Supporting Every Child’s Right to Read
Panel Discussion
Dr. Linda Siegel is a professor emeritus from the University of British Columbia. She has spent decades delving into the cognitive aspects of learning disabilities, writing over 200 research papers as well as the book “Not Stupid, Not Lazy: Understanding Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities”.
Author of Not Stupid, Not Lazy: Understanding Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities
Melanie Baerg is a faculty member in the School of Education, based at the South-Central Campus in Quesnel. She completed her MEd in School and Applied Psychology from the University of Calgary and is certified by the BC Association of School Psychologists, where she sits as an Executive member. Over the past decade, she has worked as a School Psychologist in School District 50 (Haida Gwaii), School District 82 (Coast Mountains), and School District 27 ( Cariboo-Chilcotin), and is currently providing school psychology service in School District 28 (Quesnel), alongside her work with UNBC.
Melanie also holds a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Special Education from the University of British Columbia and is a BC Certified Teacher. She completed the teacher education program, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (major) and Psychology (minor), at Simon Fraser University. Prior to becoming a School Psychologist, Melanie was a classroom and Inclusive Education teacher for over ten years in the Lower Mainland and on Haida Gwaii.
Lisa Hermant has taught grades 1 to 9 in the Cowichan Valley School District. Currently, she is on leave from her grade 1/2 classroom at Drinkwater Elementary. She is excited to be at Khowhemun Elementary as the School-Based Literacy Coordinator for a second year.
Twitter: lisa_hermant
Facebook: Lisa Richmond Hermant
Corina Fitznar, BA Liberal Studies, BEd, MEd in Curriculum & Instruction
Secondary Coordinator of Instruction for Cowichan School District
Over the course of 24 years, Corina’s teaching career spans K-12 and has taken her to USA, Mexico, Belize, and back home to Vancouver Island. She values her ECE literacy training and experience as being key to her success in supporting secondary learners. In her current role as an instructional coordinator, Corina works collaboratively with teachers, schools, and district teams to support instruction and assessment for all tiers of support.
