Helene's Blog

INTRODUCTORY TRAINING

One day Workshop - Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Why Orton-Gillingham? This method of teaching provides multi-sensory, direct, explicit, sequential, language-based instruction that empowers educators with the fundamental principles of the English language. The approach can be beneficial not only for students with dyslexia, but for all students. This approach incorporates the five basic components essential to an effective reading program:  phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, and comprehension.

After participating in this hands-on training, participants will acquire the tools necessary to understand the fundamentals of multi-sensory instruction and the principles of the Orton-Gillingham method.

You will learn:

                                 Multi-sensory strategies for reading, writing, and spelling

                                 Phonemic Awareness

                                 Syllabication patterns for decoding and encoding.

                                 Student Assessment Techniques

                                 Guidelines for daily and weekly lesson plans

Contact Helene Forst at:  https://heleneforst.com

October is the month of the Full Hunter's Moon. This is the first full moon following the Harvest Full  Moon of September. Some Native American tribes gave the full moons names to track the seasons. The Algonquin tribes, who lived in the northeast region of the United States, referred to the October full moon as the Full Hunter's Moon, as it was the time to go hunting in preparation  for the long, cold winter months. October is the month when the leaves are falling and the air turns clear and crisp. This year, the October full moon occurred on Friday, October 18th. It rose around sunset and set around sunrise, the only night in the month when the moon was in the sky all night long. The day before October's full moon, my husband, Jack, and I, and our two very best friends, Gary and Vikki , traveled up to the north country of the Adirondack mountains to hike its trails and canoe its ponds. On the day of the full moon, we hiked to Winch Pond, a 3.8 mile round trip, moderate hike, past Owens and Copperas Ponds. We came upon a section of the trail that had flooded out. To the right of the trail, Gary noticed that many of the trees had been fallen by the gnawing of beavers. Scattered upon the surface of the  water were hundreds of freshly shaven pieces of gnawed tree bark. We realized that the swampland had been created by beaver activity in the area. To our amazement, we spied a grand beaver lodge in the distance. It was huge. We waited in silence hoping to see a beaver at work, but they must have been on break, or perhaps they were watching us, and waiting for us to move on.  As we continued on the trail, I imagined what creatures were silently watching us. Black bears and mountain lions and bobcats and moose frequent the same mountains we were hiking in. That night, we sat on our porch in the inn we were staying at, and watched the full moon light up the lake. My body relaxed as it melted into the energy of the landscape before me. The following day, we canoed Floodwood Pond and portaged into Fish Creek. We had one adventure after another, some more challenging than others. We laughed a lot, and breathed in the magical world of the wilderness. Paul Scott Mowrer, an American correspondent, and Pulitzer Prize winner for Correspondence, once wrote that, "There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music, it must be taken at the right tempo." How true, I thought to myself, as we paddled our way past a deserted island. The air was alive with a freshness not found in many places. In the early 1900's, people would travel to the Adirondacks to recover from Consumption, also known as Tuberculosis, the number one killer in New York City during these early years of the 1900's. The autumn leaves had fallen by the time we'd arrived in the mountains. We'd missed the yellows and oranges and reds of the early days of October. The feel of the country was both awe-inspiring and frightening all at the same time. We knew that it was important to stay alert, be prepared for the unexpected, and to remain calm in all situations. The wilderness is like a wild beast; it deserves our respect. We knew that the weather can change rapidly in the mountains, yet, when the winds picked up to gusts of 29 miles per hour, we were uncomfortably surprised. Our return voyage to the Floodwood trailhead was going to be a rough one. Jack and I were in individual, 12 foot canoes. We were managing okay as white caps appeared along the surface of the pond. The water looked darker and colder. Gary and Vikki were in a double Keflar canoe that was giving them a lot of trouble. One fierce gust of wind tipped their canoe, and it filled with water. For a moment, my mind began spinning, remembering everything I'd read about  hypothermia.

