CALC Newsletter
April Edition: Volume 3, Issue 6
Writer: Gabriela de Oliveira
Editor: Christine Cordio
Editor: Mike McEachern
Perfect Attendance
The school year is almost over! It’s outstanding to see the effort students put in each day they come to the classroom. In this month of March, many students are remaining dedicated, and this leads to good results. Thank you for your presence! We’re almost there, keep going!
Students who received perfect attendance in the month of March:
Sukei Leonard, Junio Excellent, Falonne Lambert, Vesna Carville, Arkady Farberov, Allenk Figueiredo, Reynald Eugene, Houng Pham, Ramona Suriel, Moises Carneiro, Selvin Medina, Gloria Barrera, Darlene Pinheiro, Wilmar Guzman, Fernanda DaSilva, Rosa Quiles, Katherine Aviles, Kely Cuxeva, Jonnathan Mendez, Susana Jacome, Yojani Barrera, Hatixhe Memishaj, Loyda Mendez
Looking to the Future: A Series of Interviews with Former Students from CALC
Student Spotlight: Angelica Arroyo
By Gabriela de Oliveira on April 7
Angelica is a dedicated student whom we interviewed this month. In 2020, she moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States. Angelica currently lives in Clinton and shares that it is a totally different experience from her home country. Angelica says “ I am appreciating the seasons and their changes, the different cultures, and the cities.”
Also in 2020, Angelica enrolled at the Clinton Adult Education Center (CALC) and was interested by the many things she saw. “I was attracted by the facility, the professional level of the teachers and administrative staff…”, said Angelica. Since enrolling, Angelica tries hard not to miss any classes, because she wants to learn and enjoys being part of the class. One of Angelica's favorite things is the dynamic way that the teachers engage students during lessons. She stated, “Each class is an opportunity to learn something new”.
This opportunity to study at the CALC has opened new doors for Angelica. “In March 2021, I learned about Clinton Community Steward Training from an email I received... In October 2021, I was selected by the Clinton Public Schools, as a member of the Clinton Middle School MSBA Committee. Belonging to this committee has been an extraordinary experience,” Angelica said.
Opportunity is the word that Angelica uses to summarize her experience at the CALC: the opportunity to learn English, to meet new people, and to grow as a person. The advice Angelica has for students is “Don’t miss the opportunity to be here and learn and don’t give up, even though the road seems difficult at times”. Angelica was given the chance to attend the Clinton Adult Learning Center and encourages other students to take advantage of this wonderful program.
Getting to Know Your Teacher!
This article is a part of an ongoing series that documents the lives of workers and students at the CALC. We hope these articles allow you to get to know our members better and grow a deeper connection with their personalities!
Staff Spotlight: Casey Wetherell
By Gabriela de Oliveira on March 31, 2022
Casey has worked as an Instructional Aide in the FATE Program at Clinton High School for over 16 years. She didn’t have any plans to start a new job, but luckily for us, she opened an email that led her to work as a teacher at the Clinton Adult Learning Center today. Casey said “One day, an email came through about a job opening teaching ESL at night at the CALC. I opened the email and I could not stop thinking about it for days, so I knew that I needed to apply. Since then, I am thankful everyday that I opened that email!” Hopefully, this is the first year at CALC of many years for Casey. Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, Casey grew up in Boylston, Massachusetts. She went to college in Virginia and studied abroad in Spain. After some time Casey decided to come back and rebuild her life. Now, she has a big beautiful family with 3 children and 2 dogs.
At CALC, Casey is responsible for teaching beginning level ESL students in the evenings. “I believe that I have a heart for helping others. Watching the students learn and grow with such appreciation and excitement brings me so much joy” she said. This line matches completely with one of the adjectives she described herself “I would describe myself as … empathetic”. The experience has been reported as fulfilling because of the energy of the students. Casey described “I would have to say fulfilling, for sure. I can be completely exhausted after a long day at my other job. As soon as the students start walking through the door, I feel a new energy that they bring with them. They are so eager to learn and so appreciative and so fun, that I leave every class feeling fulfilled.” Welcome to CALC Casey!
Citizenship Preparation Classes
Citizenship preparation classes are back! Classes include students from different countries who are excited to learn and prepare for the citizenship exam.
This course runs for 10 weeks from March to mid May and focuses on preparing the students for the citizenship test. Morning classes are taught by Ivette Curiel and evening classes are taught by Ingrid Soto. As part of the course, students receive help in completing the application form, practice for the interview, and learn important test prep subject material, which includes U.S. History and Government. Dictation and listening skills will also be reviewed in the class.
Students must be eligible to apply for citizenship and be able to speak English to enroll in class. Students receive a folder with the application, the one hundred questions and directions on how to apply for citizenship. Applications are filed during the 10-week course and students will be fully prepared and confident going into the interview.
Since our last graduation ceremony in 2019, twenty students have received U.S. Citizenship after attending our classes. Congratulations to everyone!
Clinton Adult Learning Center
Email: clintonadulted@thecalc.org
Website: thecalc.org
Location: 150 School Street, Clinton, MA, USA
Phone: 9783654226
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCALC/
Twitter: @The_CALC