St. David Catholic School learned “it’s OK to learn in a different way” today when the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury did school wide presentations to the staff and students. Angie DeMarco, community outreach worker for the Association, based her primary grade presentation on the Warner Bros. movie “Happy Feet”. “Students were provided with messages of understanding, tolerance and appreciation of their peers who learn a different way”, stated Learning Resource Teacher and presentation organizer, Cathy Dore. Dore also stated that throughout the presentations “were messages about bullying and respecting the unique and special characteristics each of us possesses”.

St. David School is celebrating the value of empathy this month and the presentations complimented the school’s daily messages of appreciation for each others special gifts and talents. The intermediate grades participated in an interactive workshop, presented by DeMarco, that not only provided awareness about learning disabilities, it also had students experience processing challenges that increase empathy and understanding. It is through the exposure to the many quirky experiences that students arrive at the conclusion that, “a different way of learning can lead to success”.