Janet Lee and Arnie

Fly Fly Fly

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:09:20 -0500

Please leave your comments about our new theme song below.

If you would like to purchase the full version of the song, please send an email to fenixliteracy@gmail.com

A Gradual Release

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:20:31 -0500

Today, I stood in my driveway watching Arnie and Dawne drive away. I never expected the tears to rise to my eyes and flow down my cheeks. I watched them turn the corner and I cried. Not because I was worried. I cried because I would miss out on the experience of making a difference with Arnie’s story. I have been there for 75 of Arnie’s presentations over the past 4 years. This day was different, this time I wouldn’t be there to take it all in.

I realized this week that this mission is bigger than me. This movement is going to take flight without me being there for every moment of happiness. I think that is the funny thing about leaving a legacy. You aren’t always there for the joy in the end.

That night, I flipped through the pictures taken at the event. I saw students and teachers I hadn’t met. But the thing that was familiar was the emotion behind the photos. The caring glances. The knowing smiles. Arnie stood with Dawne and had the smile of pride he always had with me. She protected him by getting him to the presentation safely and on time. Her beautiful spirit shined guiding him through the experience without a flaw.

Arnie and I are so fortunate to have Dawne on the team. Without her, this mission could have stalled and the children in these photographs would not have had the opportunity to hear Arnie’s story and benefit from his advice. Yes, today I gradually released Arnie into the hands of the future.

It is the Dawne of a new day!

Until next time,  Janet Lee

Manuscript in the mail

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 07:24:20 -0400

Hello everyone!

I wanted to blog about dreams, vision boards and taking positive action. This journey I have been on with Arnie has taken me to places in my heart I never knew I could travel. It has stretched me as a person and made me understand my own strengths and limitations.

Along the way, Arnie and I have had big dreams. We have long discussions about what could be in life and we have always supported each other when we try something new. Just recently, we gained a few new team members for Fenix and I’d like to highlight these members now.

First of all, Mac and his family have been very helpful with raising our levels of inspiration. Sean (Mac’s Dad) has chosen to go back to school to further his understanding and we are so proud of his efforts. Mac has been in contact with me this week as he works through a few new ideas about the Fenix Foundation and raising money for literacy awareness. Mac has created a new design for the Fenix logo and we are so proud of him for his creative nature and can do attitude! As a grade 10 student, Mac is an inspiration to us all!

Helaina Nash has devoted her time to us as an editor for the initial manuscript that left my hands on Monday of this week. Lainy and I worked tirelessly this past weekend to get the manuscript ready to go out to the world. Lainy also accompanied me to a book launch where I was able to feel the energy of a launch and be with an author as he accomplished his dream on Bay Street! I think I have always underestimated the powerfulness of friendship and a combined vision. Lainy is so supportive and talented...I couldn’t have had the courage I displayed this week without her unwavering support.

I have faced obstacles with touring Arnie to schools as of two weeks ago. My present administration no longer permits me to accompany Arnie during the day on his school visits. At first, this made me feel defeated but then I remembered that everything happens for a reason and that I should think outside the box. This is when we got a new member for our team in Dawne Stanley. Dawne will be accompanying Arnie to the many schools who are requesting him at this point. Dawne has the perfect background and personality for this job. I know it will be ok and that someday soon I will be able to accompany Arnie again...

A publisher gave me some great ideas for the book and for this website this week. She suggested I have Arnie blog to you as well. I love this idea and will help Arnie to do this in the near future. Stay tuned...

All of these things have made me excited and hopeful for the future. When I created my vision board, I included the things I envision for myself, my family, and Arnie. As I type these words, I gaze up at the board and see all of things we are striving for. I believe this helps us to take positive action everyday towards these dreams. And the golden retriever at my feet helps too.

Thanks to everyone for the support and love! Arnie and I are very grateful and know that the time is soon coming when we will have to change the vision board because we have accomplished everything on it!

Until next time!
Janet Lee

Reading Recovery Graduates

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:21:20 -0400

Arnie and I were very honoured to speak to the Reading Recovery teachers this Wednesday. Arnie was emotional during his story and so was the entire audience. Reading Recovery is an amazing program that helps students who struggle. Teachers go through an extensive training program to become a Reading Recovery teacher. Over 2,000 students have been helped in Simcoe County alone!

Arnie cried as he thanked the teachers for their dedication to students who struggle with reading. Leaders Kathleen Corrigan and Christine Jenkins presented Arnie with a special book to read to his grandchildren and handmade cards depicting the seasons. It was a reading and writing gift. What a special event!

After Arnie’s presentation, the teachers gathered around us with hugs all around and lots of tears. All of us work for the students others would have been cast aside. This day was a tribute to everyone’s hard work and dedication.

