Tag Archives: dyslexia

Roundup: Aquarion, Field Hockey, Ben Casparius …

Posted on October 30, 2024 | 5 comments

The Aspetuck Health District has responded to the letter sent recently by water utility Aquarion to many of its customers.

The letter said, “Our most recent service line inventory indicates that some or all of the water service line materials between the water main and your property are of unknown material classification. Unknown means that the service line may be lead.”

The Health District says: “Please note that Aquarion’s letter is mandated by the federal government’s customer lead service line inventory effort, and that much of the contained language is required by USEPA as part of evolving regulations around the treatment of lead.

“Additionally, Aquarion has indicated that it consistently complies with all federal and state water quality standards, including those for lead. Even if a customer has lead service lines, Aquarion is adjusting the chemistry in the water to prevent corrosion that could result in lead in the tap.

“Before these new rules, adjusting water chemistry was the long-standing practice to protect consumers from lead. The lead service line inventory is a belt- and-suspenders approach across the country to get lead removed from drinking water infrastructure. Aquarion has indicated that the water has been and will continue to be safe.

“Click here for a link to Aquarion’s service line inventory map. Any resident in the service territory can look up their address to see what Aquarion has on record for their service line (both customer and utility side).

“Aquarion’s website has a comprehensive set of information about lead as well.

“Click here for a link to the Consumer Confidence Report for the most recent year for the Bridgeport Main System.”

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Congratulations to the Staples High School field hockey team!

Sofia Fidalgo’s penalty corner goal with 18 seconds left in regulation time propelled the Wreckers into overtime, in last night’s FCIAC championship at Wilton High School.

She scored again with just over a minute to play in the the extra period. The 3-2 win for top-ranked Staples, over #2 Darien, was the Westporters’ first league title since 2019, when they shared it with the Blue Wave. Darien had won 6 straight FCIAC crowns before last night.

Princeton University-bound Fidalgo  — who was also named tournament MVP — told The Ruden Report: “Maybe I got those two final touches, but it was really a team effort throughout, Some of our defenders don’t get that credit because they’re not the ones who put it in the back of the net. They’re not the ones who have that final touch. But from our goalie, our defense, every single player, it’s all a team effort, and so I’m just really proud of every single player. Those last 15 minutes were really high intensity, but we were able to manage our emotions and calm down, especially in overtime, and finish.”

The Wreckers — ranked first in the state in the “L” (large schools) division — begin state tournament play next Wednesday. Pairings will be announced this week.

Staples Wreckers: FCIAC field hockey champs! (Photo courtesy of VJ Sarullo)

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Congratulations too to Ben Casparius.

Last night, the 2017 Staples High School grad became only the second pitcher in baseball history to make his first-ever MLB start in a World Series. (But the first, no doubt, to do it on his mother’s birthday.)

He left (as planned) after 2 innings, with his Los Angeles Dodgers up 2-1 against the New York Yankees. He has given up just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings in the post-season.

The Yanks got 4 runs in the 3rd inning. after Casparius departed, then cruised to an 11-4 victory to stay alive in the Series (they are down 3 games to 1).

Game 5 is tonight at 8 p.m., on Fox. (Hat tip: Jeff Mitchell)

Ben Casparius on the mound last night … (Screenshot/Fred Cantor)

… and at Staples High School.

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Reading is wonderful, and joyous — for many people.

For some, it is challenging and frustrating.

Jennifer Bernheim — advocate, entrepreneur, and mom to a dyslexic learner — has launched a new podcast with Verso Studios at the Westport Library.

“Right to Read” is named after the organization she founded. It offers advocacy services, IEP coaching and workshops, as well as a corporate HR benefit that provides educational resources and advocacy coaching.

The podcast offers information on community resources, best practices for dyslexic learners, legislation, and success stories.

It debuted yesterday — during Dyslexia Awareness Month — with 3 20-minute episodes. Additional episodes will drop every other week.

The show is available on the Verso Studios community partnership podcast page, and podcast distributors like Apple and Spotify.

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Speaking of the Library: If you were there yesterday morning, you got an unexpected musical treat.

The Orphenians — Staples’ elite singing group — joined a few other area high schools in an inspiring workshop, hosted by the Voces8 Foundation.

The Westport Library this morning between 9 and 11:30am was in for a musical treat. Staples Orphenians, along with a few other area high school choirs, participated in an inspiring workshop hosted by the Voces8 Foundation.

Voces8 — based in the UK — teaches chamber music to high school students worldwide. They visit “music hubs” in New York, Minneapolis and Dallas several times a year.

