Newsletter July 2025
Summer is here, holidays are here…we all wish you the very best fun time for relaxing and re-energising!
Lots of very exciting news on our front, but before that we have to share this photo of a local barred owl surveying a chicken coup … they hunt in the daylight ! Luckily with no success this time. We mentioned that Del Coburn is bound for Massey Hall at the University of Toronto… the dining hall and all the traditions are replicas of Oxford University… oak panelling, long tables, formal dining, cloaks to be worn… so owls and wands were discussed in length at the last Board Meeting… and Sue is looking forward to channelling her inner Professor McGonnagal for her talk!
For many years, Sue has had a connection with the Industry Trades Association. She gave a Pro D session to some of the staff and when the BC Govt gave them funding to encourage women to stay in the trades, they sent some apprentices to her who were struggling with their Red Seal exams. She saw two electricians, a carpenter, a plumber and a cabinet maker… all of them took a program and she discovered they all totally knew their trade, and she felt it was the format of the exam that caused more disorientation than anything else.
Michelle Anderlini was the main contact and only a few months ago she phoned Sue. She is now the Project Manager for the Coast Capital Road to Red Seal and Pathway to Apprenticeship Completion in the Trades. She has a team of Learning Strategists who work with the apprentices and it was so exciting to have the opportunity to deliver a Pro D to them in June. Knowing that Michelle resonates with the work that we do, and knowing that this is the start of a brand new connection is very encouraging for those in the trades! Hopefully one day they will change the ‘bubble’ format for the exam questions!!!
The story of WHO KNEW continues… we thought you might like to see how we even attracted the funding. We had to submit an application with a Pitch reel. I provided the words and Laura did a brilliant job of finding visuals and meshing the two together. https://youtu.be/2rDexZI0hBc?si=IqXRZfiz8fcOLzX_. Who indeed knew that it would culminate in this trailer going out to Film Festivals in Canada, the USA and the UK. Following Paddy and Nadine’s lead, Sharon Roberts, Maureen O’Sullivan and Colleen Malone are planning their private viewings in Ontario in October… which is Dyslexia Awareness month! Telus aim to release WHO KNEW on December 2 on TELUS TV, Channel 9, Stream+ and STORYHIVE's YouTube channel.
Jamie Oliver’s documentary, The Dyslexia Revolution, is airing on BBC Channel 4 for those of you who can watch British TV. He is a very good campaigner, and it is obviously very well made… but without the answers we have… we anticipate the screening, testing and more of what cause the problem in the first place. We are doing our best to reach him and share our answers, but no luck just yet.
Laura is continually researching opportunities for us to receive funding and the Donate a Car Canada opportunity has been on our website for a while. Last month she donated her truck that was no longer road-worthy. It was an seamless easy process and The WDS received $200.00 and she received a tax receipt. Donate a Car Canada will take a vehicle in a variety of conditions (even if it’s not running). They accept not only cars, but also trucks, boats, trailers, RV’s, motorcycles. Including your precious classics & collectors that has some value, they will auction the vehicle and donate the proceeds to your favourite charity. Visit our information page HERE or jump straight over to our donation page HERE. Or contact Laura at info@thewds.org.
This month we are happy to announce that Emily Zwart (a previous student of Sharon Roberts) is now our official WDS Public Relations Volunteer, and we could not be more grateful to her. She has a plan for us, she has media connections and has already sent out a newsjacking letter (which means we are riding on Jamie Oliver’s coat tails to attract attention). We look forward to becoming ‘Thought Leaders’.
Shelley Tice has been a volunteer for almost a year; she is the mother of one of Sue’s students. Those of you who came to the WHO KNEW Premiere will know she organised the fundraising Auction! She has been attending 100 Women Who Care meetings in Victoria. She has been able to deliver her pitch twice, but no luck with the voting as yet. She has transferred to the North Saanich Branch and Sue joined her in June. It was extremely interesting to discover they have 219 Women Who Care so were able to deliver $21,900.00 to the successful bidder. More efforts will most definitely be going in that direction in September!
To read more about these wonderful volunteers visit our page HERE.
Our Come to the Dyslexic Table: Chasing Ideal Education Live Chats which turn into podcasts, have resulted in a WDS resource webpage which gives a great description of home schooling/distributed learning/home learning/hybrid programs/ full time, part time, plus the best of public schools in other countries and private schools here in Canada, such as Montessori… we have listed what we consider would make an ideal education system… now we just have to get it implemented 😊.
Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat
We are on a short Summer Break
Join our newsletter to stay tuned for our next episode HERE.
Visit our new resource page Chasing Ideal Education HERE.
Visit our previous episodes and live chat schedule HERE.
Grants:
Sadly we were not successful with our bid to the Victoria Community Foundation for operational costs … never the easiest funding to procure, so please, if you know of a corporation that might sponsor us, or you bump into a wealthy philanthropist, let us know! We are applying to the Loyal Protestants for program sponsorship funds and we received this letter from the .ORG Impact Awards. We know its generic, but it felt so good to read it, we wanted you to feel good too!
Thank you for entering the 2025 .ORG Impact Awards!
We are truly blown away by the incredible passion, dedication, and impact shown by changemakers like you. Your work is a powerful reminder of the heart and soul of the
.ORG Community; it lifts others up, drives change, and is truly making the world a better place.
From all of us at Public Interest Registry, thank you for the hope you bring and the lives you touch. It’s an honor to celebrate your efforts, and we’re so grateful to have
you as part of this inspiring, global community.
Finalists will be announced on Tuesday, August 12th
Calendar:
July 14-18: Gift of Dyslexia Workshop - Online Pacific time. Read more HERE.
August 11-15: Gift of Dyslexia Workshop - tbc
October 8: Sue has been invited to be a Keynote Speaker (her first Keynote!) at the Family Literacy Conference in Edmonton.
October 23: Sue and Julie will be at a Panel Discussion at the Child Care Resource & Referral Consultant – West Shore Sooke Family Resource Society
November 27: Sue is invited to deliver an Accessibility Bites Session for BC Campus on Adults who are Dyslexic… 12 noon to 12.30 so will have to talk fast!
So while Laura and I work all through the summer, 🎻 we hope you enjoy your chilling, camping, travelling and regenerating… seriously, have a wonderful summer !
info@thewds.org
