Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS
April 1, 2005

1. March Attendance/Intakes/Casas - I would like this info on Friday, April 1st, (no fooling!) But I definitely need it by Monday, April 4th as I need to have a report to WorkForce by the 5th. Barb

---------------------------------------------------
2. End of Year - As we approach the end of our student contact hours year (April 30th), please be sure to keep in mind that you should do as much post testing as possible. For accountability purposes, we must indicate whether or not a student has achieved a level change during the year. Thanks. Barb
---------------------------------------------------
3. GED Graduation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17th at MN West in Granite Falls. Anyone who has earned his/her GED since May 2004 through April 2005 is eligible to participate. I will be sending out information to Marshall GED Test Center graduates. If you have students that have earned their GED at a different test site, and you would like them to receive the information, please let me know their names and addresses. Barb

---------------------------------------------------

4. A new set of Reading Skills for Today's Adults has been posted on the Reading Skills page. This includes 10 new stories, and answer key, and a list of stories and levels. Click on the link below.

http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/reading_skills.htm

---------------------------------------------------
5. From Vicki - I am seeing a shift in our population. We have gone from Somali to the Ethiopia/Kenya culture. There are differences in teaching to the needs of these students and their backgrounds. I am just beginning to scratch the surface. When I have had them longer I will try and give you some ideas. That does not mean that there are not Somali students in the area. Just that we need to be aware of the provenience of this different culture. Has anyone else noticed the shift? How are you handling it?
---------------------------------------------------

6. Be In Charge of Your Money is the name of training sessions for learners to be held Saturdays, April 9 and 16. Click on the link below to download an Acrobat Reader file to read more about the sessions. It is an Acrobat Reader file (pdf).

http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/pdf/Financial_Literacy.pdf

---------------------------------------------------

7. Marshall ABE is replacing the computers in the computer lab. The old computers are being offered for sale to staff members (first). The price is $250. The specifications of these computers is as follows: Pentium 3 running at 1Ghz, 128 MB Ram, 20 GB hard drives, CD ROM, 3 1/2 floppy drive, and includes 16"CRT monitor, keyboard, and mouse. If you are interested, please contact Barb.
---------------------------------------------------
8. Information and registration forms on Spring Regional In-services co-sponsored by the Literacy Training Network and the Minnesota Department of Education is available at the link below. The date for the Southwest Regional is Saturday, April 16 and it will be held at Jackpot Junction.
http://ltn.themlc.org/index.asp?SEC={5B2D5268-667E-4198-953C-13BB2FB4ADF0}&Type=B_EV

---------------------------------------------------

9. Cancel the Wednesday, April 6th, Marshall staff meeting: I just spoke with the Turkey Valley Human Resource folks...............due to the fact that they are still hiring more employees and these employees are still looking for apartments or homes to live in.........we will hold the staff meeting to discuss a revising of our Marshall schedule later this spring. Some interesting information for you: they had anticipated initially hiring 240 employees............they are close to 300 now.

Besides requesting that you consider how to revise our schedule prior to this meeting I would ask that you also consider the following: Use of Work Study Folks next year; Redoing our program into 3 or 4 month blocks where prior to beginning the quarter each instructor identifies what the student will master in this time period and upon completion a student receives a certificate of attendance with these skills listed on the back side of the certificate.

Thanks! Pat
---------------------------------------------------

10. The owner of the Nice and New Store, Kathy DeBoer, called to tell me she wants to get rid of all her fall and winter clothing to make way for spring and summer clothes. Rather than us take them for our students I suggested that she give them to the Food Shelf. Please let your students know that this clothing will shortly be available there....especially for folks seeking larger sizes. Thanks Pat

---------------------------------------------------
11. The MLC is once again asking for proposals for a Curriculum Development Mini Grant. You may read the guidelines for this grant by clicking on the link below.
http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/mlc_minigrant.htm
---------------------------------------------------

12. The MLC is offering an on-line training session, Using Digital Images with ESL Learners, on April Wednesday, April 6. Deadline to register is Monday, April 4. Read more at the link below.

http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/mlc_training.htm

---------------------------------------------------

13. Save These Dates - There is an ESL workshop May 17 and 18 at Hamline University - topics to be announced soon.

---------------------------------------------------

14. The Ronald M. Hubbs Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to adult learners who are preparing to enroll in a degree granting post-secondary education program. You can download a Scholarship Application Packet with information from here (in Acrobat Reader format - pdf).
http://saintpaulfoundation.org/downloads/

Click on the Minnesota Adult Literacy and Hubbs Scholarship Application (PDF) link (about halfway down the page).

---------------------------------------------------

15. There is a new Marty Seifert Update. Click on the link below to read the March 24th update.

http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/seifert_update_3-24.htm

---------------------------------------------------
16. The non-confidential job postings that Job Service shares with us are posted on the ABE Website each week. Check them out here.
http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/job_listings.htm
---------------------------------------------------
17. From the Trivia Department: Kindergarten Cooking, Cheese Pizza Recipe by Daniel

2 cups of shredded cheese

2 cups of tomato sauce

Look in a cookbook to make the dough. Put the tomato sauce and the shredded cheese on dough. Put it in the oven for 4 minutes on 5 degrees. Makes 4 slices because I have 4 people in my family.

(From the website, http://www.crazy4teachers.com/ - Check it out – some funny stuff there)

---------------------------------------------------
18. Thought for the week: Learning is not compulsory. . . neither is survival. -W. Edwards Deming

---------------------------------------------------
19. TECH TIP: Fixing your Normal.dot

What in the world is Normal.dot (prounounced Normal dot dot)?

Every time you open Microsoft Word, you go to a blank page. That blank page is called Normal.dot. If you ever open Microsoft Word, and you don’t get a blank page, then your Normal.dot file has somehow been changed. Somehow, it got saved with information in it – hmmmm.

OK – so, how do you get rid of that page and get back to a blank page. You simply have to delete your Normal.dot file. The next time you start Microsoft Word, you will have a blank page.

So how do you delete the Normal.dot file. Here are some simple steps to deleting it.

1. Double click on My Computer.

2. Click on the Tools menu in the top menu bar.

3. Click on Folder Options...

4. Click on the View Tab

5. Click on the little button next to "Show hidden files and folders" (in the Advanced Settings box)

6. Click OK.

7. Double click on Local Disk (C:)

8. Double click on the Documents and Settings folder

9. Double click on the folder with your user name

10. Double click on Application Data. (That folder will be dimmed)

11. Double click on the Microsoft folder.

12. Double click on the Templates folder.

13. Right click on the Normal.dot file and delete it

14. Now you need to hide your hidden folders again

15. Click on the Tools menu in the top menu bar.

16. Click on Folder Options...

17. Click on the View tab.

18. Click on the little button next to "Do not show hidden files and folders" (in the Advanced Settings box)

19. Click on OK.

20. Close all the open windows and you are done!

That's it when you start Word again, you will have a new blank document - a new Normal.dot.

Next week, we will learn how to customize your Normal.dot file. For instance, when you open Word, you automatically get such things as a 1.25 left and right margin, a 1.0 top and bottom margin, and your font is set to Times New Roman-12 point. There are many more settings that are automatically used by default in your Normal.dot file

So, wouldn’t it be nice is when you open Microsoft Word, you had one-inch margins (I like one-inch margins)? And your default font is Arial (I don't like Times New Roman)? See Customizing your Normal.Dot - next week.