The Charboneau Learning Center

                                                            A Program of The Literacy Project

                                                                     15 Bank Row, Suite D

                                                                    Greenfield, MA 01302

                                                                         413-774-3935

                                                         www.literacyproject.org/charboneau.html

                                                                    May 2004

         

Total Enrollment:        43                     Number on Waiting List:  3                             Total Attendees:     34

          16 days of classes     Class Contact Hours: 670.25     41.8  hours per day     (about   17  learners in classes per day)

Intakes       7                                                                                                              Intakes that Attended:  4

 

Attendance Statistics

More than 12 Hours:   20                       Between 0 and 12 Hours:   14               Enrolled with No Attendance:         9

More than 24 Hours:  11                       Between 2 and 12 Hours:  12

 

Enrollment Statistics  (Numbers and categories reflect self-reports of enrolled individuals)

  Enrollment by Town                  Enrollment by Age                    Enrollment by Referral            Seeking GED?

  Charlemont                1               16.00 -- 17.99           12              Beacon Programs           1               Yes        40

  Deerfield                   2               18.00 -- 24.99           12              Career Center/DET        1                No          3

                                                                                            Counselor                   1

  Greenfield                29               25.00 -- 44.99             9                                                                          43

                                                                                            Court/Probation            5

  Montague                 6               45.00 -- 59.99             9              DSS/Welfare                3

  Northfield                 3               60.00 +                    1              GCC                         2

  Shelburne                  2                                           43              Leadership Training        1

                                                                                            Library                       1

                              43

                                                                                            Mass Rehab                 1

                                                                                            Montague Site              1

                                                                                            NELCWIT                  1

                                                                                            Public School               3

                                                                                            Walk-in                      2

                                                                                            Word of Mouth           20

                                                                                                                          43

  By Native Language                  Enrollment by Race                  Enrollment by Gender

  English                   39               African American        2               Female                    29

  Laotian                     1               Asian                       1               Male                      14

  Russian                    1               Hispanic or Latino       3                                           43

  Spanish                    2               Not Recorded             1

                              43               White                     36

                                                                            43


Class Activities

The Morning GED Classes continued to study bacteria in the context of health/food safety AND more generalized

Classification Systems.  They also started to get into some research into Landmark Supreme Court Cases.  Other

themes were Equivalents and Conversions in Math (fractions, decimals, proportions, and percents) AND Word Usage

in Sentence Structure. Various individuals have made progress on their resumes.

The Morning ABE Class continued to work on fractions.  In writing they focused on Autobiographical writing and

resumes.  They also used "Traditions" as a writing theme.

The Evening GED class also worked on fractions.  They have been doing individual writing projects (sometimes)

based on Supreme Court Cases.  There was a lot of discussion and thinking about abortion rights based on Roe V.

Wade.

Successes

Workplace "Soft Skills" Training

Deborah Schey from the Career Center led a brief workshop on "Staying Calm Whatever the Challenge" She covered "Positive Self Talk",

"Self Knowledge", "Building a Stress Management Network", and "Going with the Flow".  She ended with some guided imagery.

Voting Rights Leadership Training

The Leadership Team delivered a training on Voting Rights and Responsibilities.  As part of a nation wide Voter Education Project they

covered the history of voting rights in America, the pragmatics of voting, and the importance of voting.  There were many excellent

learning activities including a comparison of how people in this class would prioritize the federal budget compared to how Congress has

historically done it.

Mini field trip to the "Mental Health Fair

Louise took her class to the Energy Park to support and participate this important community activity.

YES Financial Planning Seminar

Tim Cohen-Mitchell of the Young Entrepreneur Society completed the four session Financial Planning Seminar which was delivered to all

Charboneau Learners. Ten people participated in enough of the sessions (all) to get certificates and portfolios.  The Seminar covered

planning, budgeting, saving, investments, and credit management.

First Annual Pizza Eating Contest/Fundraiser

Antonio's Pizza of Greenfield volunteered to host this event as a fundraiser for Charboneau.  They generously donated their name, their

premises and a boatload of pizza.  Many local businesses donated great prizes.

Janice and Rodney, our Community Board  Members, were instrumental in pulling this all together.  Kevin and Citizens Bank secured the

grand prize.

We received an amazing amount of publicity thanks to the Recorder and the City Counselor candidates, Chris Joseph and Steve Alves.

Both the Juvenile and Adult competitions generated a lot of drama and crowd appeal as part of Classic Day in Greenfield.

              If someone IS asked to leave, it is only for that class period - unless Joe or Louise state otherwise.

