The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter November 2024

An exciting project for 2025: Sharon Roberts and Sue Hall had a conversation which led them to this idea: for 2025 our articles and subsequent 7th series of podcasts, our theme will be CHASING IDEAL EDUCATION.

An exciting project for 2025:

Sharon Roberts and Sue Hall had a conversation which led them to this idea: for 2025 our articles and subsequent 7th series of podcasts, our theme will be CHASING IDEAL EDUCATION. Sharon is researching education in other countries, and in a variety of school systems, such as Waldorf, Montessori, unschooling etc. to see if there is a school that is ideal for dyslexics.

She will also gather components from different sources with which we could create the ideal school system for both those with our perceptual gift, and those without... a NeuroInclusive Education … what a thought, what a goal to aim for !

Part One: Signs… December 1 Come to the Dyslexic Table, 4:30pm….we look forward to you joining us, bring your suggestions and let’s have fun brainstorming! RSVP Here…….


The WDS Program Sponsorships:

we are so honoured and proud that our program sponsorships (previously called bursaries) can lead to an experience such as this, and of course to our donors! Thank you to Maureen O’Sullivan, the presenting Facilitator and to her client for allowing us to share the excitement and the success.

“‘A’ has completed 150 models in her follow up work and I can say as a Mom that the change is huge! Each day she's able to recognize more words and is gaining more and more confidence to read. Even her teacher noticed her improvements and her teacher from last year noted that she looks so much happier and has really blossomed! As a family, we are so happy to see that the program is working. Not only with her reading but also her ability to better manage her emotions and get focused when needed.

Thanks, Maureen and each professional who put in the effort to show these kids that they are competent to achieve EVERYTHING although they have a different way of learning. J.. mom to A.. 7 years old.”


WHO KNEW…? Documentary update

Kelly Conlin, our Director is editing ‘Who Knew…?” and Fine Cut 1 is on its way to our National Screen Institute mentor … we are in the home stretch, it is truly exciting!

The Premiere is booked for March 9, at the Star Cinema in Sidney. This is such a great opportunity to fundraise via an Online and Silent Auction… so one final request to you all.

IF you know of someone who would be willing to donate an item, or a voucher or a service, please put them in touch with us at info@thewds.org. It can be anywhere in Canada.

Thank you, we look forward to replenishing the Program Sponsorship fund! Thank you.


GIFTS… for the Holidays

We are delighted to showcase two books authored by one of our Board, Nadine Schumont, Picture Perfect Learning Solutions, Stratford, Ontario.

Bobby’s Rainbow Mind and Owen’s Rainbow Mind,

The Owen's Rainbow Mind book tour has been a rewarding journey during Dyslexia Awareness Month in October. We have been sharing the message of neurodiversity with local schools and organizations, like the Guides, and the response has been amazing. Kids have been excited to learn about how our brains work in unique ways, and the conversations have been positive. Due to the success of the tour, we are extending our readings. If you're in our area and would like to schedule a book reading for your school or group, we would love to hear from you. Let’s continue spreading the word that our differences are what make us special.


Millstone Farm and Organics is beyond unique, remarkable and inspiring:

Laurie Kelly mills organic gluten free flours (among many other things) and she has had requests for gluten-free playdough. This led her to create the perfect recipe for the dough, free of any artificial preservatives, to find the perfect natural colourings and the perfect refillable containers. Her husband Mike hand-crafted the beautiful pine boxes for the dough and rolling pin! A nearby craftsman decided to create the most beautiful stamps to complement the playdough…. so much love in every step!

Playdough Stamp Sets

9 Stamp Set in Beechwood Tray $86.99

3 Stamp Set in Beechwood Tray $49.99

Gluten Free Playdough Pots

$14.99: White, black, blue, green, red, yellow

BPA free reusable pots, refills $12.75

Pine Box Sets

Large dough box with 6 colours, silicone mat and a small rolling pin $149.99

Small dough box with 2 Jars $96.99

Visit Millstone at: www.millstoneorganics.com


McTavish Academy of Art

have a very wide selection of the most beautiful Art Kits for our creative children and are kindly donating to the auction that is accompanying or documentary film premiere!

The art kits include all of the supplies, made on Vancouver Island & family owned and operated. Check out these beautiful art kits here………………………………………….


‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ - Live Chat

December 1st at 4:30PM Pacific time.

Topic:

Chasing Ideal Education: Part 1: Signs

Join Sue Hall and Sharon Roberts for this engaging conversation. You can read Sharon’s article HERE.

RSVP Today!


Calendar:

  • November 24 – Victoria 100 Women Who Care 

  • Fine Cut Documentary Nov 4 

  • Come to the Dyslexic Table Dec 1 – Chasing Ideal Education, Part 1 - Signs 

  • Documentary submission Dec 9 

  • Online Auction opens Jan 7, 2025 

  • Who Knew... ? Documentary Premiere March 9 and Silent Auction 

Thank you for all of your support! Wishing you a warm and cozy fall!

Sue, Laura, Julie, Sharon, Nadine, Paddy, Gisa, Del, Tristan, Maureen


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter October 2024

Dear Everyone… Summer is here… school holidays…and we have news and a challenge for you !!!

 
 

Welcome to Dyslexia Awareness Month!

We hope your transition to routine is going smoothly… we have a great deal to share with you:

 

Why We Do What We Do:

“Imagine a child who is bright, creative, and full of potential, but struggles with reading and spelling. She begins to doubt herself, internalize failure, and disengage from parts of her learning. This is not because she isn’t capable, but because the education system isn’t built to support her unique way of thinking. For years her parents are told that everyone learns at their own pace and that she will be fine. By the time she is diagnosed with dyslexia, through tests that show both how extremely bright she is and how much she struggles with the basics of reading and writing, she is too old for school-based reading supports and what is offered isn’t helpful to the way she learns. Instead, her parents need to find tutors, advocate for alternative learning approaches, and help her to learn in a word-based world. Without this support, she is at higher risk of dropping out of school, facing mental health challenges, and feeling marginalized throughout her life.

This little girl, who is now an amazing young woman of 14, is my daughter and without the support of organizations like the Whole Dyslexic Society and other alternatives to traditional learning, she wouldn’t be entering high school this year full of excitement for all the learning that lies ahead with the confidence to advocate for herself. I’m quite certain that she will one day change the world because she thinks in pictures, not words.