Congratulations to all the Reading Recovery teachers of Simcoe County! Arnie and I are so proud to wear our honourary Reading Recovery pins.

Sincerely,
Janet Lee

Carrying the Torch

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:48:48 -0400

Nikki’s Graduation

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:42:08 -0400

Arnie and I were very excited to be in attendance at the Barrie Learning Centre’s graduation ceremony. We arrived just in time to see the grads lined up awaiting the call to come into the main hall. We searched the line with flowers in hand until we caught the eye of Nikki. She was dressed in a gorgeous black dress with a purple shawl. When she saw us she welled up with tears and hugged both of us.

As the enormous group of graduates passed us, Arnie whispered to me, “One day I’ll be with them.”

Nikki has fought for everything in her life. This was a very special day for her and it was our pleasure to be there as support. I will make a movie about the day. Stay tuned.

Until next time,
Janet Lee

FENIX LAUNCH

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:18:53 -0400

Hello everyone!!

I am excited to announce the launch of the Fenix Foundation for Literacy! On June 17th, we held our first meeting for literacy guru's, student volunteers and business professionals. Members were given a sneak peek at the manuscripts for Feathers of Hope and were shown the illustrations for our picture book, Arnie's Garden.

Fenix Foundation mission statement:

We are dedicated to raising awareness about the literacy levels of others and encouraging individuals to ask for help. We create public service campaigns to help all people to recognize and assist fellow human beings with low literacy skills. In turn, we hope to inspire change in the educational system by knocking down the walls that separate those who learn differently from the gift of education.

For more information visit our website www.arniestewart.org.

Thank you for supporting our mission!

Look for the launch movie coming soon!

Until then!
Janet Lee
Director
Fenix Foundation

Amazing Leaders and Students

Wed, 27 May 2009 18:10:26 -0400

Today, I was at a school in Bradford when I was approached by a teacher who was visibly emotional at seeing me. You see, last week, Arnie and I visited this school to tell our stories and to encourage students to always ask for help. This was approximately school #70 where we have spoken and shared our happenings.

This teacher thanked me for bringing Arnie to the school and told me that she had some letters to pass my way. She handed me the letters and even though my day was turning out to be a very busy one, I took some moments to read the words of these very honest students. Some said that we reminded them of people in their lives, others said that we were inspirational and one boy related his feelings about skipping school. He said, “Arnie, sometimes I think about just telling my mom I have gone to school and just riding my bike past the school to skip. You have made me change my mind and realize that I can be successful.”

I turned to this teacher and asked her to meet this student. She agreed. The grade 5 boy stood in the hallway barely looking up at me. I shook his hand and thanked him for his honesty. This moment may have been important to him, but to me, it was very meaningful. You see, I have been a bit stressed out lately trying to be everything to everyone wondering if I was making a difference. In the middle of my busy day, this young man reminded me of why I do things I do for Arnie and for each classroom I visit.

This blog is just a thank you to all of the leaders and students who have come forward offering help with our new Fenix Foundation. Your energy and enthusiasm helps me to remember to stay focused and keep on keepin on.

Until next time,
Janet Lee

Dear Mr. President,

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 10:44:42 -0400

I am a teacher, writer and literacy consultant who left the United States in 1999 disillusioned with the education system. Teaching at-risk youth in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Brandywine, Maryland taught me valuable lessons in my young career, but helping to lead the literacy movement in Canada has been even more satisfying. I am proud to say that in 2007 I was on a team of writers who developed the leading literacy resource in Canada. The success of Nelson Literacy 7/8 has given me hope for the system and has taught me that my contributions are valuable.

But there's more to my story. As a little girl, my uncle had a secret. Despite being a very intelligent man, Richard Mitchell could not read or write. Helping my Uncle Mitch hide his secret shaped my young life and future career. As a high school English teacher in Canada and the United States, I constantly invented literacy strategies to help the struggling students in my classrooms. I always wondered if I was making a difference. Regardless of extensive research and optimistic literacy initiatives, millions of Canadians and Americans still suffer with low literacy skills.

The day I heard the story of Arnie Stewart, I was moved to tears. Arnie was the first adult I had ever heard publicly tell the raw truth about life without literacy skills. Arnie (58 years old) bravely stood in front of my students telling incredible stories of survival and hope in the face of despair. As a result, my students were inspired to ask for help. After all my years of trying to make a difference in the classroom, Arnie had done it in one hour by telling his personal story. As my students began to improve, I realized Arnie’s story could be the catalyst for change all educators search for. While experiencing success writing for the Nelson Literacy Series, I decided to write a book that would share Arnie’s spirit of hope with the world. A biography.

