May ECC Trip Report
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Posted by S. Kossack, FIU/ECC on May 24, 2000 at 22:17:07:
We drew this academic year's training to a close on this May trip. I was able to bring good news with me. I have been named International Chairperson for the Florida Reading Association. This will bring significant resources to the schools:
o Membership in Florida Reading Association
o Budget which would fund some Abaco teachers to come to annual state professional meeting
o Florida Reading Quarterly subscription (state journal will be put in professional library)
o Links to every district in the state, which will enable email and resource links between schools
o Wider choice of trainers/consultants FIU has approved a Special Education/Reading Certificate program for Abaco teachers, which consists of a series of eight courses that will build skills. For example, Nature and Needs of Exceptional Children, Behavior Management, Reading Diagnosis, Remedial Reading. Thanks to the generosity of Axel Mixa, I was able to bring a Special Education colleague and eight boxes of books (including Robert Morton's two boxes for the school in Guana) with me this month. What a guy! Friday was filled with work at Amy Roberts School at Green Turtle Cay...what a delight. We have developed a particularly effective way of supporting children's writing. The first and second graders became especially excited when they saw how easy this writing skeleton made their work. When we were able to convert their descriptive writing into a riddle, teachers and students alike had a ball! I don't remember when I had as much fun! While we were there, three terrific gals from Cincinnati, Ohio, came by and brought a bag full of books for the kids and tools for Construction for Education! Nancy Jones, Carolyn Dressell, and Lisa Scheider: I wish I would have known you were there...would've wanted to shake your hands. All will be put to good use! This was a luxurious trip for us this time! The Sawyers (family of one of our mildly autistic children) donated the use of a villa in Treasure Cay! We filled it up with our Director, me, our consultant, and a visiting special educator, Maggie Phillips, who was there to check us out for a job interview. Hope she doesn't think we live so "high on the hog" normally. What a treat! And Maggie is our other blessing. We have long wanted to provide job skills and placement for some of the handicapped students. Maggie has done this for over four years in Jamaica! She also has considerable experience with young special education students! She is just lovely! We are hoping she will see her way clear to be able to join us. Saturday was a full day of testing (all the children who helped us too handsfull of books home with them) and training by Dr. Judith Cohen in Phonological Awareness. We also honored the Peer Counselors from the high schools who have been tutoring struggling students all year long. Acknowledgements were given to our special angels, too....those adults who go beyond expectations to help children....people like Jaimie Leduc and his fiance Colleen, Sandy Leavengood (special education teacaher) and many, many others who are the heart of this project. While we trained, Lynn Stephenson's Construction for Education team finished re-roofing the St. Francis library. Hope we won't lose too many of the books. On Sunday we provided training to the Seventh Day Adventist teachers and ran (literally) to catch the plane. Axel Mixa and his pilot were patiently waiting for us as we screeched up to the airport, fast-loaded our gear, and slept all the way back to Lantana....then an hour's drive home. What a life. Wouldn't trade it for all the tea... Thanks to all of you who have brought/sent books, who have donated to bring Abaco teachers to FRA Conference in Oct, who consistently offer encouragement and support! We will work the summer to tie up loose ends, plan for strong kickoffs in August, and a year-long certification block for the teachers. We are unable to do June trainings because of incompatible schedules, but intend to pick up in August. One child at a time!
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