actionread.blogspot.com

my favorite birds

2011-07-04T13:25:00.002-04:00

Purple Finch
Description Length: 14-16 cm. Adult male: Head, back and breast rose red, brighter on rump; wings and tail dark brown, feathers edged with red; lower breast paler red, shading to white on belly. (This plumage is not acquired until the male is about two years old.) Adult female: Upperparts light olive-brown, streaked with dark brown; under parts white, boldly streaked with dark olive-brown, shading to white on belly.
Remarks The male Purple Finch's song and bright red plumage are notable characteristics. The name "Purple" is a misnomer, for the male is rose-colored. His song in its fullness is a rich, rapidly enunciated, loud ecstatic warble, sometimes poured out in a torrent of melody as he hovers on outspread trembling wings. I heard one male attempt to sing very early in spring, but its tremulous, feeble rendition bore little resemblance to the song just described.

At nesting time some bird species show a preference for locations close to human habitation—Tree Swallows and Yellow Warblers, for instance—but others have a strong opposite preference. The Purple Finch is quite impartial in this regard, building its nest just as often in our gardens as in remote forested areas. There is little justification for confusing the male of this species with any of our other birds, except possibly the House Finch, but the female is a different matter. She is a heavily striped, grayish brown, sparrow-sized bird with a conspicuous whitish line extending back from above her eye.

Do You Know About Little Chistmas?

2011-01-10T13:07:00.003-05:00

Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig Bheag) is one of the traditional names in Ireland for January 6, more commonly known in the rest of the world as the Celebration of the Epiphany. It is so called because it was the day on which Christmas Day was celebrated under the Julian calendar, before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. It is the traditional end of the Christmas season and the last day of the Christmas holidays for both primary and secondary schools in Ireland.
In the Scottish Highlands the term Little Christmas (Scottish Gaelic Nollaig Bheag) is applied to Hogmanay, New Year's Day, also known as Là Challuinn, or Là na Bliadhna Ùire, while Epiphany is known as Là Féil nan Rìgh, the feast of the King.
The name Little Christmas is also found other languages including Slovene (Mali Božič), Galician (Nadalinho), and Ukrainian.
Little Christmas is also called Women's Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan), and sometimes Women's Little Christmas. The tradition, still very strong in Cork and Kerry is so called because of the Irish men taking on all the household duties for the day. Most women hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, and aunts. Bars and restaurants serve mostly women and girls on this night. Children often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers.
The tradition is not well documented, but one article from The Irish Times (January 1998), entitled on the woman's day of Christmas, describes both some sources of information and the spirit of this occasion. night. Children often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers.
The tradition is not well documented, but one article from The Irish Times (January 1998), entitled on the woman's day of Christmas, describes both some sources of information and the spirit of this occasion.

Will’s Fire House Museum - by Brenda

2010-08-19T16:17:00.005-04:00

I am describing the museum for anyone who has never been there.

Will’s Fire House Museum is located in Gatineau, Quebec across the bridge from Ottawa. It is in a large garage. The front exterior has three big doors that will open when the alarm goes off.

The two gentlemen that run the museum are Will and George. They have worked long hours collecting equipment, clothing, trucks from both the present and the past. They are always happy to have young children come to the museum to learn about the firemen and their job.

When you come for a visit, go to the back of the driveway and enter by the single door on the right hand side. As you walk in, you smell the smoke on the hoses from many fires and the fuel from the gas tanks of the trucks. You also can smell the rubber from the tires and the suction hoses.

The first things you see are three red fire trucks. The smallest one is the oldest and then there are two medium ones. On the right side is a work bench with many artifacts from past fire stations including a Gamewell alarm machine and a log book.

On the back wall, you find the equipment in their lockers, for example; helmets, pants and coats from the past. You can feel the soot on the old long coats. Cheryl’s stairs going to the second level are also on the back wall. They were made from the wood stored in my Dad’s garage in Durham. If you walk up the stairs, you will see a pole that the firemen use to slide down when responding to a call.

You can hear a Gamewell alarm machine tapping and an old fashion red fire bell ringing. Will or George can push the button for the siren. You can use your imagination to hear the sounds of the engines.

I think all citizens old and young should learn the history of firemen, their equipment and their stations. At this museum, you can touch the equipment, trucks and clothing. I think this museum is a great place to visit.

The End

Mother to Daughter

2010-05-31T12:58:00.003-04:00

My dear daughter let me tell you

that life has not always been good

That life has not always been good

I feel life is like hills and valleys

The hills are the good and happy times

And the valleys are the bad and sad times

But dear daughter, after having you

Everyday is a hill as big as a mountain

I will never giveup with you by my side

Please never give up working on your dreams

Life will look better tomorrow

With lots of hills in our future

Thank you dear daughter

For all your love and support

author unknown

Email scam alert!

2010-05-04T15:22:00.006-04:00

Please remember-

If you get an email that asks for your passwords, bank account information, or any other personal information...

DON'T DO IT!

This is a scam called "phishing". No big company - Hotmail, Yahoo, eBay, your bank, Microsoft, Facebook, or any other - will ask you for private information, like your password, in an email.

Also, if you get an email from a friend asking you to send money for an emergency, make sure you talk to your friend before you send it. When scammers get someone's email password, they send messages to all of that person's friends asking for money. Some people have lost thousands of dollars from scams like this.

Today, a learner at Action Read got an email like the one above. (Click on the white text above to read it.) She did not send the information.

If you're not sure if an email is real or a scam, ask staff for help!

Volunteer Appreciation week is April 18-24

2010-04-16T16:25:00.002-04:00

As a learner I frequently benefit from the efforts of the many volunteers here at Action Read. It is a volunteer who has made sure there is coffee when I am on a break, it is a volunteer who calls me with reminders of special events and holiday schedules. It is a volunteer who gives me the warm welcome every time I enter the centre or sends me off with well wishes for the rest of my day when I leave. I think my tutor, who is also a volunteer knows how thankful I am for the input his efforts are having in my life. But some of the other volunteers (especially the ones behind the scenes like the ones doing dishes after our Christmas party) I have probably never thanked personally.

Volunteer Appreciation week reminds me to do this.

The photo is of an award that was made by a learner to show special appreciation for her tutor. You may want to consider doing something special for your tutor this week. Me—I’m going to surprise my tutor by completing my homework this week!

Field Trip 2009

2009-11-23T11:43:00.007-05:00

On October 8^th Lynda, Cheryl and I went on a field trip to the “Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory.” Cheryl and Lynda are working on a science course. They were learning about Butterflies and wanted to check out the conservatory for more information. I went along for the ride and to enjoy the butterflies.

We saw the following butterflies:

Rice Paper butterflies are white with dabs of black. They are found in Southeast Asia and the wing spread is 10-14cm.

The Owl butterflies is gray on the top and the lower half of the top is brown with a white ring in the middle that looks like the owl’s eyes. The underside is yellow and brown. It is found in Central and South America. They can spread their wings 12to15cm across.

The Monarch butterflies are orange and black and are found in North America and Australia. Its wing spread is 7to9cm.

The life cycle of a Monarch butterfly is:

1.The egg- eggs hatch 2 or 3 days after being laid.

2. Caterpillar- can eat up to 20 times their weight a day. They must shed their skin several times in order to grow.

3. Chrysalis – Inside the body of the caterpillar breaks down and reforms into a butterfly.

4. The Butterfly emerges from the chrysalis and hangs underneath while pluming fluid from its abdomen into its wings. When its wings are fully expanded and dried it can fly away.

The migratory Monarch butterfly lives 6 to 8 months. They leave Ontario in the in fall and overwinter in Mexico. In the spring they mate on the milkweed plant in southern Texas. It takes 3or4 generations to make it back to Ontario by mid May.

As a child the butterflies that I remember are the Monarch and a white one called cabbage butterfly.

Brenda

The facts are found on the butterfly conservatory’s guide

United Way Halloween Fundraiser a Success

2009-11-04T19:58:00.003-05:00

On Friday October 30 Action read members had a chance to give back at their United Way Fundraiser. Members of the Action read community put on costumes and gathered to eat scary snacks as they watched the movie Beetlejuice in support of the United way capital campaign.