Fortunately, we were paddling close to shore. Jack managed to climb out of his canoe and helped them right their canoe. They were soaked. We headed  back to the Floodwood trailhead; I had felt fear as we paddled through this magnificent landscape. The music  blared as we dealt with the crisis; my heart pounded in my chest. As our canoes glided swiftly to our destination, the music switched once again, its melody became calm and mellow . We 'd been notes in the music that had played  that day.

"Away, away, from men and towns, To the wild wood and the downs - To the silent wilderness Where the soul need not repress Its music, lest it should not find An echo in another's mind, While the touch of Nature's art Harmonizes heart to heart."

                 -Percy Bysshe Shelley

  We had heard the symphony of the landscape, the lapping of the water upon the shoreline, the wind blowing through the towering pines, and the clear whistled Blue Jay calls alerting each other to our presence. We had been a part of the music. The final picture below is taken from the top of Mount Jo. It's a picture of Heart Lake where the loj, pronounced lodge, of the Adirondack Mountain Club, is located. We had been in the heart of the Adirondacks; we had heard its music; we had joined in its heartbeat, and moved to its rhythm. I knew that I lived a blessed life.

Have you ever wondered about the concept of faith as a vehicle for transportation? Margaret Sherpard, a well-known calligrapher and author, once said, “Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.” I copied the quote on one of my little yellow Post-Its and stuck it onto my refrigerator door. Every time I passed by it, I’d read the quote, mulling over the idea of a leap of faith as a form of transportation. Webster’s New Collegiate Thesaurus defines faith as a “confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing; a belief not based on logical proof or material evidence.” I thought about the idea of the necessity to take a leap of faith not based on logic, but rather on something more ethereal and spirit-like. It has been my experience that if people were to follow their inner knowing, that inner voice that tells them what to do, even when it doesn’t seem logical, they are in a sense traveling, using faith as their vehicle of transport. It occurred to me, that if a person were to find themselves in a situation that wasn’t working for them, a place that made them feel like they had regrets, and they’d lost their sense of gratitude, that that might be the perfect time to take a leap of faith as a transport to a place of possitivity. I believe that what a person thinks is what they create. If we look at a situation negatively, it is bound to become negative. But, if we made an extra effort to view that situation from a positive place, a difficult place to be sometimes, the situation would become positive. It’s all about training your mind to think positive thoughts and to live in gratitude. Keeping spirits high for many people is constant work. Our thoughts and actions can lift our spirits and the environment we’re in. I’m convinced that being proactive, persevering, and never giving up, are necessary ingredients to the success of this form of transportation. The trick, I’ve found, is to take a break when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and get yourself outside and into nature. Soaking in the wonders of the mystical world of nature is like soaking in magic for the soul. Take a walk and open your eyes. See the world like a hawk, hear the world like an owl, smell and feel the wonder and magic inherent in the world of nature. We’re going into an orange period; the fall’s flaming leaves, a spectacular festival of colors. The fall migration has begun for the monarch butterflies, for the birds that commute, and for the migratory species of dragonflies. Are we not all spirits of nature? Humans have made living very complicated. Being aware of the beauty of the world of nature is like being at one with the universe. To be a part of the outdoors, to be in touch with the sun, the wind, and the rain, is to enter this world of magic, the world where “leap of faith transports” are readily available. The week before school started, my husband, Jack, and I took our two grandchildren, Aidan and Sarah, to hike and canoe in the Adirondack wilderness. We canoed Floodwood Pond and explored a deserted island where Sarah successfully, after many frustrating tries, built a fire with a flint and stone; we then roasted marshmallows for S’mores. They were awesome! We practiced using a compass, a good thing to know for wilderness hiking. The four of us explored the trails of the High Gorge and climbed the steep, rocky trail to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, its elevation being four thousand eight hundred and fifty-six feet. As the wind whipped about us, the air crisp and cold, we got to experience the breathtaking, panoramic views from the summit of one of the famous 46 High Peaks. When your world seems out of sorts, take that leap of faith. It’s the only thing that makes any sense in a world that prides itself on logic. It’s a remarkable and safe transport for those rare occasions when you need to journey from one place to another. There are no worries involved with lodging or reservations or food, only the idea that we trust our sixth sense, our gut feeling connected to spirit, in order to make that leap. It’s an adventurous way to travel, don’t you think?