Thank you to a very gracious volunteer who is representing us at 100 Women Who Care Victoria”

~~~Victoria…..Thankyou!


  • Check out our updated website:  Laura has changed us over the SquareSpace 7.1 to benefit from an easier way to distribute our Newsletters, a donate widget and much more… let us know what you think… and what you need to see!

  • It is clear our primary objectives are Outreach and Prevention, while we continue to fundraise for Program Sponsorship (formerly known as Bursaries) (see below) and Community objectives.

  • On Social Mediafor Dyslexia Awareness Month – we are releasing snippets of a conversation about dyslexia which was a requirement for TELUS STORYHIVE on our way to the documentary ‘Who Knew… rest of the title to be decided’… our gratitude goes to Rob, Emily, Josh and Millstone Farm Organics for the filmed conversation!

  • This leads up to our Save the Date  -  March 9, 2025 for the Premiere of ‘Who Knew.. …….. ……’ at the Star Cinema in Sidney, BC. Sue and Kelly Conlin, our Director are busy in the editing phase of what promises to improve out outreach dramatically!

  • We are collecting items for a major Online Auction, which will culminate in a Live Auction Finale at the Premiere. If you have any, please do get in touch with us .. info@thewds.org. Thank you !

  • October 6-12 is Make a Will Week – our gratitude goes to those who could feature The Whole Dyslexic Society in this way. 

  • October 23, Fish Don’t Climb Trees – second free information talk in Sidney BC.

  • Nadine Schumont is launching her second book this month, she is sharing her book readings on a local school tour!


Fundraising: Program Sponsorship

As you know we fundraise tirelessly to ensure that the programs we advocate are available to everyone, no matter their financial situation. In the grant writing world, this is not the easiest ask.  We are so grateful to have Del Coburn who is also tireless in searching out grants and helping us to write them. We are changing our wording to make this task easier. In future our Bursary objective will be called Program Sponsorship. Nothing else changes, our procedure is identical, it is a semantic that will make it easier to approach more funding bodies. The WDS just applied to Telus Stand with Owners and the Ecclesiastical Community Impact Grant.


Prevention 

We were thrilled with the success of the professional development pilot for Early Childhood Educators.  Sue has been in communication with the Ministry of Education to extend the pilot for ECEs and take it further into K-3 classes. This is not a speedy procedure.  In the meantime, one of the attendees has contacted Julie and Sue because she has a new role as the Outreach Coordinator for the Child Care Resource and Referral for 3 School Districts in the Victoria area.  She is very keen to share our information with her ECEs and we are very excited at this prospect.

Also, Capilano University has a brand new ECE Centre on its North Vancouver Campus, and Sue has been virtually introduced to two of the teachers. The idea of brand new ECEs having our Davis Learning Strategies for Early Years in their curriculum is extremely exciting!

While we have hosted many Davis Learning Strategies for K-3 Teachers and will continue to do so, plus the extension of DLS into Early Years, it is obvious that while individual teachers welcome the strategies, our success is minimal. Often a new principal decides a new program will take place in that school, or the trained teacher leaves. We notice that when more than one teacher is trained in a particular school that is more successful and they can encourage each other. However, the education system as a whole is not welcoming us with open arms. Thanks to Del, we are exploring a route to independent research undertaken by an academic institution as we feel this will advance our objective of getting Davis Learning Strategies into schools via the education system.


Outreach

Sue gave a free information session to 30 people in Sidney on September 16. The secret to success for a full house is host the talk in a brewery!   

A huge thank you to Small Gods Brewery who were so accommodating and gracious.  As she had a waiting list, Small Gods have agreed to host another free talk on Wednesday October 23…….. download our flyer here………….

On Sept 12, Sue and Gisa met with Big Sisters in Vancouver. They shared information about dyslexia and talked about collaborating. They have a Study Buddy initiative and feel both the volunteers and the parents would benefit from hearing what we have to say.

 


Sue is very encouraged by the continuing support for our documentary ‘Who Knew……..not decided on the rest of the title’.. the Fine Cut will be submitted to TELUS STORYHIVE in November, the release is due January 2025 and already there are Facilitators in the USA and New Zealand hoping to hold their own premiere!  We really do seem to be in a very supportive flow!

SAVE THIS DATE… Sunday March 9, 2025 doors open 4pm.


Leaving a Legacy Through Giving

October 6-12 is Make a Will Week in Canada, a time to reflect on how we can secure the future for our loved ones and the causes we care about most. Having a will is a powerful way to ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. But it’s also an opportunity to make a lasting impact through legacy giving.

Legacy giving, also known as planned giving, allows you to leave a portion of your estate to a charity that matters to you. Including a charitable gift in your will is a beautiful way to continue supporting the causes close to your heart. It doesn’t require wealth—just a commitment to making a difference for future generations.

For supporters of our charity, legacy gifts help us provide essential services like funding for the Davis Dyslexia and Autism programs, and promoting dyslexia awareness. Even a small percentage of your estate can make a significant impact on the work we do, helping to create a better future for those with learning differences.

Read more…………………..


 
 

Nadine Schumont is celebrating Dyslexia Awareness Month with Special Reading Events in Stratford, Ontario!                                                                  

This October, schools and organizations in Stratford, Ontario, have the unique opportunity to host a special reading of Owen's Rainbow Mind: A Mysterious Summer of Discovery, the second book in a series that celebrates the beauty of neurodiversity. Join Nadine Schumont, along with Owen, a local student from Shakespeare School, and his mom Karen, as they share Owen’s inspiring journey. Caleb, Owen’s younger brother, may also participate in some of the discussions. Together, they will explore how both neurodiverse and neurotypical perspectives enrich the way we see and learn about the world…


Resources:  we have heard great reports for:

KiwiCo … www.kiwico.com  they sell and deliver ‘crates’ for all ages.

Mail Order Mystery  https://www.mailordermystery.com/?currency=CAD


We hope you can share in our excitement... it seems that so many of our efforts over the years are coming together… we have wonderful people showing up... the interest in our information is significant. Achieving our goals is in sight and thank you for all your energy in helping us to make this happen. If you would like to join our team of volunteers, we would love to hear from you!

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


‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ - Episode #15 - November 1

Join our List here….. to stay connected



Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter August 2024

Dear Everyone… Summer is here… school holidays…and we have news and a challenge for you !!!

August 2024

 
 

The Fellowship of the Gift is back!!


We were so blessed with sunshine and LOTS of wind for our Tall Ship Adventure on Sunday July 28 !?!

I was afraid it would be too windy for us, seeing the forecast for gusts of up to 30kms, but the skip from Mill Bay Marine Group knew we were safe, and we set sail from Port Sidney Marina.

21 of us had the best time… 

once we’d listened to the skipper…

some of the kids were hoisting the sails,

steering the ship,

or not  

one of the moms provided a vast number of whale cookies, and ‘crab croissants’

Some had to have their Titanic moment,

or just talk about the last time they met pirates!

It was just perfect! 

The beautiful wooden, two masted boat had a fascinating history having been built in the 1900s in Denmark, was commandeered by German soldiers in the war, spent some time in the Caribbean and has ended up in Mill Bay/Sidney.  She sleeps 12 and I would thoroughly recommend taking a sail in her, the waves splashing over the bow were fun and energising!!!

To be repeated… https://www.mbmg.ca/tallships


SAVE THE DATE!  March 9, 2025 from 4 pm – Star Cinema, Sidney, BC

The Film Premiere of “Who Knew…?”  AND a fundraising Online/Silent Auction.

Shelley Tice and I have just started working on another exciting community event and we couldn't wait to share it with you. 

Our TELUS STORYIVE documentary is premiering on March 9, 2025, at 4 pm in Sidney and we hope to see as many of you there as possible. More details will come shortly, but for now please mark your calendars. We are hoping that other communities will also celebrate the film's release and will keep you posted on details as they become available.

The film launch is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness around dyslexia and at the same time reinvigorate our fundraising for the WDS and this important work. Here's how you can help. In addition to attending the event, we would welcome donations for the auction. If you have a friend who owns a business or know someone that would be open to donating, that would be fantastic. 

Attached is the fundraising letter with the details of the event and how people can get involved. We welcome all donations big and small, including items that can be bundled together into larger baskets. We need to keep track of who we ask, so as not to duplicate and annoy.. so please let us know who you are connecting with. 

  • Tickets to the Premiere will go on sale in January 2025 and

