It's been a great Autumn so far here at VIRCS, with all of our school-year programs now up and running, and new developments for some old volunteer opportunities.
In this Volunteer Bulletin, read about:
- Volunteer Appreciation Party
- Volunteer Orientations a hit!
- Project Enable Update
- I-Plan-It Program Changes
- New ESL Volunteer Training
- Be-Friends and Family Friendship starts again this November
- Lesson Planners wanted!
(This means you!)
You give so much, VIRCS would like to show you how much you mean to us!
Come to this great event and let the staff be the volunteers to show you how much you mean to us with food, door prizes, and a showcase of Volunteer contributions to VIRCS.
You are awesome. You deserve a party. Here it is.Thank you!
Volunteer Orientations a hit!
Thank you to all of our new volunteers who attended this month's orientations. The orientations were a big success, cutting out a lot of the time between when someone first applies to volunteer and when they have their first day.
Orientation Sessions will continue to be held every Thursday at 4pm in the ESL Classroom, and everyone is welcome.
Also, feedback on the basic training has been great. Thank you to everyone who gave me feedback this year on the program for helping make these improvements possible! We will continue to develop our training based on your feedback, so let us know if you'd like to gain more skills in an area, try something new, or want to help us design a new module.
Project Enable Update
Project Enable is off to a great start this school year, with an especially strong volunteer and student turnout for our Homework Club. Great work Homework Club Volunteers!
Also we are thankful to have many of our Youth Leaders from last year returning to the Youth Activity Nights again this fall. For those who haven't met them, trust me, this team is awesome!
While Enable is set to have a great year, we are still in need of 1-on-1 tutors. If you have an hour or two to spare each week, consider spending it helping a child with English, Math, or a variety of other subjects.
Fore More information contact Danny Tes, at danny@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x245.
I-Plan-It Program Changes
I-Plan-It is also going strong, thanks to a great team of volunteers and staff, but there has been a minor change in scheduling. Starting next week, the I-Plan-It ESL classes will be from 6 to 8pm every Tuesday, instead of 5 to 7pm as in previous weeks.
New ESL Volunteer Training
The ESL volunteer training has arrived! The first module will be delivered this Monday, October 5th, from 12 to 1pm. This training will focus on basic skills and new procedures for the class, and will be beneficial for new and experienced volunteers.
If you would like to attend, but cannot make it this Monday, let me know and I will offer it at an alternative time. I will be offering further training on specific teaching skills over the following weeks.
The Be-Friends and Family Friendship Program start: November
November marks the beginning of the next pairing of newcomers and volunteers in our popular Be-Friends and Family Friendship Programs.
For those who are unfamiliar with the program, Be-Friends pairs adults aged 19-30 and Family Friendship pairs parents of any age. A volunteer who has lived here for 3 years or more is paired with a newcomer based on shared interests, and the two spend an hour or so each week doing things they both enjoy and talking about life in the city.
This is a great program for people who work full-time, and includes great training and bi-monthly group activities; all during evenings or weekends!
To sign up, contact Aviva Shtull at aviva@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x242.
Lesson Planners Wanted!
For those of you who know what 'curriculum design' is, you are probably on your way to becoming a great teacher!
For everyone else (including me!), we are looking for people to help us plan how to teach elementary school-aged children from around the world how to learn English and have fun once a week during a two hour activity program called Sparks.
This is a great way for teachers, and those who just love children, to design lessons for young learners on a variety of topics that will stretch their language skills while keeping them engaged and active.
To find out more, contact Negin Naraghi at negin@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x203.
That's it for this month's Volunteer Bulletin!
Thank you again so much for all of the help you give to VIRCS and our clients, and I hope to see you at the Volunteer Appreciation Party on November 5th! You deserve it!
Sincerely,
Chris Geater
Volunteer Coordinator
Thank you to all of our new volunteers who attended this month's orientations. The orientations were a big success, cutting out a lot of the time between when someone first applies to volunteer and when they have their first day.
Orientation Sessions will continue to be held every Thursday at 4pm in the ESL Classroom, and everyone is welcome.
Also, feedback on the basic training has been great. Thank you to everyone who gave me feedback this year on the program for helping make these improvements possible! We will continue to develop our training based on your feedback, so let us know if you'd like to gain more skills in an area, try something new, or want to help us design a new module.
Project Enable Update
Project Enable is off to a great start this school year, with an especially strong volunteer and student turnout for our Homework Club. Great work Homework Club Volunteers!
Also we are thankful to have many of our Youth Leaders from last year returning to the Youth Activity Nights again this fall. For those who haven't met them, trust me, this team is awesome!
While Enable is set to have a great year, we are still in need of 1-on-1 tutors. If you have an hour or two to spare each week, consider spending it helping a child with English, Math, or a variety of other subjects.
Fore More information contact Danny Tes, at danny@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x245.
I-Plan-It Program Changes
I-Plan-It is also going strong, thanks to a great team of volunteers and staff, but there has been a minor change in scheduling. Starting next week, the I-Plan-It ESL classes will be from 6 to 8pm every Tuesday, instead of 5 to 7pm as in previous weeks.
New ESL Volunteer Training
The ESL volunteer training has arrived! The first module will be delivered this Monday, October 5th, from 12 to 1pm. This training will focus on basic skills and new procedures for the class, and will be beneficial for new and experienced volunteers.
If you would like to attend, but cannot make it this Monday, let me know and I will offer it at an alternative time. I will be offering further training on specific teaching skills over the following weeks.
The Be-Friends and Family Friendship Program start: November
November marks the beginning of the next pairing of newcomers and volunteers in our popular Be-Friends and Family Friendship Programs.
For those who are unfamiliar with the program, Be-Friends pairs adults aged 19-30 and Family Friendship pairs parents of any age. A volunteer who has lived here for 3 years or more is paired with a newcomer based on shared interests, and the two spend an hour or so each week doing things they both enjoy and talking about life in the city.
This is a great program for people who work full-time, and includes great training and bi-monthly group activities; all during evenings or weekends!
To sign up, contact Aviva Shtull at aviva@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x242.
Lesson Planners Wanted!
For those of you who know what 'curriculum design' is, you are probably on your way to becoming a great teacher!
For everyone else (including me!), we are looking for people to help us plan how to teach elementary school-aged children from around the world how to learn English and have fun once a week during a two hour activity program called Sparks.
This is a great way for teachers, and those who just love children, to design lessons for young learners on a variety of topics that will stretch their language skills while keeping them engaged and active.
To find out more, contact Negin Naraghi at negin@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x203.
That's it for this month's Volunteer Bulletin!
Thank you again so much for all of the help you give to VIRCS and our clients, and I hope to see you at the Volunteer Appreciation Party on November 5th! You deserve it!
Sincerely,
Chris Geater
Volunteer Coordinator
