The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

TeCanadian Champon, Tuesday, March 30, 1999-O /Literacy a reality with patience and creativity By IRENE GENTLE The Champion For years, Milton's Dawn Greene has dreamed of reading to ber nephews. "11 became so difficult when my brother had two boys," said Ma Greene, 32. "They'd aay 'Auntie Dawn, read us a story.' But I can't." Despite baving graduated from high scbool, Ms Greene reada at about a grade 3 level. "Te me, I feel I didn't graduate the way I wanted 10," she aaid angrily. "Tbey juat passed me through." According to an ABC Canada survey, Ma Greene la not alone. Their figures state that one in six Canadians bave trouble with literacy, wbile 14 per cent of parents can't read bo their children. Ms Greene may bave made it througb the secondary achool systemn, but she couldn't make sense of wby abe had sucb difficulty with worda and numbers, Ins thse end, il was ber ex-husband who figured it out. "We were at a movie theatre. I went to read out the title and I got it backwards," abe said. When he suggested that abe may bave dyslexia, ber immediate reaction was denlal. "He said I had read il backwards and I told bim I hadn't. So he asked me 10 read it again," ahe said. "I told bimt I didn't want 10. He knew then." Since then, Ms Greene bais been offlcially diagnosed with tbe learning disorder tbat causes people 10 reverse lettera and numbers in their beada. Knowing that ber problero is legitîmate has not made the learning come any easier. Problem legitimate Ms Greene bas been slogging througb literacy courses since 1985. Today, sbe's tutored twice a week by the North Halton Literacy Guild (NHLG). The guild started 12 years ago and now bas almost 100 volunteers, doing everything froro tutoring 10 public relations. It serves Milton, Acton and /Food 1 sto.re held GeorgetLwn. As Ms Greene struggles througb a romance novel in class, ber goals are simple ones. She wants to be ream to ber own cbildren, should she have thero. She'd like to be able t0 drive a car. She can't do that now because she can't read street and traffic signs. For 21-year-old Kim Jerrett, school had always been a drag. Sbe dropped out at age 16, having barely reached grade 9. She'd been in special education as long as ahe could recali. "I just loat interest" she said. "I was kind of in tbe wrong crowd, as well." Reading functional Afler leaving achool, Ms Jerrett got by working as a housekeeper. Her reading is functional - she bas no trouble witb street signa or grocery lista. Stili, abe finds it difficult to string words together on paper. She bas trouble understanding complex sen- tences in newspaper atonies. "I wanted to improve my skills," said Ms Jerrett. "I've improved a lot since I've been bere. 1 can spell better and I'm more comnfortable reading." Ms Jerrett la in a weekly three-bour tutoring class at E.C. Dniry. Ironically, tbat was ber old bigb scbool. Tutoring botb Ms Greene and Ms Jerrett is Gabriela Truax. Before landing a fulI-time job in anotber field, Ms Truax used 10 work for professional tutoring compa- nies, witb math as ber speciahty. Now, sbe keeps ber skitls sbarp by working with a small group of students every week on a voluntary basis for the NHLG. "It's very cballenging and rewarding," said Ms Tnaax. "You get t0 meet a lot of people you wouldn't normally bave a chance 10 meet in the community." Ms Truax teaches tbrougb a mixture of patience, repefition and creativity. sea THERE'S on page 10 Coomnunity Photo by GRAHIAM PAINE Tutor Gabriela Truax of the North Halton Llteracy GuIld helps students dis- cover the joy of readlng durlng a llteracy clama at ths E.C. Drury Adult Education Centre. OFIESILSCMUE P GAM HALTON CATHOUC DimcrAo ScHooi. BoARD IS OFFERING OFFICE SKILLS COMPUTER PROGRAM SPONSORED BY *IHumain Resources I Deveiopment Canada Développement des ressources humaines Canada Location: Aduit Learning Centre 2350 Trafalgar Road Oakville Start/End Dates: April 12 -Jume 4,1999 (eight weeks) lime: 9-00 amn.- 4O pmn. Interviews will be conducted on April 6 & 7 front 9:00 aan, 10 3:30 p. Description: " Daytime classes - 9:00 arn. - 4 p.m.; " Training for junior or irstermediate level of employment in the business envirornent; * Topics include. How 10 use the Windows operatîng system, basic principles of word processing, apreadaheets, databases and slde presentations; . " Software ap plications include: Windows 98, MS Word 97, MS Excel 97, Powerpoint 97 and Access 97. EigibIity: Fr Unemployed and receiving Employment Insurance benefits, or have receîved benefits ins the past three years <five years irn the case of maternity or parental leave). I'Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Prerequisites: >- Grade 10 Literacy/Numneracy. aA completed Return 10 Work Action Plan. a-Keyboarding knowledge essential. a-Proficient in written and oral Englisb, ANDIOR one of the following: >- Familiar with the Windows Environment. >- Previous office/clerical experience. >-Be able 10, demonstrate aptitude and strong interest for an entry level position in a business office environment. uare ACCCss %TfflCentre (CCÂC) CCACf lo Il ALTON fH lo Applications are insited from residents of Halton to lrill ance on the Board of Directors. The CCAC provides access to a range of long-termn rare services including nursing, homemnaking, and long.term care facilities Lt also provides information about other related community ser- vices. Il is dedicated to providing ease of access to hi gh quality consumer focused community, personal support and helth eare services. The Board is responisible for the overail management of a budget in excess of $25 million. Appointinents lu the Board are made for a term of three yeams. Board members are expected lu volunteer about 19 boums per month. It iu a Boardi of guvernance, not of management. The CEO is responsible for implementation within Board prescribed limitations. Applications are invited from persons who are, or have been, users of thse service, family caregivers or those with an interest in ensuring further development of health and social services. Board members should be romfortable wlth and have empathy for dealing wlth indMvduals and community groups. To avoid conflict of intereut, people directly associated wlth agen- ries or organizations that have or hope 10 have service or supply contracta with the CCAC, and peuple who operate long-tenu rare facilities, are not eligible lo be board members of thse CCAC. Th e lfo aptcaons is Apr3,1999. Letters of application, including a resumé and a statement of why you are interested in becoming a Board Member should be sent 10: Mr. Tsrr Ruf Char, Nomnination Ccnitee CommunflyCara Acce Centre of Haiton 440 Eb&-ffi St, 4th Floor Budinglon, Ontario U7R 2M1 l