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Perspective Newsletters
Fall 2009
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Page 1
Dear Friends of the Foundation:
There is much to report regarding the Foundation and the Leary School programs. However,
before doing so, I wish to thank all the students, families, staff, partners and
friends. It sure has been a rich and eventful 45 years for the school programs, of
which I have shared almost 33 years now.
Over the years, the students –first and foremost – have been the stars of the show.
To this day, student alums and their families stay in touch and share with us their
memories. Most are very proud of what they have accomplished. Many miss their friends,
favorite staff and experiences at Leary School. They ask about their classmates and
teachers. Some honestly do not miss their time at Leary School but call to check
us out and to explore what staff thought of them at the time. Introspective trips
like this are incredibly important. “Was I really that bad, misdirected or crazy?” some
ask. Having this conversation ten years after graduating is pretty telling and it
is good news usually. These students are still on a path of important self-exploration.
As long as they are on this path, the odds of continued positive insight and discovery
are good.
Of course they were not crazy, bad, or mean. Like all of us, sometimes we get a little
misdirected, life can hit us hard, or perhaps timing-wise, things came to a head
all at once. The real bottom line is that we are all different as are our experiences.
To some degree, we share similar paths and to some degree we go our own way. While
we share paths, we share with each other. It is at these important intersections
where good things can happen. The phone calls and drop ins by former students, to
some extent, involve their interest in these important intersections, maybe a yearning
to find more intersections like these in the future. On our end, we loved the fact
that we could share these paths with students and families that were important and
helpful.
The families, past and current, have been wonderful.
Witnessing first hand parents and other caregivers standing up for their children,
advocating for their children and, perhaps most powerful of all, withstanding, tolerating
and providing caring discipline and guidance while their children were in serious
crises and/or dealing with incredible life events and inner personal turmoil, has
been and is, many times, unbelievably inspiring. Captured in these scenes is the
epitome of parental love. Many of the parents who have come through our doors over
the years have been the most amazing models of true ‘caretakers’. Without these committed
adults, there is little doubt many students would have been lost in different ways.
The staff is great. Ask the students and families. They work hard, they are committed
and they genuinely care. Beyond this, however, they make human connections with the
students that are geared towards healthy growth and development. They work hard to
be aware of individual student needs. They seek to understand and appreciate each
student uniquely. They want to meet needs, to understand and to make sure that, for
some, history does not repeat itself and that the future can be full of opportunities.
Then they are real, sincere, and hopeful with the students. They are not best friends,
not parents, not antiseptic therapists but professionals, allies and positive adults
willing to help. They generally pull this off and it works.
Our partners: the various school districts, other agencies, contributors, and special
partners who work closely with us have been supportive and many times critical. While
much of the work happens internally starting with the student, then within the family
and then within the classroom, it does not end there. We are not in bubbles at Leary
School.
The area school districts know the Leary School programs and work with us. Area businesses,
community agencies, and then just some amazingly giving individuals and organizations
have contributed to the work in powerful way. The examples could overload even a
modern computer’s hard drive.
As just one very minor but good example: the students and staff of the new Brandywine
Jobsite joined with the Community Support Systems (CSS)’s staff and some of the residents
of the senior house this summer for a low key backyard Bar B Q. Sitting at a picnic
table were teenage students interspersed between seniors, a few staff and volunteers.
Students and staff worked the grill, served food and laughed. Walking by the table,
the scene was a perfect family backyard Bar B Q, absent perhaps the middle generation
(teenagers sharing time with those of their grandparent’s generation). The atmosphere
was compelling and caring. Guards were down. Respect, compassion and positive regard
were high. If only we could package this…… To our partners: on behalf of everything
you bring to the table including hot dogs, we greatly appreciate it.
Now to the news.
As noted above, the Brandywine Jobsite is up and running. Leary School received approval
from the Maryland State Department of Education to operate yet another jobsite program
as an annex location to the Leary School, Prince George’s County. The program is
off to a great start.
At the Leary School Jobsite, Fairfax County, staff and students are commencing work
on the 10th Jobsite new home construction project for this program; the 8th new home
construction project. Please see the article on page six which describes further
the plans for this new home and the jobsite students for the 2009-2010 school year.
The most recent new home on Holyoke Drive has been sold. At the same time, the Foundation
purchased yet another home almost across the street from the current project. Following
completion of the current project in June 2011, students and staff will renovate
this home which will be its 13th jobsite project (this includes three renovation
projects).
Still concerning the Leary School Jobsite, Fairfax County, please check out the front
page story on the Annandale Chamber’s magazine (http://www.annandalechamber.com/_downloads/Endeavor_current.pdf).
As noted above, examples of just very nice people finding us are overwhelming. Two
engineers/designers fall into this category nicely. John White, an incredibly accomplished
area engineer, has helped our jobsite programs for probably 20 years by now. He helps
out throughout the community and is a Habitat engineer as well. He is more than anything
a friend of Leary School. We can always call him and he always has the same answer:
Yes.
Debi Pyne lives around the corner from the Leary School of Virginia and the Leary
School Jobsite, Fairfax County. She was a design expert at the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) who recently retired. She found us and asked us if she could help. An
expert from one the largest international agencies in the world wants to help a small
jobsite program down the street? Ms. Pyne has already made a huge contribution to
our jobsite program, working with Mr. White on the current house project. She will
soon be designing the renovation project. When considering all we hear about the
world, the economic crisis, tragedies, and the like, a simple thing like a very talented
and accomplished professional finding us and offering to help, goes far to offset
the often worrisome news.
There are reports from Leary School, Prince George’s County, Leary School of Virginia
and the Leary School Jobsite, Loudoun County on the following pages.
Leary School has a new business manager. Long time Finance Director, Ms Shauna Debrick
has resigned. She recently married and has moved out of the area. She has been wonderful
and in a million ways really made an incredible difference. She certainly is missed.
The Foundation has been lucky to find a very talented new business manager: Ms. Sharon
Masin. Ms. Masin is an accomplished finance professional with a proven reputation.
She has hit the ground running and is already on top of everything. The Foundation
is indeed lucky to have Ms. Masin.
The Foundation’s website finally got some needed attention and updating. Please check
it out (www.learyschool.org).
Expect regular monthly updates this year.
Thanks everyone.
Ed Schultze, Ed.D.
President/Executive Director
Lincolnia Educational Foundation, Inc.
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