ROADWAYS  Yamaska Literacy Council Volume  31,  Issue  2  

Helping people get the skills they need for life 505,  rue  du  Sud,  suite  203  Cowansville,  QC  J2K  2X9      450-­‐263-­‐7503 866-­‐337-­‐7503   yamaskalit@endirect.qc.ca   www.yamaskaliteracy.ca    

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YLC  Volunteers  celebrated    On  April  16th,  YLC  celebrated  our  volunteers  during  Volunteer  Appreciation  Week;  we  also  celebrated  Adult  Learner’s  Week.    Owners  of  the  quilting  shop,  Fil  Amis  located  in  East  Farnham,  were  invited  to  show  us  a  new  skill.    Eleven  brave  souls  learned  how  to  sew  by  hand  and  everyone  went  home  with  a  lovely  wallet.          Thank  you  to  all  our  volunteers,                          …  just  for  BEE–ing  you!  

We  need  you!        Would  you  like  to  volunteer  at:  

• La  plage  en  fête,  Cowansville  Beach  Party,  June  20th  ?    • Exposition  Brome  Fair  Beer  tent,  September  4th  ?  • Townshippers’  Day,  September  12th,  (Brome  Fairgrounds)?  

If  you  would  like  to  work  a  shift,  please  call  or  email  the  office.    Board  of  directors  for  YLC  Would  you  like  to  join  the  Board  of  Directors?  (Nominations  are  to  be  submitted  by  Thursday,  September  10,  2015.)  Call  YLC  for  more  details  about  serving  on  the  Board.  

A  Director  is  expected  to:    • attend  6  meetings  during  the  year;  • participate  on  committees;  and    • govern  YLC  activities.  

Term:  2  years  (renewable  for  2  terms  in  same  position)    

PGI  for  Literacy,  Quebec  &  Silent  Auction,  October  18th  As  in  previous  years,  YLC  is  holding  a  silent  auction  during  the  gala  dinner  held  on  the  final  evening  of  the  Knowlton  Literary  Festival.    If  you  or  someone  you  know  would  like  to  donate  an  item  to  the  auction,  YLC  would  be  grateful.    Tax  receipts  are  available  for  the  value  of  the  donated  item.  PGI  details  to  follow.  

   

 

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You  are  invited…  Join  the  Yamaska  Literacy  Council  for  an  evening  of  fun.  Avante  Women’s  Centre  is  hosting  a  fundraiser  Theatre  in  the  Barn,  a  play  reading  as  in  the  days  of  old-­‐time  radio.    • YLC  will  pay  for  tickets  for  YLC  members.    

If  you  would  like  to  bring  a  friend,  tickets  are  $10.    

• Refreshments  will  be  available  on  site.  • Transportation  can  be  organized  upon  

request.    WHERE?  Baker  Barn,  85  Ross  Road  Stanbridge  East    

yamaskalit@endirect.qc.ca    (450)  263-­‐7503  or  (866)  337-­‐7503  

La  Plage  en  Fête,    le  rendez-­‐vous  des  générations  Party  at  the  Beach,  the  meeting  place  of  the  generations    WHEN?  10  a.m.  Saturday,  June  20th  

WHERE?  Centre  de  la  nature  225  Chemin  de  la  Plage,  Cowansville  

 Come  and  discover  social  and  community  organizations  and  local  sport  groups.    After  a  free  picnic  lunch,  complete  the  day  with  your  family  listening  to  stories  and  participating  in  cultural  and  sports  activities.    The  Yamaska  Literacy  Council  will  have  a  kiosque.  Drop  by  and  say  hello.    Kiosques  are  open  10  a.m.  to  3  p.m.  and  we  are  looking  for  volunteers;  so  if  you  are  available  for  a  shift,  please  contact  the  office.    

