Happy September Folx,
Welcome to a new school year with the Northeast Association of Learning Specialists! Hello again to those who already know me, and to those I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, my name is Chris Ouellette, and I have the honor of serving as President of NEALS this year.
For the second year in a row, my professional work takes me across school communities rather than rooting me in one home-base school. Over the past 25 years, I have had the privilege of working across both public and independent education, experiencing different pockets of educational practice, from therapeutic and girl-centered environments to traditional independent schools, and leading programs spanning Pre-K through grade 12. Each of those experiences has shaped how I think about students, learning, and the work we do as learning specialists.
Perhaps that is one of my favorite things about this profession: the learning never stops. No matter how many years we have been doing this work, there is always something new to discover, a perspective that challenges our thinking, or a student whose unique learning profile asks us to get curious and expand our toolkit once again.
That spirit of continued learning is also at the heart of what NEALS has been building for this year. Over the summer, we focused on building a calendar that responds to the realities of increasingly packed school-year schedules while creating more ways for our community to connect and learn together. That means a wider variety of offerings, more advance notice to help you plan, and a stronger balance between the connection of gathering in person and the accessibility of virtual programming.
First and foremost, please mark your calendars for Friday, April 30, 2027! NEALS is thrilled to bring our Annual Conference to Westminster School in Simsbury, CT. We are excited to partner with the Westminster community as we build a day designed to bring learning specialists together for connection, collaboration, and some really meaningful professional learning.
NEALS' Fall Calendar
September
Back to School with NEALS (virtual) Wednesday 9/16 7:00-8:00p
October
The Emotional Learner (virtual) Wednesday 10/21 7:00-8:00p
November
>Member Meeting (in-person) Wednesday 11/4 11:00a-2:00p
-Come check out the brand new Academic Commons space at Brooks School in North Andover, MA while also being treated to words from Dr. David Stein.
>Member Meeting (in-person) NH Region. More details to come!
>Member Meeting (in-person) Westminster School in Simsbury, CT. More details to come!
December
Course Selection and the Role of the Learning Specialist (virtual). More details to come!
And there is still more to come! Over the next few weeks, we will continue to share details about each of these opportunities, and this is only the beginning of what we have planned for the year.
As we move into the winter and spring, you can look forward to even more ways to connect, learn, and grow together. Virtually, we will explore topics including the role of learning specialists in IB schools, Part 2 of Learning Center Management, Reading and Interpreting Neuropsychological Evaluations, and the important distinction between professional feedback and judgment. And because we know how valuable it is to actually get learning specialists in a room together, we are also planning in-person member gatherings across the Boston/MA, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and even New York areas!
Have an idea for a virtual offering? Curious about hosting an in-person meeting? Interested in getting more involved with NEALS or even joining the Board? Please reach out to me at chrisouellette@nealsonline.org.. Some of our best programming starts with a member saying, “What if we…?”
As we step into a new month and a new school year, with all of the possibilities, challenges, highs, and lows that come with it, it feels fitting to leave you with the words of Talib Kweli, “Now this morning, I woke up, feelin' brand new, I jumped up, feelin' my highs, and my lows, and my soul, and my goals”
Cheers,
Chris
