TSC Newsletter autumn 2004

Travelers’ School Charity Newsletter Autumn 2004

Free Keda Cowling literacy books

We have been given some complimentary copies of the Keda Cowling literacy support publications and we are keen to find some students to try them out and let us know what they think of them, they are not cheap but if bought in bulk they become a little more affordable. What we really want to know is are they really as good as the reviews say they are? Please only write to us and ask for them if you have a committed tutor as well, they are not the sort of books that students can be left to their own devices with.Toe By Toe - reading manual (£27)
This book will benefit almost any student aged 7 or over. It is equally useful for adults. We are looking for a student with a reading age at or below their chronological age. Stareway to spelling - helps teach reading and spelling (£17)
Requires a reading age of 7 and moderately, to severely dyslexic.
We are looking for a student who struggles with words like said, each and enough or who confuses were/where, who/how etc.Stride ahead (£17), requires a reading age of 9. It is particularly effective
with teenagers, who enjoy the challenge of trying to improve their
reading speed with the stopwatch (provided)
Please write to us at the P.O.Box address and give us details of the tutor/student, we will aim to send out the books as soon as possible,
alternatively you can email us about it via the website.

TRAVELLING LIGHT
An Alternative Energy Initiative
by the Travellers Aid Trust

Due to the large number of requests for funding to provide Travellers with solar panels and other forms of alternative energy, the Travellers Aid Trust (TAT) is running a one-off Alternative Energy Initiative called ‘Travelling Light’ which will provide 100 free kits (made up of a solar panel, inverter and battery) to Travellers throughout the UK.

To be eligible to apply for a Travelling Light Kit, you must be living on an unauthorised site or a site without access to mains electric. In addition to this, the Trustees will look favourably on applications from:
· Horse-drawn Travellers & Bargees
· Individuals or families experiencing hardships due to special educational, health or other needs where solar panels will be of particular benefit.

The Trustees will also want to ensure that there is a relatively even distribution of the Travelling Light kits amongst the various different groups of Travellers as well as regionally throughout the UK.

A Referee Form (included in the application pack) in support of your application must also be sent in. This needs to be completed by a professional (such as a health visitor, teacher, solicitor or member of one of the many Traveller organisations working throughout the UK).

Please make sure that you meet the required criteria (outlined above) and that you identify a suitable individual to support your application before you fill the form in and return it to us.

Referee Forms
You must provide a completed referee form with your application. The form can either be included with your application or sent separately by the person supporting your application. This is an essential part of your application and we will not be able to consider your application if it is not included. When you receive your application pack, please identify a professional who has worked with you or knows about your circumstances and is willing to support your application. By professional we mean someone like a Health Visitor, a doctor, teacher, advice or outreach worker, lawyer, social worker, Traveller Liaison Officer, or a committee member of one of the many organisations representing the different groups of Travellers throughout the UK (like the Travellers School Charity). You then need to give them the Referee Form to fill in. There are some basic guidance notes on the referee forms so that the person who supports your application will know what it is they are being asked to do.

The deadline for the Travelling Light programme is Friday the 12th of November 2004. Please make sure that you return your completed application and referee forms to the Trust in plenty of time as we will not be able to consider any late applications.

The Trustees will be meeting at the end of November and we hope to notify you of the outcome of your application by mid-December. We hope to be able to distribute the Travelling Light Kits to successful applicants by early 2005.

If you have any questions or want an application form, please contact Susan Alexander

Susan Alexander, Trust Administrator
The Travellers Aid Trust
P.O. Box 16
Llangyndeyrn, Kidwelly SA17 5YT
Tel./Fax: 01269 870 621
info@travellersaidtrust.org
www.travellersaidtrust.org

The TSC can both provide a referee and email downloadable application/referee forms and guidelines

In May the TSC were invited to the Rainbow magic hat, family fun camp.
We attended on a research project. Relating to future and being worked on workbook projects.
We worked on promotion for the books (particularly “magical math's with mandalas”) and asked for input on a future “alternative “ spelling book. It was an interesting time and had some fun as well. Some suggestions for “alternative” words for the spelling book were a little outlandish, but it was just good to be out there, actually showing people what the Travellers School does ( we had an Annual Report and Computer Classroom Report for their reference) and people were very interested in the future of the charity. Anna Clark (Holistic education community) has received funding for the printing of “Magical Math's with Mandalas” to be distributed by the TSC to Travellers in need of educational resources. Particularly travellers interested in holistic education and home educating families. These people will be given priority of distribution as they are more in need of the material. Excess copies (if any) will be given to any traveller family requesting a copy. She aims for completion of the project by Winter Solstice and looks forward to their distribution. All copies of the first print run will be free.

Computer Classroom Phase 3 – Renewable Energy training events
Any one interested in learning how to use a computer, how to generate power from renewable sources, general electric's (low voltage) and is a Traveller can attend a Computer Classroom training event for FREE. The idea of the workshops is to teach Travellers to a standard that they can run a computer from a renewable power source. The Workshops are aimed at all abilities and can be adjusted accordingly, we also offer help line support to people who have attended the workshops and have further questions or require help setting up systems.
If you are interested in attending a workshop or would like to help organise one in your area then please fill out the coupon below. To download the form picture right click on the picture and choose 'save picture as..'

The next TSC agm
is on the 6th November
The AGM is at Ed's place in Herefordshire.
please phone for directions; 0781 711 4461

A message of thanks
	The TSC would like to thank Ed Sibcy for his committment and dedication to improving the lives of Travellers. Ed resigned recently as a Trustee. We wish him and his family well and will miss him. He has offered to be an advisor to the Board of Trustees.

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The Travellers’ School Charity’s aim is that Travellers and their children have access to
opportunities, freedom and choice, achieved through education.

Free Keda Cowling literacy books
We have been given some complimentary copies of the Keda Cowling literacy support publications and we are keen to find some students to try them out and let us know what they think of them, they are not cheap but if bought in bulk they become a little more affordable. What we really want to know is are they really as good as the reviews say they are? Please only write to us and ask for them if you have a committed tutor as well, they are not the sort of books that students can be left to their own devices with.Toe By Toe - reading manual (£27) This book will benefit almost any student aged 7 or over. It is equally useful for adults. We are looking for a student with a reading age at or below their chronological age.		Stareway to spelling - helps teach reading and spelling (£17) Requires a reading age of 7 and moderately, to severely dyslexic. We are looking for a student who struggles with words like said, each and enough or who confuses were/where, who/how etc.Stride ahead (£17), requires a reading age of 9. It is particularly effective with teenagers, who enjoy the challenge of trying to improve their reading speed with the stopwatch (provided) Please write to us at the P.O.Box address and give us details of the tutor/student, we will aim to send out the books as soon as possible, alternatively you can email us about it via the website.