Welcome from the President
Warm greetings to all students,
both new and returning. While we head
into a new school year with a mostly new set of volunteer officers, and are
switching over to a new central database system for record-keeping, things seem
off to a terrific start. Enrollment of
active members is up this year by 25% to 144 and several classes are full, with
Beginning Spanish and Beginning Italian leading the way. We have added a Spanish class since last
week, so now there are five to choose from in each department.
There are some welcome changes for
us to enjoy: the Fireside Room benefited from our $2000 gift last year – new
lighting, updated kitchen, paint, ceiling, and the electric fireplace
works! In addition, the church has
updated their heating system, so we will all be comfortable this winter. Other site changes include an enlarged deck
and patio area on the west side with an arbor/sitting area, which we will get
the opportunity to enjoy next spring.
La Causerie is updating as well –
we have added two new classes, and a have a few fresh outlooks on traditional
fare. Our new “multi-national” logo
graces business cards, note cards, posters, flyers, etc. (and by the way, we
are looking for a Publicity Committee Chairman to make use of these excellent
materials). It has also provided a new look for our website. But many, many thanks to Keith Purcell for
numerous hours spent laying the solid groundwork of its functionality. Our coffee service in the Fireside Room
includes freshly brewed Starbucks coffee and more, plus snacks to tide you over
between classes.
Our Fall Business Meeting is
scheduled for November 11and we will treat you to delicious fare from Tom
Anderson’s Gourmet Grocer Catering.
Please plan to attend and hear recommendations being proposed for your
club.
Please make an effort to introduce
yourself to me and to your fellow students.
We are making nametags available in the Fireside Room each week and we
ask that you fill one out for yourself and use them to get to know each other.
Also make a habit of checking the bulletin board in the Fireside Room each week
for news. Fostering good communications
is a way La Causerie may better serve you, and information needs to flow in
both directions. Class rosters will be
distributed in a week or so and the 2005-2006 “Livret” (membership directory)
will be published soon as well. You
will get an opportunity to “proof” your entry for accuracy.
We hope you will all retain your
enthusiasm for the study of language, and let us know how we may help you
attain your goals. Your opinions are of paramount importance to us, so look for
a member survey to be handed out during class this Friday, October 14. If you
miss this class meeting, please ask for a survey next week. Also, please report any problems to your La Causerie
officers (look for their official name tags), and not to the church staff.
I know that many of you are
gardeners, and I am inspired to conjure a metaphor here – whichever department
or particular class you are in, La Causerie tries to provide you with the best
nutrients and light conditions in order for you to GROW in your foreign
language skills. We are dedicated to your education in the French, Spanish and
Italian languages, and however best we may accomplish this, let us “make it
so”.
Sincerely,
Inez Pennington
President
Back-to-school notes for La Causerie members
If you
missed the first day of class, please be aware that there are some classroom
changes from last year. Be sure to
check the bulletin board in the Fireside Room for these assignments. And speaking of the Fireside Room, remember
to stop by before and after your classes to take advantage of the new coffee
service – freshly brewed Starbucks regular & decaf coffee as well as tea,
herbal tea, hot chocolate, etc. Plus there are spectacular snacks being
provided by the Italian department this week! To volunteer to bring snacks from
any department, please contact Anastasia Thompson (see Livret for info).
Please note
that BOTH of the south doors to the church will be unlocked this Friday. We are also working on clearing more spaces
in the parking lot (and have been promised that the construction trucks will
move).
Unfortunately,
new BBC Workbooks for our Beginning French classes are no longer available in
the USA. Used (lovingly pre-owned) copies may be found on the Internet (use:
ISBN 0844216577 in your search.)
However, rest assured that Professeur Indyk will provide copies of any
pages she assigns for every student.
We had an
overwhelming response to Advanced Spanish Conversation with Profesora Martha
Penaherrera and agree that 22 students are too many for an Advanced
Conversation class! She can add another section at 10:00, but it looks like
most of you are also enrolled in other classes that meet at 10:00. We take
pride in our small class sizes, and want to provide a quality experience for
all students. Please remember what “Advanced” means… Are you interested in
moving forward with an Advanced Grammar class? Any suggestions? Please call
Inez or email her (see Livret for contact info).
In
addition, we ask all students to please return rooms to their original state of
order and turn out lights when leaving.
Upcoming
Programs
Please contact any of the program chairs to make suggestions for noon
programs:
Foreign Language Films Sponsored by
La Causerie
Be sure to
put your new La Causerie membership card in your wallet so you can get your
discount at the FilmFest KC that starts this Friday, October 14th
(all events held at the Screenland Theater). La Causerie is sponsoring the
screening of “After Midnight/Dopo
Mezzanotte” (Italian with English subtitles) at 9:00 Friday Oct. 14th.
Check the FilmFest website for the complete schedule at www.filmkc.org or check in the Fireside room
for printed material. Don’t forget the FilmFest KICK-OFF PARTY on Thursday,
October 13, 7:00 p.m. is free to our members and their guests.
Introducing Department Chairs
Because
there are “departmental issues” that occasionally need attention (class
schedules, class offerings, textbook problems, etc.) the Executive Board has
created and filled three new volunteer positions:
Class Schedule
Classes began October 7th. Note: A new Italian class and a new Spanish
class are on the schedule this year.