Mira Clarke Executive Director kindly answered my questions about this event.

Why was this event important?

It was to raise both money and awareness for the great work of the United Way of Guelph Wellington. Each September to December the United Way holds its annual campaign. As a United Way agency Action Read participates by regularly speaking at businesses and factories across the city or by hosting community tours at our agency. Staff also participates in the employee payroll deduction program. (Last year we won an award for our high level of staff participation) Finally, we try to hold events such as this so that learners can also have the opportunity to get involved. We know that people want to help out - they just need to be given the opportunity.

Who participated? How many attended? Approximately 20 people attended. Mostly learners but some volunteers and staff too. In addition, some people who could not attend sent in donations of money or treats or cheesecake or food for the food bank! The event raised $117, a great start to our United Way Campaign

Was the event a success? What made it a success? It was a success because it was a fun, low stress way to raise money for the United Way. Equally important was the awareness it raised. It showed that people want to do fun community things, particularly when it helps a great cause. Plus Action Readers love to dress up!

Action Read Special Olympian Wins Four Medals

2009-09-29T15:50:00.005-04:00

This summer Chris Osborne attended the Special Olympic Provincial Games in Windsor Ontario. There were over 600 athletes competing and this was the first year that the Guelph track and field group competed at the Provincial level.

Chris won four medals.

Gold- 400 meter relay

Silver- Shot Put

Silver- 100 meter

Bronze- Running Long Jump

To prepare for the competition Chris trained every Wednesday (rain or shine) with the team. Chris also did daily home training that included running, push-ups, chin-ups, trampoline work, free weights and biking. Chris gets up early every morning to train.

I asked Chris what it felt like to win the medals and he said, “I feel like a winner!” He said that winning made him feel like his heroes Jim Carey and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For any one who has a dream Chris has this advice, “Go for you dreams! Have fun and do your best!”

Congratulations Chris!

The church of our lady

2009-09-23T19:10:00.002-04:00

Historical buildings in Guelph
When John Galt founded Guelph on April 23 1827 he picked the highest spot in the centre of the newly found town to the roman Catholics as a favor to a friend Bishop Alexander McDonnell Who had given him on the foundation of the Canada company. When John Galt cleared the road by the spot where the church was to go he named it after the bishop which is now called McDonnell street. In the Guelph public library wrote the following statement in the deed to where the church would stand, “On this hill would one day rise a church to rival St peters in Rome.” The church of our lady is the third to stand on this site. The first church, a framed wooden church named St Patrick’s had been built in 1835 and was the first structure to be painted on the inside as well as the outside. It burned to the ground on October 10th 1844. Construction on St Bartholomew’s church began shortly after St Patrick’s was destroyed. The new building was completed in 1846. This church was also consumed in flames. Construction of the new church began in 1877 under Irish Canadian architect Joseph Connolly who designed many churches in Ireland, England and Ontario, notably the St Peters Basilica in London Ontario. It was built of limestone in Gothic revival style. The church of our lady is considered to be Connelly’s masterpiece. Mathew Bell, a well- known Guelph artisan was responsible for some of the carvings on the exterior and the pillars on the inside of the church. Mathew Bell died in 1883 as a result of injuries sustained in a fall while working on the building. In 1888 almost twelve years after construction started it was dedicated to the church of our lady. The twin towers, which rise to heights over 200 feet, were not completed until November 13th 1926. In 1958 a new entrance from Mc Donnell street was constructed, but the outside appearance of the church has changed very little since 1926. The complete building of the church took more than 50 years, probably make it the longest construction project in the city’s history. The church is a national historical site. This was a brief history lesson about the church of our lady.

My Graduation

2009-09-09T14:39:00.002-04:00

Lynda and I went for an interview in April 2007 with Betty, the head of Continuing Education, to sign up for courses for me to get my grade twelve. She told me that I would only need three credits. Betty recommended “Health for Life” and “English for Everyday Living.”
I started in mid April with Health for Life through Wellington Centre for Continuing Education sending in my lessons by mail. I wrote my lessons on a computer with the aid of zoom text at Action Read and guided by my tutor Lynda. There were sixteen lessons. I had some sight problems when I wrote both the mid term and the final exam. It took me one year to finish with a final mark of 69. I started English for Everyday Living in June 2008. I still was having problems after doing the English mid term and Betty suggested having someone write out my answers by hand. This worked out great and was repeated for the final exam. In May 2009 I received a final mark of 79.
Action Read gave me a party on June 10th with staff and other learners. My second party was at King Buffet on June 14th with family and friends. My big night was on June 17th, when Cheryl and Lynda came to watch me receive my diploma.
I would like to say a special thank you to Betty and Wayne at Continuing Education, the staff at Action Read and my daughter Cheryl for all their help. A very special thank you goes to my family and friends who came to my parties bearing gifts. A very extra special thank you goes to my tutor, Lynda who stood by me all the way to the end on June 17th 2009.

Invitation to the Annual General Meeting

2009-08-25T19:14:00.005-04:00

Dear learners,

You are invited to join us on September 17th, 6 to 8 pm at Action Read for our Annual General Meeting and celebration.

The Board of Directors has proposed changes to the Action Read By-laws. These are posted on the bulletin board near the front desk. I would be happy to go over them with you, or answer any of your questions.

All members and their guests are welcome. Let us know if you can make it!

Mira Clarke
(on behalf of the Board of Directors)

Action Read Board Seeks Learner Rep!

2009-08-20T13:38:00.008-04:00

Dear Learners;

Action Read is looking for a learner representative on the board of directors! This is an exciting and challenging volunteer opportunity where you will gain new skills, learn what being on a board is all about and develop new friendships. Being

a board member is a big commitment. However it is also an excellent way to build up your resume and it is really important to the community!

You would need to give about 6-8 hours of your time per month to the board. Meetings are held on Tuesday evenings, once per month. A board orientation retreat planned for Saturday October 17th.

If you are interested, please get more information and an application from Mira. You can stop by her office or email her at action1@on.aibn.com. Also, you are invited to attend a Board Information Session at 12:00 pm on Thursday Sept 3rd at Action Read.

Next the nomination committee will set up a time to meet with you. After that, your name will be put forward for election at the Annual General Meeting on September 17th.

We hope you will consider running for the board of directors!

The Action Read Nominating Committee

The Church Of Our Lady

2009-07-20T19:07:00.002-04:00

John Galt founded Guelph on April 23rd 1897. He picked the highest spot in the center of town and gave it to his friend whose name was Bishop Alexander MacDonnell because he gave John Galt some good advice. A road was later cleared leading up to the hill and it was named MacDonnell Street. According to the Guelph public library archives John Galt wrote the following statement in the deed transferring the land on which the church would one day stand: “On this hill would one day rise a church to rival St Peters in Rome.”

The Roman Catholic church of our lady is the third church to stand on this site over looking the town. The first church, a framed wooden church named St Patrick’s had been built on the hill by 1835 and was the first structure in Guelph to be painted on the inside as well as the outside. It burned to the ground on October 10th 1844. Construction on St Bartholomew’s church began shortly after St Patrick’s was destroyed. The new building was completed in 1846.

Construction of the new church began in 1877 under Irish-Canadian architect Joseph Connolly who had designed many churches in Ireland, England and Ontario, notably the St Peters Basilica in London Ontario. Built of local limestone in Gothic revival style, the church of Our Lady is considered to be Connelly’s master piece. Mathew Bell a well-known Guelph artisan, was responsible for some of the carvings on the exterior as well as on the inside pillars of the church. In fact, he died in 1883 as a result of his injuries in a fall while working on the building.

In 1888, almost twelve years after construction commenced, the church was dedicated to The Church of Our Lady. The twin towers, which rise to a height of two hundred feet, were not completed until November 13th 1926. In 1958 a new entrance was from McDonnell street was constructed, but aside from this the out side of the church has changed very little since 1926. The complete building of the church took more then 50 years, probably qualifying it as the longest construction project in the city’s history.

