Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Find out what North Canton Patch readers have been clicking on this year!
6. Rebecca Tolson's Passion to Help Dyslexic Students Paid Off North Canton resident Rebecca Tolson authored and advocated for Ohio House Bill 157, which was passed by the General Assembly in December and aims to help dyslexic students throughout the state. North Canton Patch viewers voted Tolson as the city's Person of the Year for 2011. 7. Amelia Finefrock of North Canton Makes it to Hollywood Week on 'American Idol' We checked in with Amelia Finefrock back in January after she made it to Hollywood Week on American Idol. The 17-year-old told us then, "I am so overly excited and so grateful for all the people who’ve invested their time and energy into believing in me. I am overwhelmed by so much support, not only from my friends and …
Monday, January 16, 2012
Rebecca Tolson is in the spotlight as Huffington Post's Greatest Person of the Day today for authoring and advocating for a bill to bring dyslexia specialists into Ohio schools
Rebecca Tolson, a North Canton resident and a certified academic language therapist, is in the spotlight again. This time, our 2011 North Canton Person of the Year takes center stage today as Huffington Post's Greatest Person of the Day. Tolson authored House Bill 157, which encourages Ohio's Educational Service Centers to hire dyslexia specialists who will provide training for K-4 teachers to help those teachers work with dyslexic children. The bill passed through the Ohio General Assembly in December with resounding support. You can find Tolson featured as our North Canton Person of the Year in this story and the link to the Huffington Post Greatest Person of the Day feature by following this link.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Got a sec? Get caught up on North Canton's top stories from this week!
1. A Stark County Common Pleas judge will allow the video identification of Erick Howard in his home invasion/rape trial. Howard appeared in court Friday because his attorney wished to throw out evidence that he thought would lead to an unfair trial. 2. Have you met Rebecca Tolson? She's our 2011 North Canton Person of the Year, and she's got one inspirational story. She authored and advocated for House Bill 157, which encourages Ohio's Educational Service Centers to hire dyslexia specialists to train teachers in helping dyslexic students. Bravo, Rebecca! 3. A Canton couple must have really needed some cash; they tried to steal the coin changer right off a laundromat wall this week. The key word here: tried. 4. We had a blast video-taping …
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tolson authored and advocated for Ohio House Bill 157, which was passed by the General Assembly in December and aims to help dyslexic students throughout the state. North Canton Patch viewers voted Tolson as the city's Person of the Year for 2011.
Editor's Note: This article is being featured on The Huffington Post as part of its Greatest Person of the Day series. It was the same thing year after year: A small percentage of students in Rebecca Tolson’s class struggled with reading because of dyslexia. And there wasn’t much she or any other teacher could do to help. “I really didn’t feel prepared to teach them,” said Tolson, who was at a school in Fairlawn at the time. “I was curious. I was wanting to help but not feeling trained.” It wasn’t easy for her to stand by while children struggled to read in her classroom. She knew they’d head off to the next classroom, and then the next grade, and face the same hurdles. “I felt like I had to do something," she said. "In the nine months …
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Our Week in Review update will get you caught up with the past week's happenings in North Canton
1. Have you eaten breakfast yet? No? Quick! Round up the ingredients to make this creme brulee French toast dish and you'll be the hero of Christmas morning! 2. North Canton resident Rebecca Tolson is ecstatic after state legislators voted in favor of House Bill 157, a bill aimed at helping dyslexic students. Tolson authored and advocated for it for the past year. Read Tolson's Q&A with us to find out more about her and the bill. 3. Police and FBI officials raided Carnegie Career College on West Maple Street this week. Officials have yet to release information explaining the raid. 4. North Canton students got in the holiday spirit and arrived at school dressed as if it was Christmas morning. Oh yes, that means robes, PJs and slippers! 5. …
Friday, December 23, 2011
We've rounded up your submissions and created a poll to find out which do-gooder you want to see in the spotlight on North Canton Patch
We received some great nominations from community members about who they want to see get some recognition for their good deeds this year. Below are our nominations for North Canton's 2011 Person of the Year and a short summary of why they were nominated. Make sure to vote by 5 p.m. Tuesday and watch for a story highlighting North Canton's Person of the Year in the following days.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
House Bill 157 will be signed into law, and author Rebecca Tolson of North Canton is chalking it up to a victory for students across Ohio
Rebecca Tolson has made 14 trips from North Canton to Columbus in the past year as she's advocated for House Bill 157 — a bill encourages Ohio's Educational Service Centers to hire dyslexia specialists to provide training for K-4 teachers to help them work with dyslexic children. The North Canton resident and certified academic language therapist has worked alongside co-sponsors Rep. Kirk Schuring, R-Jackson Township, and Rep. Tom Letson, D-Warren. Their hard work led to the bill passing unanimously in the House June 22. It then headed to the Ohio Senate, which approved it Wednesday with a vote of 90-1. The bill will go into effect shortly after being signed. Below Tolson talks about her victory and what it means for Ohio students. North …
Monday, December 19, 2011
The bill is an advocacy measure for children with dyslexia and was authored by North Canton resident and Certified Academic Language Therapist Rebecca Tolson
When North Canton Patch wrote about House Bill 157 in July of this year, the teacher behind the bill, Rebecca Tolson, had her fingers crossed that it would make its way to law. At that time, it was halfway there. The Ohio *House of Representatives had given its approval with a vote of 97-0. And the response from the Ohio *Senate Wednesday was just as supportive — 90-1, according to a recent update from the Canton Repository. The bill will go into effect shortly after being signed. The bill encourages Ohio's Educational Service Centers to hire dyslexia specialists to provide training for K-4 teachers to help them work with dyslexic children. (Find out more about the bill in this North Canton Patch story.) The newspaper talked to Rep. Kirk …
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
North Canton resident Rebecca Tolson has a passion for reading, which led her to author a bill that advocates for kids with dyslexia. It was passed by the Ohio House and heads now to the Senate.
“I can’t write. Can you help me? I’m desperate.” These were the words of a second grader when she came to Mrs. Tolson for help. The little girl couldn’t read. She couldn’t write. She had been to several specialists and her words reflected her utter despair: “No one has been able to help me.” Rebecca Tolson is a certified academic language therapist who works with students reading one to three levels below their current grade level. “When a student comes to me, there is this wall. I represent everything that is hard for that child. I have to be sensitive to that and build a rapport and break down barriers.” A year later, the child who expressed her despair writes in beautiful, cursive lettering. She also reads well. “You are a really …
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
House Bill 157, authored by North Canton resident Rebecca Tolson and focusing on finding dyslexia in young students, is halfway to becoming a law.
Ohio House Bill 157 passed unanimously in the House of Representatives with a 97 to 0 vote June 22. The bill is an advocacy measure for children with dyslexia and was authored by North Canton resident and Certified Academic Language Therapist Rebecca Tolson. “We’re halfway there,” Tolson said. Tolson, who has worked alongside the co-sponsors of this bi-partisan bill (Rep. Kirk Schuring, R-Jackson Township, and Rep. Tom Letson, D-Warren) gave her testimony as a dyslexia specialist June 1 in support of the bill. According to Schuring’s sponsor testimony April 13, the bill is intended to “assist with early detection and intervention of students with dyslexia,” specifically focusing on early developmental years because that is when …
Susan Bianchini
3:19 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
In my state of Montana they don't even recognize dyslexia as a learning disability, so my son couldn't even qualify for an IEP or special help! We had to bring in other issues to get him the help he so desperately needs. He now is going into 5th grade, but only reading at a 1st grade level, hates school and hates reading. I'm waiting for a happy ending. more ›