To bring awareness to the often misdiagnosed and misunderstood learning disability, dyslexia, students at The Nokesville School distributed books written by dyslexic achievers to kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The books were sponsored by the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) in conjunction with the school’s community business partner, Windward Optimal Health.

The book, “Fish in a Tree,” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt was distributed to third through fifth grade classrooms and “Brilliant Bea,” by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich was distributed to kindergarten through second grade. Both books tell uplifting stories of students who learn to overcome their struggles to read and write with the help of some inspiring teachers.

“This initiative has allowed us to continue to raise awareness for the needs of our own dyslexic achievers, helping students, teachers, and families better understand dyslexia and the instructional strategies that are making them successful here at The Nokesville School,” said Dr. Andy Jacks, principal of The Nokesville School.

According to the National Institutes of Health, because dyslexia is not visible to the naked eye, it is common for it to go undiagnosed and misdiagnosed, yet it affects one in five Americans. By bringing awareness to dyslexia and other learning differences,The Nokesville School hopes to show students that it is ok to be different. With the right strategies and support, these students are thriving and achieving great things.

For Maryanne Hill, vice president of the PTO at The Nokesville School, raising awareness around dyslexia is very personal and important to her family. "As a parent of three dyslexic PWCS students, the desire to increase awareness and an understanding regarding this specific learning disability is paramount for my husband and I. PWCS strives to include parents as partners, and we are thrilled to work alongside The Nokesville School and PWCS administration to advocate and assist in increasing the attention, awareness, and resources for this disability,” added Hill.