palm beach county library system between us · ple. so i called one of my sisters and a couple of...
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year of studies to obtain
my masters in library
and information science
through San Jose State
University and should
graduate some time in
2014.
Although I am excited to
see my family and friends
back home, I will genu-
inely miss the joy that
my students have
brought to my life. One
student commented,
“Miss Alicia, I bet you
will never have a job
that makes you laugh as
hard as this one.” She is
probably right! I have
had so much fun teach-
ing that it has hardly felt
like a job. I have enjoyed
getting to know such
amazing people and
learning about their lives
and culture. Thank you
for making this year one
I will never forget!
Nine months ago I
started teaching English
Exchange classes at six
different library
branches in Palm Beach
County and computer
classes at the Library
Annex. I never could
have imagined how many
wonderful and apprecia-
tive people I would meet
along the way. I feel so
lucky to have been able
to get to know so many
amazing students. Their
dedication to their edu-
cation is very admirable.
As my year of Literacy
AmeriCorps service
winds down I am plan-
ning my future. I am ex-
cited to move back to
my home state of Cali-
fornia to start my career
in library or museum
science. In the Fall I will
continue into my second
My Year of Service By Alicia Zuniga
I N S I D E
T H I S
I S S U E :
Essay contest
honoree:
Wilmot
Balfour
2
Essay contest
honorees:
Maria
Andrade and
Mohan
Deonath
3
Learn with
BYKI
Student
writing: Maria
Elena Porto-
carrero and
Grace Friend
4
Student
writing: Nidia
Carter
5
Student
writing: Lihua
Best and
Lourie Tate
6
Student
photos
7
Career Goal
Award
Program
8
P A L M B E A C H C O U N T Y
L I B R A R Y S Y S T E M
Between Us A D U L T L I T E R A C Y P R O J E C T S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
English Exchange at Main Library: Dariusz Tylko, Luis Rodolfo Rod-
riguez, Sandra Torres, Gladys Baumwald, Leonardo M., Alicia
Zuniga, Lucy Houser, Marlen Barrera, Maria Rojas and Carmen
Ariza.
P A G E 2
The Most Beautiful Place I Have Ever Seen
By Wilmot Balfour
I have seen many beau-
tiful places in my jour-
neys. I have seen a ce-
rulean night sky filled
with falling copper and
gold streaks. I have
seen the sun’s first
light glinting off a red-
dish-orange horizon on
a cool early spring
morning as a soft
breeze caressed my
face; however, the
night sky and the sun-
rise pale in comparison
to the brick and mor-
tar of a library. The
library is the most
beautiful place that I
have ever seen. It is
beautiful because of
what is inside—books.
Books of all shapes and
sizes. Big books, small
books, fat books, thin
books. And within the
pages of these books
are pictures, words,
stories, meaning,
knowledge and wis-
dom. The words in
books are so power-
ful—in a sentence—
you can be swept away
to a city or to a farm.
Books offer opportuni-
ties to explore, to
learn and to under-
stand the world
around you. You do
not have to travel the
world to see beauty;
you just have to open
a book. Words are
beautiful. Words
teach. Words touch
the soul. Words are
the cerulean night
skies and the rising
morning suns of my
world.
B E T W E E N U S
Library Literacy Friends board at the Belle Glade
Branch opening: Seymour Goldstein, Maxine Gins-
berg, Wilmot Balfour, Carol Weyhe, Phyllis Lilley and
Donna Towns.
The annual Adult
Literacy Essay Con-
test asked students
to answer the ques-
tion, “What is the
most beautiful place
you have ever
seen?” This year’s
honorees are show-
cased with their sub-
missions in the fol-
lowing pages.
Wilmot Balfour poses for a photo with his
honoree award for the Adult Essay Con-
test.
Lencoes Marahence By Maria Andrade
P A G E 3 S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
In July 2011 we de-
cided to take our vacation
in Brazil. We chose to
visit our family in Maran-
hao which is the capital of
San Luis in north Brazil.
We went to explore
Lencoes Marahence. This
is such a beautiful area of
dunes, rivers and the sea.
We rented a 4wheel
drive truck, so that we
could reach this remote
area. We took a ferry
boat to cross the river
Pregulfa to get to Lencoes.
Lencoes is a paradise
of high dunes, lakes and
the ocean which is almost
impossible to describe
how beautiful it is. The
lakes are cristal blue from
the rain. There are also
many colorful birds and
animals.
If you stay on the ferry
boat, you will arrive
where the river joins the
ocean. We walked up and
down the dunes, and we
went swimming in the
lakes and ocean.
We stayed late so we
could see the most gor-
geous sunset.
We all agreed that this
national park was the best
place ever to visit.
It was a beautiful
day in Trinidad. Where I
lived before I came to
America, I was on vacation
from my job and my family
and I were home and had
no plans, but we had al-
ways loved the beach.
In my country, we
always go to the beach
with company, because it
is always much more fun
when there are more peo-
ple. So I called one of my
sisters and a couple of
friends and we discussed
going to visit Tobago.
We all decided
that we were going so we
made arrangements. We
all went to Tobago. On
arrival, there were lots of
people there already and
waiting on visitors to take
them on tours, so we de-
cided to go out in the
ocean to a place called
Nylon Pool. It is a place in
the middle of the ocean
that is very shallow. I saw
lots of species of fishes
and different shapes of
corals. It was so beautiful.
