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1999-2000 Achievements\par \tab This year has seen many of our goals for the Center come to fruition. We count\par \tab among our major achievements: |
Inside this Issue:\par \tab
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| The crowning achievement was the purchase of the property at 50 West Broadway,\par \tab engineered through diligent Board participation! | |||
Vision Statement\par \tab The Notre Dame Education Center is a "Place of Hope". People from diverse neighborhoods\par \tab and cultures of the city come here to initiate or to continue their education.\par \tab As part of their learning they will participate in the development of the Center\par \tab as a place where family values are strengthened, community building fostered and\par \tab diversity respected and celebrated. In setting the direction for the Center, the\par \tab participants will use a form of critical social analysis as their tool for\par \tab understanding the complexities of the world and responding to them. Therefore, the\par \tab programs offered and the style of learning will provide for reflection and collective \par \tab experience of the students and teachers. |
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A Letter from the Director |
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 \par \tab Sr. Maria Delaney |
In 2000, the Notre Dame Education Center completed eight years of providing\par \tab opportunities for hundreds of adults to complete their secondary education\par \tab or to learn English.
\par \tab Our Center exists to help adults move forward with their\par \tab lives and we appeal to other adults who have had success in life to assist us in\par \tab our outreach. Educational achievement is a major factor in a person's ability\par \tab to gain economic independence and to become a productive citizen. |
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| Finishing high school and becoming\par \tab proficient in English are goals for our students who are our best public relations\par \tab people. NDEC is engaged in workforce development with literacy and education\par \tab providing the bottom rungs on the career ladder. We invite you to partner with us\par \tab as we use our educational expertise to further our mission.Thank you to each of our\par \tab friends and benefactors. Your time, talents and treasure energize us! | |||
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Ready for the New MillenniumBy Patricia Hembrough |
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Through a grant recieved from the Massachusetts\par \tab Department of Education, NDEC is now able to offer computer instruction to all students.\par \tab |
The Center has been equipped with two 15-station computer labs staffed by experienced\par \tab computer instructors. Students from both the ESOL and Literacy Departments now have the opportunity \par \tab to develop technical skills needed for American life in the new millennium.
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The curriculum includes instruction in \par \tab
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Heritage Day 2000 |
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Heritage Day\par \tab By Nijole Novosinskiene\par \tab Heritage Day is a special day for people from different countries \par \tab This day their faces brighten up \par \tab I appreciate these people who organize this day and inspire power to always celebrate. \par \tab Thank you so much NDEC sisters. \par \tab |
Reflections\par \tab By Jadwiga Dyko\par \tab Every year the Notre Dame Education Center celebrates Heritage Day. This is a\par \tab day for people to share their different cultures with one another. This is a special day for me.\par \tab This is the first time I took part in this celebration with people from other countires.\par \tab I took my son, too. He had fun. The sisters and my friends greeted me and my son very\par \tab enthusiastically. |
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| We began the celebration with our friends form Puerto Rico, Poland,\par \tab Asia, Albania, Lithuania, Haiti and Vietnam. People presented beautiful folk dress.\par \tab A Mexican man played on a guitar and sang beautiful songs. A lot of people were dancing |  |
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Next, we performed the National Anthemns from our native countries and sang songs from every country. When we\par \tab finished performing, citizens of the United States, joined by all the students, sang\par \tab the National Anthemn of the United States. This part was the best for me because\par \tab everyone sang in one language.At the end of the day, we were sampling every country's food and desserts. I had\par \tab a nice time because we learned a lot of new words and communicated in the English language.\par \tab
No matter what country we came from, we shared cultures from around the earth.\par \tab I loved this day so much and never ever will I forget it because I had a wonderful time.\par \tab I can't wait for the next Heritage Day. I would like to see more people from different countries. |
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Spotlight on Staff |
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Case Manager\par \tab
As a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, Jane McAndrews is \par \tab committed to serving the poor in the most abandoned places. Her 3 years in Sudan and \par \tab 9 years in Kenya as a representative of People of Peace, an organization helping refugees,\par \tab has developed in Sr. Jane important skills and qualities that enable her to help the\par \tab immigrant students at NDEC. |
"The people that come to me, think I'm going to solve all their problems", relates Sr.\par \tab Jane. "I can't of course, and that is frustrating.\par \tab The hardest thing for me this year has been finding out what resources are\par \tab available and then trying to get somebody to actually help. All the different levels\par \tab you have to go through to get the littlest thing done is very frustrating. There's\par \tab so much red tape. We're dealing with human beings here, not paperwork. |
The greatest gift I receive as case manager is being able to just listen to\par \tab people's stories, no matter how horrific. There's a tremendous trust in that.\par \tab Having a case manger at NDEC is a great asset. But the greatest asset is the \par \tab people themselves. It is so rewarding to witness people who have been in this \par \tab country for awhile reaching out and helping others who are now in need.
\par \tab Let the gift I have received, become the gift I give." |
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Job Counselor\par \tab
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Sister Margaret McLaughlin is a member of the\par \tab Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FMIC). She started\par \tab her work at NDEC in OCtober, 1995 as an Americorps Volunteer\par \tab teaching ESL classes. Seeing the struggle her students were experiencing in finding employment, in her free\par \tab time, Sr. Margaret began looking for jobs for her students. The need was so great, Sr. Margaret's efforts \par \tab evolved into a full time position as Job Counselor at NDEC. | ||
Today, she is responsible for:\par \tab
As a FMIC, I have a strong commitment to the poor and disadvantaged.\par \tab I feel kin to the people I serve at NDEC since I myself am an immigrant from Ireland. Your deep\par \tab love will always be for your native land. I feel priviledged to be a part of their\par \tab journey of freedom in the face of extreme hardship. We especially give women the leg-up\par \tab they need but would never get in their own country. They all have great courage." |
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End of the Year CelebrationBy Patricia Hembrough |
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\par \tab On Sunday, June 18, 2000, Notre Dame Education Center proudly celebrated\par \tab the academic achievements of over 300 students for the 1999-2000 school year.\par \tab The students represented 30 different countries from around the world and\par \tab spoke 16 different languages. NDEC is proud of this diversity. |
Student speakers, Maria Barbosa (ESOL), Daniel Qafa\par \tab (GED) and Marie Saintfort (Pre-Diploma) shared insprational and moving stories\par \tab of their personal and educational achievements since coming to NDEC. All three speakers\par \tab expressed their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the faculty and staff \par \tab of NDEC.
\par \tab Certificates of achievement were awarded to students completing programs of\par \tab study in ESOL, ABE, GED and EDP. Special recognition was given to students having\par \tab perfect and excellent attendance. |
"These students have worked extremely hard since \par \tab September\tab to accomplish their goals. I admire their commitment and determination.\par \tab I don't know if I could juggle a job, family, children and still attend\par \tab school four days or nights a week. They are special people and we at NDEC consider \par \tab it a priviledge to facilitate their learning."
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What's Happening * Student Lounge * \par \tab Our Mission |
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