Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category

Written By Boaz Kaffman

3PM dismissal at Fair Haven School gets busy. On Grand avenue, cars jumble and honk. A slew of patient parents stand on the stone front steps of the school’s stately façade. The day outside–bright, windy–must call like nothing else. Out and about, the unmistakable yellow line of school buses carve out into the branching streets of Fair Haven Streets, carrying clamoring children back to the home they left this morning and, most likely, would have rather never left.

Yet, even inside of Fair Haven School, there is still a considerable amount of programming yet to happen. Activity swirls and excitement is palpable. Kids babble to one another, swinging lunch boxes and gathering coats. Some attempt furtive runs across the halls, anxious not to be caught by the nearest administrator. Stories are digressed upon. Lines of kids stream from class to cafeteria to gym in bubbling lines–children enthusiastically inquire to one another, “Do you have after school today?” 

It’s easy to see the allure of these programs. Soon after the school day ends, clubs convene for chess, drawing, activities in the gym, and more–the kids chat and play with animation, seeking out interpersonal time that the class structure might stifle.

New Haven Reads has joined Fair Haven as, what might be considered, an honorary after-school club. On the fifth of March with three students, our pilot program began, running a tutoring hour from 3:15 to 4:15 twice a week. It is the fifth location for New Haven Reads and was supported by the Grand Avenue Learning Corridor Partnership’s initiative to equip schools like Fair Haven School with more resources and expanded learning opportunities in order to nurture the capacity of schools as community hubs. 

This community and space of nurturing is the exact environment we seek at New Haven Reads. Our program, through an hour-long, one-on-one tutoring system working through a curriculum of structured literacy–from decoding words to reading comprehension and vocabulary, promotes intellectual curiosity and character growth! At Fair Haven, we hope to continue to expand its capabilities and welcome even more students next year as well as add two more days of tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I accompany our (now) four students from the office to the library downstairs where their tutors are waiting for them. We sit around a large,  jigsaw-puzzle-shaped table. Settling down, soon, a focus takes root in the room–this focus insulates from the flurry of dismissal outside and yet retains enthusiasm. Even though, for all intents and purposes, New Haven Reads is an educational program, a similar interpersonal zeal has already been registered in our initial students as they have settled down to enjoy one-on-one attention. Whether it’s getting set in their workbook, placed in Lexia, or learning the rules of UNO alongside their tutors who are re-learning the elusive rules themselves, there is an energy in the atmosphere. It is something that takes root, something that sets in, something ineffable and yet undeniably present, which might only be described as that aura which occurs only around those distinct, rare zones of time which makes them feel larger than life, if not, simply put, just special. This description might seem like an overwrought, vaguely mystical hyperbole, but I do believe it captures the essence of an hour that, in standing, represents much more than the sum of its parts.

I hope this might galvanize you to come and join us there–the program is just beginning and we’re looking forward to bringing in more kids, tutors, and seeing in which direction the journey takes us.

We had a wonderful visit with Senator Richard Blumenthal and Mayor Justin Elicker to discuss our congressional earmark. This award is for one year and will be used to build our internal organizational capacity to incorporate more Structured Literacy throughout the organization. Structured Literacy practices follow the Science of Reading creating an even more structured, explicit, and differentiated model focusing on the foundational aspects of learning to read. This investment in training and added implementation will enable New Haven Reads to expand our programs to meet the current and future literacy needs of our student population.

Thank you for celebrating Reads Across America Day and supporting New Haven Reads! We can’t wait to share all the ne books with our students! 

A landmark $2.5M federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education has been awarded to Clifford Beers Community Care Center in partnership with New Haven Public Schools and fourteen community organizations (including New Haven Reads) to form the Grand Avenue Learning Corridor Partnership.

The announcement took place on January 29. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker joined Superintendent of New Haven Public Schools, Dr. Madeline Negrón, several New Haven Alders, and representatives of Clifford Beers, NHR and other partners joined together for a press conference to talk about this terrific opportunity.

The grant will implement the Full-Service Community Schools Model and focuses on two schools: Fair Haven School and Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration (FAME Academy). The goal is to build strong academic foundations; cultivate students’ health, and mental health, improve stability and a healthy learning environment; facilitate accessible and culturally affirming programs, services and resources; and support ongoing school improvement. These wrap-around services and activities will include literacy interventions from New Haven Reads at Fair Haven School.

New Haven Reads Executive Director, Kirsten Levinsohn, said “New Haven Reads is thrilled to be part of this important effort in support of the Fair Haven School community. The power of a group of talented and passionate community members and organizations in conjunction with dedicated school personnel is formidable and boundless. We look forward to contributing to the long-term student success that this community work will bring.”

