WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE ACHIEVEMENT.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer Spelling the word ``ambulance'' with some assurance, Carrie Jones stayed alive in an after-school spelling bee spelling bee n. A contest in which competitors are eliminated as they fail to spell a given word correctly. Also called spelldown. Noun 1. Tuesday, spreading smiles across the faces of her tutors from a nearby home for abused teens. Carrie then misspelled ``autograph'' and finished second to Salvador Valenzuela. But there were no losers in the monthly culmination of a program that helps children improve in school and gives the tutors a measure of accomplishment and a self-esteem boost. ``They helped me a lot because when I got words wrong, they showed me how to understand the words. It's helped my grades. My mom is really happy,'' said Carrie, 13. Carrie is one of a dozen students from elementary and middle schools in the area who get help with homework during the Tuesday and Thursday sessions at Sepulveda United Methodist Church United Methodist Church, in the United States, religious body formed by the union in 1968 of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church (see Methodism). , which provides a bright, large room for the program. Parishioners give $100 a month for prizes. Ofelia, one of the tutors, said Carrie is one of the reasons she stays involved. ``She pays attention. She listens. I feel like I'm doing something to help them. If they had this when I was younger, I wouldn't be (in this home).'' Residents at Penny Lane - a North Hills home for abused teens referred by the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County children's services and probation agencies - have been tutoring students after school at the church for nearly two years. The program is one of several efforts to get the residents into the community and bolster their development, said Lynn Anderson Lynn Anderson (b. Lynn Rene Anderson September 26, 1947) is an American country music singer. She was a consistent hit maker and one of country music's leading ladies throughout the 1970s. , the Penny Lane counselor leading the program. ``They drop their self-consciousness in this. They realize they can help someone else,'' Anderson said. That can be uncomfortable territory for some of the teens. ``It's not cool in the residence to be a role model. It's a form of protection. It's a form of defense. So it takes awhile a·while adv. For a short time. Usage Note: Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition such as for, but the two-word form a while may be preceded by a preposition. sometimes for kids to improve,'' Anderson said. Penny Lane is a residence for 50 girls. It also operates nine group homes for more than 50 boys and girls boys and girls mercurialisannua. across the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , and a transitional housing and training program for those between the ages of 18 and 24. A few attend regular schools but most are at Penny Lane New Directions School. The youths come to the home because they are emotionally disturbed, victims of abusive Tending to deceive; practicing abuse; prone to ill-treat by coarse, insulting words or harmful acts. Using ill treatment; injurious, improper, hurtful, offensive, reproachful. families or have juvenile arrest records, said Julia Robinson Julia Hall Bowman Robinson (December 8, 1919 – July 30, 1985) was an American mathematician, born in St. Louis, Missouri. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at University of California, Berkeley, receiving the doctorate in 1948. Shimizu, Penny Lane's development director. ``Our kids feel that they're different by being here,'' Shimizu said. ``By giving back to other kids, it reinforces their own academic skills and gets them ready to meet the world. We know they've got to go back out into the real world.'' Charlene needed a few sessions to warm to the tutoring task. Now she feels privileged to work with the students. ``At first I was just going to do my community service hours, and then I just started liking it. I like it when the kids get excited,'' she said. Salvador won $50 for spelling all his words correctly and plans to use the money to buy clothes and shoes. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Mary Rodriguez, 11, right, spells out a word as Faith Jones and Crisanto Banuelos sit in anticipation. John Lazar/Daily News |
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