  • the Auction will first open online in February 2025,

  • closing at the Silent Auction on opening night (March 9th at the Star Cinema in Sidney).

Thanks so much for all the support and please feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas.

DOWNLOAD LETTER HERE


With Gratitude….Sue, Laura, Julie, Nadine, Sharon, Paddy, Gisa, Tristan and Del…


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The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter July 2024

Dear Everyone… Summer is here… school holidays…and we have news and a challenge for you !!!

July 2024

 
 

Dear Everyone… Summer is here… school holidays…we have news and a challenge for you !!!


We will be brief… you have lots of fun to get to…  Sharon Roberts wrote an article for our July 1 Come to the Dyslexic Table about sneaky ways to continue learning during the holidays and have fun at the same time.  The podcast will be published shortly HERE.  

There are 52 skills listed HERE … you can add to them, make up your own challenges…challenge your parents/siblings you can take photos of your achievements along the way and/or keep a Journal. 

Just put your name and age on the list (some of the skills are age appropriate and will need adult assistance). Please be safe while you have fun. 

Learning is fun, it’s a good feeling when you learn something new…and you never know when your new skill might come in useful. 

So lets get started… you’ve got till August 31, 2024.


Our Documentary, latest working title  “Who Knew… unexplored insights into learning challenges”

Our wonderful Director, Kelly Conlin sent me the interviews to make sure we didn’t say anything we shouldn’t have said, and now she is starting the magical editing.

The next task is Distribution… and needless to say I know nothing about distribution, so our conversations have been very enlightening.

The first step was to book a venue for our ‘Premiere’ event next year.

The Star Cinema in Sidney is happy for us to book one of their theatres, we can have the Silent Auction in their foyer, and Small Gods Brewery, directly over the road can provide a welcome drink!

SAVE THIS DATE… Sunday March 9, 2025 doors open 4pm.

CELEBRATIONS…

We always LOVE celebrating our wonderful students and this month we celebrate literary, musical and artistic skills !

Polar Expressions Publishing run student poetry and student short story competitions for children K-Gr5. Wynne had her poem published in the latest anthology

Wynne Jones has two brothers (twins) and a hamster named Buttercup the Brave. She has always liked poetry. 

Writing poetry makes Wynne joyful and happy, as if music is streaming through her.’ 

Not too shabby for a talented, creative girl with the gift of dyslexia !  Congratulations Wynne, aged 8.

Here is a guitar recital by Oliver Conwright, 13,  "Sultans of Swing": he made his own backing track onto his loop pedal so that he would have the rhythm guitar while playing the licks and solo.  Watch HERE. Totally amazing!

Lastly, and definitely not least(ly)…I worked with Lacey a long time ago, she is an accomplished Visual Artist, with a degree in Industrial Design and is also a Tattoo Artist.

This is her tribute to sweet Keela, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last October.

Not to overlook our talented Facilitators either, thank you Axel Gudmundsson for sharing this!

Around 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians, who lived in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), revolutionized how we perceive and measure time. They developed a sophisticated numerical system based on the number 60, known as the sexagesimal system. This unique system led to the division of an hour into 60 minutes and a minute into 60 seconds, concepts that are still in use today.

The Sumerians' need for precise timekeeping was driven by their agricultural society. Accurate calendars were essential for planting and harvesting crops. They also needed to coordinate their complex religious ceremonies and administrative activities. To aid their timekeeping, the Sumerians made significant advancements in astronomy. They observed the movements of celestial bodies and used this knowledge to create a lunar calendar with 12 months, which closely aligned with the agricultural seasons.

The division of the day into 24 hours, each hour into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds was a monumental achievement. These divisions were not arbitrary but were designed to be practical and easily divisible, reflecting the Sumerians' advanced understanding of mathematics. This innovative approach to time had a profound impact on later civilizations, including the Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, who adopted and further developed the Sumerian system. The legacy of the Sumerians' timekeeping system is evident in our modern clocks and calendars, demonstrating the enduring influence of their ingenuity on our daily lives.

Credit: Amazing Archeology


‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ - Episode #15 - Coming September 1st! Topic: How to build the best school possible for everybody.

JOIN US on September 1st at 4.30pm Pacific.

RSVP here…………….


We all wish you a wonderful summer and we look forward receiving your Some-er Challenges entries.

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


WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter June 2024

June is here… although recently it seems to have followed March and April 😊…by the time you read this Newsletter we hope to be basking in warm temperatures and enjoying summer!

June 2024

 
 

June is here… although recently it seems to have followed March and April 😊…by the time you read this Newsletter we hope to be basking in warm temperatures and enjoying summer!


Talking of which, on Sunday, July 28, our Davis Program student alumni have a fabulous opportunity to sail on a Tall Ship out of Sidney on Vancouver Island… places are limited... fun is unlimited...

contact Sue Hall suehall@positivedyslexia.com or 604-614-4958.


Your team has been busy .. it’s grant writing time and we are blessed to have Del Coburn leading the charge. Sue is still nudging the Ministry of Education in BC and eagerly awaiting the first edits of the Telus STORYHIVE documentary. She is imagining fundraising film premieres into being for next year.


June 1 was very special for us.  Sharon Roberts had been talking to Priti Venkatesan, a Davis Facilitator and teacher at a school in Chenai, India. Priti has been an amazing advocate for Davis Learning Strategies and we were thrilled that she joined us for our Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat.

No matter how many times we discuss DLS we always learn something new.  I love that Priti distinguishes between children being learning ready and school ready. She does not believe our education system to be childcentric.  When DLS tools are used in a classroom, those on the autism spectrum benefit from the calm energy and absorb the tools by osmosis. My absolute favourite is the ‘Release Chair’ one of her students requested. Watch this short 4 minute clip of our chat with Priti.

Listen to the full episode on Podbean, Spotify, YouTube & our Website.


One of the guests to our Live Chat was Felicia Nagamatsu, who had been introduced to us by Rachel Barwell, a Davis Facilitator in New Zealand. They collaborated on this wonderful short film entitled:  Train your Genius … enjoy!

One of the guests to our Live Chat was Felicia Nagamatsu, who had been introduced to us by Rachel Barwell, a Davis Facilitator in New Zealand. They collaborated on this wonderful short film entitled:  Train your Genius … enjoy! Watch HERE.


SUMMER READING:

Purchase Bobby’s Rainbow HERE

This gem resulted from a Facilitator discussion about the rush to get children reading at an early age….

“There is in fact abundant material showing that there is no valid reason whatsoever for this, as studies show that those who learn to read at 5 (or even 4) do no read better at 8 or 9 than those who learn at 6 or even 7. However, significantly, those who learn to read later enjoy it more and are more likely to do so than those who learn much earlier.

There are always exceptions, I am sure.”

Nadine Schumont’s first book: Bobby’s Rainbow Mind: Exploring Picture Thinking and Beyond.

Discover the vibrant world of 'Bobby's Rainbow Mind' where uniqueness shines bright and differences are celebrated. Through Bobby's colorful adventures, readers are inspired to embrace their individuality and embrace the beauty of neurodiversity. This heartwarming story teaches valuable lessons about acceptance, teamwork, and the power of being true to oneself. 'Bobby's Rainbow Mind' is a captivating read that will leave you smiling from ear to ear.


You may have seen a free magazine in your health food shops .. Women’s Voice .. www.womensvoice.com

Go to Find Our Magazine at the top of their home page. Sue discovered two excellent articles:

Attention Fatigue and the Over Diagnosis of ADHD

and Kids and the Sugar Spiral

On the subject of ADHD, those of you who enjoy the Childrens’ Health Defense articles will enjoy:

1 in 9 Kids Diagnosed With ADHD, CDC Says — But Why?


‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ - Episode #14 - Brainstorming summer holiday ideas - July 1st

and FINALLY… Sharon’s article for the next Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat on July 1 is all about cleverly weaving summer fun with learning, Davis style.  Brainstorming summer holiday ideas – sneaky ways to continue learning!  We have started a list and look forward to you adding more ideas!

JOIN US on July 1st at 4.30pm Pacific.

To read Sharon’s article and RSVP for your zoom link.

We all wish you a wonderful month, full of summer growth and sunshine and thank you for being part of our like-minded community.

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


WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter May 2024

Welcome to May !!!  We are so fortunate here on the West Coast of Canada to welcome in all this new growth… all the trees are SO green and the flowers are enjoying the sunshine… my favourite time of the year!

