ENCOUNTER NEWS
MAY 2015
In This Issue
Bruce’s Bit
Around the Workshops
ESL
Adult Literacy
Literacy for Life Skills
Ocean Encounter
Pelican AKtion Club
Gone Fishing
Nursery News
Going Potty
Open & Fun Day
Board Briefs
Hello Everyone. The upcoming Open/Fun Day is
progressing well and I extend many thanks to all
involved in its implementation.
As most of you are aware, Encounter Centre’s
40th Anniversary will fall this year. The board has
some ideas, but would invite members of the
centre to have input into the celebrations of this
milestone.
The past eighteen months have highlighted the
vulnerability of funding for our organization and
the board is investigating new ways to raise
funds. These include bequests, open days and
sponsorships.
Patricia Marsland has recently given a
presentation to the board re bequests and I
would like to thank Patricia for her expertise in
this matter and offer of further assistance in the
future.
Many thanks to all.
Alan (Chairman)
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Bruce’s Bit
We welcome two new volunteers this month.
Kiana Menz is helping with the ESL and Literacy
classes and Nicole Watts is starting a placement
in Literacy and Disability classes for her Diploma
of Youth Work course.
I have done a radio interview with Fleurieu FM,
where I talked about the various programs,
literacy classes and activities which we run at
the Centre. There was also a chance to mention
the “Fun and Open Day” which will be held on
Monday 8th May.
I have been getting evidence together for our
Australian Service Excellence Standards three
yearly Assessment. The ASES is ensuring that we
comply with various Government Legislation, as
we receive funding through Government grants.
The assessment should take place in early July.
Thank you to all of our volunteers for the time
and effort you put in to make Encounter Centre
what it is.
Bruce
Around the Workshops
ESL
Hi Everyone. One blink of an eye and another
month has gone and winter is upon us.
So don’t forget we have the CHEAPEST kindling
bags in town at the centre shop,
Production in the workshop is steaming ahead,
we haven’t really slowed down since pre
Christmas. As always some items that have
been really slow moving over most of last year
have become popular again.
Doug is at the moment working on a new line, a
Semi-Trailer-Car-Carrier with cars. The cars will
be able to be used with the garage and
hopefully it will become a popular line.
I would like to welcome Ann Bawden & Lee
Brock to the paint shop.
Not much to report this month / life goes on in
the work-paint shops. Thanks to all our
Volunteers for their fantastic work.
Cheers.
Jamie.
(English as a Second Language)
Another amazing term is just flying by! We
warmly welcome Taka, a new student from
Japan, who is working as an assistant teacher at
Investigator College.
Rong has returned to us from a lovely long
holiday- 2 months in China, then a wonderful
trip across to Western Australia for a month.
Sadly, Galyna has returned to Ukraine to spend
time with family and friends. She doesn’t have a
return date, but we think she will miss us too
much and want to come back!
Our weekly tests are proving to be very helpful.
Spelling, pronunciation and vocab (even a
general knowledge section) all provide
challenges and interesting discussion too.
As May is South Australia’s History month we
took time to visit the local Discovery Centre
where Fred and Kathy were so friendly as they
met us and showed us around. This week we
discussed and wrote about what we had
learned. One student wrote: ‘At the Discovery
Centre I learned that in 1802 a French ship and
an English ship met off the coast of present day
Encounter Bay. Even though the two countries
were at war, the 2 Captains, Nicolas Baudin and
Matthew Flinders had a friendly meeting.
So they gave the name Encounter Bay to the
area
’Look out for our photo in the local paper soon!
Ocean Encounter
(People supporting People)
May has seen us recommence the production of
our film, which has been written by Varl and
produced/directed by our volunteer – Darryl.
Everyone is excited to be involved. We can’t
wait to see the end result.
We celebrated International Volunteers Week
by hosting a morning tea for thirty of our
volunteers who support our participants. Tables
were set, orders were taken and the guys
served up delicious scones and cakes. All
enjoyed a serenade by the Ocean Encounter
choir and were presented with a certificate and
a gift of thanks.
We are once again participating in the People’s
Choice lottery. This year the funds will go
towards our programs and purchasing of
resources. If you would like to assist by selling
tickets, please see me on a Wednesday,
Thursday or Friday to collect a book. Or you can
buy tickets from the front shop at Encounter
Centre. Thank you in advance for supporting
our fundraising.
Carol (Disability SA)
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Adult Literacy
As Winter approaches some of our students
(and Tutors!) have been ‘struck down’ with
illness, so we wish each of them a very speedy
recovery and hope to have them back ‘on deck’
soon. We do miss them!
Sadly, last week we said goodbye to Jodie as she
makes the move to the city. We wish her well as
she settles in to her new home and makes new
friends. We are sure she will want to keep in
touch with us.
We continue working hard this term with our
theme ‘Travel and Transport’ on which the
students are enthusiastically working. Because
May is South Australia’s History month we have
focused on early forms of transport, which has
been a lot of fun.
Last week we went on a ‘Great Scavenger
Hunt’. Tanya wrote: ‘We filled in our worksheet.
We had to answer questions about the railway
and the horse drawn trams. It was cold and wet
weather’. In spite of the cold, damp weather
we persevered to find the information around
the Railway Station, Horse Tram Barn and about
the Horse tram itself before returning to enjoy
morning tea back at the Centre. Lots of fun!
Literacy for Life
This wonderful group continue to enjoy
learning together with all of the challenges of
our English language with its spelling variations.
Scrabble is a very popular game with both the
ESL students (4 or 5 of them now) who stay on
into the afternoon, and the Adult Literacy group
too. Each student discovers new vocabulary as
well as being challenged with spelling
idiosyncrasies. We do have fun as we learn!
