June 2008 Newsletter

 

Summer Luncheon at Carmen’s Café

 

We hope EVERYONE will attend our Spanish-themed summer luncheon this year at Carmen’s Café, 6307 Brookside Plaza in Brookside, on Friday, July 18^th at 11:30 am. We’ve reserved the restaurant’s private room upstairs where everyone can enjoy good food, drinks, and camaraderie. Sangria, iced tea, tapas, paella (with or without shellfish), flan, and coffee will be served. The price is $27.00 per person, which includes tax and tip. If you plan to attend, make check payable to CAROL COWDEN and send it to her home address which is listed in Le Livret.

 

Checks must be received (not postmarked) by July 1^st (refunds can be made up until July 10^th).

 

Fall Registration

 

We’re working hard to finalize the 2008-2009 class schedule and hope we’ll be able to post it on our website by July 1^st. Our aim is to give students the month of July to decide about their classes before registration, which is targeted to begin August 1^st. Watch your email for updates and make sure to check our website between now and then to find out the latest information.

 

Looking for Italian Teachers

 

We are looking for at least one Italian teacher and need your help.  We pay instructors $35 an hour.  Send any information to Dalene Bradford. Here’s how you can help us out: 

 

• Tell everyone you can that we’re looking for an Italian teacher. You just never know who might have a connection.
• If you have connections who might know of resources, send those ideas our way.  Perhaps you know an Italian speaker who does not want to teach, but has some Italian connections.
• Send in names and contact information for potential teachers.
• If you want to approach someone directly, a job description is available for your conversation with him/her.  Ask Dalene for a copy.

 

Qualifications sought are:

• Fluency in classic Italian.
• Proficiency in grammatical rules (for grammar classes).
• Demonstrated instructional experience.
• Able to work in a flexible way with adult learners.
• Native speakers are preferred for conversation courses.

 

Looking for Program Chairs

 

Member volunteers help to plan our cultural programs each year. This job, called program chair, fits easily into personal schedules (i.e., it can be done even by someone who works or travels a lot). A program chair identifies six cultural programs in one of our three languages for our members. Programs take place throughout the year, always at noon after classes have ended.

 

We are looking for a French and an Italian program chair. You’re not left alone on this task, as we have an extensive network among our members. You don’t even have to attend all the sessions, although it’s great if you can. You just need to get them booked, get a short summary of the program written and be sure the speaker knows where to be and when. We pay a $50 honorarium to speakers, so that definitely helps in recruitment.

 

Contact Dalene Bradford if you’re willing to be an Italian or French program chair next year.

 

New Assistant to the Board

 

We’ve hired Alicia Walsh-Girardeau to be assistant to the board next year.  We found Alicia, interestingly enough, in the very same Spanish class attended by Patricia Reed, last year’s assistant.  So we didn’t have to look too far. 

 

Alicia joined La Causerie last year and appreciates the varied and interesting people who participate, the excellent teachers and the flexible way that our classes work for adults who have families, lives and competing needs.  She is a KU grad, with a background in social work, having worked at Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Johnson County Mental Health Center.  She has children at home, lives very close to Second Presbyterian Church, and loves to entertain. Welcome, Alicia.

 

Summer Studies

 

There are many options for students who want to hang on to what they’ve learned this year or get a jump-start on fall classes (or do both). Check out the following Internet websites to learn more about conversation/study groups in our area:

 

Ø     Kansas City Spanish Conversation Group - http://spanish.meetup.com/73/

Ø     Kansas City French Connection - http://french.meetup.com/27/

Ø     La Bella Italia - http://italian.meetup.com/409/?gj=sj2

Ø     UMKC Communiversity – http://www.umkc.edu/commu/default.asp

 

Some LCF students have formed their own conversation groups and meet regularly. An advanced French conversation group meets at Panera’s in Westport Sundays at 2:00pm and an advanced Italian conversation group meets at Panera’s in Corinth Wednesdays at 3:00pm. [Notice the word “advanced” in these two groups. As you seek out a conversation group it’s important to check the level of proficiency expected so there are no surprises for you or the group.]

 

There are many good tutors available, including some La Causerie instructors, who can help you maintain and sharpen your language skills over the summer:

 

 

Spanish Tutors

 

• Marta Diaz, LCF instructor, Park University Spanish instructor, offers tutoring at a mutually agreeable time and place.

 

• Martha Penaherrera, LCF instructor, offers tutoring at an agreeable place.

 

• Patricia Siqueiros, new LCF instructor, offers tutoring and will be available after July 17^th, Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

 

• Marty Shaffer, longtime LCF instructor, offers tutoring at all levels at her home during the summer or by appointment or arrangement during the school year. Marty retired from teaching Spanish in the Shawnee Mission School district and is certified in both Kansas and Missouri.

 

• Dr. Graciela Diaz, UMKC Spanish instructor, offers tutoring at a mutually agreeable time and place.

 

Italian Tutors

 

• Emily Wilhite, new LCF instructor, offers tutoring preferably during the day, but is available some evenings (no weekends). She will meet either at an agreeable location or her home in Olathe (she offers a discount to students who meet with her at her home).

 

• Nina Mehta-Young, former LCF instructor and UMKC Italian instructor, offers tutoring at her home through July 31st.

 

French Tutors

 

• Marie-Hélène Moulaert, French native speaker, offers tutoring at her home near Loose Park.

 

• Kate White, former LCF instructor, offers tutoring. She also does court interpreting and translation.

 

Summer-Fall Calendar

 

July 1                     Last Day for Reservations for Summer Luncheon

July 18                   SUMMER LUNCHEON at Carmen’s Café in Brookside

September 5          Enrollment Party and Orientation for 2008-2009

September 19        CLASSES BEGIN

 

Executive Board Members 2008-2009

 

President                                          Dalene Bradford

1^st Vice President (Membership Chair)    Judith Walter

2^nd Vice President (Social Chair)            Jeff Piehler (co-chair)  

                                                      Carol Cowden (co-chair)

Secretary                                          Judy Pearlstein

Assistant Secretary (Newsletter)            Paula Kartus

Treasurer                                         Inez Pennington

Assistant Treasurer (Textbook Chair)      Joan Daniels