Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library to Offer Free Mandarin Language Classes for Children

August 19, 2014 – The Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library announces a new eight-week Beginning Mandarin course for children at the library this fall. On Saturday mornings between September 27, 2014 and November 15, 2014, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. students will learn beginning Mandarin in themed lessons which will cover concepts such as family and friends, home life, activities, food, transportation, and people and places.

The classes cover both spoken Mandarin and written Traditional Chinese and are open to non-Mandarin speakers who are currently enrolled in kindergarten through second grade only. These classes are made possible through the generous financial support and partnership of the Rotary Club of Monterey Park.

Registration for these classes begins on Monday, September 15 at 12:00 p.m. in the LAMP Department of the library. Registration must be done in person – phone calls will not be accepted. Families who register must be able to commit to attending all eight sessions. A $20.00 materials fee covering books and supplies for each child will be collected upon registration.

All parents who register are required to attend a mandatory orientation on Tuesday, September 23 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Friends Room of the library. Children whose parents do not attend the orientation will not be allowed to participate in the Chinese classes. For additional information, please call Diana Garcia, Acting Children’s Librarian, at 626-307-1358.

The Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library is the city’s public library located at 318 South Ramona Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754. Library hours are: Sunday 1-5 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday 12-9 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Library Seeks Tutors for Award Winning Children’s Literacy Program

Monterey Park, Calif. – September 8, 2014 – The Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library and its partner organization, Asian American Economic Development Enterprises (AAEDE), are seeking paid tutors for the 2014- 2015 Session of the Reading Rockets literacy program.

Reading Rockets is an afterschool literacy program designed for at-risk children in 2nd through 6th grades. Students receive personalized tutoring to develop vital literacy skills and build confident readers. Reading Rockets was recently awarded the Public Library Association’s 2013 “Innovations in Literacy” award which recognizes unique and inventive literacy programs that result in a measurable impact on the library’s community.

Tutors must be current college students or recent graduates at least 18 years of age and must be available every Monday through Thursday from 3:00‐5:30 p.m. between October 13, 2014 and May 28, 2015. Tutors will receive an hourly rate of $10.00.

Qualified applicants will be contacted for an in person interview. Applicants should possess a combination of skills and experience suited to successful work with children and families. Flexibility, energy, sense of humor, patience, positive attitude, and the ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment are necessary. Bilingual ability in Mandarin or Cantonese is desirable, though not required.

Applicants must submit an application (available on AAEDE’s website, www.aaede.org) and one copy of each of the following documents:

‐ Resume
‐ College Transcripts (an unofficial copy is acceptable)
‐ Letter of Recommendation from a professor and/or a current or former supervisor (optional)

If selected, interns will also be required to attend a mandatory orientation and training on Thursday, October 9, 2014 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), and to complete the following:

‐ Fingerprinting and background check ‐ Drug test
‐ Employment contract

All applications and supporting documents may be emailed to Diana Garcia, Reading Rockets Coordinator, at dgarcia@montereypark.ca.gov with the subject line “Reading Rockets Tutor Application,” or hand-delivered to the Children’s Desk of the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library. Emailed application packages are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, September 26, 2014. Hand-delivered application packages are due the same day before 1:00 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. For more information about Reading Rockets, contact Diana Garcia at 626‐307‐1358 or dgarcia@montereypark.ca.gov.