Newsletter

2013/2014

Changing Lives One Word at a Time

Internet Edition

No Idle Moments for Literacy Assistant

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ome call her Demetra, others Dee. Still others, Ms. Wilkerson. But those who know Demetra Wilkerson well must surely also call her versatile. In addition to the 19 hours a week she works as the literacy assistant at READS, where she has a variety of responsibilities, she has a fulltime job at Marriott Hotels & Resorts, where she is a guest service associate.

Tutor Joe Conci is learning to use the iPad as a teaching tool. Four of the Apple devices have been acquired by READS through a state library grant.

Putting the iPad to Work Among the apps downloaded to READS iPads for the benefit of tutors and students are a Literacy Skills Sampler which, Literacy Assistant Demetra Wilkerson says, is “useful for visual explanations of words” and Abby Word Search, “a fun little tool for sight words.” Also on the tablets are ABC Magic Reading which “will provide meaningful challenges to strengthen your student’s phonemic awareness” and Cambridge Phrasal Verbs Machine which provides visual stimulation in a circus world setting with the Amazing Phraso.

At READS, besides various clerical duties, Demetra has been tutoring tutors on the use of newly acquired iPads and how they can be used as teaching tools. She also has been put in charge of the Books & Bagels bookdiscussion group. And she tutors a student twice a week.

Demetra Wilkerson

At Marriott, “I work at the front desk a few times a week and I also work the graveyard shift as the relief night auditor,” she said. “I love hotels, so working at one just seemed to fit.” Did we mention that she also is a college student? She will be returning to MiraCosta College in the fall to continue her studies in the Hospitality/Restaurant Management program there. Continued on Page 3

Oceanside READS is the adult literacy program of the Oceanside Public Library.

Tutors Forum On Bookworms and Other Critters I’m a bookworm. Since you’re reading this, chances are good that you are one, two . . . oops, too. We’ll sit down to enjoy reading a book, even when HBO is showing a blockbuster movie or something to do with porn. Book worms exist in the insect world, as well. They’re tiny insects that feed on paper. They’re also called “book lice,” a fact that made me itch to discover other so-called worms.

Tutor Carolyn Coffman, the moderator for the Books & Bagels discussion of Charlotte’s Web in January, helped pick a new list of six works for the READS book club’s new season beginning September 14. Others on the selection panel were Joanne Ashwell, Mary Lou Elliott, Dolores Segura, and Jan Weits.

Books & Bagels READS’ Books & Bagels club, in which popular works of fiction and non-fiction are discussed in a breakfast atmosphere, is open to tutors and students in the literacy program. Reading and audio material is provided free to participants. The group meets at 10 AM on Saturday morning at the Literacy Center and discussions generally last for an hour and a half. The selections and meeting dates for the season starting in September are The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith (September 14), The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho (November 23), The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (January 11), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (March 8), Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (April 26), and Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (June 28). The above were the winners from among a larger group of titles in a vote by a five-member tutor committee coordinated by Literacy Assistant Demetra Wilkerson. Newsletter facilitator: Corrie Miles Newsletter editor: Walt Taylor

Behold, what the English call “ear worms.” Ear worms repeat a musical phrase in your brain until you’re ready to unravel from Ravel’s “Bolero.” Music replays like a broken record. (Record: your grandparents’ phonographic vinyl disc. When marred, the record’s grooves would “stick,” causing endless replays of a segment of the record’s music.) Wood also has its worms, which are referred to as “wood lice.” They frequently bore into wooden hulls, turning boats into leaky sieves. Most boat hulls aren’t made of wood these days, but wear your life jacket just in case. Finally, let’s consider “wormwood,” an ingredient of absinthe. This liqueur is believed to cause brain damage but remains an extremely popular drink in France. After all, the French know that absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. —Joanne Ashwell

Ode to the King’s English Methinks that I will always be A grammarphobe. Why you’ll see. Bewitched was I at a turn in youth When a handsome crush revealed the truth. “I should have went,” said I to him. The error lingered loud as a hymn. “You should have gone,” said he to me Gently spoken before setting me free. As hours, days and weeks progressed And new relationships were put to test I learned the value of words for free. They may build up or ruin thee. The lesson for life taught from the King Was to remember this very important thing: Words spoken or written have the properties of matter And can be as tricky as the thoughts of Mad Hatter. —Alma Sisco-Smith

Demetra Wilkerson (Continued from Page 1)

“Food and cooking” are among Demetra’s primary interests, she said, along with “reading, sleeping, foreign languages and culture. I enjoy visiting new restaurants when I can. I love food!” Her work at the Oceanside Public Library began at the age of 14, when she became a volunteer at the Computer Center. “Working at the Computer Center for so long and at a young age really helped to shape me as a person,” she said. “I really think the Computer Center was the first place I felt a semblance of family.”

