The Board President Says …
What a difference a year makes. For almost two years we searched for a new Centre Director. We briefly had co-Centre Directors, but due to unforeseen circumstances we had to start the search again. My feeling was that we were almost at the point of closing the Learning Centre as we seemed unable to find a new Centre Director. The only reason we were able to stay open was due to our Tutor Trainer, Cathee Crinklaw, and tutors Jeannine Hack and Sue Martin stepping forward to take on the additional duties of Centre Director. This enabled us to function but could not continue for much longer.
Thanks to the efforts of our Vice-President of the Board, Ron Findlater, we were finally able to find a new Centre Director. Beginning last September, Helen Griffin became the new Centre Director. Her enthusiasm and hard work has brought to our Learning Centre a renewed vitality. We are training new tutors and as of this August we have begun the construction of four additional tutor rooms. This should enable us to reduce our waiting list of children in need of our programme.
As you will have seen in past issues of The Bear Facts, we have also added new Board Members in the persons of Brent Patroch, Cristian Popescu, Pauline Richards and Sheri Van Slack. Unfortunately, Cathie Boate has had to step down from the Board. Our new Directors bring new perspectives and ideas to our Learning Centre as we continue to work to improve our Learning Centre and serve our community.
I look forward to the many accomplishments that the children and tutors of the London Scottish Rite Learning Centre will make in the coming 2026–2027 year.
James Sutherland
President of the Board
Under Construction?
Yes, we are under construction again. Thanks to the financial support provided by the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation, the seemingly endless but essential legwork of our Board President, Jim Sutherland, and the hard work of the folks at the North American Trade School, our Learning Centre is expanding to include four additional tutor rooms, making a total of 12 rooms for tutoring. Additionally, there will be a small interview room and a larger meeting room for Board meetings and other such needs. The work is well under way and is planned to be completed within the next few weeks.
The Word From the Centre Director
This is the start of my second year as Director, and I could not be more excited for the great things to come. We welcome back 10 tutors who will be continuing their journeys with their students from last year, and 2 children will have new tutors moving forward. Even though tutoring does not happen during the summer, it was busy at the centre. Our tutor trainer, Cathee, completed two sessions with a new group of eager volunteer tutors who will hopefully be ready to start tutoring by the end of October. This will help to address the growing waitlist of families waiting to access our services.
In July, the director’s office and the present 8 tutor rooms were painted and organized. Then in August the construction on the centre’s expansion project started and, although there have been a few bumps along the way, we are thrilled to have 4 more tutor rooms and a tutor trainer preparation room. During the day, the Trade School continues the work in the new area, then on tutoring days we clean up to welcome our families.
Everyone has been so accommodating and supportive during what often seems like chaos. The tutors and the families are overjoyed to be back, and we are all looking forward to another fantastic year!
Helen Griffin
Centre Director
Recognition of Student Achievement
One of our tutors, Dina, nominated her student for the 2025–2026 Dyslexia Canada Student Achievement Award, which recognizes hard work, determination, creativity and success. Micah received a letter in June that he was selected for the award from Dyslexia Canada, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary of supporting students with dyslexia across Canada.
In the words of his tutor, “Micah demonstrates remarkable perseverance and determination in the face of challenges associated with dyslexia. Despite finding reading difficult, he approaches each session with a positive attitude and a willingness to try. Even after long, tiring school days, he remains actively engaged and participates fully in tutoring activities. With each session, his confidence continues to grow as he builds new skills and celebrates his progress. He is truly a joy to work with, and as his tutor I feel that I learn just as much from his resilience and effort as he does from our time together.”
Stuart Bruce, Chair of the Dyslexia Canada Board, shared that he also has dyslexia and often felt frustrated and different as a child. He writes, “But I learned that dyslexia does not stop people from succeeding. The challenges you face can help you grow stronger, more confident, and more resilient.”
The letter ends with a reminder that hard work matters and dyslexia is only a part of the individual, who has many other strengths and who is capable of great things!
Everyone at the Scottish Rite Learning Centre congratulates Micah — we are so proud!
Former Student Success
Dawn Sullivan, parent of Eli Willoughby, shared great news about his educational journey. In June, Eli graduated from Banting SS with Honours, DELF B2 (an internationally recognized French competency test) and a French Immersion certificate. He will be attending the University of Guelph in the fall to study Political Science.
In the words of his mother, “Your program turned things around for him and helped set him up for success in two languages. We are so grateful.” This warms our hearts, and we are incredibly proud of all the hard work and dedication on the part of Eli to make his dreams come true!
London Valley Golf Classic
On August 11, 2026, 50 golfers assembled at the Westminster Trails Golf Club for the Annual London Valley Golf Classic. In spite of the inclement portents of the days previous, the weather co-operated, and good fellowship, a good meal and prizes galore were enjoyed by all.
Congratulations to the team from Chatham Valley, who once again came in with the low score.
A big thank you to the teams from Barrie, Hamilton and Niagara Valleys and to all who participated for their support of the London Scottish Rite Learning Centre. A special thank you goes out to Duncan Fick, chairman of the Golf Classic, for all his efforts in making this a great day. The event raised just over $5,800 for the Learning Centre.
Not Just the Nuts and Bolts of Reading
On August 26th, 2026, about 50 people descended on Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for the “Not Just the Nuts and Bolts of Reading” two-day conference and workshops. This event was organized and hosted by the wonderful people at the Scottish Rite Learning Centre of Halifax. London Scottish Rite Learning Centre’s Cathee Crinklaw (Tutor Trainer) and Lynn Marshall (a tutor) were both fortunate to attend this conference, thanks to the generosity of the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation.
The well-delivered practical workshops reinforced and built on the tutors’ skills. An enlightening keynote address advocated for taking into consideration the child’s cultural background when tutoring them. Another highlight was Dr. Conrad’s presentation on Orthographic Mapping, which tied in the Orton-Gillingham approach to the strengthening of the neurological connections related to sounds, letters and the meaning of the word (in other words, a reader’s mental process that leads to sight-word reading).
The conference marks the beginning of a two-year Advanced Language Training Certification course (offered by the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation), spearheaded by the leadership of Thelma Gregan, Nancy Harvey and Zoe Mitchell. The purpose of this course is to provide advanced knowledge for those trained tutors who are prepared to assume leadership responsibilities within the Scottish Rite Learning Centre Program.