Park Record Articles

Thank you, Park City Rotary Club! Our MIND events are free and open to any student struggling with reading. These are all active kids who are athletes, artists, good friends and leaders – but when they get together, they can joke about being terrible spellers, hear stories about self-advocating in the classroom or celebrate the end of 3 years of after-school tutoring. This year, the participants learned about assistive technology, celebrated their strengths and attended social events at Black Diamond Gymnastics and the Kimball Art Center.

Please email us at www.parkcityreads.org if you’d like information about MIND.

Letter to the Editor thanking PC READS for hosting Dyslexia for a Day.

Article about PC READS’ upcoming event, Dyslexia for a Day, featuring speakers from the Dyslexia Training Institute in San Diego, CA. Excerpt from the article:

The event is being put on with the help of financial contributions from the Ty & Karen Hall Charitable Foundation. The Halls, who are relatively new to Park City, also have a dyslexic child and see the event as a way to make a difference in the community.

Karen Hall said teachers in Florida were often unable to give her son the help he needed, and she had to advocate for him throughout his school years. She hopes the event makes it so some families here don’t have to go through a similar experience. 

“Teachers want to understand it and they want to learn,” she said. “We’re just trying to bring about awareness so people don’t have to fight the way we had to fight every year. Park City is so progressive, and it has such a great school system. We think we’re at the right place at the right time to bring that awareness.”

“Since October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month and Utah Governor Gary Herbert has declared it in the State of Utah for the second year in a row, PC READS Park City Recognizing, Educating & Advocating for Dyslexic Students will partner with the Park City Film Series to present a free screening of Harvey Hubbell V’s “Dislecksia” at the Jim Santy Auditorium at the Park City Library, 1255 Park Ave., on Thursday, Oct. 22.

Harvey, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, has dyslexia, and the film is based on his own experiences. The film also features dyslexic actors Billy Bob Thornton and Joe Pantoliano and world-renowned brain scientists, researchers, students and advocates as they join a movement to revolutionize education.

“I have seen several films about dyslexia and we picked this one, because most are dry and dark, but this one is more [enjoyable],” Blake said. “At the same time, it gives a lot of statistics and facts about dyslexia. It just had some good information. There is some humor to it and it’s OK for all ages, because we want families to bring their children.”

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion that will include screenwriter Jack Amiel, Emerald Date Solutions founder Aristedies Ioannedis, Park City High School graduate Alex Hall and neuropsychologist Dr. Jenise Jensen.”

A September 2014 article written about PC READS in the Park Record, featuring the personal stories of co-founders, Elissa Aten and Jackie Blake. Short excerpt below:

“I did this for years on my own to find the resources for my daughter and what she needs,” Blake said. “Wouldn’t it be really nice if we can give other families who are struggling or questioning or not understanding what’s going on with their student as much help and support and resources that we didn’t get?”

Elissa Aten had a similar experience with her child, who also was diagnosed with dyslexia. And like Blake, she had a desire to help others in the same situation. So together, last year they founded Park City Reads, an organization dedicated to providing resources for local parents with children with dyslexia or other reading struggles.