Message from the Alumni Team
Alumni members have been active in province-wide initiatives to improve student achievement and well-being and to build system capacity. A future e-newsletter will describe involvement in the School College Work Initiative (SCWI).

Alumni members were influential in the success of the CODE Special Education Leadership Project, a systemic education reform strategy that will be featured in Leading for All, a report by Andy Hargreaves to be delivered this spring.

One facet of the CODE project was Essential for Some, Good for All--the universal design principle that a strategy that responds to the special needs of an individual or group can be useful for all.

CODE Presentation at QUEST Conference
Alumni members from the CODE Special Education Leadership Project made a presentation on Essential for Some, Good for All: Mobilizing Knowledge for Special Education Instruction at the recent QUEST conference. Some examples that were shared:

• sound field systems that were essential for some students improved speech understanding, attention, behaviour, and learning outcomes for many other students, and improved teacher vocal health;
• modified Autism Spectrum Disorders transition processes provided more effective entry/transition processes for all;
• adaptations to the classroom environment essential for some (e.g., visual reminders) improved attention and focus for many others;
• speech pathologists working in the classroom provided support for oral language for all students and valuable modeling and coaching for teachers;
• processes designed to be sensitive to the needs of aboriginal populations improved trusting relationships with all parents;
• special strategies used in OFIP schools provided important learning when shared with all schools.

Reminder:
OPSOA Alumni Trip 2012: Joie De Vivre Tour through the Garden of France & Paris, October 16 to October 27, 2012
Tour Price: $3395.00 per person including roundtrip airfare. (Gratuities, insurance and departure taxes of $474.00 are extra.) A detailed brochure outlining excursions, inclusions, and a day-to-day itinerary will be available shortly. To request a brochure, please email Melina Mancini at Georgia Hardy Tours: melina@ghardytours.com.

Life Lessons Learned: Profile of an Alumni Member
Trudy Lum retired as a superintendent with Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, and has been busy with contract assignments ever since.

Trudy had a year with IBM, working with school districts across Canada on the integration of technology as a teaching tool. During a year and a half contract with York University, she also developed teacher education programs in an on-line synchronistic and a-synchronistic learning environment. She worked with The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat as the Eastern Ontario Regional Team Leader.

Trudy has completed extensive contract work with CODE, the Ministry of Education, the Ontario College of Teachers, and many school districts. For example, she reviewed implementation of the teacher performance evaluation system, and of special education and regular education initiatives. She developed principal and vice-principal leadership programs, reviewed teacher education programs, and served on Special Education Appeal Boards.

Trudy was one of the founding members of the OPSOA Alumni, helped plan conference activities for alumni members, and was an active member of Eastern Ontario OPSOA.

Trudy served on the Big Sisters board of directors for three years and headed three major fundraising events.

Travel destinations include the Arctic, Antarctic, China, Thailand, Caribbean, Europe, Newfoundland, and trips to Texas to see her grandchildren.

She reports, "I always felt so supported by my professional organization, and the staff at OPSOA is the best!"