Newsletters
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Perspective Newsletters
Winter 2007 - 2008
Leary School of Virginia
Page 4
Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year. This year – more than many in the past – has
brought with it many changes.
I’d like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. After working here as a counselor
for the past seven years, I was honored to be asked to assume the role of Program
Director at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. During my time as a counselor,
I thoroughly enjoyed working with the students, staff and parents/guardians and everyone
has helped to make this transition a smooth one for all of us.
Before coming to Leary School, I earned a MSW degree from Boston University in 1993.
I relocated to the Washington, D.C. area after completing my masters to be closer
to family. After moving to the area, I started working with substance abuse in a
residential drug treatment program. I also worked at the Whitman- Walker Clinic for
five years where I worked in the case management department as a clinical supervisor.
This year, we have five classrooms in the main building in addition to the jobsite
program. We welcomed three staff members who returned to us – Steve Leary, Irena
Sarovic and Robinette Barry. We are very pleased to have all three back with us.
We also were happy to welcome Rose Gbadegesin as the jobsite classroom teacher. Ms.
Gbadegesin has been a teacher at Leary School, Prince George’s County, for several
years and so was very familiar with our program.
We do have three new staff members to introduce to you. Lapeta Solomon is a classroom
teacher; Keith Gary is now with the Alternate Instructional Area after Derek Highsmith’s
move to our jobsite; and Jenne Lovelace who is a one-on-one assistant at the jobsite.
In addition, we also welcomed Caroline Joya in the front office this summer.
Two big events occurred during the first semester. We held a Thanksgiving luncheon
for our students. Each classroom set up their room – some even decorated – and, as
a group, enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the “fixings”. Part of our dinner came
as a result of a donation from Harris Teeter at the corner of Lincolnia Road and
Columbia Pike and we thank them for helping us to make this luncheon a possibility.
In December, as has been our tradition for the past several years, we went – on two
separate days – to Magill’s in Annandale where the students enjoyed all the pizza
they could eat, played games and joined in on some holiday singing, karaoke style.
This has always been a popular event and proved to be so again this year.
During the second semester, the classrooms will each take a state and research it
for our “States’ Day”. This will allow the students to not only learn more about
a variety of U.S. states but they will also then have the opportunity to present
what they have learned to other students. Each classroom will also work on units
for Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March. We will be
reporting on these events in upcoming newsletters!
Leigh M. Simpson, LCSW
Program Director
mail@learyschool.org
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