When I first saw the church I was in awe of it. When I read about The church of our Lady and the rich history that it has it was just incredible. I’m so glad I chose to do this piece for the blog I hope you enjoy reading it.

This space available!

2009-06-09T10:04:00.003-04:00

Do you want to share your writing with others at Action Read?

Post it on the blog!

Anyone can put their writing on here. It's easy and we are available to help you.

Here are some ideas of things you could put on the blog:

- a research project

- a story

- a journal entry

- your photos

- your artwork

- a book or website review

- your poems

- links to your own blog

- your thoughts about current events

If you have written something you're proud of, in a group, with a tutor, or by yourself, ask Action Read staff about posting it on the blog.

- Kimm

AlphaPlus Tech Podcasts - posted by Kimm

2009-04-28T11:45:00.004-04:00

Check out the AlphaPlus Tech Podcast.

A podcast is a sound file - sometimes words, sometimes music - that you can download onto an mp3 player, or listen to on your computer. It's possible to subscribe to podcasts, so that your computer automatically grabs the latest episode, but you can easily listen to podcasts without subscribing.

Here's how the folks at AlphaPlus Centre describe their Tech Podcast -

... we talk to adult literacy practitioners about how and why they are using technology and what they think about it. Too often the great work and new ways of doing things are hidden away and we only get to read about them in reports.

We decided to make the podcasts so that we could all literally hear from practitioners - we will publish one each week between April 23, 2009 and June 4, 2009 .

Podcast #1 (April 23, 2009) Amanda Burdick from Literacy Link South Central and adult literacy network in London, Ontario tells us about how her organization makes use of a Wiki to work collaboratively and about her innovative use of mp3 technology to make the network’s web site more accessible.

Click here to visit the AlphaPlus Tech Podcast site

Barack Hussein Obama

2009-03-06T12:31:00.011-05:00

Information from Wikipedia, pictures from Google Images

Barack Obama , mom, dad, sister

Barack Hussein Obama II born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until November 2008, when he resigned following his election to the presidency.He disclosed that he used alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind."[21] At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency in 2008, Obama identified his high-school drug use as his "greatest moral failure."
Before attending Harvard Law School, Obama decided to visit relatives in Kenya. He uses part of his experience there as the setting for the book's final, emotional scene.
As well as relating the story of Obama's life, the book includes a good deal of reflection on his own personal experiences with race and race relations in the United States.

Michelle and the girls

news update as of march 6/09

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Calling the latest job losses astounding, President Barack Obama promised on Friday to get Americans back to work.
Obama spoke at the graduation ceremony for 25 police recruits who owe their jobs to the $787 billion economic recovery bill he signed into law less than three weeks ago.
In a 12-minute speech, the president noted that 651,000 U.S. jobs were lost last month, bringing to "an astounding 4.4 million" the number lost in the current recession. The Columbus police recruits were about to join those ranks, he said, "a future that millions of Americans still face right now."
"Well, that is not a future I accept for the United States of America," Obama said. That's why he signed the stimulus bill that Congress passed last month with minuscule help from Republicans, he said.
Obama noted the many critics of the package, but he said government leaders have a responsibility to act for future generations. The United States has met every challenge with bold action and big ideas, he said, and "that's what fueled a shared and lasting prosperity."
Meanwhile Friday, the Labor Department said it was making more than $3.5 billion available to states for education, training and re-employment services.
The Columbus police recruits are part of a class of 27 who were laid off in January by Mayor Michael Coleman, a Democrat, before they could even start walking the beat. Coleman blamed city budget problems at the time.
But Coleman announced last week that the Justice Department had informed the city that it would get $1.25 million in stimulus money to pay the officers' salaries through the end of the year. Two of the recruits chose not to return.
When he signed the bill on Feb. 17, Obama cited saving the Ohio police recruit class as one use for stimulus money.
Obama has been highlighting programs to be funded by the legislation, along with the jobs he says are being saved or created by those dollars. He has practically staked his presidency on his promise that the stimulus package will save or create 3.5 million jobs within the next two years.
The latest economic news was a fresh reminder for the Obama administration of the nation's grim financial outlook.
The government said Friday the nation's unemployment rate jumped to 8.1 percent in February, the highest since late 1983. Over a three-month period, nearly 2 million jobs have been cut.
The trip was Obama's first to Ohio as president. He won the state in the November election.
___
Associated Press writers Devlin Barrett and Matt Apuzzo in Washington and Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Laughter Yoga at Action Read

2009-02-18T20:08:00.002-05:00

There is a laughter yoga session here at Action Read on Monday March 23 from 12:15- 12:30

What is laughter yoga?
Watch this video and find out

Why Laughter Yoga?

After Laughter Yoga sessions Action Read learners have said:

“This was the first time I was in a room with people laughing and I knew they weren’t laughing at me!”

“I could concentrate and focus more after the laughter session.”

Another learner shared that his chronic pain was relieved enough for it to not interfere with his tutoring session.

Brenda"s Lucy maud MONTGOMERY story

2009-02-07T14:53:00.002-05:00

Lucy was born on November 30th 1874 in a yellow house in the town of Clifton ( New London ) on Prince Edward Island .

Her mother died September 14th 1876; Lucy was almost two years old. She and her father moved in with her grandparents. Her father, Hugh John moved to Saskatchewan when Lucy was only ten. She was left in the care of her elderly grandparents, who had raised their own six children and had little patients for a rebellious, emotional child.

Lucy’s early childhood and Ann Shirley from Anne of Green Gables have a few similarities between them. Maud’s father was alive for the first twenty-six years of her life but Maud was raised her elderly grandparents. Anne’s parents died when she was a baby, and she lived with Morella and Matthew Cuthbert, an elderly brother and sister. Maud and Anne had a love for nature; they would talk to flowers and hug trees. Most places that existed in Maud’s world existed in Anne’s and girls had some great adventures through haunted Woods down a pathway called Lover’s Lane that leads from Green gables to a meadow.

Lucy went to Prince Albert Saskatchewan on August 16th 1890 to visit her father and stepmother. She was very unhappy and on August 25th 1891 she returned to PEI .

Maud’s first poem “One Cape Leforce” was published in The Daily Patriot on November 26th 1890.In September 1893 Lucy starts teachers training course at Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown PEI . She taught school for the first time in July 1894 at Biddeford and then in 1896 at Belmont . Lucy started studying English in 1895 at Dalhousie University in Halifax Nova Scotia and 1897 becomes secretly engaged to Edwin Simpson her second cousin. In 1900 her father dies and she starts working at the Daily Echo newspaper in Halifax from 1901-02. In 1905 Lucy started writing Anne of Green Gables and it was public in 1908.

Maud became engaged to Reverend Ewen Macdonald in 1906 and after the death of her grandmother, they were married on July 5th 1911. After the honeymoon, they moved to Leaskdale and started a family Chester in July 7th 1912, Hugh in August 13th 1914, he was stillborn and on October 7th 1915
Stuart was born.
Maud was the first Canadian woman to become Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in England in January 1923. In February 1926 Ewen became the minister at two Presbyterian churches at Norval and Union Ontario. Maud moved the family to the manse in Norval.

In 1935 Ewan retired from the ministry, Lucy and the family moved to Toronto .
Lucy is elected to the Literacy and Artistic Institute of France and is made an officer in the Order of the British Empire in 1935.
In April 24th 1942 Lucy dies and is buried in Cavendish PEI . There were 13 books published after Maud’s death. In 2008, Maud’s books and movies are still popular all over the world.

What's New by Shawn Turner

2009-02-04T08:45:00.003-05:00

Laughter Yoga on February 9th from 12:15-12:45p.m.

"Clear Language" Workshop for tutors on February 10th from 7:00-9:00p.m.

Action Read will be closed on Family Day, Monday, February 16th, 2009

The Good Eats Group

2009-01-28T09:40:00.002-05:00

Action Read has a new group about healthy eating and lifestyle!

The Good Eats Group begins on Thursday Feb 5th from 12:30 to 2:00 and runs for 6 weeks. University of Guelph student Zeinia Badawi will run this group.

Do you want to learn more, or share your thoughts, about these topics?