Last year, they added Westport as a hub.

Voces8 will sponsor another workshop this spring, followed by an evening performance.

Voces8 workshop, at the Westport Library. (Hat tip and photo/Liz Skopp)

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Kenzie Hoefs has started a GoFundMe. Last weekend her brother-in law Matt Zahler of Westport lost his battle with depression, leaving behind her sister Steph and 3-year-old niece, and 3 teenage sons from his previous marriage.

Kenzie writes: “Steph owns her own business and will need to take time away from her business to make sure Winnie is supported and adjusts to a new norm, as well as cover funeral costs.

“Steph is truly one of the most selfless people I know and would do anything to help anyone. I’m asking for us to come together and give back to her to remove some of the financial stress during this very difficult time.”

Click here to contribute.

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Many Westporters are working to elect their preferred presidential candidate.

They’re making get-out-the-vote phone calls. They’re posting on social media. They’re contributing money.

Shonda Rhimes is in Georgia, urging voters in that swing state to cast their ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Westport resident — who, the New York Times said “became one of American entertainment’s most influential figures after she created the television hits ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Scandal” — told volunteers at a Democratic field office near Atlanta: “In any episode of ‘Grey’s’ or ‘Scandal,’ I could not make this up. I would not make this up. But this is real. We have a problem, people, and his name is Donald Trump.”

The Times story explored “how much star power ultimately matters to voters, who routinely list issues like the economy, abortion rights and crime as more essential to their choices than celebrity appearances.” Click here to read the full article.

Shonda Rhimes, at the Westport Library. (Photo/Jerri Graham Photography)

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Just in time to turn back clocks — it’s this Sunday! — La Plage has gone to winter hours.

The Inn at Longshore restaurant is now open for lunch Wednesday through Friday, brunch on Saturday and Sunday, and dinners Wednesday through Sunday,

They’re taking reservations for Thanksgiving, too. Click here for details.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” — perhaps our most colorful image ever — was taken this week Monday by Al Gratrix, in his Partrick Lane back yard.

Are we lucky to live in this town, or what?

(Photo/Al Gratrix)

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And finally … once upon a time in Westport, tonight — 24 hours before Halloween — was Mischief Night.

Teenagers would — oh, I don’t know, smash pumpkins.

Toss water balloons at younger kids.

Throw mailboxes into the pond across from the house where they lived. 

As you can tell, I have just mentioned a few random acts of mischief. I myself have no direct knowledge of any of those things.

At least, not until the statute of limitations is up.

Today’s teenagers wouldn’t know how to toilet paper a tree unless they studied a YouTube video of it.

Smh.

(Looking for a way to celebrate Mischief Night? Just click here, to make a tax-deductible contribution to “06880.” Thank you!)

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Posted in Environment, Library, Politics, Restaurants, Sports, Staples HS

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A Mind Like Jake Sussman’s: Empowering Kids With Learning Differences

Posted on April 8, 2024 | 4 comments

Jake Sussman knows how it feels to be called stupid.

To pick up a book, want to read — and be unable to.

To be told dismissively, “I can’t believe someone in high school wrote that.”

He also knows what it’s like to find out that he can learn — just differently from his peers.

To embrace his differences.

And to discover his superpower.

The Westport native — who struggled mightily with ADHD before graduating from the Forman School, then the University of Hartford — ultimately learned to advocate for himself.

He learned that 1 in every 5 people is neuro-divergent — including up to 10% with dyslexia, and 5% with ADHD.

He took a huge step forward — gaining confidence and renown — when “The Forgotten Child,” a poem he wrote as a college junior for a poetry slam went viral.

With lines like “Imagine yourself as the child that always smiled/You were wild, you were beguiled/Until the day you were profiled,” it touched a chord with youngsters battling every day against a world filled with peers, teachers, even parents who did not understand them.

That forgotten child “refused to acknowledge he would never go to college,” Jake wrote — and repeated that poem and message to parents and educators.

A video of his poem went viral.

Jake had found his passion. His calling. And his superpower.

The 28-year-old could not deliver his message of overcoming frustration, affirmation and ultimately elation to his younger self.

But he could tell it to the millions of boys and girls just like him, growing up now in a world that — despite greater knowledge of learning differences — still does not provide the role models and lived experiences those kids need.

Jake’s younger brother Max empathized completely. A basketball player in Staples High School’s Class of 2018, and a business/ entrepreneurship major at Northeastern University, he was the perfect partner to help spread Jake’s message of how to reach “that kid in the back of the class.”

When Jake spoke to educators, parents, community groups and at a global dyslexia conference, people asked if worked with young people.

