Thursday, August 26, 2010

Letter to the Teacher of a Special Needs Student

Back to school season can be an anxious time for any parent, but especially for those of us whose children have special needs due to learning disabilities, ADHD, autism or other conditions. There is a joy at seeing our kids go off on their own to have new adventures and learn new things, but our experiences have taught us there will be challenging moments. For many of us, we would like nothing more than to take that journey with our children so we can be there to lend a hand when they or their teachers need it.

Going to school with your child may not be an option, but you can send a part of yourself to the teacher, the integration aide or the resource team by writing a yearly introduction letter. For a new student, it helps to break the ice and to prepare school staff for dealing with the child's challenges in a positive manner. For a student returning to a familiar school and resource team, the letter serves as a summary of things that have changed over the summer vacation.

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Photo: Michael Connors

Free World War I Learning Resource Ideal for Homeschoolers

As many homeschool curriculum outlines were written for American families, Canadian homeschoolers face the challenge of finding affordable and accessible materials to teach subjects like civics and history from a Canadian point of view. A number of texts are available for younger students, but finding engaging materials for older students can be difficult. Free educational resources produced by the federal government are often the solution. In this review we will look at Canada and the Great War 1914 - 1918: A Nation Born, a kit produced by Veteran Affairs Canada in 1998 and currently available on the VAC web site.

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