   

 

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YLC  Successes  in  2014-­‐2015    Financial  Literacy  Workshops  YLC  held  three  series  of  workshops  in  2014.    Over  30  members  of  the  community  participated.  • The  senior’s  series  focused  on  topics  including  fraud,  making  your  money  last,  

and  tax  credits.      • The  series  for  youth  focused  on  saving,  being  a  smart  consumer,  understanding  

credit  and  legalities.    • A  series  for  young  women  held  in  collaboration  with  the  Avante  Women’s  Centre.    

Family  Literacy  Day,  January  27th    On  a  very  snowy  afternoon  at  Heroes’  Memorial  School,  YLC  welcomed  both  parents  and  children  to  a  book  give-­‐away.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  afternoon,  with  volunteers  reading  to  children,  participants  choosing  books  to  take  home  and  literacy  snacks  enjoyed  by  all.    Peer  Youth  Workshop    YLC  provided  training  for  the  Peer  Youth  Tutoring  Club  at  Massey-­‐Vanier  High  School  this  year.    Seven  students  were  trained  as  tutors.  

On  April  23rd,  World  Book  Day,  Pettes  Memorial  Library,  Knowlton  Lions  Club  and  YLC  launched  a  new  ‘‘literacies’’  collection.      The  literacies  collection  was  developed  recognizing  that  there  are  multiple  literacies  (print,  visual,  digital,  etc.)  and  that  we  all  have  different  literacy  challenges.  The  collection  emphasizes  Canadian  content,  including  the  Good  Reads  Series  of  controlled  reading  level  books,  including  Louise  Penny’s  Hangman  featuring  Inspector  Gamache  of  Three  Pines.  You  can  also  find  some  plain  language  information  on  how  to  take  and  email  pictures  with  your  iPad.      The  collection  is  open  to  all.    Drop  by  the  library  and  have  a  look.  

Launch  of  ‘‘Literacies’’  Collection  

Hans  Konow,  President  of  Pettes  Memorial  Library    and  Joan  Treacy,  President  of  Knowlton  Lions  Club  

   

 

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Tutors  Please  submit  your  tutoring  hours  record  sheet  for  March  to  June  2015.  If  you  have  not  submitted  record  sheets  for  other  time  periods  for  2014-­‐2015,  please  do  so.  The  form  is  available  on  our  website  under  the  members  page.    If  you  do  not  have  the  password,  please  contact  the  office.        YLC  summer  closure  YLC  will  be  closed  this  summer  from  July  3rd  and  reopen  on  August  17th.            

Have a happy, healthy summer!

Health  Literacy  Maux  à  mots  Project  Le  Sac  à  mots  and  the  Yamaska  Literacy  Council  have  hired  Gabriele  Laliberté  Auger  for  the  position  of  

Project  Agent  for  Maux  à  mots.  Welcome,  Gabriele!    The  Yamaska  Literacy  Council  is  partnering  with  Le  Sac  à  mots  to  create  and  deliver  bilingual  tools  and  training  to  health  care  workers  to  help  them  recognize  and  communicate  with  people  who  have  difficulty  reading.  The  purpose  of  this  project  is  to  create  tools  and  tips  for  people  using  the  healthcare  system,  including  those  with  limited  literacy  skills.  

GET UNDERSTAND USE

The  Canadian  Public  Health  Association  defines  health  literacy  as  “the  skills  to  enable  access,  understanding  and  use  of  information  for  health”.                                                                                                          This  includes:  navigating  the  healthcare  system,  from:  

• walking  through  hospital  corridors;    • filling  out  questionnaires  and  insurance  forms;  to  • communicating  with  a  health  care  practitioner.  

Spring  Cleaning?  Do  you  have  an  old  computer  desk  looking  for  a  home?  A  YLC  student  is  looking  for  one.    Please  contact  the  office  if  you  can  help.  

How  do  you  like  your  YLC  news  delivered?    

The  Yamaska  Literacy  Council  has  a  website,  a  blog,  uses  twitter,  Mailchimp  and  facebook  as  well  as  a  printed  newsletter,  Roadways  to  get  news  out  to  

our  members.    We  would  like  to  know  how  you  like  to  get  your  YLC  news.  If  you  would  like  to  

contribute  or  make  a  comment,  call  us  or  email  us.