Newsletter April 2021

April News

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Welcome:

We are excited to welcome Sharon Roberts to our Board, she is a Davis Facilitator in Waterloo, ON and is dedicated to getting Davis Learning Strategies into schools. She adds to Nadine’s WDS Ontario presence!

Please can we slow down this time of year ? The snowdrops are over, and some of the crocus, daffodils and camelias are hanging on… and my favourite magnolias are just coming out. I want it to be this time of year for a long time... maybe a little warmer... but it needs to last longer! At the WDS we are not been slowing down at all ! Our Administrator, Laura, is tireless. She has to know every detail for every project we get involved with, every improve-ment to the website, or the social media, she’s amazing. Our website now has a text to speech option ! Whatever next ?

Time Sensitive:

T J Firenze is offering a second free information session on applying for the Disability Tax Credit – Tuesday April 13 at 7pm (Pacific). Please let me (Sue) know that you’d like to get a Zoom invitation. info@thewds.org

Outreach:

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  • Sue is over the worst …her Tedx Talk, Dyslexia: Enable the Different Learner, went out on March 27 as part of www.tedxbearcreekpark.com ‘s livestream virtual event. She was SO relieved to see what an amazing job the film editor did to seamlessly delete her 4 bloopers during filming ! All the talks are now being sent to the big Ted in New York for approval, and fingers crossed, the talks will go on their YouTube Channel in about 4 weeks time. She is very grateful for all the positive chat comments, texts and emails she’s received. It’s a message that so many people need to hear, and can relate to. She was privileged to be able to deliver it!

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  • SketchNotes – Following the talk, Sue received an incredible keepsake thanks to Deborah Le Frank of www.visuallifestories.com. Deborah listened to the talk and sketched the main points – you can see everything ins there ! Check out her Visual Life Stories and Verbal to Visual. I think learning to Sketchnote would be a huge asset for anyone studying, we are adding her website to our Resource page.

  • Interviews: Sue has been invited to appear on The Quiet Warrior Podcast – April 26; Have the Conversation podcast July 21; and a Vlog - Picture It Marketing on April 10.

  • Pro D: Sue will be talking to Surrey Schools Pro D on Sept 1, 2021.

  • Networking: Gisa, Laura and Sue had a Zoom call with a representative from www.jack.org an amazing organisation which trains young people to be there for peers who are struggling. We hope to be a resource for those with learning challenges.

  • Podcasts: We are up to 657 listens! Tristan and Sue will be recording a new series of podcasts featuring her fellow Tedx Speakers and some of the coaches ! Will be lots of fun!

  • Ontario: Nadine rarely stops and is busy creating her local Stratford Dyslexia resource site.

Fundraising:

  • It will soon be time to launch our second, and even more successful Walk and Talk the DYS out of Dyslexia for August, combined with an online Auction. Julie has amassed some fabulous prizes already! I’m bidding for the Axe Throwing ! there’s a website design too !   We are incredibly grateful for a $3,000 donation to start us off this year!

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  • PINS; there is no universal symbol for dyslexia – so we thought we would create a positive one, with dyslexia being a gift. They will be available from a client’s facilitator, or on our website shortly. Here’s a preview – we chose a magnetic fixing ! Thank you to Amanda Jane Green for donating her design - www.jewellerajgreen.com.

  • Laura is investigating a Bottle Drive initiative – more news soon.

  • Most importantly, we need a grant to actually pay Laura for all the hours that she currently donates to us. We wouldn’t be existing as we are now without her, she’s literally vital to us.

If anyone is good at understanding grant applications or even better writing them… please let us know!

Prevention:

Sadly we were 4 short of the minimum number for the April DLS Workshop to run, but we have two more dates booked:  July 19/20 and 22/23, 20210.

Community:

  • Sue divided her students up into 6 local groups of clients and offered a Zoom call to each group. We ended up with 8 families in one Zoom call and it was fun to listen to all the ideas – never in short supply with our creative demographic! Nadine is in the process of developing a Minecraft platform so ‘corrected’ dyslexics can game together – more news soon!

  • Fingers crossed the Family Summer Camp weekend will take place September 17-19. 2021 – more news soon!

We aim to serve you, so please let us know of any issue you’d like us to tackle… enjoy this wonderful Spring season…take care and stay well.

Sue, Laura, Paddy, Julie, Nadine, Sharon, Gisa, Tristan. 

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