The Bookmark: This Issue Is Dedicated To All Volunteers From The Last 10 Years Thank You!!
The Bookmark: This Issue Is Dedicated To All Volunteers From The Last 10 Years Thank You!!
The Bookmark: This Issue Is Dedicated To All Volunteers From The Last 10 Years Thank You!!
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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5
Strategic Plan Update
The East Side Learning Center is in the final year of the 3-year strategic plan established in 2008. Progress against the plan in the last
year includes the following:
Upgraded the computer equipment and network. This replaced the aging equipment with faster, more reliable computers. Also,
all computers were brought to current software levels enhancing the ability to share and collaborate on documents.
Defined an organization structure for central operations and each tutoring site. Staff was hired for open positions. This
strengthened the organization to effectively run current sites and positioned the ESLC to move into new sites.
Performed a staff succession planning exercise to identify who may fill different roles in the future and to focus on staff training
and development.
Completed a draft of the “packaged program.” This is documentation about how to open and operate a tutoring site. This
documentation is ready to pilot test when the opportunity to open a new site occurs.
Finally – growth to serve more students. At the direction of a key partner (Saint Paul Public Schools), the focus in the 2010/2011
school year is to reach more students in the current schools served. Plans for that are under development.
During this year, the ESLC board will review progress against the current strategic plan. Working in collaboration with key partners, the
ESLC will revise the strategic plan with activities for the next 3-5 years.
Reunion
The Life of a VISTA
Continued from Page 1 Hello! My name is Ben Stiemsma, and I was
The interview was over in 45 the ESLC‟s first AmeriCorps*VISTA
minutes, but two hours later the Coordinator of Volunteers. Here are a few
three guests were still sitting stories of my one year of service.
around a table chatting and
eating pizza. Sister Audrey had My life as an ESLC VISTA was a wild, epic
her brand new pictures of journey of ups and downs. In fact, a “down
Jesus, Carlos, and Denzel that moment” came as I was driving to my first
would become a new snapshot day of work when my „95 Chevy Lumina
of the ESLC. Jesus and stalled in the middle of Maryland Avenue. A
Denzel both expressed confused and probably terrified gentleman
interest in returning to the helped push my car into a parking lot after I
ESLC as tutors. Perhaps St Matt‟s students with their take home books. frantically waved him down. Replacing an
their photos might be taken with alternator is not cheap! That same day, I
their students to be featured at “A book is a gift that you can give and open again experienced my first “up” moment. Without
the ESLC’s 20th anniversary! and again.” G Keillor any hesitation, Sister Audrey insisted that
she would pick me up for work and take me
home each night until my car was fixed. I
knew I had become part of the ESLC
family.
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TEN YEARS OF GROWTH THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF
OUR PARTNERS AND PROVIDERS
From the beginning……………...
Our tutors affect eternity.
The East Side Learning Center was
They can never tell where
envisioned by a group of School their influence stops.
Sisters of Notre Dame in response to
the request made to them by St. Paul
Community Leaders. The Sisters are Drezden and S. Jane Thibault,
educators who strive to meet unmet SSND are partners developing
educational needs, especially reading skills for the years ahead.
among the economic poor, so they
agreed to start a tutoring program for ……………………………to Today
these children. After three years of The ESLC has grown from tutoring
research, the Sisters committed 19 children when it began, to 225
themselves to collaborating with East during FY 2009-10. The ESLC now
Side neighborhood schools to North End‟s former principal,
includes 240 volunteers (from Hamilton Bell, also believes in the
address educational needs by college students to retirees), part-
providing free tutoring in reading. program‟s effect. “The ESLC is
time tutors and a core staff that building the foundation for struggling
The East Side Learning Center was provides the free one-on-one
born! kids and giving them a better chance
tutoring. This growth is the product at success. Seeing volunteers come
of obvious improvement in the in shows children that others care
The program began in 2001 with 20 students‟ reading skills. Joan Brand,
volunteers reaching out to 19 about them; this increases self-
a 2nd grade teacher has witnessed reliance and shows children that
students at John A. Johnson the program helping to improve
Achievement Plus Elementary. The there is good in everyone.”
reading scores, “both in individual
first expansion was to Trinity Catholic assessments and standardized test
School in 2001, then to Bruce Vento The ESLC’s success is largely the
results,” for students reading below product of volunteer time, grants,
Elementary in 2004, and most grade level.
recently to North End/Franklin and donations. In fact, the
Elementary. Since Trinity Catholic Minnesota based Coughlan
The Center on Instruction, which Companies awarded the ESLC a
School closed in spring 2009 the conducts educational research,
ESLC moved that program to St. $27,500 grant and provides teams of
published a study in 2007, citing not employees to be volunteer tutors, a
Matthew‟s Catholic School. Currently only that reading intervention is
ANY child from grades K-4 in St. Paul generosity that demonstrates why the
instrumental for a struggling student ESLC has been able to expand ten-
can be tutored at these locations: at an early age, but that
John A. Johnson Achievement fold in a decade.
interventions can be most
Plus Elementary, St. Matthew’s effective when delivered one-on-
School, and North End / Franklin The ESLC‟s growth demonstrates
one. The ESLC is providing a that it is meeting a community need
Elementary. breath of fresh air for parents, by successfully impacting the lives of
teachers, and administrators in St. children through tutoring. The St.