May 2024

 
 

Welcome to May !!!  We are so fortunate here on the West Coast of Canada to welcome in all this new growth… all the trees are SO green and the flowers are enjoying the sunshine… my favourite time of the year!


As a Society we are also feeling this growth, all the potential that accompanies:

  • the Early Childhood Educators’ professional development pilot, which has led to the start of a conversation with the Ministry of Education and Childcare in BC at a very significant time…read more below.

  • the Telus STORYHIVE documentary, which is leading to the possibility of fundraising premieres all over Canada,

  • Del is focussing his energies on fundraising opportunities in Calgary beside the ever present grant writing,

  • Sharon is prolific in writing her articles for our ‘Come to the Dyslexic Table’ which lead to more podcasts, and a particularly exciting one on June 1, a Live Chat with Priti Venkatesan in India. Read more and RSVP HERE.

  • Gisa is pursuing an exciting collaboration with Big Sisters/Brothers…

  • Nadine is involved in the Davis Method marketing as they launch their ‘from Unknown to Unforgettable’ campaign, and always up for local fun events with her students/families…read more about Kitetastic below.

  • Julie and I have been spreading the word at two Conferences, Making Tomorrow for ECEs in Victoria and Decoda Literacy in Richmond – the audiences were fantastic – SO open to our information.

  • Julie and I are also recovering from our documentary filming experience… full story here… Part 1 happened last year, Part 2 is still underway as now the film enters the editing phase where even more magic happens!

  • Paddy is immersed in her academic thesis which will bring academic ‘weight’ to our endeavours,

  • Laura keeps all this machinery running smoothly despite considerable challenges.


‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ - Episode #13 - Guest chat with Priti Venkatesan

We are so privileged to have Priti joining us from India for our next Live Chat .. she has had remarkable success with Davis Learning Strategies for K-3 classroom teachers ... can’t wait to hear how it all happened and if we can repeat her success! 

JOIN US on June 1st at 4.30pm Pacific.

You can read the article HERE, please RSVP for your zoom link.

Davis Learning Strategies…In action… In India 

Priti Venkatesan has witnessed first-hand the effectiveness of using Davis Learning Strategies for K-3 teachers. One boy was so frustrated with reading and writing that by the time he reached third grade, he was refusing to go to school. When he entered the Indigo section at the Lalaji Memorial Omega International School (LMOIS), he didn’t know the alphabet letters. Once alphabet mastery was completed, he slowly began to read, his socializing skills improved and by the time he was in grade 7, he was completely independent.  His personality was transformed and at age 14, he was recently honored as a youth leader.

Read more……………


Government Funding:

We thought you might like to read this article about the Government funding destined for screening and early intervention. This is why we really need to get our message across to the Ministry as soon as possible. Why spend all this money on testing, screening, labelling, segregating when the Davis Learning Strategies for Early Years and K-3 Classroom teachers can ensure there is no need. If you reach all the children from day one, with the basic tools (Release, Focus and Dial) and the basics of literacy (Letter Mastery, Spell Reading and Word Mastery) the challenges will not have the chance to arise. When Julie and I share this information, everyone gets it, its truly a no-brainer…prevention is way better than allowing the problem to arise and then providing more of what caused it. Read more about the government funding HERE.


Hyperphantasia seems to describe our gift…Read more at The Guardian HERE.


Our Outreach:

I have to add this excerpt of an email from Julie after 2 sessions at the ECE Making Tomorrow Conference. She has always graciously co-presented while maintaining she is not good at public speaking when she’s actually really good at it 😊

 “I think that was the most fun I've had at any of these...I think because I was talking more about the way I love to teach and the crowd was so responsive. Maybe because of the smaller size or the whole vibe of the day? They were my people. Funny because I was more nervous about it due to them being my people! I enjoyed talking about what fun it can be to teach these tools, instead of feeling like it was an ad for Davis.”


Listen to the show HERE

Tom Dutta, ‘The Quiet Warrior Show’ came to Vancouver Island with his wife Anna, to give Sue her Quiet Warrior medal… after a wonderful visit to the Butchart Gardens.


Our students and families have been sharing some of their excitement.. on a beautiful property near Cobble Hill, Hannah found a rare calypso orchid! Emma won a writing competition and published her first blog article. Read more HERE.  

Early Childhood development seems to be in our energy field at the moment.. just loved this inventive family! Watch HERE.


Nadine’s Kitetastic Event in Kitchener, Ontario:

Rain or sunshine this event will happen, so get ready to reach new heights of excitement at Picture Perfect Learning Center! We're thrilled to extend a special invitation to you and your family for all ages to an unforgettable event featuring Blaize, a local Stratford senior with a passion for kites! 

Blaize is a seasoned kite enthusiast with extensive experience in kite flying, having flown kites all over the world. He not only flies kites but also designs and creates his own unique kites, as seen in the example of butterfly kites displayed in the poster attached, making him a true master of the craft.
During the event,:

Blaize will teach everyone how to fly kites and care for them. With over 200 kites in his collection, Blaize assures that he can match each personality with the perfect kite. There's no need to bring your own kite as Blaize will handpick one for each of us to use.  

When:

Saturday, May 18th from 1:00 to 3:00/4:00, depending on the weather and how long you want to fly the kites. 

  • Officially, the event will end at 3:00, but outdoor flying can continue until 4:00. 

Siblings and parents are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun.  There is enough kites for everyone! Just RSVP so we can ensure we have enough kites for everyone. 

  • This event is suitable for children ages 3 and up.

We look forward to seeing you there for a day of high-flying fun with Blaize and his amazing kites! I will send out a reminder to those who RSVP the day before the event. 

To register contact: pictureperfectlearning@gmail.com or call 519-508-1486


We all wish you a wonderful month, full of spring sunshine, beautiful blooms, fabulous food, fun and success in whatever you enjoy and thank you for being part of our like-minded community.

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

WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.

Nadine Schumont from Picture Perfect Learning Solutions in Stratford, Ontario is happy to announce the release of her “Neurodiversity" T-shirts and merchandise.

With every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the Whole Dyslexic Society to use towards the many services offered. Click this LINK to see, and buy her exciting products.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Picture Perfect Learning Solutions Neurodiversity Shirts & Merchandise. Nadine Schumont has created a line of shirts and merchandise celebrating neurodiversity. You can view the range of styles and images through her store. For every shirt sold Nadine is donating $5.00 to The Whole Dyslexic Society. Check out her shop page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter April 2024

Dear All… as we enter the second quarter of 2024 with a unique Solar Eclipse... and the promise of warmer weather… Sharon Roberts has authored a wonderful article for us: Food for Thought.

April 2024

Dear All… as we enter the second quarter of 2024 with a unique Solar Eclipse... and the promise of warmer weather…

Sharon Roberts has authored a wonderful article for us: Food for Thought …a Brain Enhancing Formula. We are all becoming more and more aware of the quality of the food we eat, the glyphosates, the GMOs, the additives and preservatives.  Having moved to Vancouver Island, Sue could not be more grateful for the free run eggs and fresh, organic vegetables that appear on nearby farm stands, local meat and fish. Nutrition plays a considerable role in our brain health… we hope you enjoy the article… and if you have views to add to our discussion, please join the May 1 ‘Come to the Dyslexic Table’!


April is busy !!!  We are filming our documentary, working title ‘Who Knew?... Everyone is Able to Learn’  April 21-24.  Sue is grateful to our National Screen Institute Mentor, Maureen Levitt, to our Director, Kelly Conlin, all the film crew and all the participants.  It’s exciting and very much part of our goal to ensure many learning challenges can be prevented. 

Sue and Julie presented two sessions at the Making Tomorrow Conference for Early Childhood Educators – April 13 - Victoria. Sue delivered information about our different way of thinking and Julie shared some of her experiences with the ECE Professional Development pilot which included the Davis Learning Strategies for Early Years.. all of which was very well received. It is our hope that we can persuade the Ministry of Education to extend this pilot. We meet the Minister of Education for BC’s Chief of Staff on April 25. All positive energy sent our way is much appreciated!

Sue and Julie have a two part session at the Decoda Conference – April 19 – Richmond


An inspiring story from Nadine Schumont.

I'm excited to share an incredible experience I had during my recent visit to my hometown of Whitbourne, Newfoundland.

While visiting my hometown I had the opportunity to return to my old childhood school, Whitbourne Elementary, and it was a real treat. The kids were so enthusiastic to learn about words and the three parts of every word:  how we see, say it, and the meaning of each word.