My research has included, three years of traveling with Arnie speaking to thousands in adult learning establishments, schools and conferences. Together we encouraged people to ask for help. At every venue, we witnessed the same result. Audiences quietly sobbed as they listened to Arnie’s story and leaned in as I explained the impact Arnie had on my life as an educator. Afterwards, hundreds who would have previously slipped through the cracks of the educational system came forward asking for help. Teachers gained needed empathy for struggling students and community members. Business owners learned how to recognize and accommodate clients with low literacy skills. University leaders changed pre-service teaching qualifications to include adult literacy tutoring credits. Our work won the James Patterson Pageturner Award for inspiring readers and Arnie’s Queen’s Jubilee Medal was bestowed upon students exhibiting determination in literacy. With each success story my biographical research blossomed into a successful literacy initiative.

Four books have resulted from the initial biographical account of Arnie’s life story. They tell the true story of Arnie Stewart, his teacher (myself) and a student who represents countless stories of children affected by our on-going mission. With your help, our initiative can be the inspiration needed to drive change in the education system and beyond.

Mr. President, you have inspired me. I have been away from home too long and feel the urge to help bridge our two countries. When I left the US, I was a new teacher but I had three years of experience with students who struggled with education. I had witnessed the frustration felt by teachers with no resources and inadequate training to deal with the issues students brought with them to countless classrooms across the nation. Canada's education system welcomed me with open arms. I have helped to open a brand new high school in a needy area, but also marveled at the fact that all teachers in this new building were given laptops on which to help their children be prepared for the 21st century. My promotion to literacy consultant brought new lessons and opportunities for me to learn and my work with adult literacy has opened my eyes to the enormity of the literacy crisis. I am impressed by what I have seen in this country and want to help bridge the gap between our countries to help raise student success for the US.

In short, Mr. President, I am ready to come home bringing with me all the lessons I have learned from Canada and an open heart for the new lessons this part of my journey will produce. What can I do to help you and my fellow Americans?

My website is www.arniestewart.org
I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Janet Lee Stinson
Teacher
Ontario, Canada

The Road to Yes

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:28:03 -0500

As a writer, I knew that sending out book proposals would demand a great amount of patience and an even greater amount of courage. Rejection letters are a part of every writer’s journey to publishing. Since sending out the initial book proposals, I have received 10 rejection letters so far. The bad news is they were rejection letters. The good news is that many were very encouraging to me. (Calling the idea compelling, worthwhile and exciting) I place each letter in a special envelope labeled, “The Road to Yes.”

After viewing a video created by Jarrett J. Krosoczka http://www.studiojjk.com/explaining his own road to yes, I realized that in my rejection envelope I held a teachable moment for students. I had to work up my courage to share the letters with other people, but in the pictures on this page, you will see that I allowed several grade 9 students to read my letters. The lesson? Never ever give up!

These letters symbolize the brick wall that stands in front of each of us. A younger me would have been discouraged by the letters, but today I know that each one of these pieces of paper leads me to the yes Arnie and I are waiting for.

After explaining this, one of the teachers put up his hand and said, “Janet Lee, it is very plain to see your passion for this project. We know you will never give up until Feathers of Hope is published!”

Several students approached me afterwards wishing to help us get noticed. They plan to write to Oprah and try contacting Henry Winkler again. These young faces inspired me to continue.

Arnie’s message reaches students because it is honest and heartfelt. We have been on a long road together. We believe our actions can make a difference to students, their teachers and the adults who strive to make a better life for their children. Trust me, we will NOT give up until we reach our yes!

Until next time,
Janet Lee

25 Things I Learned on my Leave of Absence

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 12:11:32 -0500

Today is the last day of my Leave of Absence. What have I learned?

I am a writer
I am capable of balance in my life
I love quiet time with my journal
Long conversations with Arnie can nourish my determination
My husband is the most amazing and supportive man I know
My mentors didn’t mind listening to countless chapters and it helps!
Family keeps me grounded and I miss them
My office is the perfect colour for creativity
I like coffee without cream and sugar
I love Hawaii
Being home when “the Bell Rings” is the best feeling ever!
Facebook is a great way to help writer’s block
I’m proud to be an American voter!
Writing isn’t hard
Friends send you flowers when you are sad (Thanks M & M)
Extreme self care helps you be a better communicator
Flying=Freedom
I can work every day without getting tired
The road to yes contains no
Arnie’s daughter, Nicole, is like a sister
There is hope in the world
My dog is the heartbeat at my feet
Courage is being scared and doing it anyway
I am living a charmed life and
I know it