Hogar Immigrant Services E-nunciations

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love

This well-known Christmas song came on the radio the other day. I had my 8-year-old son in the car with me. We were frantically driving from one stop to the next, shopping for presents, picking up dry-cleaning, and buying items for the Hogar Christmas party. When the song ended, my son asked me “What does that mean, Dad… the last part about proving the wonders of His love?”

His question made me realize that I have heard and sung that song countless times over the last 40 years without really thinking about the words and what they mean. As with so many prayers or songs that we have heard since childhood, I had fallen into a mindless (although spirited) repetition of the lyrics without letting them really sink in. In the car that day, I sputtered out a lame response that was somehow sufficient to satisfy his curiosity. Or perhaps he was simply distracted by the next song on the radio.

But I have been thinking about non-stop it ever since. At the party for our four new citizens this month. At the graduation ceremonies where students brought family members to witness the presentation of certificates by proud teachers. In Room 310 (normally a classroom and computer lab) that has been transformed into a makeshift “Santa’s workshop” for the children of clients and students. From the extra hours of a tired but dedicated volunteer to the smile on the face of a newly minted citizen to the wrapped boxes of warm clothes and toys to the holiday meal for a hungry family, the compassion of friends and strangers alike surrounds us here at Hogar.

So, as we prepare to close out another calendar year, I want to thank you all—staff, volunteers, partners, donors—for proving the wonders of His love each and every day. On behalf of everyone here at Hogar, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Social Services Updates

Some of the WRO staff and volunteers supported the Salvation Army's annual Thanksgiving dinner on November 24. Dawn Dumas and her husband, Martha Michael and her family, and Dale Brown all helped prep and serve a bountiful meal. Families and individuals from throughout Loudoun County were able to enjoy a good meal and good company and appreciated a genrous kick-off to the holiday season. Local retailers and restaurants supplied much of the food and fixins while dinner volunteers rolled up their sleeves and wiped their brows to cook and serve many from within our community.

In addition the WRO office handed out pre-packaged food from our pantry/gift cards to 20 families.

Volunteer Spotlight

Alicia Banks

This month Hogar would like to recognize volunteer site coordinator, Alicia Banks. She is a new volunteer who joined our ranks in September, but she has quickly distinguished herself as one of our most dedicated site coordinators. Alicia grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Christopher Newport University before transferring to the College of William and Mary where she received her Bachelor’s in Hispanic Studies and Anthropology. Before coming Hogar she traveled to both Guatemala and Mexico where she volunteered in orphanages and taught in public schools.

Her strong interest in education and in supporting the immigrant community led her to Hogar. She has spent time substitute-teaching as an ESL teacher in the public school system, as a resource assistant with special needs children, and is currently a certified interpreter with the Loudon County public school system. In addition to all of that, she co-teaches one of the St. Leo’s ESL classes and coordinates the site. She is boundless in her patience and her enthusiasm to help support the students at St. Leo’s. She goes far beyond the routine work that it takes to keep a site running. She personally makes sure that all students and teachers have all that they need to succeed and delights in bringing her professional experience with learning disabilities to the ESL classroom. She never hesitates to do any extra work and is so clearly invested in each and every student who comes to St. Leo’s English classes.

Here she is in her own words:

“I always find it amazing that students thank me for helping them, both as an instructor or as a site coordinator- because in turn I am just grateful for the students being there, ready and willing to learn. I am thankful for and I look forward to every class and opportunity I have to work with the people at Hogar, because I know whatever I contribute will in time flourish ten-fold.”

“One of the best feelings I get is when I am explaining a concept or a lesson in class and I see the light bulbs of comprehension reflecting in the students’ eyes. Even more so, as much as I teach the students, they are instructing me in return- every class I learn something new from them. Knowing I make a difference in someone’s life is one of the most rewarding experiences I can conceive of.”

We’re so glad she found us!

December's Vignette

Presently, Gustavo Perdomo, can be found manning the kitchen at a busy American-style restaurant, and in the classroom as an ESL student at Hogar Immigrant Services.
Up until five years ago, Gustavo could be found working as a Child Psychiatrist at SOS Children’s Villages International, an NGO in his native El Salvador. SOS Children's Villages focuses on family-based, long-term care of children who can no longer grow up with their biological families. At the facility, children benefit from loving and reliable relationships, allowing them to recover from often times traumatic experiences. They grow up in a stable family environment, and are supported individually until they become independent young adults. Given El Salvador’s long history of poverty, natural disasters, and civil war, Gustavo’s psychiatric services were in high demand.

Still, despite his success and effectiveness, Gustavo thought he could achieve more if he sought opportunities outside of El Salvador. He immigrated to the United States in search of a better education, a job in psychiatry-which would allow him to help others on an even larger level, and a better life in general for him and his family. What he got was a job as a chef and a whole new set of challenges.

He has had difficulty finding work in his trained profession, as many immigrants do, because employers often overlook or don’t accept degrees and experience obtained overseas. He is not deterred. Taking classes at Hogar is part of Gustavo’s plan to re-educate himself and make himself marketable to employers of the types of jobs he knows he was meant for; helping others.
Gustavo learned about English classes at Hogar when he came in seeking help in getting his university transcript from the school he attended in El Salvador. He tested into the advanced class, and with only one semester under his belt, says he has already learned a lot. Gustavo would like to continue with the Transitions class offered by Hogar in the upcoming winter semester, but is unsure it will be possible due to his restaurant work schedule in the evenings.
One thing he is sure of, however, is his belief that with work and faith, no goal is out of reach. He believes categorically in his ability to reach his goals and so do we. Good luck to Gustavo and all the Hogar Students!

Teacher Tip

Use Evaluation to Give your Class a Kick

As teachers we are often constantly trying to guess and strategize to encourage more participation in our classes, to increase retention of students, and keep the attention of our classes. Sometimes we forget that the students themselves can be a great resource for help in planning lessons.

Many of us have tried before asking our class informally, sometimes when frustrated, “What would you like to do?" But, by implementing a few procedures to record student responses, this exercise can become a much more effective way to include student input in your planning process

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Here are some ways to survey your students that can enhance your class-planning:

Pre-semester- At the beginning of the semester, create a survey for your students in which they are asked to indicate how confident they feel about various aspects of English language learning (pronunciation, various verb tenses, speaking vs listening vs writing), and what content areas they are interested in (types of vocabulary, situations in which they want to use English). This can help you plan what sections of the book to cover as well as what you may want to incorporate into the class to supplement the book.
Regular Anonymous Class Evaluation- Beginning in the first few weeks of class you can institute a regular schedule for students to submit at the end of a week or month an anonymous evaluation about the week’s classes and any suggestions they have for how to improve the class. It can be as simple as a few sentences jotted down during the last five minutes of class.
Self-Evaluation- Before beginning or ending a unit, survey students as to their skill level to gauge any progress and to assess how well the students may already know a subject before you begin to cover it.
Post-semester- At the end of the semester, create a follow-up survey to gauge how much students learned in the class and what new skills they acquired. Also ask about their favorite and least favorite activities in class that year.