This third and final week at Fraser Academy was exceptional. The level of rapport I have developed with students over these short three weeks is tremendous. I know I am a very personable individual and my ability to socialize to get to know people is something that comes natural to me, however I believe the true credit to why such relationships have been formed is the immense sense of community that exists here at Fraser Academy. I know I have said this before, but it reminds me so much of the classic small rural schools that I grew up in where every student knows each other regardless of grade or age. Teachers and students are so close and the feeling of community is contagious. I can’t think of a better or more enjoyable environment to work in, especially when dealing with students who have a wide range of language based learning challenges. It has been interesting talking with people outside of Fraser Academy and their perception of what the student population is like here. For starters this is not a school that deals with ‘special education’ the kids here are very normal for lack of a better word, it’s just that words or numbers on a page may become jumbled in their minds, or charts or figures won’t make sense at all, or they may only be able to communicate effectively via conversation or strictly through writing. My personal perceptions of Fraser Academy prior to arriving was that I would be dealing with students who experience a range of down-syndrome to autism. But really that isn’t what the focus is. Rather we work with a large population of dyslexics or those suffering from dyscalcula in addition to a range of other behavioural and ADS like challenges. There is a unique population of students here, each with something exceptional to bring to the classroom. It has been such a joy getting to know each and everyone of them in this short but impactful time. Furthermore this experience has been greatly impacted by the caring and wonderful guidance of Suzanne Huopalainen my ‘SA’ of sorts for these 3 weeks. Here patience, careful consideration and meaningful effort to understand and adapt her way of teaching to each of her students struggles is tremendous and deserves to be noted and applauded. I have learned so much from her and I wish I could spend another 3 weeks working alongside her soaking up the immense wisdom she has to offer. Thanks Fraser Academy it has been a hootenanny