They were surprised to learn about ADHD and how it can be a gift, helping you to learn faster and think in unique ways. Seeing their excitement and understanding was inspiring.

However, the learning didn't stop there. I also had the opportunity to chat with the Whitbourne Army Cadets and their parents. We talked about the importance of embracing differences and how each of us has something special to offer. It was also inspiring to see both kids and parents open up to new perspectives.

My journey continued with a second visit to Chapel Arm Holy Family Elementary School. The kids there were just as eager to learn and discuss. We had great conversations about diversity and inclusion, reinforcing the idea that our differences should be celebrated.  These experiences were a reminder to me of the importance of fostering empathy and understanding in our communities.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to have had these conversations and share the joy of learning differently.

Let's continue to embrace our differences and celebrate the unique qualities that make each of us special.

Nadine…

Licensed Davis® Dyslexia Correction Facilitator, Davis Autism Approach® and Davis Concepts for Life® Facilitator, Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If?" Parent Course Facilitator

www.pictureperfectlearningsolutions.com Tel: 519-508-1486


This video found its way to Sue and despite being dyslexic, Sue actually loves language (just not too much of it), and finds the origins fascinating.  She hopes you do. ‘ The Alphabet Explained.. the Origin of Every Letter’ RobWords

COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE - Episode #12 - ‘Food for Thought …a Brain Enhancing Formula’

JOIN US for our 12th Live Chat on May 1st at 4.30pm Pacific. We’ll be discussing ‘Food for Thought …a Brain Enhancing Formula’.

You can read Sharon’s article HERE, please RSVP for your zoom link.

Food for Thought …a Brain Enhancing Formula 

There are many factors that affect the orientation method which is the key factor in a Davis® program, such as noise, pain and fear. Life happens and much of this we have minimal control over.  There is one thing we can control and will affect how we think and use our orientation tools and that is nutrition.

Much of what I suggest is based upon years of working in the health industry, listening to a variety of podcasts and training in nutritional counseling besides personal experience.  These suggestions are purely things to consider and of course, when in doubt, go to your medical advisor. Meanwhile I will attempt to sift through the information presented as of now; nutritional science is new and constantly evolving.

In general, most people do better on a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate diets to enhance focus. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that your body can’t function without. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell. The lack of, or depleting amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine is often the culprit which decreases attention spans.  This is why people with ADHD for example, are provided medications that increase dopamine levels. Altering your diet, according to many functional medicine doctors, can produce similar effects. Dopamine increasing foods are beef, poultry, fish, eggs, seeds (pumpkin and sesame), nuts (almonds and walnuts), cheese, protein powders, and green tea.

Food quality affects how your brain and body work. One way to increase performance is to drink plenty of water as your brain is 80 percent water. Anything that dehydrates it, such as too much caffeine or alcohol, impairs your cognition and judgment. One rule is (with the exception of those who are obese) is to drink half your weight in ounces daily.

It is important to start each day with protein to boost your focus and concentration. Protein helps balance your blood sugar, increases focus, and gives your brain the necessary building blocks for brain health. Eating carbohydrates that do not spike your blood sugar and are high in fiber, such as those found in vegetables and fruits, like blueberries and apples is beneficial. Carbohydrates are not the enemy; they are essential to your health. Bad carbohydrates, the ones that have been stripped of nutritional value, such as sugar and simple carbs, are the problem.

Sugar is not your friend, it increases inflammation in your body (which leads to inflammation in the brain, as well) and erratic brain cell firing. Rule out refined carbs as they are loaded with sugar or substances that are easily broken down into sugar in the body. They trigger a quick spike, then a crash in blood sugar levels that leaves people feeling spacey, confused, tired, and inattentive. In addition, simple carbs spike serotonin levels in the brain, which make you feel temporarily happier and more relaxed. This sounds great, but serotonin can also give people a “don’t worry, be happy” attitude that drains motivation and drive…not exactly the best mindset for work or school, best to stick with smart carbs.

Avoid potential food allergens or sensitivities. A growing body of research shows that potential allergens—gluten, corn, soy, artificial dyes, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and dairy may trigger ADD/ADHD-like symptoms in some people. Food additives and colorings, such as red dye 40, can cause hyperactivity in children with no previous history of this problem according to a study in the The Lancet.  Research from the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands showed 85% of children who followed an elimination diet showed an improvement of 50% or more and no longer met the criteria for ADHD. (https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/the-surprising-role-diet-plays-in-add-adhd).

If you do your own meal preparation and limit most of your grocery shopping to the outer aisles of the grocery store, you will have made great inroads into choosing brain optimizing foods. The only thing remaining is to watch pesticide use and note where your meat comes from.  You are not only what you eat, but also what the animals you eat ate. For example, fish is a great source of healthy protein and fat but can also contain mercury levels. The larger the fish, the more mercury it probably contains, so go for smaller varieties. Safe fish choices with the highest omega-3s include wild Alaskan salmon, sardines and anchovies.

With the numerous distractions that are a part of your everyday life, it can be difficult to pay attention to the task at hand especially if a challenging nutrient deficiency is added to the equation. Sometimes you might need a supplement. For example, if fatty fish is not part of your diet, then you might need to take Omega 3’s. If you don’t eat plenty of dark green leafy vegetables, you’ll likely need magnesium and some research suggests most of us are deficient in this mineral.

We cannot always rely on our food to be of good quality. Many natural health practitioners suggest we take a multivitamin, Omega 3 fish oils and vitamin D daily. There are other supplements that can influence learning. There is no one size fits all solution and you may want to try supplements such as curcumin, grape seed extract or L-theanine. If you google these items on how any of these items affect the brain, you will find some convincing research. I personally found grape seed extract very effective.

One fairly new supplement is Lion’s Mane that I personally take especially when feeling a bit of brain fog. It is a mushroom that may be valuable for a child’s developing brain. According to research, its primary bioactive compounds, hericenones and erinacines, actively stimulate the production of nerve growth factor (NGF), a critical element for maintaining and organizing neurons in the brain. NGF supports neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections, which is crucial for learning and adaptability. (https://becomelucid.com/blogs/news/lions-mane-mushroom-for-kids#:~:text=Lion's%20mane%2C%20a%20powerful%20mushroom,organizing%20neurons%20in%20the%20brain.)

To summarise:

  • eat more protein, particularly at the start of the day

  • eat less carbohydrates

  • incorporate healthy fats

  • eat vegetables and fruit

  • avoid sugars which can be disguised as high-fructose corn sweetener, dehydrated cane juice; dextrin; dextrose; maltodextrin; sucrose; molasses; and malt syrup

  • keep your grocery shopping to the outer aisles of the grocery store

  • cook from home as much as possible, eliminating processed foods

  • drink plenty of water

  • investigate some supplementation.

Happy Eating and Learning 😊!

Sharon Roberts, Davis Facilitator, Ontario https://dyslexia.ca/


Sparklebuds also came to our attention: “an educational initiative dedicated to providing specialized learning resources for children with ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, Gifted Students, and more”.  They sent us three magazines to have a look at, and while we will not be listing them on our website, just let us know if you would like to see one.  www.sparklebuds.com

CALENDAR

  • Making Tomorrow Count Early Childhood Conference – April 13 - Victoria

  • Decoda Conference – April 19 – Richmond

  • Come to the Dyslexic Table May 1st at 430PM Pacific

  • Save the Date – Fellowship of the Gift – Summer Camp June 2


We all wish you a wonderful month, full of sunshine, beautiful blooms, fabulous food, fun and success in whatever you enjoy and thank you for being part of our like-minded community.

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

WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.

Nadine Schumont from Picture Perfect Learning Solutions in Stratford, Ontario is happy to announce the release of her “Neurodiversity" T-shirts and merchandise.

With every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the Whole Dyslexic Society to use towards the many services offered. Click this LINK to see, and buy her exciting products.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Picture Perfect Learning Solutions Neurodiversity Shirts & Merchandise. Nadine Schumont has created a line of shirts and merchandise celebrating neurodiversity. You can view the range of styles and images through her store. For every shirt sold Nadine is donating $5.00 to The Whole Dyslexic Society. Check out her shop page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter March 2024

