that it will be computer based, rather than paper based. Students will need to have basic computer skills including use of the mouse, basic keyboarding, some word processing skills and use of an online calculator. The old test format was multiple choice, but now also includes fill-in-the-blank, drag-and-drop, drop down menus, hot spots, short answer, and extended writing.

The test has changed from five subtests to four: Reasoning through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies, with writing incorporated into these subjects. The test includes more rigorous content with more complex texts and graphics, to assess test takers’ career and college readiness as well as high school equivalency. All tests are timed, with Language Arts allotted 150 minutes and the others at 90 minutes each. If you have passed any of the tests prior to Jan. 1, 2014, the test scores will expire, and old scores will not carry forward.

The test must be taken at an official test site and not available on off-site computers. PSC is not a test site, but many of the adults schools will be authorized to administer the test. Test takers will be able to locate the nearest testing center, register and schedule a test online at any time. Prices vary by location and payment is online with a credit card or voucher.

Test takers will need an email address to register since confirmation and scores will be sent to this address. Tests will be scored and sent to the test taker within three hours. To pass the entire GED, a minimum total score of 600 and a score of 150 per test will be required. The four tests may be taken separately, in any order, or all at once. The test is available in English and Spanish.

For more information and practice tests, go to GED.com or gedtestingservice.com.

The Pleasant Hill Computer Learning Center (CLC) offers many learning opportunities for students enrolled at Project Second Chance. Students can visit the lab to:
• Practice reading, writing, or spelling skills.
• Use a computer to write a story, check out material from the library, send and receive email, find topics of interest to read about, or search for a job.
• Read and/or listen to a book on tape or CD.

In February, we plan to add another feature to the lab. There will be a dedicated space for reading a newspaper. If reading a newspaper happens to be one of your goals, come to the lab to work on it! We’ll have lessons and activities for you which will help you master this goal.

During the first week of January, tutors will receive “Goals Setting and Progress” forms in the mail. Please complete the forms with your student and return them to either PSC office by January 24. Then celebrate by recognizing your past achievements and planning new ones!

Registration is open for PSC’s next Tutor Training class which begins on January 22. Tell your friends!!