Articles from ‘Breaking News English’ provides
interesting,
sometimes
controversial,
information for some of our students. Paul, Dan
and Evan seem to particularly enjoy reading,
discussing and answering questions about
these. Great work everyone!
Leonie
Pelican AKtion Club
May 4: This would normally be our AKtion Club
Meeting
with
community
service
at
Carrickalinga House. But for a change we went
to Gabrielle Carter’s home where we tidied up
her garden and then laid some mulch.
After all this hard work, for dinner we had
apricot chicken followed by chocolate jam roll
with ice-cream. (Delicious)
May 11: Off to Goolwa for a mystery tour which
included a quiz and to find different locations
and objects which was great fun. It was then
time for tea - hot dogs and chips - yum.
May 18: Disco Night!! Started with yummy, hot
soup to warm up and then the fun started. Lots
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of dancing with music by our own D.J. Nat, who
also provided most of the music and equipment.
Well done Nat. We all had a great evening.
May 25: We called today ‘Tea in the Country.’
After meeting at the centre we headed off to
“The Rock” Café, where we all enjoyed a
wonderful meal. This is a wonderful place and
we were made very welcome by the owners.
For those who aren’t aware, this café used to be
called Glacier Rock Café and is on the way to
Inman Valley. We definitely recommend ‘The
Rock’ when you are looking for somewhere to
eat out of town.
From the Gang.
Gone Fishing
May 5: A very windy & cold day so we needed
plenty of shelter. We set off to Clayton for
morning tea then onto Milang for a spot of
fishing. Barry and Clive were the only guys game
enough to throw in a line but with no luck - but
a good day as always.
May 12: Today we stopped off at the Hindmarsh
River Picnic Area for morning tea and then on to
the wharf at Goolwa…………(Surprise –Surprise.)
A few of the guys tried their luck but no luck –
the fish were not biting today. But we had a
great time feeding the resident river life and
watching the pelicans and cormorants chasing
the bait fish. We also saw a seal swimming past
our poor fishermen’s lines. We travelled home
along ocean roads viewing the high seas and
rough waves, and as usual another great day
had by all, even with the cool and cloudy
weather.
May 19: After a lot of rain early Tuesday
morning the sun came out and with no wind
made for a perfect day out. Morning tea was at
Middleton on the way to the Goolwa Wharf for
a spot of fishing …….no luck today.
But as always we had fun checking out the river
and bird life on the Mighty Murray River.
We also welcomed back Michael Jeromin to the
gang.
May 26: We stopped off at Surfers Parade in
Middleton for morning tea and smoko. Only
small waves but plenty of surfers having a great
time and we certainly enjoyed checking them
out. Then onto one of our favortite fishing spots
(no need to tell you where) to try our luck
The river was very still and flat as a mill pond,
still a few of the guys threw out a line and got a
few nibbles but no fish landed.
The weather was just perfect – mild and sunny
so we all enjoyed a great day feeding the river
life and were paid a visit by a seal and a water
rat and of course a few tourists.
Peter, Roy and Carey.
Nursery News
Isn’t this rain wonderful and hopefully more to
come. The plants just love it and our ‘lake’ is
slowly filling up, as are the large water tanks.
Great to see the ‘Cockies Tongue’ flowering so
brightly as are a couple of low correas.
And don’t the lawns look great after
Carey has been busy mowing the early winter
grass.
Everything in the nursery looking
peaceful waiting for the winter rains.
Jeff B.
Going Potty
Our Friday gang are making some interesting
pots and having a great time.
Chris Robins is filling in for Sue who has had an
operation on her hand. Thanks to Chris who is
always willing to help is with pottery as well as
doing mosaics on Friday afternoons making Lazy
Susan’s & pot planters.
Saturday News.
We have a few potters who are regular so to
boost our numbers we advertised a ‘Learn
Mosaic’ workshop for the last two Saturdays in
May. We have been blown away with the
interest to the point of near panic by the
response. Both pottery sessions are now full to
over-flowing – certainly pays to put an article in
the Times.
Jan H/C
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FUN & OPEN DAY.
Organising the Fun & Open Day is progressing
quite well for Monday June 8 -- 11am to 2pm.
We are still looking for a few volunteers to help
out on the day so if you are willing to help,
please see Tony Jordan, Bruce or myself Ian
Driver. We are also in urgent need for people to
donate cakes and biscuits (labelled with name,
ingredients & date baked,) as well as some
books.
All donors are asked to bring their goods
between 2-3pm on Sunday June 7 during set-up
time or by 10am on the day of the Open.
Any queries please see Bronwyn or Maree
(paint shop) or Lisa Whiston (kitchen) or Bruce.
Ian Driver (Event Co-ordinator)
What do they say about a laugh a day!!!
A Sunday School Teacher asked her class why
Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to
Jerusalem. A small child replied. “They
couldn’t get a baby-sitter.”
A Sunday School Teacher was discussing the
Ten Commandments with her five and six
year
olds.
After
explaining
the
Commandment to ‘Honor thy Father and
Mother,’ she asked “Is there a
commandment that teaches us how to treat
our brothers and sisters.” Without missing a
beat, one little boy answered. “Thou shall not
kill.”
At Sunday School they were teaching how
God created everything, including human
beings. Johnny seemed very intent when
they said how Eve was created out of one of
Adams ribs. A couple of days later his mother
noticed him lying down, asking if he were ill.
Johnny replied, “I have a pain in my side, I
think I’m going to have a wife.”
Keeps the blues away!!!
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