Su Casa - Summer 2008 Newsletter
Mi Casa….Su Casa
From the Director’s Desk:
It has already been a year since I started at Su Casa and somehow it feels much longer. Maybe because I had never really left Su Casa since the first time I stepped in here almost 11 years ago. I remember the work and commitment of so many individuals who just wanted to make a difference. Their energy and passion were inspiring. Luckily, we still have among us some of those old ‘dreamers’ and ‘believers’, but we are also blessed with new ones.
During this past year, I have met so many new individuals who are ready to make a difference. They come from different backgrounds, different age groups, and different lifestyles, but they all have something in common: the passion for what they do. They are my role models. They are the gift that maybe He put in my path to revitalize me when I do not dream or believe anymore. They are our volunteers. I have learned to see through our volunteers the chance that He gives me to model dedication and kindness. They make a difference everyday in the lives of our families and we learn so much about ourselves through them. This Christmas, we give special thanks and recognition to our dedicated volunteers. You are very special and we appreciate you and love you very much.
¡Gracias por estar con nosotros!
Sofia Moyano-Kleckner
Educational Services
Katie Fowler, Education Coordinator. Ph: 761-1588 ext. 14
We love English!
It has been a very busy and exciting year for our classes! There are so many people that want to learn English that we have three Level 1 ESL classes with approximately 13 people in each class. We are very fortunate to have three dedicated and energetic volunteer teachers as well as three helpful assistants (Yes! Very personal instruction!) We thank Dr. Mary Benedetti from the University of Cincinnati and Dr. Eva Rodriguez Gonzalez from Miami University for providing training to our instructors in the TPRS method (Total Physical Response Storytelling) and Communicative teaching. Our students had a Level 1 exam on December 14, which determines if they can continue to Level 2. Next session begins January 18, 2009, for level 1 and 2.
Lilian Ortiz teaching the English class
Window or Mac?
It doesn’t matter...We only care about the terrific things going on in our computer class. This is what our some of our students said in their evaluations: “Buenísimo. Ahora ya sé como buscar direcciones en la Internet” (Great! Now I know how to look for directions in the Internet), “Estoy muy contenta de saber cómo usar el email ahora. ¡Gracias! (I am very happy that now I know how to use email. Thanks!). Students have learned how to type more effectively, write a document on Microsoft Word, search the Internet, develop a resume, and much more. The class has many assistants from Xavier University helping us to provide more personal instruction to the students.
Students hard at work in the Su Casa computer lab.
Mi Salud is your Health!
Not only have we expanded the education program, but we have also continued to develop our heath program. We have offered workshops on topics such as “How to Prepare for an Emergency” and are planning a workshop on lead prevention for February. In addition, we assisted Santa María Community Services with their successful Health Fair on Sunday, September 28, 2008. Our next Health Fair will be Sunday January 1, 2009, where will be providing mammograms, pap smears, prostate exams and much more.
Vacaciones Utiles (Yes!, We love our children!!!)
Our Vacaciones Utiles summer program did not end this past August. We continue to work with the children and their parents. We held a Su Casa Family Night on Friday, October 3, where 22 people from our summer program ate pizza and watched the movie Happy Feet. In addition, we took 19 children from the summer program along with other children ages 8-12 from Su Casa to see A Christmas Carol at Playhouse in the Park on Sunday, December 14. This wonderful experience was made possible because of Barbara and Bill Weyand, sponsors of A Christmas Carol, who generously donated not only the 25 tickets, but also bus transportation to and from Su Casa. We are very thankful to one of our volunteers from Vacaciones Utiles, Lois Rust, the Director of Fine Arts at Cincinnati Country Day School, who worked very hard to organize this event.
Mrs. Barbara Weyand and her son John with their guests
from Su Casa at the Playhouse in the Park
Lastly, we offered a workshop titled Play and Creativity, which taught parents stimulating ways they can play with their children. We had 20 parents in attendance. This workshop is from the PBS series Los Niños en Su Casa. We had a fiesta for the parents and their children following this workshop where they received gifts donated by P&G and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. ¡Muchas gracias amigos!
Parents loved the Play and Creativity workshop and posing with Santa!
Cincinnati Police and Su Casa
What a team! Cincinnati Police and Su Casa have partnered to educate our police officers and our community. Su Casa has provided eight sessions of Cultural Competency Training to the Cincinnati Police Academy and one day of eight-hour language training for their new recruits. Training was provided by the Director of Su Casa, Sofia Moyano-Kleckner. It was a great experience to see how our Cincinnati police officers are open to learning about our culture and the barriers that many of our families face on a daily basis. They want to help us to make our city a much safer place for all immigrants. Su Casa will continue to work with the Cincinnati Police to ensure that our Hispanic community is aware of the law and their rights as individuals.
Information and Referral Services
Margaret Singer Ext 13, John Sullivan Ext 15 – Case Workers
Su Casa Christmas’s Wish List
This is the time of the year when wishes come true… and they did for many of the families that we assist. Now we would like to ask you to check our wish list and see if you can make ours come true.
- 1 Lap Top
- 1 projector
- 1 projector screener
- 1 digital camera
- 1 business card scanner
- 1 VCR and DVD player (combo)
- White boards to replace the chalk boards from our conference and computer rooms
- 1 stereo
- 1 refrigerator
- A water fountain
Christmas is Navidad!
We thank the generosity of the Hispanic groups of P&G, TODOS from Toyota, the Spanish Club of Wyoming High School, the Weyand family and individual donations for making many of our needy families see their Christmas wishes come true. Thank you to each of the contributors! You were a real Papá Noél!
TODOS from Toyota
Gracias! Wyoming High School
P&G and our families, Gracias Amigos!!!
¡Feliz Navidad y un Próspero Año Nuevo!
Su Casa Hispanic Center
7036 Fairpark Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45216
513 761-1588
513 761-9538 Fax