President's
Letter:
Dear Colleagues:
VCLD members
have been busy since our last newsletter. The 14th Annual VCLD Conference
in Roanoke was a wonderful success. Helen Barrier and her local arrangements
committee worked diligently for more than a year to provide us with a
well-organized, entertaining, and thought-provoking event. From the preconference
workshops, poster sessions, and keynote address by Margo Mastropieri and
Tom Scruggs, to the thoughts on the future of our field provided by Lissa
Power-deFur, and all the concurrent sessions, opportunities to share challenges
and successes abounded. Thank you to all the speakers who shared their
time and expertise. Also, thank you to all who joined us as participants
and enlivened our sessions with your questions and comments.
Congratulations
to the VCLD Teacher of the Year for 2001! Karen Wade teaches students
with learning disabilities at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke City.
Karen is described as "truly an outstanding teacher, having the best
interests of her students in mind at all times . . . an advocate for them
not only in her self-contained classroom, but in mainstream and inclusion
settings, as well." "Her big smile and her willingness to help
others carried over the the classroom where she has taken on the task
of teaching students from the ninth to the twelfth grade how to read.
What better gift to give a child than to teach them the art of reading!"
We are so pleased to have such a caring and dedicated person represent
Virginia. Karen will have the opportunity to be recognized at the National
CLD Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, this October.
Plans are already
underway for next year's conference in Charlottesville in early March.
I hope you will plan to join us and consider submitting a proposal to
share your successes through a presentation or poster session.
The work of Cheryl
Temple Diane Zink needs a special acknowledgement. Through their efforts,
we now have a VCLD website, www.vcld.org. Diane is new to our board and
we are so pleased to have her expertise as she fills the role of Website
Curator. I would like to share a personal experience from the Roanoke
conference. Getting on the elevator Friday evening, I held the door for
an older gentleman who was bringing in his suitcases. He thanked me and
noticed my name badge. "Oh, learning disabilities," he commented
and went on to tell me that, while his children were now grown, two of
them had really struggled in school. He then added, "But they
had the most wonderful teachers! They finished college and went on
to graduate school and are both doing well." As he left the elevator,
his last words were, "Thanks for al you do!" That is a "thanks"
to be shared with all of you. We do touch the lives, not only of
children, but their parents. Since those children grow up, our efforts
make a difference in the lives of adults, as well. I would like to repeat,
thank you for all you do to make the lives of children with learning disabilities
richer and more successful!
My term as president
concludes as of July 1st. I would like to express my thanks to the members
of VCLD for the opportunity to serve you. It has been professionally and
personally rewarding. I wish Helen Barrier the same wonderful experience
and know she will provide the organization effective leadership as we
continue to grow.
Respectfully,
Patricia A. Popp, VCLD President
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