Summer Newsletter

Summer 2019

Children's Dyslexia Center-Madison

News & Happenings

Welcome to this Summer edition of our newsletter!

We hope you find the content informational, inspiring, and fun.

Our staff is busy with their daily administrative work and tutoring while our volunteers continue to donate their time and talents to both governance and fund raising. All are focused on the shared goal of helping the families being served by our program.

Our Summer Session began June 3rd and goes through July 11. (Center is closed July 3rd and July 4th for the holiday.)

We will have a mandatory parent meeting on August 29th, and Fall Sessions begin September 3rd.

Link to our calendar.

The Road to Reading

The Road to Reading:

Madison’s Story

For some kids, reading seems to come easily—almost naturally. The letters form into words, the words into sentences—and in almost no time, they are reading. For kids like this, the road to reading is smooth and even fun.

Madison Delyea is not one of those kids.

Madison Delyea

For Madison, a soon-to-be-sixth grader with dyslexia, the road to reading has been long and hard. As a second grader, Madison struggled to learn what the other kids were learning. As she fell further behind, her frustration grew. Soon, it was hard for her mother, Sierra, to even convince her to go to school. “I hated reading,” Madison explained. “In school everything is taught from a book. I would get frustrated when I even looked at a book. Kids made fun of me when I couldn’t read. I thought the reason I couldn’t read was because I was dumb.” Sierra could see that Madison was working hard. But her hard work just wasn’t leading anywhere.

When Sierra’s boss heard about Madison’s struggles, he suggested they look into the Children’s Dyslexia Center. The Center had a long waiting list but Sierra, who knew they needed to try something different, signed up anyway. After a year, the call finally came: the Center had an opening for Madison.

At first, Madison was skeptical. “I thought this was going to be another case where I get ‘special help’ but it doesn’t actually help,” Madison said. Despite her hesitation, Madison liked the Center immediately. She found her tutor to be patient and positive. The Center became a community for Madison, a place where she felt understood. While the feeling of support was instant, reading progress started slowly. “The turning point didn’t come for few months,” Madison said. “The tutoring sessions were hard but they taught me a new way to look at reading.” With her tutor’s guidance, Madison’s hard work was finally leading somewhere.

While at the Center, Madison became an advocate for the Center and for dyslexia. She went to classrooms at her school to share information about dyslexia and to ask for donations. “People at the Center have been a big help to me so I wanted to help them,” Madison explained. She has also shared information with others as she has collected donations for the Children’s Dyslexia Center’s annual Walk for Dyslexia. And recently, she spoke at a state legislature hearing. She explained that there are likely five kids in each classroom with dyslexia—five kids, she told them, sitting in the back of the classroom and hoping not to get called on.

This May, Madison graduated from the Center, having reached her goals in reading and writing. Madison feels sad to be leaving the Center. But she also feels ready. Sierra agrees. “Madison still has dyslexia,” Sierra said. “That didn’t change. But what did change was her ability to manage it. She gained reading skills and she also gained confidence in herself and in her ability to ask for and get help. She is now a happy kid who believes if she works hard, she can succeed. That is so important.”

Funding Information and News

Win Big Prizes While Helping Children with Dyslexia

Here’s a fun and easy way to help us reach raise funds to help more children with dyslexia get the resources they need to be successful.

We are so fortunate to once again be a beneficiary of The Madison NFL Alumni Chapter’s Charity Raffle . Buying raffle tickets is a great way to win prizes—and to help our Center. When you purchase raffle tickets, you could be the winner of big prizes like $1,000 in cash, four tickets to a Green Bay Packers game, a stay at Kalahari Resort, or sports memorabilia. CDC-M will receive 85% of proceeds from our ticket sales.

Eight winners will be drawn on Monday, July 29 at 5 p.m. at Trappers Turn Golf Course in the Wisconsin Dells. Winners don’t need to be present to win. To participate, you can pick up raffle tickets from the Center. Or mail a check payable to " NFL ALUMNI " to the Center along with a note with your address and the number of tickets you would like. Tickets are $20 each.

Each ticket will enter you in the drawing one time. Purchase more to increase your chances of winning—and to increase your impact on children with dyslexia in our community. Send in your order by July 20 ^th . Be sure to share the fun with family and friends by encouraging them to buy tickets also.

If you have questions, please call Steve Underwood at (608) 833-5600 or Bill Johnson at (608) 826-0419.

Organizations Awarding Grants

to the Children’s Dyslexia Center-Madison

We are so grateful to the following organizations who have awarded grants to our Center in 2019:

Altrusa International

Madison South Rotary Foundation

Madison4Kids

The Evjue Foundation, Inc, the charitable arm of The Capital Times

The Capital Times Kids Fund

Wahlin Foundation

West Kiwanis

Donations can be made via our website. Click Here.