Visitors from Canada took this picture of us. We were standing on the bridge that led us into the trails of the High Gorge. The Ausable River, a well-known river for trout fishing, is flowing under the bridge, heading toward the coast.Here we are on the top of Whiteface Mountain. The wind was kicking up a storm that day. There was so much energy in the air. It was awesome!

These are shots from the deserted island we canoed to in Floodwood Pond. Sarah finally got the spark that ignited our fire. What a blast!

Full moon names date back to Native Americans from the northern and eastern United States. It was a way for the tribes to keep track of the seasons. The Algonquin tribes referred to the full moon of January as the Wolf Moon. During the frigid midwinter, the hungry wolf packs would howl outside the villages of the Indian tribes. Thus, the name for January’s full moon. There is a chapter in my new YA novel, The Bread Crumb Trail, where the characters go owling. It  always helps to write what you know, so, I invited my husband to join me on an owling adventure. Serendipity struck and I located a class that was offering the experience of calling in an owl from the wild. I had heard many stories from fellow birders on their own success with calling in the owls and I wanted to have the experience first hand. The class was everything I had imagined it would be. The instructor successfully called in an Eastern Screech Owl. The Great Horned Owl didn’t show up, though. One out of two was okay with me. This past Wolf Moon, my husband and I ventured out to call in an Eastern Screech Owl, a permanent resident in our area. It’s the most common owl found on Long Island and it mates for life. It comes in two different colors, either gray or red. It breeds in cavities of trees, but will also use a nest box if they discover one. They are rarely seen during the day and their flight is completely silent due to their feathers. These medium sized owls measure about ten inches in height with a wing span of about eighteen inches. Sometime during the end of the month of March, they lay three to four eggs. The eggs incubate for thirty days. When the eggs hatch, they become nestlings for thirty days. The downy chicks remain with the parents for another six weeks. Sometime at the beginning of July, they leave the nest to fend for themselves. The weather was frigid on the eve of this past Wolf Moon. We bundled up in layers, put our binoculars around our necks, and headed to a location where both the Great Horned Owl and the Eastern Screech Owl had been spotted. I had downloaded the call of the Eastern Screech Owl onto my Samsung phone, put the volume up to high, and hoped for the best. Most vocalizations of the Eastern Screech Owls are trill-like. Males use trills in many situations, including territorial defense. The hoot, a soft, low-pitched hoot, is given when the owls suspect intruders or potential predators. The screech is a single loud, piercing call, followed by the trill vocalizations. We’d been told that depending on how the sound traveled and the mood of the owl on any particular night, the owl might appear or it might not. We stood in silence as I played the call of the Eastern Screech Owl, shivering and excited and hopeful. We listened, but no response. I played the call once again, and to our surprise an owl responded from deep within the forest. I played the call again, and this time the owl’s response sounded so much closer. We were nervous and excited. It was so cold outside and the moon was so bright we could see out breaths floating up towards the trees. Could we really be calling in an owl? I played the call one more time. Something inside me told me that the owl had arrived. I told my husband to shine the high-powered flashlight up into the big pine tree that stood in front of us. My husband whispered to me that there was nothing there.The thing is, though, I could feel its presence. I insisted he shine the light up into the trees and there the owl sat, nestled on a thick branch staring directly down at us. His big yellow eyes peered through the darkness like two tiny suns, his color was a brownish-red. I put my binoculars up to my eyes and stared right back at it. He turned his head in crazy directions and ruffled his feathers. It really did have a silent flight. It was absolutely amazing. After about six minutes, I played the call one more time and he spread his wings and swooped down on us, checking out if we were going to threaten him in his territory. We flinched and smiled and laughed. We had done it. We had called in an owl. My husband turned to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and called me an owl whisperer. How cool, I thought to myself.  What a spectacular full moon night it had been!

Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about the impact of power generation on global climate change. In 2008, the event grew into a global movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. In 2009, close to 1 billion people participated globally. Global landmarks such as the Empire State Building in NYC, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Coliseum, the Sydney Opera House, and the Coco Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness. The idea of Earth Hour was conceived by the World Wilflife Fund (WWF) as a way to raise awareness among the general public about climate change and to convey that , by working together, each of us can make a difference. Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and become a global phenomenon. This year, on Saturday, March 23, 2013, at 8:30 p.m., millions of people around the world will come together to take a stand to protect our planet against climate change. They will do something quite simple – turn off their lights for just one hour and show that one person can make a difference and millions of people working together can change the world. WHY EARTH HOUR? To warm, cool, and light our homes, schools, and businesses we use energy. Energy also gets us where we need to go. To make energy we burn fossil fuel. Burning fuels adds gases to the air and changes the weather. It’s a big problem called climate change. EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY! EVERY HOUR IS EARTH HOUR! Earth Hour is not just about one hour; it’s about making long term changes to the way we use energy, both in the workplace and at home. SIX EASY WAYS YOU CAN DO YOUR PART! . Turn off lights, TV, and computer when you leave a room . Use energy efficient light bulbs and appliances . Travel green – walk, bike, or carpool when you can . Adjust your thermostat . Whenever possible, wash laundry in cold water and air-dry clothes; Only run the dishwasher when it’s full . Save and plant trees. Reduce, reuse, and recycle paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum Every individual, every business, and every community around the world is encouraged to switch off all non-essential lights for one hour to make a large collective statement of concern over global climate change and illustrate the need for solidarity in finding solutions. VOTE EARTH!

When you get what you want in your struggle for self, And the world makes you queen for a day. Just go to the mirror and look at yourself and see what that gal has to say – For it isn’t your husband or family or friend whose judgment upon you must pass. The gal whose verdict counts most in the end, is the one staring back in the glass. Some people may think you’re a straight shooting chum, and call you a person of place. But the gal in the glass says you’re only a bum, if you can’t look her straight in the face. She’s the gal to please, never mind the rest, for she’s with you clear up to the end. And you’ve passed a most dangerous difficult test, if the gal in the glass is your friend. You may fool the whole world down the pathways of years – and get pats on the back at your pass. But your final reward will be heartaches and tears, if you’ve cheated the gal in the glass.” Anonymous

Dizzy, Let Go. Tightness in chest. Deep belly breath in, Now slowly exhale, Breathe. Feet throbbing loud, Then beating soft. Uncomfortable body sensations taking control. Go deep within, And try to relax. Look about you. Breathe. Sounds of bugs swarming. Ocean waves warming. Butterflies flittering. Dragonflies glittering. Fragrance of Honeysuckle floating about. A Magical Kingdom By the Sea Be Lost In, Be One With, The Power of Now. Throat once again closing, Panic returning, Waves keep pounding. Reggae music sounding, Calming me down. Breathe. It feels like eternity. But, I know I’ll be Fine. It’s Past, and I yawn with a sigh. It’s Over. I’m Tired. A Hero Am I. I’ve Faced the Great Beast with a Yielding Grace, As I listen to children’s laughter and crying. Wind blowing over my fair freckled skin, Fear, Anxiety, Settles in. Where is my Body? Where is my Mind? Sit Up, and Breathe. Get a grip of yourself. The Waves of Fear in the Sea of the Now, The Place in my Back, It’s sore and it’s out. I’ve got to go through this alone, By myself. Painful perhaps, But, peace will win out. It’s okay to feel panic, It’s okay to Be. And when It is over, I shall simple Be, Right in the Now, I’m finally Free. Exhaused, but lucky to Know that I’m Me.