“I’m not a parent, a teacher or a therapist,” Jake says. “But I had credibility, because I lived this. I spoke kids’ language, because I knew it. I was relatable. I had the missing link.”

With Max’s help, Jake set up an online mentorship program. Four youngsters quickly turned into 30.

“They sat their totally focused” as he talked with them, Jake recalls. “They couldn’t get off the call.”

Of course, mentoring more than 2 dozen kids himself was unsustainable. So Superpower Mentors was born.

Jake is the heart of the company. Max is its CEO.

Their mentors are not licensed healthcare professionals. They are not competing with schools.

The mentors are men and women — just a few years older than their mentees — who provide guidance, advice and support based on their own lives. “They speak the same language,” Jake notes.

Those lives are impressive. Mentors include a NASA engineer, professional musician, animator and video game designer.

Mentors undergo rigorous training through a proprietary course. They are matched with mentees who share their interests and backgrounds. Then they meet online, up to 6 hours a month, sharing experiences only someone with a learning disability can understand.

Mentors offer practical advice in areas like time management, organizational skills and executive functioning.

Equally important is the confidence and excitement youngsters gain, just by talking with someone who knows what they’re going through.

But Superpower Mentors serve parents too. They have access to the mentors to discuss their child’s progress, and gain insights and tips.

“They ask things like, ‘how can we handle the fight we always have just before dinner?'” Jake says. “It’s a family partnership.”

“The myth is that kids with learning disabilities can’t sit still,” he adds. “But they can. And they do, the entire time they’re with their mentors.”

Since launching, Superpower Mentors has enlisted over 100 mentors. They’ve conducted over 7,000 sessions, with mentees as far away as Spain and Norway.

But as important as that is, Jake has another goal: to impact the town he grew up in.

His time in the Westport public schools “did not work out well for me,” he says. “But I’m not pointing fingers. I want to be partners. We can help change the world. And it can start here.”

Jake’s home town is filled with “artists, creative people, entrepreneurs,” he says.

“They’re people who think differently. We want to make sure our schools are empowered to reach those types of kids. Max and I love this town!”

To reach those area kids (and adults), Superpower Mentors has partnered with Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities.

“A Mind Like Mine: Inside the World of Kids with LD and ADHD” is an interactive program for parents and educators, to learn strategies and empower youngsters. The free event is May 7 (7 p.m., Westport Library). (Click here to register.)

Westport Board of Education and school officials have been invited.

Over 100 people have already signed up, a month before the event. Jake looks forward to meeting them.

And — even more — to helping their kids’ unleash their superpowers.

(To learn more about Superpower Mentors, click here.)

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Posted in Categories, Children, Education, Local business, Staples HS, Teenagers

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[OPINION] Navigating Dyslexia, Changing Worlds

Posted on May 19, 2023 | 20 comments

Jennifer Bernheim knows the challenges of navigating special education in a public school district. She’s the mother of a dyslexic learner, and founder of Right to Read Advocacy, which educates and empowers parents.

Jennifer lives in Weston with her husband and 3 children. She writes:

Like many, I had a front row seat to my child’s education during COVID. My son was in kindergarten, and we slogged through the dreaded daily Zoom calls.

I watched him struggle with his “homework,” labor over writing a sentence, and turn away from reading books aloud on EPIC.

Already unable to memorize sight words like his 2 older siblings, I had a strong suspicion that my son was dyslexic. While my husband and I didn’t know anyone in our families with a dyslexia diagnosis, I knew that my kindergartener wasn’t learning to read with the same ease as others.

I trusted my gut and went with my intuition, exploring this possible diagnosis.

Jennifer Bernheim and her son.

During 1st grade we enrolled him in a private school, knowing that more time on Zoom during COVID would not be conducive to his learning style. We were also hopeful that smaller class sizes and a different reading curriculum would help him develop as a reader.

When his progress was still lacking, I reached out to our district. Evaluations determined the possibility of a specific learning disability – yet no diagnosis of dyslexia yet. During early spring of 1st grade, we moved him back into the district where he could receive reading intervention immediately.

What unfolded from March of 2021 to now has changed me personally, and altered my career trajectory.

I waited for my “welcome to special education” packet, but no one delivered it. I learned first hand how broken the US public school system is when it comes to identification and early intervention for dyslexic learners.

I learned that crying at PPT meetings doesn’t move the needle, and that often even the best-intentioned teachers and administrators are unable to provide the support these students need.

And with the timely release of Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong, I learned that dyslexic students and struggling readers across the country are unsupported through the typical whole literacy approach. I also learned why my child always studied the pictures before he attempted to read: Thank you three-cueing.