Check the website for course descriptions. All classes begin promptly on the hour and end 50 minutes later.
|
Hour |
FRENCH |
SPANISH |
ITALIAN |
||
|
|
Prof. Indyk* |
Prof. Genuyt* |
Prof. Shaffer* |
Prof. Penaherrera* |
Prof. Mehta-Young* |
|
8:00 a.m. |
|
|
Beginning
Italian I* |
||
|
9:00 a.m. |
Beginning
French I* Room 111 |
Spanish
Reading and Conversation* Room 107 |
Beginning
Italian II* |
||
|
10:00 a.m. |
Beginning
French II* Room 111 |
Intermediate
French* Room FR-A |
Intermediate
Spanish* Room 107 |
TBA
Spanish* Room 102 |
Intermediate
Italian* |
|
11:00 a.m. |
French
Café Conversation* Room 102 |
French
Guided Conversation* Room 111 |
Beginning
Spanish I* Room 107 |
Advanced
Spanish Conversation
* Room FR-A |
Advanced
Italian Grammar* |
|
12:00 noon |
Invited Speaker Program – Open to All Members |
Advanced
Italian Conversation* |
|||
Handicapped
Parking
Since all the back entrances to the church have stairs, we wanted members to know that there is handicapped parking available in the circle drive at the front of the church. Enter the front door and take the elevator to the basement for classes. If you need help figuring out the elevator, ask someone in the church office for help.
Website
Have a
question? Check out our website at http://www.lacauserie.org. Course descriptions provided by the instructors are a
new feature, and we hope they make it easier for prospective students to see
where they might fit in and encourage prospective students to enroll.
This is also where you can check for changes in any of your courses.
Calendar
A full calendar for the year is included below, or you may
pick up a copy from the Fireside Room.
While some dates are still tentative, this full year schedule should
help you to plan ahead.
Executive Board Members 2005-2006:
President: Inez Pennington
First VP: seeking
a candidate
Second VP: Anastasia Thompson (also Chair
of Social & Hospitality)
Secretary: Cerise Harris
Asst.
Secy: Dalene Bradford
Treasurer: Thad Carver
Asst. Treas: Mary Lew McCarty (also Chair of Book Sales)
La Causerie Française Events 2005 -2006
Note: events listed in gray are tentative – check website,
bulletin board, or upcoming newsletters for updates.
www.lacauserie.org
Class Meeting
|
Date |
Program Meets in
Fireside Room at noon unless noted otherwise |
|
|
September 30, 2005 |
Enrollment Party 2-4 p.m. |
|
# 01 |
October
7, 2005 |
Spanish Program
(1)
|
|
# 02 |
October
14, 2005 |
French Program
(1)
|
|
# 03 |
October
21, 2005 |
Italian Program (1) 11:30 upstairs Library |
|
# 04 |
October
28, 2005 |
Spanish Program
(2)
|
|
# 05 |
November
4, 2005 |
French Program
(2)
|
|
# 06 |
November
11, 2005 |
Fall
Business Meeting - 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Catered by
Gourmet Grocer
|
|
# 07 |
November 18, 2005 |
Italian Program (2)
|
|
No class |
November 25, 2005 |
No Classes – Thanksgiving holiday
|
|
# 08 |
December
2, 2005 |
English Program
(Italian Culture)
|
|
# 09 |
December
9, 2005 |
|
|
# 10 |
December 16, 2005 |
Holiday Fête after
classes - 12:00 noon |
|
No class |
December 23, 2005 |
No classes – Holiday |
|
No class |
December 30, 2005 |
No classes – Holiday |
|
# 11 |
January
6, 2005 |
Classes resume
|
|
# 12 |
January
13, 2005 |
Spanish Program
(3)
|
|
# 13 |
January
20, 2005 |
French Program
(3)
|
|
# 14 |
January
27, 2005 |
Italian
Program (3) |
|
# 15 |
February
3, 2005 |
Spanish Program
(4)
|
|
# 16 |
February
10, 2005 |
French Program (4)
|
|
# 17 |
February
17, 2005 |
Italian
Program (4) |
|
# 18 |
February
24, 2005 |
English
Program (French Culture) |
|
# 19 |
March
3, 2005 |
Spanish
Program (5) |
|
# 20 |
March
10, 2005 |
French Program (5)
|
|
# 21 |
March
17, 2005 |
Italian Program 5)
|
|
No class |
March 24, 2005 |
No classes – Good Friday
|
|
# 22 |
March
31, 2005 |
English Program
(Spanish Culture)
|
|
# 23 |
April
7, 2005 |
Spanish
Program (6) |
|
# 24 |
April
14, 2005 |
French Program (6)
|
|
# 25 |
April
21, 2005 |
Italian
Program (6) |
|
# 26 |
April 28, 2005 |
Annual Business Meeting – 11:00 a.m. Catered by Gourmet Grocer *** Spring Fête 12:00 noon *** |
|
# 27 |
May
5, 2005 |
|
|
# 28 |
May
12, 2005 |
Last
day of classes |