New York has some of the best drinking water in the world. New York has some of the most beautiful beaches and swimable water in the world. “Let’s not frack it up!” Our country is in the midst of an unprecedented gas drilling boom, a process called hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Fracking is a dangerous energy strategy for getting oil and gas. Fracking, that is, drilling to access deep shale formations, requires millions of gallons of fresh water, acres of land per well pad, and the use of undisclosed toxic chemicals. Fracking is poisoning our air and water and its jeopardizing the health of millions of Americans. We can find a better way – one that protects our health and gives us clean, safe energy sources that never run out. We are being lied to just like we were lied to with regards to the development of the nuclear industry. The scientific facts have shown that just like the nuclear industry, this new technology isn’t safe; isn’t regulated properly; isn’t protecting people; isn’t cheap; and isn’t handling the waste properly. The technology of fracking is being forced upon the people of America as the new technology that will answer all our energy needs. What they aren’t telling us, however, is that this new industry is denying problems, just like the nuclear industry. Fracking and its impact on public health, in particular, our children’s health, is a serious issue that calls for swift action – action that the gas industry has repeatedly tried to block. As I write this, in the State of New York, the industry is fighting against a legislative proposal for a public health impact assessment which hundreds of medical professions have joined community activists and environmentalists in supporting. The frackers can spin the issue all they want, but the public isn’t buying it.  Fracking has been associated with many health issues. In the Dallas-Fort Worth region of Texas, the latest estimates of air emissions tell us that oil and gas operation emit more smog-causing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than all cars, trucks, buses, and other mobile sources in the area combined. Ozone, a corrosive gas that can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory diseases, is created when VOCs like petroleum hydrocarbons mix with heat and sunlight. In Texas, it has been found that “children in the Barnett Shale region ages 6-9 are three times more likely to have asthma that the average for that age group in the entire State of Texas.” The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found many gas fields with extremely high levels of benzene. According to a 2012 study done by the Colorado School of Public Health, cancer risks were 66% higher for residents living less than half a mile from oil and gas wells than for those living farther away, with benzene being the major contributor to the increased risk. This same study reminds us that chronic exposure to ozone, prevalent at gas production sites, can lead to asthma and pulmonary diseases, particularly in children and the aged. In 2011, a Duke University study proved that drinking water wells near fracking sites had 17 times more methane than wells not located near fracking. Fracking operations have generated billions of gallons of radiation-laced toxic wastewater that we can’t manage properly and have forced families to abandon their homes because of dangerous levels of arsenic, benzene, and toluene in their blood. The State of Vermont has taken a stand to become the first state to ban fracking. Former Governor Paterson put a temporary ban on the process, but once again the industry has reared its head and is being considered for use in various parts of the State of New York. We all need to urge Governor Andrew Cuomo and our elected officials to take advantage of the opportunity to slow down this process and pass  legislation that will protect New Yorker’s health, safety, and environment. Last year, my husband and I visited various places along the coast of California. We took long walks on several of its beaches. There were times that the air smelled so badly, that we had to go inside. What was the smell? Oil. As we sat on the beach, we stared out at the oil rigs. When we got back to our hotel room, our sneakers were covered in tar and oil. The top layer of the ocean had an oil slick on it. Surfers came out of the water with tar all over their wetsuits. I don’t think we want that in New York. It’s bad enough that private industry and the government have already ruined many beautiful places in our country. Let’s not let it happen here. New Yorkers don’t want fracking here!

I remember the day I wrote this poem. It was one of those crazy days when you never seem to have enough time to get everything done. Our school had an afternoon assemby and I recall having to switch up some of my lesson plans since a few of my classes were going to be cancelled. The poem was based on a presentation by Jesse Billauer, the founder of, “Life Rolls On.”  Jesse is a motivational speaker who shares his experiences of being a pro-surfer, having a surfing accident, and becoming permanently paralyzed from his waist down.  He travels around the United States with his Dad and shares his story. Jesse’s presentation involved the students in such a way that it made me write this poem.  Jesse had asked each of us to close our eyes, envision a blank screen, and create images on that screen that would involve our dreams.  He dreamed that even though he was paralyzed he would someday be able to surf again.  After a long healing process, Jesse’s dream did come true and he does surf with the help of his fellow surfers. DREAMLESS Staring fixedly, gazing out toward the sea, I wondered what dreams I thought I might see. A blank screen appeared, not a picture popped up, I wondered why and instantly stopped. I shut down my brain, and felt sort of sad, I guess to be dreamless was basically bad. Then as I sat there, feeling quite blue, A voice from within me whispered a truth: “It’s ok to be dreamless, there’s no need for shame, Don’t you realize your dreams have already been made? It’s time once again to create and be brave, Fill up that blank screen with new hopes and new dreams, Sit back and relax as the Universe deems. Acknowledge the agreement that your willing is done, Behold, Be grateful, the magic’s begun. Be prepared for a miracle, This must be known. And when the time’s right, Your path shall be shown.”