- Budgeting
- Converting food measurements

- Nutrition for special diets

- Community options for healthy eating

- Eating healthy outside the home

- Recipe swaps

- Creative writing around food

Please talk to Zeina, Mira, Johanna, Sarah or Kimm if you are interested.

We are also very open to bringing in guest speakers or possibly even an outing.

2008-12-18T14:13:00.001-05:00

Tips on Quitting Smoking
By Andy Saunders
Hi folks Andy here. I have been wanting to quite smoking for along time. I have tried several times to stop in the past. One of the thing’s I tried was the patch but it didn’t work for me. Another thing I did was doing it cold turkey but that was a bust oh well. I just gave up for a few years until one day in September I got a doctor at the Dawson Medical Clinic. When he went on his computer I saw a group that was all about quitting smoking and I said to him ah a Quite smoking group interesting. He asked me if I was interested and I said yes so he sighed me up for it. A few weeks went by and I got a call from a person who was running it and she told me it was a six week course and it started on November the 6th at 6:30pm so I went and it was great. We where all given folders with information in it. She told us about the heath risk’s as well as doing some changes with our habits. She also told us what other things we will be learning in the weeks to come. One of the things we where told to do was to keep a record of how many cigarettes we have in a day and who we where with , what we where doing and what we where feeling at the time like from one to ten. When it was over and I got home I looked at the folder. When I opened it there was a piece of paper that caught my eye it was about changing some of my habits. One was to put less cigarettes in my pack or holder another was to wait to have one for half an hour when I woke up in the morning. I tried doing both of those things the next day I started to put one less in my holder as well as waiting fifteen to thirty minutes after I woke up. It was hard at first but it got easier after a week or two. So now I’m putting eighteen instead of nineteen and I’m going to decrees it by one a week and so far I have decreased my smoking by quite a bit.
That’s it for know stay tuned for further up dates ttfn ta ta for know.

Science Facts by Cheryl

2008-12-03T13:50:00.003-05:00

I never took Science in school but always wanted to learn it. My tutor Lynda and i just finished doing art projects. My mom told me there was male and female plants what did this mean? As a result, Lynda(who taught Science) and I started studying plant cells. I found out some interesting facts about plants

1. The perfect flower with fertile male and female organs both on the same flower. Plants with flowers in this category include apples, plums, lilacs, potentilla, tomato and many ornamental flowers

2. The perfect flower with male and female organs both on the same flower, but with either the male or the female organ infertile. In this category are included plants in the sunflower family and many other hybrid ornamentals. These ornamentals usually have large, showy flowers that are "double" or "semi-double" - with more than the normal number of petals.

3. The imperfect flower with either fertile male or fertile female organs, but not both, on the same flower. Spruce, pines, ash and maples have imperfect flowers.

Did you know?
Question: How do you account for missing kernels on corn in my garden? Some of the cobs have kernels missing here and there. On other cobs, many rows of kernels are absent.

Answer: Corn is monoecious remember. Each cob is actually a flower that contains many female organs. . Above the cobs are the tassles, which are the male flowers. Pollen from the tassles is carried by the wind to the female organs, each of which will produce a single seed, or kernel, when fertilized. If kernels are absent the likely explanation is that pollen did not reach some female organs, probably because the wind carried the pollen away from the cob. Planting corn in squares rather than long rows will help to assure pollination.

information from http://gardenline.usask.ca/misc/thesex.html

picture from http://flickr.com/photos/mellyjean/216579909/

Upcoming Events by Shawn Turner

2008-11-26T11:50:00.002-05:00

Tiesday, December 2nd, 2008:
C.N.I.B. Christmas Party at the Holiday Inn.

Wednesday, December 3rd:
Action Read Holiday Party at Dublin Street United Church, 68 Suffolk Street West from 5:30-8:30p.m.

Sunday, December 7th:
Christmas Memoriaol Service at Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon Street
http://www.gilbertmcintyreandsons.com/

Monday, December 8th:
"Blue Christmas" at Woodlawn Cemenery, 762 Woolwich Street

Saturday, December 20th:
"Messiah" at the River Run Centre $40 for tickets
http://www.riverrun.ca/

Sunday, December 21st:
Longest Night service at Harcourt Church, 87 Dean Avenue and Dublin Church at 7:00p.m.

Action Read will be closed from December 24th, 2008 through Januaryt 5, 2009.

Malignant Hyperthermia

2008-11-12T18:25:00.002-05:00

Malignant Hyperthermia
What is Malignant Hyperthermia? When I first heard about it is when my wife told me she had it. When I asked her what it was she told me that it had something to do with the anesthesia that the doctors use in operations. When I heard that, it got me curious so I looked it up on the web. Malignant Hyperthermia effects 1in 5.000 to 50.000 people. It causes a severe reaction when anesthesia is given to someone. There is an allergic reaction to it. It happens when particular drugs are used in surgery or other invasive procedures. Nearly all gas anesthesia are Neuromuscular blocking agents. These drugs they make it difficult to put out carbon dioxide and take in oxygen quickly enough which could lead to circulatory collapse and eventually death if not treated. MH is often inherited but people don’t know they have it until they have surgery. I think it is important that people know about it. I know a lot more now then I did. When I first started this piece I didn’t know much now I’m a little more informed.

Free (or cheap) movie at the Bookshelf Saturday!

2008-11-05T15:24:00.004-05:00

HI all,
I'm Dawn from the Bookshelf.

With my partner, Don Moore, a lit. theory and media studies prof, weare programming an hour of online video on the theme of literature, reading, literacy....We have found some fantastic sites on good stuff on a gay/lesbian book fair in england, a cop using books for target practice, authors' videos telling story of the making of the story, videos profiling people's favourite poem and how it changed their life, a small-town US librarian posting her patrons with thier book picks on youtube, avante-garde videos inspired by literature, digital poetry.... etc.

PLEASE COME. and please tell all bookish people (chapters and all..) would love a discussion and any input or suggestions of sites.

Part of the Guelph Festival of Moving Media - November 6-9.

TIME: 5:30pm, SATURDAY NOV 8
LOCATION: Bookshelf ebar
COST: free or by donation

Relieve Tension From Depression

2008-10-22T13:26:00.002-04:00

Release the tension from Depression
When I’m depressed there are thing’s that I like to do that help cheer me up. The first thing that help’s me is reading a book. The next thing is writing a story or a poem. Or playing a game that is fun like a board game. There are places you can go where they will be able to help. One place is Wellington Dufferin Self help it is located on Douglas street across from the resource center. They have people you can talk to about what ails you there are also computers you can use and there is coffee and tea or hot chocolate. The staff is qualified to help you in any way they can.
Another place is The Canadian Mental Health Association. They have computers there and books you can read and people you can talk to as well. It is located at 147 Wyndham and it is a quite and peaceful place to go. If you are having thoughts of worse things then you can call the crisis centre. You can also come to action read and you can use the computers here or read a book . Sometimes going for a walk helps me to relax as well as doing some exercising that really helps me. These are just a few ideas to help with the tension with Depression.

United Way Campaign

2008-10-22T11:13:00.002-04:00

The 2008 United Way fundraising campaign has begun. United Way is a major funder for Action Read. Watch the video below, featuring University of Guelph president and United Way campaign chair, Alastair Summerlee.

Action Read Holds Self Advocacy Workshop

2008-10-15T14:18:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, October 15th, 2008, Action Read held a self advocacy workshop.

The workshop was very informative and was well attended. There is an event on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 hosted by the Milton and District Association for Community Living entitled "Keeping Your Dreams Alive". A bunch of Action Read learners will be going. The workshop is about self advacacy and is about keeping your dreams alive. For more information, please visit http://www.clnh.on.ca/

The Other Women in My Uncles Life

2008-10-08T14:49:00.007-04:00

My Uncle Will used to be a Fire Chief. He collects fire memorabilias. He also started collecting old fire trucks. I call them the other women in my uncles life.

