NEWSLETTER: Dandenong campus (June 2005)

The 'let us know' list

1. If any of your contact details have changed, please let us know.
2. If you are planning to have contact with your student outside of SAIL hours you must let us know first and complete the contact request form.
3. If you intend to bring a friend to SAIL please direct them to the website first and direct them to apply online or just let us know beforehand.
4. Let us know if you are going to miss a Saturday by email, phone or the "Can't Come Sheet"- now also online here!
5. Please check and read your emails each week- if possible, Friday is best!
6. Please let us know before you speak publicly or publish an article about SAIL.

Ongoing offers

1. Photocopying- for any SAIL related photocopying, simply mark the pages from the books you want copied and give the book to Matthew, Jackie, Matt or the library crew on Saturday- it will be ready for you the following week!

2. If you would like to post an ad or some other information relating to SAIL or another not-for-profit venture in which you are involved, please email it to SAIL@africanoz.com to be included in the next newsletter.

3. The Tutor Resources section of the website is available at all times to provide tutors with ideas, games, work-sheets and support. We strongly suggest that if you are experiencing difficulties of any kind when working with your student, you post a request for advice on the SAIL Panel of Experts Bulletin Board (accessible from the Tutor Resources section). Tutor Resources can be accessed from here!


Please read this newsletter in the following week, it gives updates on SAIL past, present and future!

A gentle reminder to all and sundry that the best place for super SAILor SAILing advice is the SAIL Panel of Experts Bulletin Board. It has been left bereft of input for some time now. Any issues you may have re behaviour concerns, learning issues, cultural question, linguistic conundrums, or general worries you want to offload should be channelled in this direction. The panel awaits…

For this coming Week 5 Celebration our very own, wonderful Rhiarna has organised a Soccer clinic for all our students, to mark the end of the current theme – ‘sport’. The only downside of this is that we will be having an extra special strart time of 10am for 25 June only. The location details are not quite finalised as yet, and we shall let you know the where and when as soon as possible. All our student SAILors are interested and we anticipate a fabulous, fun and active day for tutors and students.

June 20 is World Refugee Day. As we do every year, we reserve this Week 5 for representatives of the most important SAILors of all – the Sudanese refugee community. We invite you to what, for most, is the highlight of the Week 5 talks. On 25 June 2005, we will be inviting a few members of the Sudanese community to come and tell us their stories, and speak about what it means to survive the refugee resettlement experience. As always, the talks will start right after lunch following drop-offs. The session will take place in the supper room for all tutors.

The next theme will be as exciting and action-packed as they come – ‘Emergency Services’. Think ambulances, paramedics, fire-trucks, firemen, hoses, police rescue helicopters, special uniforms and lots of flashing lights…

ESL Workshops for SAILors through AMES

Through their Volunteer Tutor Enhancement Program, AMES is offering a training day for ESL (English as a second language) tutors. There will be three workshops presented by very experienced AMES staff and an opportunity to share with other tutors and tutor groups in the Southern region. This will be held at the Cheltenham Community Education Centre, 8 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham on 25 June, 9-3.15pm and the cost is free! For more information phone 9926 4633 Fax: 9926 4727 or email: earpk@ames.net.au

Jackie will be away overseas on holiday from 18th June until 17 July inclusive. While Jackie is away Matthew will be taking care of emails and will be out at Dandenong regularly, along with Matt who will be capably looking after things on Saturdays. The good ship will stay on course!

Our troop of dedicated drivers really are the key to the ongoing success of the SAIL Program, and without them our students would not be able to get to the church on Saturdays. We are currently experiencing a shortage of drivers, both regular and emergency. If you are able to assist with pick-ups either as an emergency or regular driver, please, let us know.

Know people in Canberra who may be interested in the SAIL Program? Hell, anything would be interesting if you lived in Canberra (we hear that dry stone walling is really taking off, for example!).

If so, please direct them to the Tuggeranong Arts Centre throughout June. This arts centre is hosting the photography exhibition which was run in Melbourne over Australia Day 2005. The exhibition features the work of three photojournalists (including Matthew Albert) who map the journey of Sudanese people from Sudan all the way to the cosy halls of the SAIL Program. Entry is free or by donation to the SAIL Program. For more information, go to http://www.tca.asn.au/gallery.html or http://www.africanoz.com/af_event/af_event.html#act or http://www.unhcr.org.au/WorldRefugeeDayEvents.shtml.

From 7 – 9 July 25 SAILors will be heading to the SAIL camp HQ at the Cottage By the Sea at Queenscliffe. SAILors who will fit the age bracket bill will be invited on the camp in coming weeks.