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ater, she worked at the library’s reference desk, which she found to be “a very enriching experience. It is humbling, exciting, and fun. Helping people really gives me a sense of purpose.” Most of the questions that are fielded on the reference desk relate to books or computer assistance, Demetra said, but there are some requests that are “funny in an inappropriate way.” Imagine that. “Occasionally,” she added, “we will be asked a question that actually requires extensive research. These are my favorites!” She helped one student working on a master’s degree who always specifically asked for Demetra’s help. “I was happy that I was always able to find something she could use.” In addition to the reference desk, Demetra has seen service on the circulation desk and the phone center. She began her second tour of duty at READS earlier this year. A previous assignment at the Literacy Center ended when budget cutbacks temporarily suspended her position.

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emetra, a lifelong resident of Oceanside, broadened her horizons in March: “I was able to travel to Japan to visit a friend. I rode the bullet train to Aomori where I got to see snow for the first time in my life. I got to try new things and meet many new people. It was a wonderful experience. I have a deep love and appreciation for the Japanese culture.” In addition to Aomori, Demetra tasted the culture of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto during her three weeks in Japan. “I took over 1,000 photos and had an adventure or two,” she said. —Walt Taylor

Felipe Lagunes shows certificate that came along with a $500 award from the Oceanside Women’s Club. Felipe, shown here with his tutor, Andrea Spolidoro, is one of a number of READS students who have been recipients in recent years of the club’s annual award based on their learning progress and commitment, and the recommendation of READS Coordinator Corrie Miles. Felipe says his goal is to one day be an English professor. __________

Moving Memories for Joanne “I CAN REMEMBER seeing those little silver planes with red circles on their wings and the sky filled with puffs of smoke from antiaircraft fire,” says Joanne Ashwell, recounting a childhood memory of the Japanese attack on Oahu. Joanne, a recent Library Volunteer Honoree from READS, was born in Seattle, but she was in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Her father, Leonard, a pilot, was officer of the day at the Ewa Marine Corps Air Station near Pearl Harbor, and it Joanne Ashwell was he who alerted the base to the air raid. Four months after the attack, Joanne, her sister, and her mother were transported to Coronado and safety by destroyer. She remembers it as a rather bumpy voyage. Continued on Page 4

A Life Filled With Travels (Continued from Page 3) As a member of a military family, “I grew up on both coasts,” Joanne says, “moving nearly every year from birth to adulthood. I attended 10 schools in 12 years.”

ment, much of it attached to embassies in Lisbon, Portugal, and Lima, Peru. In her work abroad, she helped determine an assortment of needs in various European and South American communities and how the United States could help.

And then off to college. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she received a B.A. cum laude with honors and distinction in English. She also attended UCLA and San Diego State.

Since her days in the foreign service, Joanne has logged additional days in exotic locales. She has had stops in Greece and the Greek islands, Egypt and the Nile Valley, Colonial and Mayan Mexico, Spain—and After a 20-year career at UC Portugal again. San Diego’s Revelle College, In addition to travel, Joanne where she worked in the Office has a strong interest in promotof Academic Support and Ining literacy and is a supporter of structional Services, Joanne the Women’s Health Initiative, moved to Oceanside in 1997. which addresses the most comShe joined READS in 2004. mon causes of death, disability, Prior to her work at UC San and impaired quality of life in Diego, Joanne had a 20-year postmenopausal women. career with the federal govern—W.T.

Oceanside READS Locations Literacy Center 321 N. Nevada St., Oceanside, CA 92054 (760) 435-5680 Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., 10-7; Fri., 10-2

Civic Center Library 330 N. Coast Hwy., Oceanside, CA 92054 (760) 435-5600 Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., 10-7 Thurs., Fri., Sat., 10-6

Mission Branch Library 3861-B Mission Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057 (760) 435-5600 Hours: Mon., Tues., 10-7 Wed., Thurs., Fri., 10-6; Sun., 1-5 Closed Saturday

READS Adult Literacy Coordinator: Corrie Miles (760) 435-5680 California Library Literacy Services — Southern California Library Literacy Network — San Diego Council on Literacy

Become a Volunteer Tutor . . . Make a Difference in Someone’s Life The idea of tutoring is an attractive, but intimidating, idea for some people.

“After all,” they wonder, “what can I tutor? And how can I learn how to do it?” Oceanside READS offers training for adults who wish to help other adults with low literacy skills—to enable them to function better in society.

Requirements for Tutoring Adults  Be at least 18 years old  Be a high school graduate or equivalent  Complete a free eight-hour training  Commit to tutoring for at least six months (It’s okay to go on vacation.)  Tutor for a minimum of two days per week, 90 minutes per session

Next Tutor Training Schedule Orientation Wednesday, November 6, 6-7 PM Training

Saturday, November 9, 9 AM - 4:30 PM Location READS Literacy Center

Please call (760) 435-5680 for more information, or if you would like to volunteer.