March is quite an exciting month already… hail, rain, sun, snow, wind, chilly, sunny…

March 2024

March is quite an exciting month already… hail, rain, sun, snow, wind, chilly, sunny… but not to be deterred we started with our AGM meeting on March 2.

This my Chairman’s Report:

Looking back at February 2022, I can see it was the start of an expansion.  We had just received funding for Laura’s administrative role.  This year, 2023, we were SO grateful that the funding was renewed, and we were able to build on all the solid foundations she had put in place. 

As programs were slow, with my move to the Island, there was no escape... it was grant writing time.  We applied for many… and to my astonishment we had some success.  

BC Campus granted us $93,500 to create an Early Childhood Educators’ Professional Development Pilot.  We already had the Davis Learning Strategies for K-3 teachers, and Julie Brewer had been using the tools and strategies with her students, so we knew it would work for the 3-5 year olds.  60 ECEs expressed interest and 12 took the whole course.  Stacey Smith, the DLS presenter, did a fantastic job Online and In Person.  Julie added her experience and tips, we created before and after modules, assignments and an evaluation. A very new and exciting experience.  We have been thrilled with the results and really hope it will be adopted by the Ministry of Education and Child Care in BC. 

Telus StoryHive granted us $21,000 to create a documentary… another completely new experience. Thankfully, a wonderful film-maker appeared on cue, and we sent our ‘practice’ film to them in December. This year, 2024, it gets real.  We have an incredibly experienced mentor from the National Screen Institute, who lives in Victoria!  She has found us an experienced Director, and I am trying to learn how to be a Producer writing a ‘treatment’… totally beyond my pay grade! This whole process is a very fine example of how I think compared to how other people think… but we are in very good hands.  The final documentary will be released at the end of the year on Telus Optik and we can send it to film festivals… and use it as a fundraiser…such a huge gift!

All this time, we needed more bursary funds, so Gisa asked the North Shore branch of 100 Women Who Care if they would help us. She made a compelling pitch and we gratefully received $9,600.00.  So many of the generous women had grandchildren who were struggling at school and able to relate to our need.

With so much excitement, I feel we made all our deadlines by the skin of our teeth, with huge thanks to our dedicated Board… Laura, Julie, Sharon, Nadine, Paddy, Gisa, Tristan and … a new Director, Del Coburn.  Del was introduced to us by Maureen O’Sullivan, a facilitator in Ontario.  He is a social science University student in Calgary who has worked with non-profits and is very happy to research and write grants for us, he’s another total gift.  The grants will be focused on autism funding to begin with, and we have plenty of other requests lined up for him!

We continue with the Newsletters, enriched by Laura’s art finds and Sharon’s articles which become the topic for our 1st of the month Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chats, and then morph into a podcast. Laura works tirelessly on the social media postings, and Sharon adds to them regularly.  We hope to start our Summer Camp weekends again this year.

This is a long report because it’s been such an incredible year, and we are beyond grateful to all those who have supported us.  We have a lot to look forward to.  The new Davis branding will be part of the excitement… and the documentary.. and… whatever we can do to ensure everyone has an opportunity to fulfill their potential.

After the AGM we had a General Meeting to brainstorm ideas for the rest of this year.

Gisa will be in contact with Big Sisters (maybe Big Brothers later) to see if we can help Big Sisters to help Little Sisters who have a study buddy.

Sue expressed a wish for a major sponsor, and our intrepid fundraiser, Del, is looking into this…Sue has some leads too.

Del is amassing research data to present to secondary educators/corporations/youth institutions… we are SO lucky!

Sue is tying up the ECE pilot and hoping to make best use of the momentum to have it operating widely next September.

She is very excited that the filming of the documentary will start in April.  Our National Screen Institute mentor and our Director are suggesting it could go to Film Festivals. We could even have Film Premieres in University theatres, libraries… which would be excellent fundraising events.

As fast as Sharon writes her articles for the Newsletters, Sue creates the podcast and Tristan posts them.

Julie is happy with the bursary interviews and has allowed Sue to drag her to 2 Pro Ds already this year, with 2 Conference sessions to come.

Paddy is busy writing her PhD thesis, and Nadine is busy helping Davis with the marketing side of the re-branding!

Laura holds us together, and besides that she is now involved with Davis UK team and likes the idea of bridging our connection with them.

We wish you all a very exciting year too, your Board, Sue, Laura, Julie, Sharon, Nadine, Gisa, Paddy, Del and Tristan.


Would you notice not having $20 a month?
We sure would notice having $20 a month towards our bursary funds…
The children and adults we help would really notice,
thank you!

For every new monthly donation of $20 or more during
March, Canada Helps will add-on an extra $20. But
only until March 31st!

Visit our Canada Helps Donation Page at:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/14646 and select "monthly"
or our Giving Guide here:
https://www.thewds.org/donate
Thank you for Making it Monthly!


COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE - Episode #11 - ‘ADD & ADHD, What do Dyslexia and ADHD have in common?’

JOIN US for our 11th Live Chat on April 1st at 4.30pm Pacific. We’ll be discussing ‘ADD & ADHD, What do Dyslexia and ADHD have in common?’.

You can read Sharon’s article HERE, please RSVP for your zoom link.

ADD & ADHD: What do dyslexia and ADHD have in common? 

Quite a bit actually. They both can have information-processing challenges, working memory deficits, and motor skills challenges. However, the common root cause is disorientation, which will be familiar to those in the Davis world - a state of mind in which your thinking/perception and your reality, the true facts and conditions in the environment, do not agree.

Everyone disorients but with ADHD, according to Ronald D. Davis in his book, The Gift Of Learning, disorientation is spontaneous. It happens easily and is driven by emotion. Some of these emotions include fear, boredom, curiosity and confusion. This spontaneous disorientation is narrowed down by Davis to two types of emotion, avoidance and engagement.

Whatever the cause of the disorientation, it can affect our attention. This perceptual ability has many positive aspects to it. These include exceptionally creative personalities, good problem-solving skills, lots of energy and ability to hyper focus. On the flip side, being disoriented affects our visionary and auditory processing, balance, coordination and time.

Because these senses are affected, you can observe behaviors such as distractibility, poor organizational skills, chronic lateness, struggles to control emotions, keeping friends and underestimating the time it will take to complete tasks. In other words, it affects executive functioning skills, 'the management system of the brain.’ These skills enable us to set goals, plan and get things done. When people struggle with executive function, it impacts them at home, in school and in life.

Some obvious signs of ADD / ADHD include frequent interruption of others or talking over them, poor self-control, blurting out thoughts without thinking, acting recklessly or spontaneously without regard for consequences and behaving in socially inappropriate ways (such as not being able to sit still during a long meeting). Emotionally individuals with ADD/ADHD can be easily flustered and stressed out, possess short, often explosive tempers, have self-esteem issues, have trouble staying motivated and be hypersensitive to criticism. For a child, it may look like not knowing how to share toys, take turns, play well with others. They may have problems making or keeping friends and find it difficult to focus and stay still.

Both hyper and hypo activity can be involved in attention issues. Both are products of spontaneous disorientation, and every disorientation affects our perception of time. This is why for someone experiencing ADHD, an hour of time can feel as if it is going quickly or slowly. The faster the internal clock goes the slower the outside seems; one hour can seem like two. The senses of balance and motion are reversed when disoriented. Being still seems like moving so a person mimics the feeling and moves which results in a feeling of calmness. If you tell them to be still and stop fidgeting, not only will they not hear you, they might also feel motion sick because they want to move and yet they are attempting to keep still.

There are many arguments over the cause and treatment for ADHD/ADD. Conventional streams see it as a mental health issue that requires medication to increase dopamine levels. Others look for the cause of this lack of focusing, and attribute it to lifestyle factors such as video games, screen time, intolerances to foods such as sugar, colorings, additives, glyphosates. There is evidence that the frequency of screen and video time affects dopamine levels and circadian rhythms. Furthermore, adults are modeling inattention as they multi-task, rushing off to activities, not allowing for time spent time in nature or just being quiet. All likely contribute in some way ... many of these factors affect dopamine levels.