Paul by offering three and four one- Paul schools believe so much in the
hour sessions per week for each need and the measurable difference
student. that the ESLC is making for their
children, that they offer rent-free
Myrna Abrego, whose daughter space and some furnishings.
attends North End/Franklin School,
says that the program convinced her
When polled on what goals the ESLC
that North End/Franklin was the best
should set, teachers, parents, and
school for her daughter. She noticed administrators offer a resounding
marked improvement in her daughter response: “EXPAND!” The
since meeting with ESLC tutors. “As
program provides hope and help for
a parent, ESLC is open, non-
students who may not otherwise
intimidating, and welcoming.”
have the means to receive this
Melissa Essler, a curriculum
necessary reading intervention. Yet
coordinator, finds that the ESLC
its growth relies heavily upon
“gives parents an opportunity to join
volunteers and financial support, and
in their child‟s success with open
therefore, the ESLC is always looking
lines of communication between
for people to join the cause.
Moo Gay shows off his reading „chops‟ parents and tutors. The program
to Daedra Culshaw. adds an element of hope and support
Total number of tutors since 2001 is 1,302
to the school. January to May test
with many tutors returning for multiple
results showed great increases!” years.
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YOUR GIFT IS A LASTING TRIBUTE…IN MEMORY OF
MARY RIEHLE
A gift is one way to honor those we love while helping our community. In July 2010,
Mary Riehle, one of our outstanding tutors, passed away after a six-year journey with
cancer. Her husband, John, and their family chose the East Side Learning Center
(ESLC) as one of the programs to which they preferred memorials be given.
Many of us had the blessing of ministering with Mary during the past nine years at the
ESLC. When the School Sisters of Notre Dame began the ESLC in February 2001
Mary generously volunteered to help tutor. Even after teaching grade 1 all day at St.
Pascal she still came twice a week after school to tutor at our Johnson Elementary
site. Once Mary retired in 2002-03 she started tutoring with us every day as one of
our committed part-time tutors. Even in illness Mary continued tutoring all the way
through the end of our school year in May. Amidst Mary‟s six years of chemo and Dyenese with her children
radiation she always said that tutoring was her best medicine! We‟re happy that the
ESLC provided the opportunity for that “medicine” so Mary could continue to share DYENESE MARTIN SHARES A
her warmth and care with more children. PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Mary changed the life of each student she tutored not only because of her skill as an Dear Sister Audrey,
outstanding educator, but more so because she loved, affirmed, and motivated each The East Side Learning Center has been a big
child as her own. Mary embodied the spirit of the ESLC as she lived its mission support system for my children and myself for two
of “unlocking each child’s potential through the foundation of reading.” years. The program has bridged a gap for
families like mine for nearly ten years. I am a full
time mom and I also work full time. My family
The memorial gifts are being matched by a challenge grant through the Katherine B.
goes through a number of transitions during the
Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation. So, in effect, the gifts are doubled. day which also has consisted of my changing jobs
We know Mary would like that! While we miss Mary‟s cheerful greetings and her and grades. So there is a certain amount of
unconditional commitment to children, all of us at the ESLC give thanks for her life personal stress that will revisit itself every day.
and loving presence which now needs to live on through each of us.
By the time that I arrive at home after a long day
of work, I feel like I have no time to do one-on-
one reading with my children. I just want to hold
them, love them and spend time with them
because we get home so late. By then I am
exhausted. If it weren‟t for reading homework
that the teachers assign, reading stories to my
children at night would get skipped all together.
The commitment is small...tutor this Fall! Books can be delivered to the ESLC office at
Contact: Krista Eichhorst (651) 793-7331 or [email protected] 740 York Ave.
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VOLUNTEERS
Unlocking Each Child’s Potential Through the
Foundation of Reading
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Thank you volunteer & professional tutors
Thank you volunteer tutors for your past and current support! One hour per week really does make a difference. With the help of all
of you dedicated role models the ESLC was able to tutor 225 students in St. Paul in 2009-2010. Many children do not have the
opportunity to read at home with their families so it is volunteers like you who are key to helping “unlock each child‟s potential
through the foundation of reading.” Thank you for touching the lives of the children you tutored, strengthening the ESLC program
with your presence, and giving hope to St. Paul communities.
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Funders & Donors
The ESLC is so grateful to the wonderful supporters who graciously contribute to the program. Your dollars provide the ESLC with
the opportunity to continue to help all children realize success in school and feel better about themselves. With your help these
children can attain their dreams and goals. Thank you Funders, Donors and In Kind contributors!
Double your gift to the ESLC by qualifying for a matching grant! Help match a $35,000 challenge grant by the end of December 2010! It
is easy with the enclosed envelope. The funder will match grants that meet any of the following criteria:
Dollar for dollar for all new contributions
Dollar for dollar for contributions from lapsed donors who have not given for a year or more in support of the ESLC
Dollar for dollar for increased portion of contributions of those who donated during the 2009 calendar year
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[email protected]
651-793-7331
St Paul, Mn 55106
740 York Ave
East Side Learning Center
Our Core Values are summarized as
Permit no 4035
Nonprofit org
Us postage
St paul, mn
Paid
Lizz Paulson shares the gifts of LEARN-ing while planting
seeds of wisdom with David.