This is Edna. she is a 1951 Bickle Seagraves Fire Truck built in Woodstock, Ont. She was the first Royal Canadian Air Force Engine Purchased after W.W l l. She was used for the RCAF Trenton from 1951 - 1962. She was then moved to Petawawa. During the years of 1962- 1984 she served as Petawawa's main pumper. She retired in 1984, she was used in community events until my uncle bought her for 0ne dollar. She still has her original engine, short cab and signature ladder mounting found on the RCAF vehicles. She can hit 30/mph and can shoot a fair stream if need be. I have ridden Edna a few times even from the train station it was fun.

This is Liz. She is a 1910 Ford truck. She lives in Gatineau, Qu.

Eden Mills Writers Festival a wash out

2008-10-01T13:47:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, September 7, a group of Action read learners went to to the Eden Mills Writers Festival. It was a rainy day, One of the readers I saw was the following:

David Chariandy's latest book (fiction) is Soucouyant published by Arsenal Pulp in 2007. It was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and shortlisted for nine other prizes, including the Governor General’s Award, the Commonwealth Best First Book Prize, the Ethel Wilson Prize (BC Book Prizes), the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year (for fiction), the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the ReLit Award. Chariandy lives in Vancouver and teaches in the department of English at Simon Fraser University. His second novel, Brother, is forthcoming from McClelland and Stewart.

Click here to visit the Eden Mills Writers Festival homepage!

Photo Project

2008-09-10T14:05:00.005-04:00

From August 8th through September 5th, 2008, ther was a photo course at Action Read. Here are some of my photos.

-Shawn

Gloria Kovach's responses to learners' questions

2008-08-27T11:29:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday, August 19th, Action Read held a candidates meeting for the September 8 byelection. Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach was unable to attend, but was sent the list of questions asked by our members. She responded on Sunday, August 24th. Her answers are posted on the all-candidates table in the Action Read office for all to read. However, if you would like to receive an electronic copy of her responses, please send a message to action1@on.aibn.com

The Candidates Were Candid

2008-08-20T19:07:00.004-04:00

On August 19th, 2008, Action Read had its Candidates meeting. The people who are running in the election are Frank Valeriote for the Liberals, Karen Levenson for the Animal Alliance Environment Party, Tom King for the NDP, and Mike Nagy for the Green Party. There is also another candidate that was unable to show up and her name is Gloria Kovach and she represents the Conservative Party.

It started off by Kimm doing a brief introduction and greeting. Then the candidates each took turns telling the audience a little about themselves and what their platforms were. The platforms included the environment, low cost housing and jobs these are some of the issues that each party focused on.
Kimm asked for questions from the floor and somebody raised an issue about the heath care system and bringing in more doctors. The candidates response was that they are pushing to have the doctors from different country’s accredited so that they can start right away.

Another question was raised about literacy and funding. The response from the Liberals was that the Conservatives cut the funding for the literacy programs and he promised to bring back the funding for it. Both the NDP and the Green Party where all for the literacy programs as well.

There was a question about reopening the wet dry recycling plant. The Candidates where stumped for a moment then the NDP responded by saying that he didn’t know which was an honest answer and the Liberals told us that it was a municipal matter and not a federal matter. There was also an answer from the Green Party about the environmental issue about the filtration system was not up to code.

After the question’s where over the Candidates had closing remarks about why we should elect them. Kimm thanked everybody for coming and the candidates stayed for a little longer for a few more questions.

I thought it was very informative and it made things a lot clearer for me to choose who I will vote for. When I was talking to a few people there was a lot of positive feed back on how the candidates presented themselves and about what they really care about. I’m glad I had an opportunity to be there and listen to what was said and meet the Candidates that are running.
-Andrew

Federal candidates meeting

2008-08-15T10:04:00.004-04:00

When:
August 19th, noon-1:00 PM

Where:
Action Read Community Literacy Centre in the Park Mall (2 Quebec St, suite 220)

Who:
Mike Nagy (Green), Tom King (NDP), Frank Valeriote (Liberal) and Karen Levenson (AAEV) have confirmed their attendance; Gloria Kovach (Conservative) has sent her regrets.

In the spirit of community-based learning, Action Read will host a candidates meeting for the upcoming federal by-election. It is an opportunity for learners to review the responsibilities of different levels of government, the role of our Member of Parliament, and the voting process. Many learners come prepared with pre-written questions that deal with the issues that affect them personally (for example, accessibility, poverty, employment, social services and the environment). Candidates will have the opportunity to make an opening statement, answer each question, and make a brief closing statement. Candidates often choose to stay after the event to converse with audience members. Action Read candidates meetings have been praised in the press for their civility and respect, both between the candidates and with the audience.

Please call 836-2759 or email artutor@on.aibn.com if you have any questions.

Recycling is the key

2008-08-08T10:35:00.004-04:00

The key to an everlasting, healthy planet is recycling. Without recycling everything that is not biodegradable, for example,plastic, aluminum and styrofoam, sits in the landfill for many years. As it sits there a lot of natural resources are being wasted because new products are being manufactured to replace the items thrown away. Recycling is when a person or a company reuses items to help save the enviroment.

One of the most important ways is to reopen the recycling plant in Guelph. When the plant was open it limited the amount of waste that went into the landfill and in turn a lot less resources were used . Another way to recycle is by using the coloured garbage bags. The blue bag is for anything that can be recycled like cans, plastic, glass, paper and cardboard. The green bag is for food waste and other things that are for composting such as coffee filters, diapers and tissue paper. The clear bag is for all other nonhazardous waste. The hazardous waste and large items need to be dropped off at the landfill.

The other important thing to do in recycling is to reuse plastic bags. A lot of people reuse plastic bags when they go to the store or they use canvas bags that can be used many times. You can also reuse plastic bottles for water or juice. There are lots of companies that reuse excess plastic from their production line to make new products. Used car tires are being used for roadways by combining it with the asphalt to make it more durable.

I highly believe in the term "Reduce, reuse and recycle." The main objective of these three key words roughly translates to a clean enviroment and a better future for us and the animals as well as for generations to come.

Art in the Street

2008-07-31T12:23:00.006-04:00

On July 19th from 11am- 5pm St. George Square was where Art in the Street was held.

venders and Musicians from around the local area showed off their stuff.

pictures by cheryl

Shawn Turner Goes to Day Camp

2008-07-23T09:15:00.003-04:00

From June 30th through July 11th, 1008, I went to Camp Funtastic, ran out of Kerry's Place Autism Services in Guelph. For more information on the agency, please visit Kerry's Place Website
The following are the things I did while at day camp.
June 30th: Bowling at Woodlawn Bowl, Guelph
July 1st: Canada Day Parade in Elora.
July 2nd: Hippo Tours, Toronto.
July 3rd: St. Jacobs Market, St. Jacobs and swimming at the West end Rec Centre in Guelph.
July 4th: Boat Tour in Toronto.
July 7th: Bowling at Woodlawn Bowl in Guelph
July 8th: Bingemans in Kitchener.
July 9th: Valens Conservation Area near Hamilton and swimming in Guelph.
July 10th. Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge and swimming in Fergus.
July 11th: Movie at Galexy Cinema in Guelph.

It was a lot of fun.

canada poem

2008-07-21T10:54:00.002-04:00

I have another poem
Its called
It’s a wonderful of Canada Day holiday
It’s such a wonderful day. A nice beautiful day was had.
It means so much to me.
It’s peaceful in Canada.
Terry Fox ran all over this country.
In a very special way, Canada is unique.
It’s landscape has a bunch of trees.
Canada has a lot of human rights.
And Canada has all kinds of people with different religious.

I was born in Canada, 46 years ago in a City called Guelph.
I think about Canada all the time.
I am very beautiful and hanesome.
I am a famous Canadian.
I make people laugh and I make people cry.
If people are sad I cheer them up.
I am always good to people.

Canada is the land of peace and quiet.

