LPLC Quarterly eNewsletter (August 2023)

Executive Director's Update

Dear LPLC Community —

Summer has passed quickly and goals for the “new school year” are already in place at Lee Pesky Learning Center. Like many of you, we welcome the excitement, the energy, and the expectations that a new school year brings. We wish great success for our youth as well as their parents and teachers!

Sixty-two students are beginning their academic journey this fall with increased reading skills and improved self-determination because of their participation in our summer Literacy Pods program. The program was featured in Idaho Education News, and we share additional information in our Staff Spotlight. Our Literacy Pods were provided in concert with the Vallivue School District in Caldwell and the Blaine County School District in the Wood River Valley along with our partners at the WRV YMCA, the College of Idaho, and Far and Wise. We are proud to work with such a stellar group of professionals who remain committed to improving the lives of our children and youth.

Learning to read requires self-determination. We share more about self-determination in our Counselor’s Corner (below) and suggest additional reading for parents, professionals, and young learners. At LPLC, we help students become self-regulated learners because we know that learning requires more than a solid academic foundation but also requires self-determination and strategic thinking. These tools provide us with the confidence and resilience we need to solve novel problems and generate new ideas—the secret sauce for making the world a better place. As the saying goes, “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

In partnership,

Lindy Crawford

Lindy Crawford, PhD

Executive Director

lcrawford@lplearningcenter.org

LPLC Board of Directors

Greg Pesky, Chair

Gregory Byron, Secretary

Buck Harris, Treasurer

Jim Foudy

Lisa Gabel

Mark Hamachek

Dana Herrman

Will Hughes

Rebecca Hupp

Nathan Katsuki

Barbara Morgan

Alan Pesky, Co-founder

Decker Rolph

Robert Sanchez

Jerry Sturgill

Matthew Weatherley-White

William Young

Click the button below to learn more about LPLC's board members.

Meet LPLC's Board of Directors

Recommended Reads

This issue, we invite you to peruse recommended reads focused on self-determination.

Daring Greatly, written by Brene Brown, dispels the myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is our most accurate measure of courage.

GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, written by Angela Duckworth, highlights the critical role passion and perseverance play on a person’s success.

The Don't-Give-Up Kid, written by Jeanne Gehret, paints a picture of a child with learning disabilities and how he discovers there are successful people out there just like him.

Tier 2 Spotlight:

Literacy Pods

As the Literacy Pods Program Director, Jahziel Hawley-Maldonado oversees academic programming which provides foundational reading skills to English learners.

This past summer under Jahziel's leadership, LPLC's Literacy Pod program for English learners expanded its reach to the Treasure Valley. For four weeks in June, Jahziel and five tutors worked with 29 students poised to enter 1st or 2nd grade at West Canyon Elementary School in Caldwell. Then in July, the program was replicated in the Wood River Valley at Alturas Elementary serving 33 students. The comprehensive, five-week summer program consists of 30-minute 1:1 sessions each day for children poised to enter 1st grade who are struggling to read. It provides the opportunity to not only catch up, but to get ahead.

In addition to providing the foundational literacy skills that students need, the program helps develop confidence and empowerment through relationships built with the students. Providing reading instruction 1:1 to students that struggle allows them to make progress while learning from mistakes and building self-esteem. Jahziel, originally from Puerto Rico, is passionate about ensuring that English learners in Idaho have the tools to be successful.

LPLC's Literacy Pods set the foundation for students' success by exposing children to a Self Regulated Learner (SRL) Framework. Built on five components, the SRL Framework teaches children to become connected, self-aware, self-determined, strategic, and resilient. Scientific evidence shows these skills are just as critical as academic skills to school success.

In Jahziel's words, "Each student is unique and when we individualize their approach based on skill level and background, we maximize potential and foster growth and positive outcomes."

Your Support Makes

a Difference!

One out of every five individuals will experience a learning obstacle.

Lee Pesky Learning Center has been providing support for 26+ years to ensure that these individuals have the resources they need to become connected, self-determined, resilient, self-aware, and strategic. You can support the next child's (or educator's!) journey by ensuring that cost is not a barrier to receiving services.

Make a Gift Today!

Dyslexia Training Course

On September 30th and October 14th, LPLC is offering a two-day in-person course on Understanding and Supporting Students with Dyslexia. This course meets the requirements for the Idaho Literacy Achievement and Accountability Act and teacher recertification. Learn more, peruse additional training dates, and sign up by clicking the button below.

LPLC's Running for Learning Team is Back

....and Ready to Hit the Ground Running!

TCS New York City Marathon 2023

LPLC's annual marathon team is back for another year with 12 runners:

Support our runners & learn more about their journeys on our team page HERE.

Counseling Corner: Self-Determination and Children

Raising children requires a balancing act of allowing for a child’s independence while also maintaining structure. We want to keep children safe and carefully guide them through a world full of unknowns. We want to raise children to be successful and independent at whatever they decide to do in adulthood.

According to Genevieve Mageau, PhD at University of Montreal, relinquishing some control while increasing empathy and supportive management correlates with better academic achievement. It was also found that children who were provided with guided independence experienced higher levels of emotional and mental well-being. Rather than tell children not to do something (within reason), ask them what they believe may happen. Listen and observe the way they process and problem solve with some gentle prompting. Simple decisions for children provides a sense of control and fosters the ability to self-manage.

Key takeaway? Ask children if they want pizza or stir-fry for dinner and let them wear their rain boots with the Batman costume to the grocery store. Not only will this lend itself to a greater sense of independence and confidence down the road, it will make great photos to share when they are adults!

For additional information about self-determination, you can click the button below.

Click Here to Learn More

Alumni Spotlight: Share Your Highlights or Updates

We Love Hearing From our Alumni and Alumni Families!

Click the button below or email advancement@lplearningcenter.org to submit quotes, stories, updates, and pictures. We look forward to hearing about the adventures you have embarked on and challenges you have tackled since your time at LPLC!

Share Your Updates Here

Lee Pesky Learning Center works together with individuals, families, schools, and communities to understand and overcome obstacles to learning.

www.lplearningcenter.org