Davis® Attention Mastery provides effective tools to help adults and children age 8 and over to address attention, behavioral, or organizational difficulties. Adults and children gain abilities to recognize and clear up distorted perceptions. That allows them to detect and solve confusions, and then master and internalize concepts that will help them with social interactions and attention issues. These concepts include: self, change, consequence, before, after, cause, effect, time, sequence, and order vs. disorder. We practice using these concepts by applying them to real life situations. This allows one to develop personal insight into the barriers that prevent them from living to their potential.

Young children diagnosed with ADHD often have significant academic and learning barriers, particularly with reading skills and reading comprehension. The Davis tools for attention regulation are part of every Davis program. Since academic difficulties are often at the heart of behavior problems and the inability to sustain focus in a classroom setting, in some cases it is better for children to start with a Davis Dyslexia Correction program. Often, the behavior issues that gave rise to an ADHD diagnosis will dissolve when the child gains the ability to read and understand why much of the confusion that caused the disorientation occurred and how it can be resolved.

Sharon Roberts, Davis Facilitator, Ontario https://dyslexia.ca/


CALENDAR

  • Make it Monthly during March with Canada Helps

  • Making Tomorrow Count Early Childhood Conference – April 13 - Victoria

  • Decoda Conference – April 19 – Richmond

  • Come to the Dyslexic Table April 1 at 430PM Pacific

  • Save the Date – Fellowship of the Gift – Summer Camp June 2


WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.

Nadine Schumont from Picture Perfect Learning Solutions in Stratford, Ontario is happy to announce the release of her “Neurodiversity" T-shirts and merchandise.

With every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the Whole Dyslexic Society to use towards the many services offered. Click this LINK to see, and buy her exciting products.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Picture Perfect Learning Solutions Neurodiversity Shirts & Merchandise. Nadine Schumont has created a line of shirts and merchandise celebrating neurodiversity. You can view the range of styles and images through her store. For every shirt sold Nadine is donating $5.00 to The Whole Dyslexic Society. Check out her shop page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter February 2024

Spring is springing... with the occasional chilly day… but the snowdrops are a sign!

February 2024

Photo: Gisa Straith

Spring is springing... with the occasional chilly day… but the snowdrops are a sign!

We have been very busy writing the final report for the Early Childhood Educators Professional Development Pilot.

It was a rush… although we got accepted last August, once contracts started to go back and forth, and all the requirements complied with… we didn’t get started till October!  The 12 participants have been fantastic… assignments and their final evaluation have been gathered… and some of their observations are priceless.  The final report goes out February 9. 

We encouraged all the ECEs to use the 3 tools, Release, Dial and Focus, themselves before they shared them with the 3-5 year olds…

“this exercise is an awesome self-reflection and self-awareness tool for me to assess how I am feeling and where my emotions/energies are throughout the day.” 

Some ECEs use all 3 tools at home, and it does seem that they have the best results in their classrooms.  Children know when you’re faking it… so they know when you are truly using the tools too.

“two of our children having conflict on all activities, so .. we did our Release and I said, if we need help or want a toy we are using 5 or 4 to our voice/body. They both calmed down and next day I can see they are both trying to regulate their emotions to one another.”

The Koosh ball toss proved very popular. Some ECEs found that the children were more willing to use their tools if they knew Koosh ball toss was going to happen. ECEs wait to see who has their dial on 5 before they toss the ball… guaranteed motivation!

For the Focus exercise the children needed to understand what it is to imagine. You would think this was not an issue, but they are ‘Covid’ children who haven’t been allowed to play with other children outside their bubble, and maybe had more screen time than is typical.  Several games introduced them to the concept of imagining and it even helped some children who “have been unsure how to play with peers.”

One little boy was frustrated because he couldn’t ride his bicycle.. his ECE suggested using all three tools together.. and off he went!

Some of the ECEs would like to continue to the end of their school year, to complete Letter Mastery, Picturing to Remember (what is being read to them) and start Word Mastery.  We are hopeful that the Ministry of Education will decide to offer it to all ECEs in BC. 

At the moment we are just incredibly grateful to Julie Brewer, who knew it would work because she’d been using/adapting the skills ever since she took a DLS for K-3 teachers. She had so many wonderful suggestions, games, tips, materials to share; to Stacey Smith who embraced the idea of presenting the adapted 2 day Workshop; to DDAI for allowing us to create Davis Learning Strategies for Early Years as part of the pilot; to Laura O’Neill who created the Thinkific learning account for all of the attendees and kept the administration running smoothly. I had fun…creating the scripts and live/recorded Modules, assignments and evaluations. It was all so worthwhile!


TELUS STORYHIVE: Having delivered the ‘practice’ film last December, we are now involved in creating the ‘Main Edition’.  I met with our National Screen Institute Mentor, Maureen Levitt, who is wonderful and really good at guiding the project.  She is very experienced, and was able to illuminate the path forward which involved us having a Director and creating a ‘treatment’?!?!? At this point, I am in totally uncharted waters, way beyond my pay grade… my picture for ‘treatment’ had medical vibes. 

It is turning out to be an incredible lesson… I was given a sheet telling me what a treatment should be… I thought I followed it.  Obviously I didn’t.  I asked for an example to follow… thought I followed it… no I didn’t. I googled how to write a treatment and found www.docfilmacademy.com which was brilliant, not too many words, slides and examples...the jury is still out on that one. All this time, Maureen had been reading my book, she phoned to say she loved it, it was well written, she liked the sections, she liked the humour…so realising that I can write…led to her ‘aha’ moment. She said that I should write the treatment as I felt it should be written… because that was the whole point of the film… I learn differently!


COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE - Episode #10 - ‘What is Different About a Davis Program?’

Our February 1st Live Chat was on procrastination… I think we should have put it off. 😊

As usual Sharon had written a great article and the Podcast will be published shortly HERE.

JOIN US for our 10th Live Chat on March 1st at 4.30pm Pacific. We’ll be discussing ‘What is different about a Davis Program?’.

You can read Sharon’s article HERE, please RSVP for your zoom link.

What is different about a Davis program?

Davis programs are different. You don’t just enlist, you have to qualify. We do not tutor. We do not use phonics or endless repetition or drill. Instead, we facilitate clients to use their inner strengths/skills/abilities to unfold the cause of their struggles and hence make improvements in a matter of days. Not everyone qualifies to partake in a program and here are the reasons why.

Firstly, programs are conducted by rigorously trained facilitators.  Facilitators by definition are  people that make things easier. They plan and guide a person to meet their goals whereas teachers use their subject matter expertise to design curricula, presentations, and learning materials. One Google definition states “Facilitators get things done.”

In order to define goals, there is a degree of self awareness involved.  Children go to school without clearly defined goals and get taught general things based upon a curriculum designed by adults who deem that at a certain age a child should know certain things. Whereas a person who visits a Davis program, has something in mind they want to fix or improve, a goal. This requires some ability of self awareness and that is why the suggested age to enroll in a program is 8 and up.  At that age, children enter a developmental phase known as the age of reason which refers to the developmental cognitive, emotional, and moral stage in which children become more capable of rational thought, have internalized a conscience, and have better capacity to control impulses. Being the right age doesn’t always qualify you for a program. It’s just the first step. 

The second qualification in goal setting requires a feeling of meaning and purpose. Without it, you can lose focus. The goals need to be specific and not general e.g. “I want to pass school”. A child needs to break that down into something more concrete such as to be better at spelling , reading, doing division problems or making friends. 

This requires the child to use their self-awareness to be aware of how they feel about their abilities. The stronger they feel about their inabilities, the better it determines the motivation of the client. The more emotional they are about their negative experiences, the stronger the motivation is to act in order to experience positive emotions and minimize the probability of feeling negative emotions.  

Continuous positive change keeps the program going and we often ask if their goals are being met. That’s why we orchestrate a program to client’s goals because they are the ones “doing it”. So if they are aware that they are having a problem in some aspect of their life and want to fix it there is a good chance they qualify for a program. Intertwined with this goal setting is a desire for change.

