Making Red Ripples - Empowering Emily
The Make it a Red Letter Day Campaign received many
heartfelt letters, from very brave children and adults.
Australian Author, dyslexic and former Senior
Australian of the year Jackie French happily took on the challenge of judging
the many children’s letters for the other prize categories.
Jackie’s favourite letter was by 13 year old Emily
Harris and contained this drawing which Jackie believes explains her own
dyslexia perfectly saying;
"The drawing of what it's
like to have dyslexia so perfectly describes what I have lived - everyone else
has neat straight lines but I have a scribble. But that scribble can lead to my
making connections that others can't. The
drawing shows that everyone may look the same on the outside but one of them
thinks differently. And I am proud that I do, too".
Emily Recently told her local newspaper the North
Shore Times that “If you meet someone who has
dyslexia, try understanding them and try to listen to what they have to say,”
Emily's School Principal (pictured above and who was the recipient of
her Red Letter) was "incredibly impressed, particularly by her insightfulness
and her honesty about the nature of what she was experiencing. It was a
very well written letter. It was a reflection of Emily’s commitment and her
poise"
And since receiving the Red Letter the school has
worked to make teachers aware of what Emily and other dyslexic students
experience.
Emily's Mum Katie says that the school was beyond
responsive to Emily's concerns. “I didn’t expect such an amazing
response,” she said, describing the teachers’ extra attention in assisting
Emily. “This has just been a really wonderful experience. People don’t
acknowledge it because they look fine, but there’s this hidden struggle that you
find."
Emily says "I'm really happy that I found out that I’m not actually stupid, but just that my brain works differently, and the reason that the Red Letter competition was such a good idea is that people can say what it’s like to have dyslexia, and how hard they try, so people can realise and acknowledge it”.
And upon learning that her letter was Jackie's favourite of the campaign Emily said “I was so surprised and amazed and happy!”
To read Emily’s heartfelt Red Letter in Full please
follow the link http://www.myredletter.com.au/2016/10/090-emilys-red-letter.html
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