If you would like a report of donations you have made

to the Children's Dyslexia Center-Madison,

contact Gail Piper at 608-242-9282 or [email protected].

Messages

From Kelly Kuenzie, Director

Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out . And the Gifts keep coming!

I am humbled by the many gifts we receive and do not know how to say thank you to the thousands of individuals who have made Children’s Dyslexia Centers in Wisconsin a priority. It is not just the parents and grandparents who dutifully spend many hours in our waiting room, but donors, like Past Grand Master Scott Pedley and his wife Rhonda, who offered their time, talents, connections, energy, and leadership to put the Children’s Dyslexia Centers in Wisconsin front and center this past year. Collectively, with the cooperation of Wisconsin Grand Lodge Freemasons, they raised $50,000 for our three centers: Eau Claire, Madison, & Milwaukee! Thank you so much for your efforts!

I see parents come to the Center fearful and frustrated, and leave elated and proud. I see children come to the classroom shut down and shameful, and leaving confident, empowered and reading. It can be a daily emotional rollercoaster for all of us who are invested in these bright and beautiful children and to experience the generosity of so many is a shot of joy. The belief that so many share that our program matters and makes a difference ensures our quality, effective tutoring is available to every child who needs it.

The miracles I witness on a daily basis add up to an amazing bounty. I think of the Centers and the thousands of trained staff who work at the Centers despite being able to tutor privately for much more. I think of all the parents and tutors and Masons who graciously participate in fundraisers every year. I think of the students working diligently. This Scottish Rite charity has become a charity of the entire community and there are not words to describe how grateful and in awe I am.

Thank You!

Results of our 10th Annual Walk for Dyslexia are in!

This year's Walk for Dyslexia raised $21,000! All of the money our walk brings in stays right here to support our Madison center. It was a chilly morning, but the spirit to support the dyslexia center was strong as walkers and volunteers gathered at Brittingham Park in Madison.

Thanks to all the volunteers, participants, and sponsors of our walk. Special thanks to those who worked so hard to raise pledges!

Click here to see who sponsored our walk!

Grins, Giggles, and perhaps Groans

Why did Waldo wear stripes?

Because he didn't want to be spotted!

Famous People With Dyslexia

Scientists, artists, architects, astronauts, musicians, engineers, inventors, business leaders, government officials, -- the list goes on and on. Who is YOUR favorite?

Jennifer Aniston Talks About Her Dyslexia

Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress, director, producer Jennifer Aniston recently shared to Hollywood Reporter how she discovered that she was dyslexic in her 20’s.

Excerpt: “She doesn’t read much, the result of the dyslexia that impacted her education and self-image, which wasn’t diagnosed until she was in her early 20s…My eyes would jump four words and go back two words The revelation that she had dyslexia was life-changing. Until then, “I thought I wasn’t smart. I just couldn’t retain anything,” she says. “Now I had this great discovery. I felt like all of my childhood trauma-dies, tragedies, dramas were explained.”

Many accomplished actresses and actors are dyslexic and found their talents in their careers from powers of careful observation, empathy, and an uncanny ability to get into the heads of different people and characters. A good ear for how things are said helps with the job too.

It would’ve been great if the journalists at HR or ABC News had been aware of why so many of the worlds most accomplished actresses and actors are dyslexic, but mentioning them is a start. For every 1 who identifies, there are probably at least hundreds who do not. Bravo for Jennifer for sharing and helping the world take one step closer to a dyslexic-open dyslexic-friendly world.

From the UK : “…Yet the high numbers of dyslexic learners in the acting profession may suggest that dyslexia is not a ‘deficit’ but a strength. After all, many actors view dyslexia as a source of their creativity. Former Eastenders actress Carol Harrison recognises that: ‘…having dyslexia has made me a better actor because instead of just saying the words, you have to feel them very, very deeply, take them inside of yourself, process them and bring them out again.’

(Source: Dyslexic Advantage)

Jennifer Aniston Opens Up About Being Dyslexic (Source:ABC News)

A Reminder!

Don't forget to bring in your BoxTop$ 4 Education coupons to put in the collection box located in our waiting area. (Please be sure they are not expired.) Our Center has raised $1,770 in the last four years with just those little pieces of paper!

We want to thank Carol Skavlen, our volunteer who is in charge of this fundraising effort. Carol organizes the coupons, checks the expiration dates, fills out the paperwork and submits everything to General Mills for our donations.

Visit www.boxtops$4education for more information about this General Mills charitable program that raises money for non-profit organizations.

And, there are coupons on the Boxtop$ 4 Education website for you to use at the store. Check them out! Coupon Page