The third qualification is finding a good support system to follow up with the program’s inroads. With a child, it is often the parent who assists. The reading and orientation exercises take about 15 minutes a day until child is reading at grade level. The clay work on the sight/trigger words is another matter as it depends upon the client’s goals. Depending upon what was accomplished in the program and client’s goals and schedule, the clay work can take around a year to complete. The more words that get done, the greater results. If the parent has a history of “not being able to work with the child,” they should hire someone who can, and support training is provided for them. Facilitators are there to help following a program but it’s the helper’s responsibility to ask.

In my office, there are three rules that clients follow.

  • The first is to go slow. This is so they can identify the confusion.

  • The second is to make mistakes and not to let it bother you. This can be a deal breaker for some as it is embarrassing to make mistakes and feel stupid. However, it is the mistakes that tell us what is going on and once a client knows how to correct them, they often feel relieved In order to relieve anxiety around this, I jokingly say, “You have to make at least five per day”.

  • The third rule is to have fun! 

If all these things are in place, success is on its way!

Sharon Roberts, Davis Facilitator, Ontario https://dyslexia.ca/


Teaching Without Words – Matthew Peterson

Axel Gudmundsson, a Davis Facilitator in the UK sent Sue some material for the STORYHIVE documentary and we thought you might like it, especially the first minute:  Watch HERE.


BURSARY FUND

We are receiving a steady stream of requests for financial assistance for Davis Dyslexia Correction Method Programs. In addition, we are expanding our Bursary Program to include Davis® Autism Approach, Davis® Concepts for Life, & Davis® Concepts for Life - Early Years. The Davis Method programs are life changing. They provide the individual struggling with Dyslexia, AD(H)D, and Autism the tools to enable them to learn in a sustainable, successful and empowering way. We accept applications for children, youth & adults. We’ve seen remarkable changes in these individual’s lives where they are thriving and achieving their goals and dreams. Please help us continue providing financial support to these gifted individuals. Be a part of enabling their full potential. Consider donating to our Bursary Fund. We accept cash donations by e-Transfer (info@thewds.org), Canada Helps and PayPal Giving Fund. We have many other options if you’d like to check out our Giving Guide HERE. To read or view some of our testimonials check out our Bursary Program page HERE.

Much love from all of us….Sue, Laura, Julie, Nadine, Sharon, Paddy, Gisa, Tristan and Del…


CALENDAR

  • Feb 16: Sue and Julie present 2 Pro Day Sessions: Cathedral School, Victoria and Brookes Westshore (return visit!)

  • Feb 29:  Telus StoryHive Treatment due.

  • March 1: Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat TITLE SHARON

  • March 2:  The WDS AGM .. 10am PST

  • April 13:  Making Tomorrow Count – Sue and Julie are presenting

  • April 19: Decoda Conference, Richmond – Sue and Julie are presenting


WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.

Nadine Schumont from Picture Perfect Learning Solutions in Stratford, Ontario is happy to announce the release of her “Neurodiversity" T-shirts and merchandise.

With every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the Whole Dyslexic Society to use towards the many services offered. Click this LINK to see, and buy her exciting products.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Picture Perfect Learning Solutions Neurodiversity Shirts & Merchandise. Nadine Schumont has created a line of shirts and merchandise celebrating neurodiversity. You can view the range of styles and images through her store. For every shirt sold Nadine is donating $5.00 to The Whole Dyslexic Society. Check out her shop page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More
The Whole Dyslexic Society The Whole Dyslexic Society

Newsletter January 2024

Happy New Year to You All ! We hope you are refreshed and have had time to think about all the things you intend to manifest in 2024. Your Board meets January 18 to discuss its objectives and all suggestions are very welcome.

January 2024

happy New year to You All! 

We hope you are refreshed and have had time to think about all the things you intend to manifest in 2024.

Your Board meets January 18 to discuss its objectives and all suggestions are very welcome.

We give thanks to Maureen O’Sullivan, for introducing us to our new Board Director, Del Coburn, who is already injecting excitement into our Society, as he appears fearless in taking on some of our fundraising activities. Maureen is keen to ensure there are bursaries available for the Davis Autism Approach programs. 

Nadine is part of the new Davis marketing initiative, which is part of the whole new Davis rebranding, launching early in 2024.

Gisa is meeting with representatives of Big Sisters to hear what they are interested in.

Sue has offered to be part of the new Davis Learning Strategies and Davis Learning Strategies for Early Years initiative.

Many Facilitators worldwide are interested in developing this preventative approach… so exciting !!!


WE ARE RIGHT BACK into the Early Childhood Educators’ Professional Development Pilot we created, as of Jan 6… our end of pilot report is due Feb 28.

The whole project has been a rush, we have ‘bounced’ from one self-created deadline to another: we had to create a logo, an advertisement, distribute it, create a Thinkific e-learning platform, plan the format, create a Flow Chart of Modules, create 9 Modules plus assignments, record them, get permission from DDAI for the 2 day workshops, write adaptations to the DLS K-3 Manual, book the in-person presenter, their accommodation, the venue, and send out more assignments, include parents… and now we have the last of the modules plus the evaluations and final report writing. Phew!!!

Huge thanks go to Laura O’Neill, Julie Brewer and Stacey Smith for the above. Huge thanks are also due to the ECEs who are using the self-management tools and already noticing improvements in their centers.

The idea of their success leading to the Ministry of Education and Child Care offering this professional development to all ECEs in BC is beyond wildly exciting!


TELUS STORYHIVE Documentary – Miraculously, we also managed to get the Bonus Edition of the Telus StoryHive documentary in by Dec 6.  The full story is HERE. The Telus StoryHive Adventure !  Many lessons have been learned, a new Storyboard needs to be created, and we look forward to the mentorship provided by the Film Institute as of Jan 13.


COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE - Episode #9 - Procrastination

JOIN US for our 9th Live Chat on February 1st at 4.30pm Pacific. We’ll be discussing procrastination and how it shows up in different personality types as well as the added challenges that dyslexic, ADD and autistic learners face when starting, organizing and completing tasks.

You can read Sharon’s article HERE, please RSVP.


LOOKING FOR PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES? Donor Advised Funds and Legacy Giving are ways in which you can support your favourite causes through charitable contributions. We have created easy to understand articles on these charitable gifts. Visit Legacy Giving HERE. Visit Donor Advised Funds HERE. Or contact us at info@thewds.org to discuss ways in which we can work together.

Much love from all of us….Sue, Laura, Julie, Nadine, Sharon, Paddy, Gisa, Tristan and Del…


CALENDAR

  • Jan 6: Module 5.2 for ECEs Professional Development pilot.

  • Jan 13 - we meet our Film Institute mentor for the StoryHive documentary.

  • Jan 18: Board Meeting

  • Jan 21 – 28th – Family Literacy Week

  • Jan 27th - Parent Evaluation of ECE Pilot

  • Feb 1st - Come to The Dyslexic Table Live Chat on Procrastination, 430pm.

  • Feb 16: Sue and Julie present 2 Pro Day Sessions: Cathedral School, Victoria and Brookes Westshore (return visit!)

  • Stay tuned for more events and happenings!


WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONALThe Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.

Nadine Schumont from Picture Perfect Learning Solutions in Stratford, Ontario is happy to announce the release of her “Neurodiversity" T-shirts and merchandise.

With every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the Whole Dyslexic Society to use towards the many services offered. Click this LINK to see, and buy her exciting products.


Our Giving Guide: 

NEW!! We have created some information pages on our website for Legacy Giving and Donor Advised Funds. These are ways in which you can support your favourite charity. You can read all about them on our Giving Page HERE.

Picture Perfect Learning Solutions Neurodiversity Shirts & Merchandise. Nadine Schumont has created a line of shirts and merchandise celebrating neurodiversity. You can view the range of styles and images through her store. For every shirt sold Nadine is donating $5.00 to The Whole Dyslexic Society. Check out her shop page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia PinsPurchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

Canada Helps - General Fund 

Canada Helps - Bursary Fund 

Canada Helps Tribute - Donate in honour of or in memory of a loved one.  

Canada Helps Securities - A donation of securities or mutual funds is the most efficient way to give charitably. Since capital gains taxes don't apply, our charity receives the full fair market value when the security is sold, and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution. This allows you to give more and get more. TO READ MORE ABOUT DONATING SECURITIES OR MUTUAL FUNDS CLICK HERE

We are a registered charity with the PayPal Giving Fund. You can donate to our organization using your PayPal account with no fees. Thank you ! PayPal Giving Fund 


Read More