Larry Penny, East Hampton Star’s nature columnist, me, and Gail Parker, former principal of East Hampton Middle School, posed for a picture taken by my son, Michael. My son, Ben, took this picture of my husband Jack and me at the end of the book launch day. We were in a great zone! Walt Disney once said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” On November 11th, at the Baker House-1650, I held my first book launch for my debut, YA novel, The Journey of Hannah Woods. Days leading up to the event were nerve racking; there was the food to take care of, and the pastries to order, and the invitations to send out. And then the day came, and it all ran so smoothly, thanks to the help of my friend, Kathy McCormack. I had done it; I had done the impossible and I had had fun doing it. The event was a success. It was casually elegant, attended by many of my most cherished friends. Everyone loved the appetizers prepared by Dreesens and the pastries and cookies baked by Breadzilla. The word was out; my book was live. It’s now two weeks since the book launch and I’ve been receiving many wonderful congrats and well wishes and kudos. My fears were uncalled for. The story rings true, the tension drives the plot, and the characters are three-dimentional. My friend, Linda Fuller, a retired English teacher, said, the characters in The Journey of Hannah Woods “mean something to the reader; they plunge into the reader’s psyche and allow the reader to live inside their world.”  She went on to say, “Your voice came out loud and clear. The structure was there, the characters drawn lovingly, but it was the dialogue I most admired. The back and forth between Dr. Hope and Hannah seemed so realistic. I think children could gain a lot from this story.” The editor I worked with, Cindy Kane, the editor for Richard Peck’s two Newbery award winning novels, was a master teacher and editor. I spent one year of my life crafting this tale about fourteen-year old Hannah Woods who suffers from panic attacks. Overmedicated by a family who has a secret, Hannah lives in a world full of anxiety and fear. This is her story; her journey from the depths of Black Hollow’s darkness, the wealthy old-money town where she grew up, to the light of Crystal Cove and the world of her hippie grandparents. As the story opens, Hannah Woods, haunted by the neglect of an alcoholic father and the abuse of a mentally ill caretaker, is plunged into a nightmare that threatens her very existence. After her father drowns, Hannah’s world spirals out of control as she is forced to move to the other side of the island where her newly discovered hippie grandparents live. Hannah suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is addicted to prescription drugs; drugs given to her for anxiety and depression; drugs given to her to keep her silent. Her heroic journey begins the moment she enters the world of Crystal Cove where she struggles to navigate the emotional world of adolescence and addiction. With the help of her Grandma Pearl and her Grandpa Hollis, the talents of a remarkable therapist, Dr. Katherine Hope, and a new best friend, Emma Matthews, Hannah discovers her amazing self. The evolution of Hannah’s character will empower both teens and adults who find themselves addicted to drugs or who have experienced the devastating effects of physical, emotional, and/or psychological abuse and neglect. The response to the story has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s a layered story that seems to touch a wide variety of people. One of my friends shared with me that after finishing the book she thought it was truly, “amazing! A must read for all teenagers and adults who suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and panic attacks.” I hope everyone who follows this blog will invite Hannah into their homes so they can experience the difficulties encountered by people who suffer from PTSD. Then, with time, tolerance  will grow, and people will be more patient with each other. And then, as Steven Kellogg once said, “If everyone had the same dream, it might come true. A PEACEABLE KINGDOM.”