ACE secures tutor from Christchurch

BY EMMA DANGERFIELD

Are you a single man who wants to get cooking? Want to learn te reo for just a donation? Looking to improve your chances of getting that job interview – and that job?

ACE lessons are starting up once more, with one specialist tutor coming from Christchurch to help a range of people improve their English skills with a view to helping them in their daily lives.

Co-ordinator Susi Haberstock believes Kaikoura is in a very fortunate position to have Liz Wylie on hand and hopes people will make the most of the opportunity.

"We are so lucky that she is coming up from Christchurch just for us. These things often don't come to Kaikoura so let's make the most of it."

A qualified adult teacher Liz became a literacy tutor eight years ago and is passionate about helping people improve writing and spelling in a fun way, enabling them to improve their home or career prospects.

With three different courses on offer, Liz is hoping to appeal to a wide spectrum from the community, from new mothers to bachelors.

Mothers are invited to weekly sessions with their preschoolers to socialise with others sharing the common goal of reading with their children.

Although Liz will be working with popular children's books, it is not all about words on a page; it is about making the most of your environment to encourage your baby to learn.

"There is definitely that expectation that we should help our kids once they are at school, and I hope to give mothers a repertoire so that they will be able to offer that support," she says.

Babies are not judgmental so being a young mum is a good place to start honing those skills.

From there she hopes to be able to help people set goals for their future – whether it be further study or finding work.

Monster learning skills is another course taken by Liz with this in mind. The focus is on building strengths and strategies for finding work, as well as building a network of friends.

"It's about working on employability. Everyone can get someone to help them produce a good CV. It's about writing a good covering letter too and having the skills to bring out your good points."

While it is easy to get discouraged alone, having a good group of people in the same position means help and encouragement is always at hand.

"For people who had an unpleasant experience at school, these lessons as adults can be fun. Everyone is there for the same reason and there is always lots of laughter."

The third class Liz is taking is Fabulous Fare for Bachelors and is designed to give men some easy to follow and nutritious recipes at low cost. From traditional spag bol to scone recipes which can be adapted countless ways, basic cooking doesn't have to be daunting or expensive and Liz is keen to help men decipher recipes and create dishes which will actually save money and taste great.

Those who sign up by the end of the week for any of these classes get an added incentive – $20 off the course price for the cooking class (normally $80 for four weeks) and koha for the other two (normally $60). All start in March.

Also this year is a chance to learn Te Reo Maori for koha for a whole year, as well as a new class in Maori creative arts which covers a number of traditional Maori customs from music and art to food preparation.

For information about all ACE classes this term, get a programme from Kaikoura High School or the council offices, or call 319 7382.

- © Fairfax NZ News