NEWSLETTER: Braybrook campus (May 2008)
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 via the online Can't Come form.
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 the co-ordinators on Saturday- it will be ready for you the following week!
2. 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 -the password was in the email with this newsletter.
Diary dates
If you are interested in attending any upcoming African Australian events click here for the details.
Please read this newsletter in the following week, it gives updates on SAIL past, present and future!
Upcoming SAIL Tutor Talk
Our next SAIL Tutor Talk for 2008 is coming up this Wednesday 14th of May between 6:30-8:00pm and you’re invited!
SAIL Tutor Talks provide a brilliant opportunity to hear the insight of a range of professionals with experience at SAIL and provides on-going training for SAIL tutors.
Tutor Talks give you the chance to discuss how you interact with your student and compare the experiences of other tutors. The presentations will be useful to experienced SAIL volunteers as well as those just starting out. Dinner will be provided between the two 30-minute presentations.
Who’s Presenting:
Liz Round: Liz is Volunteer co-ordinator at Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES), Australia’s largest organization providing language, employment and re-settlement training to adults recently settled in Australia. Liz has a wealth of experience teaching and training tutors at AMES.
The Details:
Wednesday 14th May between 6:30-8:00pm.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church,
193 Hotham Street (cnr Clarendon St),
East Melbourne
Enter via Hotham Street
Parking free city side of Clarendon St only
Tram numbers 75 and 48
Jolimont Train station
Dinner and snacks will be provided during the presentations.
Please RSVP to sail@africanoz.com by Monday 11 May.
Upcoming Community Talks
The first community talk for 2008 had Katie Fraser from the Footscray Community Legal Centre talking to adult SAILors about issues regarding consumer rights, door-to-door salespersons and legal contracts. The next session is scheduled on 10 May and will be on housing issues. The talk will take place during tutoring time. Please let Sam or Gemma know if your student is interested in attending the talk.
SAIL Xtend: Statues, Songs & Shooting Goals
SAIL Xtend 2008 has kicked off with roaring success. The first cycle saw Braybrook SAILors involved in four intense weeks of soccer training, which culminated in a game against the SAIL Maidstone Campus. Braybrook soccer stars showcased their skills all throughout the nail-biting match, but Maidstone kicked a decisive goal in the final minutes to secure a 3-2 win.
More musically-inclined SAILors strummed their way through guitar lessons and it would appear that we have a number of rock legends in the making.
In the second cycle of Xtend, a four-week drama workshop brought out everybody’s expressive side and our budding actors made some beautiful ‘statues’. Another round of soccer has now begun and with inter-campus rivalry fired up from the last match against SAIL Maidstone, the Braybrook team is training harder than ever to level the score.
SAIL Xtend runs at our Braybrook campus from 12.30 – 1.30pm. Please contact us if you think your student might be interested in joining in the fun! Louise, Justin, Zac, Will and Natalie – a big thanks for making Xtend happen!
Eye Screenings
In April, all SAIL students were involved in eye screening to detect vision problems and/or difficulties with reading experienced by many students. The screening was a huge success, with 20 students identified as requiring a referral. A big thanks to Dr. George Kong and his crew of volunteers – we could not have done it without you!
Setting SAIL on time
The development of each and every SAILor is of utmost concern to us and the short 90 minutes we have with them each week needs to be made the most of. To ensure that this timeframe is as closely adhered to as possible, we ask that volunteers aim to arrive at SAIL by 10.20am, so as to find their students and begin work by 10.30am. If you find that your student is consistently arriving late at SAIL, please let us know and we will investigate the situation. If you find that you are arriving at SAIL late due to your SAILor pick-up, please follow these simple steps to avoid tardiness:
Be Consistent: If you have the same pick-up every week, be sure to arrive at the same time each week. We suggest that all drivers aim to be at their pick-ups’ home by 10.10am (or earlier if need be). Explain to those whom you pick-up that you will be arriving at their house every Saturday at the same time. By doing so, you’ll probably find that your SAILors will be ready and waiting to set SAIL by the time you arrive.
Be firm: If you find that your SAILors aren’t ready to go despite your consistent arrival at 10.10am each week, let them know that you will have to leave without them. Finding your SAILors just getting out of bed when you arrive may be overlooked the first time but you can be sure that repeat occurrences are inexcusable! If you try all of these tips, and are still having trouble getting to SAIL on time, please come speak to us and we’ll do our best to help you out.
SAILAway at Somers
The Anzac Day long weekend saw 65 SAILors from all our Melbourne campuses participate in three full days of fun and games at Lord Somers camp on the Mornington Peninsula. The ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ theme went down well with SAILors and volunteers alike, and the climax of the weekend was a night of dance performances with Braybrook being well-represented in the dancing stakes. A big thanks to Sam and the other organizers.
SAIL Search for Baby Seats
SAIL is on the lookout for 12 baby seats in good condition to be distributed to campuses across the SAIL world. If you have access to baby seats or know someone who might be able to help, please email Nik and Cara at sail@africanoz.com or come have a chat to us at SAIL on Saturday.
MIFF Footy Shorts
As part of this year's Melbourne International Film Festival, AFL is holding a special competition in commemoration of 150 years of football. They are calling for submissions of short films (under 5 minutes) responding to the question, "What does Australian Football means to me or myCommunity?”. We encourage all film buffs out there to get their cameras rolling and their SAILors involved in this competition. For more details please hop onto their website: http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/mifffootyshorts
Thank you for giving up your Saturday mornings to support a community who not only deserve it but, of late, have needed it.
Smooth SAILing,
Gemma, Cara and Nik |