New Haven Reads is delighted to be one of the 14 community organizations and agencies in the Grand Avenue Learning Corridor Partnership. The others are: ARTE, Junta for Progressive Action, Catholic Charities of Centro San Jose, the New Haven Free Public Library, Fair Haven Community Health Care, the New Haven Federation of Teachers, United Way of Greater New Haven, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, the City of New Haven Youth and Recreation Department and Elderly Services Department, Dwight Hall at Yale, the City Wide Youth Coalition, and the Connecticut Violence Intervention Program.

Further reading: Clifford Beers Community Care Center Announcement, The New Haven Register, watch the video from WTNH, and read more in the New Haven Independent.

Join us to share the joy and power of reading with local students!

New Haven Reads provides free one-on-one tutoring for children who are aspiring readers. We also offer a free
Kindergarten and Pre-K program, and enrichment summer clubs. We serve students from across the Greater New
Haven area each week at four program sites. In addition, we also provide free, gently-used books to the public,
teachers, and community organizations through our community Book Bank.

Duties and Responsibilities for Summer Intern:

• One-on-one tutoring of students grades 1st through 12th (primarily in reading) Planning and running summer enrichment clubs (e.g., Chess Club, Art Club, Book Club)
• Supporting Site Staff in monitoring programs and tutoring pairs
• General office and administrative work – e.g. data input, research, filing
• Sorting and packing books for our Book Bank

Minimum Requirements:

• Flexibility and patience
• Experience tutoring or working with elementary and/or middle school students
• Must be a rising college freshman with a high school G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher or a current
  college student with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher

Desired:

• Math or STEAM tutoring experience
• Resident of New Haven
• Fluent in Spanish

Training:
Interns will attend Orientation sessions as well as training in our NHR Program Model. Additional training will be
provided based upon placement at site (e.g., Book Bank).

Timing:
The internship will run for seven consecutive weeks starting on Monday, June 24th and ending on Friday, August9th. (New Haven Reads will be closed on Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th.) The first week will be committed to orientation and training for a total of 20 hours. The remaining six weeks of the position will be 27 hours per week. During this time, we operate Monday through Wednesday from 2pm to 7:30pm and Thursday and Friday from 2pm to 6:30pm. Candidates must be available the entire 7 weeks if offered the position. Specific schedules and placements will be determined with individual applicants.

Pay Rate: $16.00/hour

To apply:
A completed NHR application should be emailed, along with a cover letter, resume, and most recent transcripts to hr@newhavenreads.org. Include “Summer 2024 Internship Application” in the subject line of your email. Six internships will be available. Only complete applications will be considered and qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Final Application Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024 by 5:00 pm

New Haven Reads is an equal opportunity employer.

Margie B. Gillis, Ed.D is a nationally recognized literacy expert and a Certified Academic Language Therapist who has been teaching children of all ages to read for over 40 years. She received her Doctorate of Education from the University of Louisville in Special Education. In 2009, Margie founded Literacy How, Inc. to provide professional development opportunities and coaching for teachers on how best to implement evidence-based reading practices in the classroom.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of New Haven Reads, and we are currently accepting new applications.

New Haven Reads is in need of volunteers to tutor our growing number of students. If you have been thinking about making a difference in our community, now is a great time! Tutor our students and make an impact on our amazing city. 

Tutors provide one-on-one reading instruction for students ages 6-18. You don’t need any prior experience teaching or working with children, just a love of reading and a desire to help a child succeed.

• Time Commitment: One hour per week, Monday-Friday 3-6pm or Saturday 10-2pm.
• Training: A one hour training session and a site orientation is required before your first session. You may also shadow a session, and in-depth trainings occur 3-4 times each year.
• How to Apply: Submit our Volunteer Application and select “Tutoring” as your preferred volunteer area.

If you would like more information, please email Fernanda@test.newhavenreads.org.

Mike has been volunteering at Bristol Street’s Book Bank for over 10 years! No matter how
much time passes, Mike always carries the same passion for putting books into people’s hands
for free. He recalled a serendipitous moment during his time volunteering: one time, there was a
large donation of Spanish books—and on the next day, there was a book order for Spanish
books. He has been an avid fan of the fantasy genre since his childhood when his father would
buy books from estate sales, owning enough to have two layer deep bookshelves. One of his
favorite books as a child was Half Magic by Edward Eager, and some of his past favorites
include The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill and Black and Blue Magic by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.
Mike is also an avid fan of Isaac Asimov’s works. He also has the incredible talent of being able
to read Latin and ancient Greek!

If you would  like to learn more about volunteering at New Haven Reads, click here!

ATTENTION TEACHERS

2023-24 field trips are here! New Haven Reads offers field trips for Pre-K through 5th grade classes in the Greater New Haven area. Students will have an opportunity to choose 5 free books to take home and hear a story…or a few! We look forward to seeing you this school year!
To sign up go to: https://calendly.com/vsmith-5cg/field-trip find the date you would like, and sign up through the link.
If you have any questions, you can check out our FAQ: https://newhavenreads.org/programs/field-trips
or email books@test.newhavenreads.org

We can’t wait to see your class this school year!