While this “pulling back of the curtain” on American education left me disheartened, frustrated and often sleepless, it also ignited a passion in me. It is a passion so strong that I left my successful career as a PR practitioner to start an advocacy education consultancy.

I dove deep into educating myself about special education law and advocacy, so that I could best advocate for my son and ready myself to advocate for others.

I’ve spent endless hours learning all I can from courses including the Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates’ esteemed Special Education and Advocacy Training, WrightsLaw Special Ed Law & Advocacy Training, and Overcoming Dyslexia (free on Coursera) by Dr. Sally Shaywitz – all of which I highly recommend.

Now, through my advocacy, I lessen the learning curve for parents with dyslexic learners. I help shoulder some of the burden navigating the special education system. I listen to parents empathetically, while assuring them that there is a community of other like-minded parents also willing to provide support and share resources. I’ve met some of the most amazing moms on this journey.

During the days of Zoom PPT meetings, reviewing evaluations that at the time made no sense to the layperson, and advocating endlessly, I certainly didn’t know that what felt like a burden at the time, would become my greatest gift.

My son who became anxious, continually melted down upon returning home from school, and started to experience school reluctance, is now thriving at The Southport School. His self-esteem has been restored, and he’s on his way to reading with a renewed confidence.

He’s a different kid and I’m a different mom. I attribute his dyslexic diagnosis for changing my world, for the better.

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. We welcome “Opinion” pieces — and we appreciate support from readers. Please click here to contribute. Thank you!)

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Posted in Children, Education, Weston

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Jake Sussman Fights For “The Forgotten Child”

Posted on October 16, 2019 | 3 comments

Imagine yourself as the child that always smiled
You were wild, you were beguiled —
Until the day you were profiled.
This is the story of the forgotten child.

Jake Sussman delivers those words clearly, directly and powerfully. Like many guys in their early 20s, he’s got scruff and exudes confidence.

But he is “The Forgotten Child.”

Now, he’s making sure that educators around the world do not forget any other Jake Sussmans out there.

There are many.

Growing up in Westport — and diagnosed with a learning difference — Jake had a “great experience” at Coleytown Elementary School.

Middle school was different, though.

“It wasn’t working for me,” Jake says. He transferred to The Southport School, then the Forman School in Litchfield for high school. After graduating in 2014, he headed to Roger Williams University.

It was the only college he applied to with no academic support system.

Jake Sussman

“That was fine,” Jake says. “In life, there’s no special corner for employees with learning differences.”

He directed his energy and charisma toward creating a Hillel on the Rhode Island campus. By the time he left for his senior year at the University of Hartford — for its program in communications and business — there were 30 attendees at Shabbat dinners.

As a junior, he took part in a campus poetry slam. “The Forgotten Child” was all about overcoming adversity, and being true to oneself.

Negative labels are destructive
Counter-productive and obstructive
This forgotten child refused to acknowledge
“You will never go to college.”

Speaking those words out loud, Jake felt empowered. He told his story — but he was not alone.

“Everyone learns differently,” he notes. “I may be 3 grades behind in reading, but I’m the best artist in the class. Teachers have to be able to tap into that.”

He realized his poem spoke for “anyone not seen or heard.” Learning differences, sexualities, physical disabilities — whatever adversity students have to overcome, Jake included them. They too are “forgotten children.”

At boarding school, Jake had met Harvey Hubbell V. The Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker — who himself was diagnosed with dyslexia in the 1960s, and in 2013 produced “Dislecksia: The Movie” — was intrigued by Jake’s passion. And his poetry.

Beginning last May, they collaborated on a video. Last Thursday — in the middle of Dyslexia Awareness Month — they launched “The Forgotten Child” on Facebook. In it, Jake implores:

Don’t ever give up your shot
Our minds are all we’ve got!

Within 2 days, it had 25,000 views worldwide. And dozens of very favorable comments.

He hopes it reaches the right audiences: people with learning differences, and those who work with them.

“I’m not a teacher, a psychologist, a researcher or a parent,” he says. “I am a student. I represent all those who are not seen or heard, just for the way they learn.”

“The Forgotten Child” is just one of the ways Jake is speaking out about his own educational life, and those of so many others.

On Monday night, he was at a Decoding Dyslexia meeting in Salt Lake City.

I’m not sure whether he presented a talk or a poem.

Either way, I have no fear.

His message was heard loud and clear.

(For more information, email bookings@jakesussmanlive.com)

Jacob Sussman, filming his video.

 

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Posted in Children, Education, Media, People

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