Douglas J Schneider

My review of the movie the Freedom Writers

2008-07-16T18:25:00.002-04:00

This is my review of the movie that was shown on july 15th. This movie was about a teacher who had a class of troubled kids that came from different ethnic backgrounds. The first thing she noticed was that every stundent stuck with their own kind. When she saw that, she came up with an idea of putting tape on the floor of her class room and when she asked questions they had to step on the line. After awhile the kids realized that they weren't all that different. After a few days the kids started to get along and they wanted to learn about trusting each other. They had a desire to learn about the holocaust. Meanwhile the teacher was getting a into hot water with the rest of the staff because they didn't think that these kids could learn. She got so involved with the class that her marriage was affected and she got divorced. It was a very good movie because it taught me that everyone has problems but we are still the same inside. I loved it.
written by andy
and don't forget to check out our events calendar

2008-07-16T18:23:00.000-04:00

art fest

2008-07-09T14:06:00.002-04:00

Saturday, July 19th from 11am until 5pm. Be entertained in St. George's Square: this is where artists from around the region come to display and sell their art. I am going to attend and then write a short blog about what i see and experience there. i will try to take photos and display them on the blog. so if you're free come and be ent'art'ained by over 75 artists and

musicfied by Bang Ly - astonishing singer/songwriter.

A Day In Your Shoes

2008-07-02T13:22:00.003-04:00

My friend and neighbour Aislinn has a blog called In Your Shoes. She borrows a pair of shoes and wears them for a day, then takes pictures and writes about her day and about the shoes. She usually writes about how the shoes feel on her feet, and about how she feels on the day that she wears them. Different shoes affect her day in different ways. For example, when she wore shoes with thin soles, she wanted to step on things with interesting textures. When she wore her friend's size 16 shoes, she said that her way of walking changed. One day, she came home and there was a package with a pair of shoes someone had sent from Pennsylvania! She wore them for a day and wrote about it.

I like Aislinn's blog. It's fun. She is a good writer, and she takes good pictures. I think you should check it out at adayinyourshoes.blogspot.com.

Blog Guelph Review

2008-06-19T11:16:00.002-04:00

Blog Guelph (http://www.blogguelph.ca) is a photo blog site used to display photos of Guelph. There are a lot of nice photos on the blog daily. Many of the photos used as desktop backgrounds at Action Read come from Blog Guelph.

Learner Appreciation Night

2008-05-15T09:59:00.003-04:00

The Learner Appreciation Night will be held on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 6:30p.m.

Sign up to read your poems, riddles, projects and stories. There's a sign up sheet at the front desk, or talk to Sarah for details.

Learner Volunteers for Southern Ontario Amazing Race

2008-05-06T11:58:00.004-04:00

The Southern Ontario Amazing Race is a fundraiser for the Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. It is similar to the television show where contestants go places picking up clues, Last year it was in Guelph and surrounding areas, I hope to be at the University this year.

For more information on the Southern Ontario Amazing Race, visit http://www.therace.ca/

"Beauty or Beast" by Sarah Annis

2008-04-23T11:52:00.003-04:00

What does this illustration say to you?

Write a paragraph on what you think.

2008-04-10T12:09:00.001-04:00

Jan’s workshop
Jan’s workshop was on Tuesday Feb 26th at 7:00pm

Jan’s workshop was all about her trip to Australia, where she was involved in an aboriginal celebration. She talked about how every year the aboriginal’s plant trees. She also spoke about the different dances like one of Aborigine tribes danced in one spot because the sand was too hot. They couldn’t move around too much. She also had a display with some instruments on it like sticks in different sizes and a boomerang, pictures of an instrument of a long horn and drums as well. She also showed pictures of some mountains which were very beautiful. It was very informative and fun we all had a wonderful time listening to her. She really did leave footprints of knowledge in our hearts and it is always enjoyable to listen to her because of all the knowledge and interesting things that she has told us about the Australian aborigines. We all loved it. I hope she will do another one soon. She is terrific and awesome

art and mental health

2008-04-10T12:05:00.000-04:00

Ed’s the art guy’s workshop
Ed’s workshop was on Thursday March 20th at 11:00 a.m.

Ed’s workshop was on art and coping with mental health. He is an accomplished artist and he deals with mental health himself. Ed’s workshop was fun he introduced us to a whole new world of painting. He had us paint our names on a piece of paper backwards and press it on a glass. When we did that and rubbed it the painting came out great. We also played around with potatoes. What we did was carved a little design in the potato and applied paint to it then pressed it against a piece of paper and something wonderful appeared with an interesting design on it. We all had a great and messy time. Boy was it awesome.

Creative Commons - Some Rights Reserved!

2008-04-07T15:47:00.005-04:00

This blog is licensed with Creative Commons. This is not the same as copyright.

Copyright means that someone has to ask you before using your work for any purpose. Sometimes it's a pain in the butt to ask permission.

[For example, when you find a picture on the internet that is perfect to illustrate your story, it's easy to take it, but it's harder to ask the owner of the picture for permission to use it. ]

Our Creative Commons license gives people limited rights to use your work, but only on certain conditions. If you decide to write something for actionread.blogspot.com, no one can use your work without meeting these conditions:

1) attribution: Other people can use your work, but only if they give you credit ("written by Kimm Khagram" for example).

2)non-commercial: Other people can't make money from your work.

3)non-derivative: No one can change or remix your work. They must use the whole thing.

Here's the best part:

You can use other people's Creative Commons work too! People can license words, pictures, sounds, videos, and software using Creative Commons. Click here to search Creative Commons.

-Kimm

New software: Spelling Fusion

2008-04-07T15:25:00.002-04:00

I just installed Spelling Fusion on the computer called "Action Read 2," the one with the flat screen monitor. The program teaches sight word reading, spelling and pronunciation for over 3700 words from 12 categories. For each word, there is a colour photograph, a clearly written sentence, and four spelling activities. Put on the headphones, and you can listen to someone saying the word in singular or plural, by itself or in a sentence.

I think that this is a great program! It's easy to figure out how to use without reading instructions. It's clearly laid out, with big clear text, great pictures, and with a real human voice reading the words.

Learners who are working on their sight vocabulary, spelling or pronunciation should try this program.

-Kimm

May Tutor Training

2008-04-07T15:22:00.002-04:00

Our next tutor training is coming up! Here are the dates:

Part 1: Tuesday May 6th, 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Part 2: Saturday May 10th, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

If you know anyone who might be interested in tutoring, please let them know these dates and ask them to call Action Read for more information. Thanks!

Virtual Resumes

2008-04-04T13:50:00.002-04:00

Here's a creative way to make a good first impression with an employer. Make a virtual resume using video or photographs and sound, and send it along with your paper resume.

Here's an example by Hilda Johnston, posted on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bll0f2-8Yzg

If you want help making your own virtual resume, ask Kimm for some help during computer drop-in group!

Guelph Mercury Website Review

2008-03-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

Name of website: Guelph Mercury

Web address: http://www..guelphmercury.com/news/index.cfm

What is it? The official website of the Guelph Mercury newspaper

What I think: I like the website because it was easy to use because if you could look up the weather forecast. Everybody would use this website because it is newsworthy.

Reviewed by: Shawn Turner

Free tax clinics

2008-03-12T12:11:00.002-04:00

It's tax time again!

The Guelph Public Library sent us a list of FREE TAX CLINICS. They can help you prepare your taxes in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Persian, Serbian, Spanish, or Vietnamese!

Click here for more information: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/individuals/volunteer/clinics/guelph-on-e.html

New technology at Action Read!

2008-03-05T13:27:00.003-05:00

Action Read has some new tools to help you learn.

Franklin Merriam-Webster's Talking Electronic Dictionary: When you come across a word that you don't understand, type it in to the talking dictionary. It will speak the word to you, and will display the definition on its screen.

Key to Access: 10 adaptive software programs in 1 device! It's on a USB key so you can take it with you and use it on any computer. Includes scan and read, text-to-audio (like Kurzweil), universal e-text reader (like Read & Write Gold), word prediction software (like Word Q), an electronic dictionary and thesaurus, and more!

Dragon Naturally Speaking version 9: Speak into a microphone, and Dragon will type exactly what you say into the computer! You can also use Dragon voice commands for formating, surfing the web, and making your way around the Windows desktop. If you've been frustrated by previous versions of Dragon that had trouble recognizing what you say, try the new edition - it's way better.