The biggest SAIL celebration of the year is fast approaching. SAIL will soon officially turn four! We want to note the dates to ensure that everyone keep the date free! On Saturday 27 August, normal SAIL time will be partially over-run with the traditional carnival celebrations. That night we have the SAIL party of the year for the volunteers. It will be from 7:30pm at 82 Perry St, Collingwood. We hope you will keep this night free as we hope to have all SAILors from all campuses together in celebration for the first time.

Finally, our sincere thanks to the Prefects at Westbourne Grammar School who recently arranged a Soup for SAIL day to raise money to buy pens and books for the SAIL team! Now, doesn’t that just give you a warm, fuzzy feeling!

Courtesy, of our magnificent SAIL About letter writer, Emily, there are two big ticket offers available exclusively to SAILors. If you are interested in booking tickets to any of these events, please email sail@africanoz.com.

Circus Oz
High flyers acrobats, gymnastics extraordinairres, flyer people. Roll up, roll up! SAIL is off to the circus on Friday 24 June, 7:30pm at Birrarung Marr. If you would like to join the huge crew attending this once off event, please email sail@africanoz.com ASAP!

Kiss Me Kate
SAIL has been kindly donated five tickets to the upcoming production of "Kiss Me Kate" on Wednesday 20th July at 2pm at the State Theatre. If you would like to take some SAILors to it, please let us know at sail@africanoz.com and they are all yours!

Temptation Game show filming
Tempted to see the latest game show being filmed? We know many SAILors are. If you would like to take a gaggle along, please let us know. There are five tickets available for each of the following dates at either time. Please note that these are during the upcoming school holidays!
Tues 28th June : 9.30 am - 1.00 pm & 12.00 - 5pm
Wed 29th June : 9.30 am - 1.00pm & 12.00 - 5pm

REFUGEE AND ASYLUM SEEKERS FESTIVAL 2005
As World Refugee Day approaches a large free community festival is being organized around the Fitzroy area. Dazzling music and dance performances from Melbourne's refugee communities, a unique cultural marketplace, an action packed inaugural Soccer Carnivale featuring four Horn of Africa teams, and a hit play by notable Australian writer Linda Jaivin are just some of the highlights of this year’s Refugee and Asylum Seekers Festival. There are also loads of Sudanese performers on show including Sudan Azza, South Sudan Musica, and the Sudanese Catholic Choir For all the details please visit: http://www.multiculturalarts.com.au/bannerevent.html

Other upcoming free kiddy type events that we would encourage you to take SAILors to are as follows

NGV (National Gallery of Victoria)
Free film screening – “Finding Nemo”
An enchanting computer-animated feature about a father clown fish, Marlin, searching the vast ocean near Sydney for his lost son, Nemo. An action-packed, sometimes fearsome and fun-filled adventure.
Date(s) 3 July
Time Starts 3pm.
Running time: 97 mins (Rated G)

Free film screening – “Blinky Bill”
Blinky Bill the Koala sets off to try and find his mother after their peaceful bush home is destroyed by loggers. He meets new friends and has many adventures along the way in this delightful animated film, based on Dorothy Wall’s classic story.
Date(s) 6 July
Time Starts 10am.
Running time: 93 mins (Rated G)

Free film screening – “Dot and the Kangaroo”
Dot, the little daughter of a settler in the Australian outback loses her way in the bush. Terrified by the dark shadows and unfamiliar sounds of the bush, she is soon befriended by a big kangaroo. Dot travels in the kangaroo’s pouch on an adventure packed journey.
Date(s) 7 July at 3.00pm
Time Starts 10am
Running time: 72 mins (Rated G)

Where : NGV Australia is located on the corner of Russell Street extension and Flinders Street, Melbourne

The story of the humble SAIL sandwich.
Now you may munch nonchalantly into your roll at SAIL each week and not ponder its long journey from the dirtied fields of rural Victoria to your hand. Well, it is time to rethink the humble SAIL roll and acknowledge its long and arduous journey!

SAIL rolls are the result of a long trip from numerous locations across Melbourne.

The bread is reliably collected by Maureen and Rob in St Kilda, Jackie in Dandenong and one of us at Victoria Gardens. On Saturday, before SAIL time, it heads off in three directions to one of the SAIL campuses. The fillings meanwhile take a somewhat more convoluted trip. First they are bought by SAIL’s oldest volunteer who may or may not be 80, Lesley at her local supermarket. It then travels to Mount Waverly where Louise prepares it on Friday night. On Saturday, Yvonne collects the food for Footscray and Altona and Jackie collects it for Dandenong. Once at Footscray, Wayn then collects the Altona share and trundles it over to Altona.

The hot food meanwhile, is collected reliably by Lieu who takes it to Footscray from Southgate.

The humble SAIL lunches belie their journey. We strongly recommend you talk to your roll next Saturday. Everything has a story to tell and our rolls are no different.