It was amazing.
We went snorkel-
ing, tried catching the fish
of course, but we could-
n’t. There were so many
colors of fishes. It was like
being inside of an aquar-
ium. I was very happy to
see this place. After that, I
always visited this place
whenever I went to my
sister’s island called To-
bago.
The Most Beautiful Place I Have Ever Seen By Mohan Deonath
P A G E 4
What does English Exchange mean to you?
BYKI
I have been very happy with this adult people program, because it gives us the opportunity
to speak about many topics, which are important to learn vocabulary and English idioms.
This way we can express ourselves better, when we talk with some people in English. This
program is important too, because we improve our pronunciation and the use of verb
tenses and personal pronouns, which we always get confused about.
Thank you very much Alicia!
Maria Elena Portocarrero, English Exchange student at the Greenacres Branch
B E T W E E N U S
English Exchange program means to me an opportunity to practice English and meet people.
I am new in this city, so, I do not have friends around where I live. This program besides
learn and practice English allows me to mingle with other persons of different nationalities,
which is very interesting!
I wish this program could be done more frequently. I enjoy it very much.
Grace Friend, English Exchange student at the Okeechobee Boulevard Branch
Learn English for free with BYKI!
This interactive English for Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL) site allows students to improve grammar,
writing and conversation skills.
Go to www.pbclibrary.org.
Find Services on the menu.
Choose Adult Literacy Project.
Go to Useful Links for Students.
Select BYKI and begin your lessons!
English Exchange Class By Nidia “Nani” Carter
P A G E 5 S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
Libraries offer
many interesting and im-
portant activities. I marvel
when I read the monthly
newsletters and learn
about book discussions
and lessons of different types for adults, children
and teens.
It is a great privi-
lege to be able to sit at a
conference table with an
English teacher and other
foreigners.
Ms. Alicia guides us
in an active exchange of
ideas among all of us to
practice conversation in
every class. We also read articles about different
subjects. It helps us with
the pronunciation of
words and we hear a song
which gives us a good idea
of our understanding.
Thank you to eve-
ryone that organizes our
libraries to offer every pa-
tron so much knowledge
and entertainment.
May God bless hu-
mankind with what we
enjoy in the USA today.
English Exchange at
the Okeechobee
Boulevard Branch:
Grace Friend, Ana
Ramos, Homa Mahin
and Ana Maria Pelaez.
P A G E 6
B E T W E E N U S
The Beautiful Letter By Lihua Best Yesterday I went to the library.
Books were quietly standing on the shelf,
Sending out light grief. The classroom door did not open.
There, the young boy like a beautiful butterfly, flew a short time.
Then I will not see him forever.
Today I go to the library.
Books are quietly standing on the shelf,
Sending out refreshing smell. A young girl like a fresh flower, is sitting
in the classroom.
We are so happy to talk, as if we are old friends.
Tomorrow I am going to the library. Books will be still standing on the
shelf,
Sending out a fragrant smell. I can sing and dance in the English world.
That black A will be warmly, warmly engraved on my mind.
I had the wonderful op-
portunity to visit and have a
very lovely lunch with new
friends. While we were stroll-
ing the lusciously filled land-
scaping surrounding the one-
mile boardwalk, I noticed a
small 3-foot-long alligator lying
on the side of the bank sunning
himself. His dark gray, dry
leather-like hide, and armor of
sorts, was perfect for protect-
ing him from the outdoor ele-
ments.
I thought to myself, he
has the Life of Riley. He didn’t
seem to have a care; after all,
he is the king of the pond.
Or maybe not! Poor
thing doesn’t have anything to
do all day but sleep. He has no
television, no movie night, no
dancing till dawn, or dining out.
It just goes to show you, you
can’t tell from looks alone how
great a life is, it may be a differ-
ent outlook entirely.
I guess it goes with,
“Careful what you ask for, you
just might get it!”
What do you think?
A Life of Riley? By Lourie Tate
P A G E 7 S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
English Exchange at the West Boca Branch: Georgina
Demejias, Lourdes Serrano, Daniela Vargas, Deborah Schulze,
Josee Morin, Violeta Ottinger, Alicia Zuniga, Clara I-Gonzalez
and Gladys Munoz.
Computer Basics I course at the Library Annex: Sulamise
Marius, Hubert Duliepre and Fernande Barthelemy.
Computer Basics I course at the Library Annex: Doris Ducasse,
Alicia Zuniga, Arma Adderley and Marie Lahens.
English Exchange at the Greenacres Branch: Otto Sanchez,
Luz Medina and Maria L. Valencia.
English Exchange at the Jupiter Branch: Jose De Freitas,
Stella Tuer, Gladys Salinas, Maria Balasanyan, Alicia Zuniga,
Adriana Torrents, Vanessa Cueva, Yadyra Magallon,
Johanna Rodriguez Peel and Katia Soares.
P A G E 8
B E T W E E N U S
Library Literacy Friends wish you a
safe and fun summer!
Learner Leader Advisor: Carol Weyhe
Editor: Alicia Zuniga
Career Goal Award Program
By earning a new license, certification or citizenship
you could receive up to $100!
It’s easy to do.
Take a moment to call the Volunteer Desk and learn more.
(561) 649-5495
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