If you are interested in these programs and gadgets, please ask Kimm for more information. I'll hook you up.

bbc skills wise games

2008-02-21T14:46:00.002-05:00

www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/ is an united kingdom(england) site to play educational game such as a murder mystery but, beware that the lingo and money game is hard as it's in pounds. I don't get it either. So try it out as an adventure...

Calendar of Events

2008-02-20T09:16:00.002-05:00

History with Brenda Turner
February 20th, 2008
12:15-1:00p.m.
This meeting is about Alberta
Diversity Action Group meeting
February 25th, 2008 at 1:00p.m.
"Macrame with Murray"
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
11:00a.m. Please register at (519)-836-2759 as materials will need to bought.

Shawn's E-book

2008-02-15T11:57:00.003-05:00

You can now find my e-book at the following link
Shawn's E-book

Calendar of Events

2008-02-14T09:52:00.003-05:00

Monday, February 18th, 2008 - Action Read will be open on Family Day.

Friday, March 21, 2008 - Action Read will be closed for Good Friday.
Monday, March 24, 2008 - Action Read will be closed for Easter Monday.

RELIGIOUS DAYS
Orthodox Lent begins March 10th
Good Friday, March 21st

Easter March 23rd

clue finders

2008-02-13T14:28:00.003-05:00

Clue finders is a learning game. They range from grade 3 to grade 6. each game has a different story to it. They are fun games that help learners with math and spelling. What you have to do is find clues to solve puzzles. It is a fun way of learning I really enjoy this game. you can play it on the orange computer. I hope you have as much fun playing it as i do www.learningcompany.com/

spark notes

2008-02-13T14:15:00.003-05:00

spark notes are very useful if you want to read Shakespeare. It is written in plain english as well as the way shakespeare wrote it in the 1600s. It also has notes on history, films , poetry, writing and many more interesting things. I found it very useful when i started to read Shakespeare. It made it easier for me to understand what his plays are about http://nfs.sparknotes.com

wizards right chapter 3

2008-02-13T14:06:00.003-05:00

i put chapter 3 up on my blog chapter 1 and 2 are still up ih this chapter Andy meets Ptrincess Katch and the fun will begin it is on my blog http:// thewizardsright.blogspot.com

2008-02-13T11:53:00.002-05:00

Chapter 1

The story begins in the future. Captain David Jamieson was at home cleaning up when the phone rang. “Hello said Captain David Jamieson. This is Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots calling. “I would like you to join the Autobots” said Optimus. “It would be a honour to join the Autobots” said Captain David Jamieson. “ I will pick you up in twenty minutes “said Optimus. “Ok said Captain David Jamieson. The reason I was fired by the Decepticons because I failed Megatron that I could’nt bring him the energon cubes that he requested “said Captain David Jamieson. “ I understand said Optimus. Twenty minutes later Optimus arrived where Captain David Jamieson was patiently waiting. Let’s get going before the Decepticons show up “said Optimus. “Good idea Optimus “said Captain David Jamieson. Meanwhile at the underwater base the Decepticons were discussing a plan of attack to destroy the Autobots. Starscream came in and informed Megatron that the Auto bots recruited Captain David Jamieson to their squadron.”Megatron was outraged. “I can’t stand that the Auto bots recruited one of our best “said Megatron. “We must get him back said Soundwave. “Good thinking Soundwave said Megatron in a pleased voice. The Decepticons left their underwater headquarters in search of Captain David Jamieson. Soon Optimus and Captain David Jamieson arrived at Auto bot headquarters hidden inside a volcano. The rest of the Auto bots were glad to see that their leader has returned with a new recruit to be added to the squadron. “Who is the new recruit “ asked Ironhide. “This is Captain David Jamieson “said Optimus. “He is joining to help us defeat our enemies “said Optimus. “That’s great said Bumblebee. THE END.

Chapter 2

The next day Optimus decided to transform Captain David Jamieson into an 18 wheeler like him. Captain David Jamieson was laid out on the operating table. Optimus pulled the lever and Captain David Jamieson was transformed into an 18 wheeler like Optimus Prime. He was named Captain Prime. The rest of the Auto bots were amazed that Captain David Jamieson was transformed into an 18 wheeler like their leader Optimus Prime. Meanwhile the Decepticons were still trying to locate Captain David Jamieson and the Auto bots. “Do you think the Auto bots are waiting for us “asked Starscream. “I wouldn’t be surprised “said Megatron. Soundwave was scanning the area with his microscope. “Any sign of them “asked Megatron. “Not yet said Soundwave. Moments later back at the Auto bot headquarters. Optimus and the Auto bots were having a private discussion on how they can defeat their enemies. THE END

Chapter 3

The story continues back at the Autobot’s headquarters hidden inside the volcano.

Optimus Prime , Captain Prime and the Autobots were having a private meeting in the conference area. “The Decepticons are planning an attack on us” said Optimus Prime. “How are we going to stop them “asked Captain Prime. “We will teach them an lesson they won’t soon forget if it’s the last thing we do “said Bumblebee. The meeting was over and the Autobots walked out of the conference area and returned to the main control room.

Ironhide was scanning the area for any possible Decepticon attack. “Find anything Ironhide “asked Optimus. “No not yet Optimus “said Ironhide. Meanwhile back at the Decepticons underwater base. Megatron was having a private meeting with his fellow troops. “We must find the Autobots base immediately so that we can capture Captain David Jamieson and make him join us again “said Megatron. All the fellow troops agreed with Megatron’s decision. The meeting was concluded and the Decepticons took off from their underwater base in search of the Autobot’s base and Captain David Jamieson as well. Minutes later at the Autobot’s base. Optimus Prime was thinking on how to stop their enemies from reaching their secret headquarters. Captain Prime was sleeping in his quarters when there was a knock on his door. “Enter said Captain Prime. Optimus walked in and told Captain Prime that he has a plan on how to stop their enemies from reaching their base. “Great work Optimus “said Captain Prime. The End.

Chapter 4

Optimus Prime told Captain Prime his plan that they are going to set up defences around the base so that if their enemies try to attack the defences will start firing automatically at their enemies. “Excellent plan Optimus “said Captain Prime in a pleased voice. Moments later Ironhide came running in with urgent news. “Optimus, Captain the Decepticons have entered the base “said Ironhide. “Prepare the defences straight away “ said Captain Prime. “Yes sir” said Ironhide saluting. “The defences are ready to fire on your command “ said Ironhide. “Fire said Captain Prime. The defences started firing at the Decepticons and they were defeated once and for all. “Excellent work Ironhide “said Captain Prime. The Decepticons are defeated once and for all. “Thank goodness for that “said Optimus in a proud voice. “Let’s celebrate this great victory over our enemies “said Optimus. “Good idea Optimus “said Captain Prime. The Autobots celebrated their great victory over the Decepticons. Captain David Jamieson remained with the Autobots forever. The End

Cultural and religious days

2008-01-24T14:25:00.000-05:00

February 6, 2008
Ash Wednesday (Christianity)
This day begins the season of Lent in the Christian Church.

February 7th, 2008
Chinese New Year's Day

2008-01-18T11:31:00.001-05:00

ACTION READ
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Thursday January 24th, 10:00 - 12:00 - "Talking to your Doctor"
Thursday January 31, 10:00 - 12:00 - "Diabetes: What you need to know"
Wednesday February 6, 12:15 - 1:00 - "Canadian History with Brenda Turner" - The first workshop will be about British Columbia. Bring your lunch!
Tuesday February 26, 7:00 - "Journey Down Under" with Jan Sherman. Join Jan as she tells us about her trip to Australia through photographs.

For the puzzle challengers in you!!

2008-01-16T14:49:00.000-05:00

if you want an challenging web site check out
http://www.readymech.com/ it gives you puzzles to print out and put together.

check it out on a computer near you.

http://www.spotthedifference.com/ is another website for the challenging mind. It shows you two pictures and you have to spot the differences.
Complete the level and move to the next one to the unknown universe.

Both these websites are challenging check them out!

How to Leave Comments on the Blog!

2008-01-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

Did you know that you can leave a comment on a blog post? Comments allow everyone to participate in a blog, not just the person who creates that blog.