 

Professional Development Activities

  5/26/04  Joe         Teaching Job Readiness in the ABE Classroom                                                                                  5.00

                         Martha Oesch presented lots of activities and resources supporting her thesis that "Job Readiness" skill building is really inherent in the

                         work of any GED/ABE classroom.  We looked at SCANS and EFF competencies and how they are already integrated into our work along

                         with how we could be more intentional about developing and assessing those skills.

                         Joe has already added the SCANS competencies to the Curriculum Frameworks module of his database. (SCANS stands for (Labor)

                         "Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills"

 

Volunteers                                                        Hours

    Amber Ortiz                   1 ASE Morning                   6.25

    Audrey Labonte               3 ASE Evening                    4.00

    Betty Anselowitz             3 ASE Evening                    8.00

    Irene Fariss                   1 ASE Morning                   9.00

    Jeanne Rees                   3 ASE Evening                    2.00

    Joseph Kosewicz             1 ASE Morning                  16.25

    Keith Jenkins                 0 ABE Morning                   4.50

    Lori Arbeit                     1 ASE Morning                  11.00

    Mike Michalski              1 ASE Morning                   2.50

                                                                            63.50

  We can never thank these people enough.  They are terrific!

 


Intake Breakdown

By Town                                  By Age Range                           By Referral                             Seeking GED?

Buckland                    1             16.00 -- 17.99               3              Career Center/DET           2               Yes          6

Erving                        1             18.00 -- 24.99               1              Counselor                      1                No          1

Greenfield                   4             25.00 -- 44.99               2              Word of Mouth               4                             7

Montague                   1             60.00 +                      1                                                7

                                7                                            7

By Native Language                  By Race                                  By Gender

English                       6             Asian                         1             Female                      3

Laotian                       1             White                        6             Male                        4

                                7                                            7                                           7

Other ABE Related Service Contacts   (Numbers reflect recorded "interactions" with individuals generally not "yet" in classes)

  By Service Category                                                                                           By Gender

      Seeking Services Inquiry     4                                                                                   Female                         2

      Pre-Test Given                3                                                                                   Male                           8

      Intake Appt Made            1                                                                                                                   10

      Follow-up                      2

                                       10

  By Town                                                 By Age                                                By Race

       Greenfield                     6                          16.00 -- 17.99                 4                       African American            2

       Not Recorded                 3                          18.00 -- 24.99                 3                       Hispanic or                    1

       Shutesbury                    1                                                                                    Latino

                                                                    25.00 -- 44.99                 1                       Not Recorded                 2

                                       10

                                                                    Not Recorded                 2                       White                          5

                                                                                                    10                                                       10

  Community Contacts

  Social Service             5

  State Gov't                1

 

Student Comments this Month

  5/4/04                              1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 45.00 -- 59.99

  I got my certificate of completion [for the YES Financial Planning Seminar.]  I'm glad I got it.

  5/10/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 16.00 -- 17.99

  I tried to learn about how to write sentence[s] with subjects and nouns and I think I understand it more than I

  did[.]

  What helped me learn was people kept going talking about the sentences.

  5/10/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 45.00 -- 59.99

  We [were] working on sentences.  Subjects and verbs.  It is amazing how the sentences grew & grew.  Didn't

  understand everything, but I did hang in the[re].

  5/12/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 45.00 -- 59.99

  I miss full class of learning [longer group time]

  5/18/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 18.00 -- 24.99

  I am finally starting to understand fractions . . . practice more fractions.

  5/18/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 45.00 -- 59.99

  I don't agree with some of the other students off remarks about gays or the facts about the classroom is theirs

  and not the teachers.  I'm from the old school way [.  I]f it['s]up to the students[,] why should they be here?

  5/18/04                            3 ASE Evening                      Male                                    16.00 -- 17.99

  For progress in the future, I could group all my information[] and thoughts before I start my writing.


  5/20/04                            3 ASE Evening                      Male                                    16.00 -- 17.99

  Useful resources helped me learn.

  5/20/04                            3 ASE Evening                      Female                                 18.00 -- 24.99

  I really like what was being [taught]. Never like[d] history but now I'm giving it a shot.

  5/25/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Male                                    16.00 -- 17.99

  I always learn something everyday.

  5/25/04                            1 ASE Morning                     Female                                 45.00 -- 59.99

  I worked on my essay.  My sentence structure is coming along.

  5/25/04                            3 ASE Evening                      Male                                    16.00 -- 17.99

  I learned that you can have an opinion, BUT somebody could inform of you something else and change your

  opinion.

  5/27/04                            3 ASE Evening                      Male                                    16.00 -- 17.99

  Yes, I participated. Yes, I paid attention.  It was a[n] overall good class.  I got to hear a lot of diff. opinions from a

   lot of diff. people.