Here's how to comment:

1. At the bottom of each blog post, you'll see something that looks like this:

To leave a comment, click on "0 Comments."

2. Next, you'll see a screen that looks like this:

You can write your comments in the empty space.

3. When you have written your comments, scroll down until you see this:

Click next to Anonymous. (if you want to write your name, include it in the comment).

4. Click "Publish Your Comment".

5. You're done! Anyone who reads the blog can now also read your comments.

Calendar of Events

2008-01-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

January 30th, 2008
Family Literacy Day Celebration
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Guelph Public Library, Main Branch
100 Norfolk Street, Upper Level
Funky Mamas will be performing.
Please Register at Action Read by calling 519-836-2759 or e-mailing actionstaf@on.aibn.com

Thursday, January 31st. 2008
"Living With Diabetes" workshop
10:00a.m.-12:00 noon. Snacks will be provided.

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008
Canadian History- British Columbia with Brenda Turner.
12:15=1:00p.m. Bring your lunch as we learn about Canada

Thursday. February 7th, 2008
"Diabetes: What You Need To Know"
10:00a.m.-12:00 noon
Snacks will be provided

February 7th, 2008
Book Launch: "Our Canadian Memories" by the For the Love of Words Group
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

The Wizards Right

2008-01-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

Hi this is andrew. I have put the first chapter of The Wizards Right on the web. (Click here to read it!) I hope you enjoy reading it. If you have any comments feel free to leave them on my blog. I will be posting the next chapter soon. You can visit my blog at thewizardsright.blogspot.com

2007-12-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

This Space Available: Post your writing here!

Welcome to the new learner homepage. As you can see, the links have been reorganized into categories, and there’s now a blog.

What is a blog? It is short for “web log.” Basically, it’s a kind of journal that is shared on the internet. Click here for a more detailed description.

This blog will be updated regularly with Action Read community news and events, links to interesting websites, and learner writing.

How do I use this blog? For now, scroll up and down to read Cheryl's story and Shawn's calendar of events. The most recent posts are at the top of the page. Stay tuned for monthly blogging tips.

How do I get my writing on this blog? Talk to Andy, Cheryl or Kimm, or send an email to artutor@on.aibn.com. We are looking for new learner writing to post in this space every month!

How do I start my own blog? It’s very easy – if you have ever created an email account, you have the skills to start your own blog and to publish your thoughts, photos, sounds, videos and web links on the internet. Kimm can help you with this during the computer drop-in.

2007-12-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

JANUARY 2008 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NOTE: Action Read will be closed from Friday, December 21st 2007 through Tuesday, January 1st, 2008 and will reopen on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 at 9:30a.m.

NOTE: The Action Read Snack Stand will be closed from Friday, December 14th, 2007 through Friday, January 4th, 2008 and will reopen on Monday, January 7th, 2008.

Christmas Day: December 25th, 2007

Kwanzaa: December 26th, 2007 through January 1st, 2008

Guelph Ecumenical Week of Guided Prayer: Sunday, January 20th through Saturday, January 26th, 2008, opening and closing locations to be determined.

ManuLife Walk for Memories Saturday, January 19th, 2008, 9:00a.m. until noon at Old Quebec Street Mall, 55 Wyndham Street. For pledge sheets visit either:http://www.walkformemories.ca/ or http://alzheimer.guelph.org/ or contact Rachel Lemme at 519-836-7672

December 22,2007 is Winter Solstice. This is the shortest day of the year and the first day of Winter.

2007-12-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

part one of Maude Harriet Sando.
a story by Cheryl

Tears rolled down her cheeks as the minister put the holy water on the baby’s forehead. Her knees wobbled as they passed her the baby. This would be her namesake. Like her the baby was being baptized Maude Harriet Sando. This was her first grate granddaughter. Sarah her grand-daughter wept too as they laid the baby in her grandmothers arms. Maude’s husband Wilbert stood be sided her proudly smiling, he winked at her she then knew it would be okay.

Her Great- Great Grandmother Maude Harriet Sando (Lamerson was her maiden name) was born July 15, 1897 in New York City. She was the third of 13 kids and the oldest girl.

She had gone to school for five years, now Maude stayed home to help mother with the younglings’. Her two older brothers worked in the mines with their dad.

They lived in a medium size house that father and her two older brothers had built. The house had five bedrooms. Maude, Jessie, Mary, and little one (her name was really Margret) but, she was the youngest girl and everyone called her Little One all shared a bed and a room.

The boys had two, each had set sets of bunk beds and Johnny had his own bed, and Mother and Father had a room the last one was a sewing room where the girls and mother would do their sewing. Hey made clothes as well as did mending for their neighbors.
--

To read the rest of this story, visit Cheryl's blog, Art Where Art Thou?

2007-11-28T12:47:00.000-05:00

CALENDAR OF COMMUNITY EVENTS by Shawn Turner

December 2nd, 2007:
Christmas Memorial Service - for people who have lost loved ones
Where: Hart Chapel, Gilbert McIntyre and Sons Funeral Homes Limited
1099 Gordon Street
For more info: Call 519-822-4731 or visit http://www.gilbertmcintyreandsons.com/

Tuesday, December 4th:
C.N.I.B. Christmas party
Where: Holiday inn of Guelph
601 Scottsdale Drive Guelph
For more info: Call 1-800-265-4127 Ext 5171 or visit http://www.cnib.ca/ontario/

Wednesday, December 5th:
Action Read Holiday Party
Where: Dublin Street United Church
154 Dublin Street North (enter through parking lot doors)
For more info: call 519-836-2759 or email actionstaf@on.aibn.com

Thursday, December 6th:
Montreal Massacre Memorial Vigil
Where: St. George's Square

Saturday, December 8th 2:00-3:00p.m.
Christmas Community Carol Sing
Where: St. George's Anglican Church
99 Woolwich Street
For more info: call: 519-822-1366 or visit http://www.saintgeorge.ca/events.html

Monday, December 10th:
Diversity Action Group meeting with Fred Gerrior of Guelph Transit
For more info: call Sarah at 519-836-2759 or email argroup@on.aibn.com

actionread.blogspot.com

my favorite birds

Do You Know About Little Chistmas?

Will’s Fire House Museum - by Brenda

Mother to Daughter

Email scam alert!

Volunteer Appreciation week is April 18-24

Field Trip 2009

United Way Halloween Fundraiser a Success

Action Read Special Olympian Wins Four Medals

The church of our lady

My Graduation

Invitation to the Annual General Meeting

Action Read Board Seeks Learner Rep!

The Church Of Our Lady

This space available!

AlphaPlus Tech Podcasts - posted by Kimm

Barack Hussein Obama

Laughter Yoga at Action Read

Brenda"s Lucy maud MONTGOMERY story

What's New by Shawn Turner

The Good Eats Group

Science Facts by Cheryl

Upcoming Events by Shawn Turner

Malignant Hyperthermia

Free (or cheap) movie at the Bookshelf Saturday!

Relieve Tension From Depression

United Way Campaign

Action Read Holds Self Advocacy Workshop

The Other Women in My Uncles Life

Eden Mills Writers Festival a wash out

Photo Project

Gloria Kovach's responses to learners' questions

The Candidates Were Candid

Federal candidates meeting

Recycling is the key

Art in the Street

Shawn Turner Goes to Day Camp

canada poem

My review of the movie the Freedom Writers

art fest

A Day In Your Shoes

Blog Guelph Review

Learner Appreciation Night

Learner Volunteers for Southern Ontario Amazing Race

"Beauty or Beast" by Sarah Annis

art and mental health

Creative Commons - Some Rights Reserved!

New software: Spelling Fusion

May Tutor Training

Virtual Resumes

Guelph Mercury Website Review

Free tax clinics

New technology at Action Read!

bbc skills wise games

Calendar of Events

Shawn's E-book

Calendar of Events

clue finders

spark notes

wizards right chapter 3

Transformers written by Captain David Jamieson Copyright 2008

Cultural and religious days

For the puzzle challengers in you!!

How to Leave Comments on the Blog!

Calendar of Events

The Wizards Right