ANNUAL REPORT July 2023- June 2024
NILD-SA NON-PROFIT COMPANY (NPC)
DIRECTORS:
The NILD-SA Constitution stipulates that its Directors may serve a maximum of 3 consecutive terms of 3 years. Louise van Eck stepped down in September 2023, and Sue Garrard stepped down in March 2024. Rae Mosdell and Chivonne Aldous were invited to serve on the Board of Directors to fill those positions. Louise and Sue, NILD-SA thank you sincerely for your dedicated service!
The Directors currently serving on the NILD-SA Board of Directors are: Leoné Kode, Santie Botha, Shireen Archibald, Debbie Stroberg, Rae Mosdell, and Chivonne Aldous. The Board of Directors meets a minimum of once a quarter to discuss financial, operational, legal and strategic planning issues pertaining to NILD-SA.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT TEAM (PST):
The PST is a group of Level 3-trained members who work tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of all the operational aspects of the organisation. The team members oversee various portfolios, and have members serving in sub-committees to support them when needed.
The current members of the PST are:
Bronwen Broomberg and Lara Baldrey (Area Support Group portfolio)
Olive Surendorff (IT support portfolio)
Belinda Quin (Equipment portfolio)
Jenny Taylor and Tanya Adey (Membership portfolio)
Changes within the Board of Directors brought about changes in the PST. Rae Mosdell and Chivonne Aldous moved from serving on the PST to serving on the Board of Directors (BOD), and Lara Baldrey and Tanya Adey joined the PST. The PST aims to meet in person once a year, and about 8-10 times throughout the year to discuss various issues pertaining to the various portfolios. The National Director chairs the PST meetings, and acts as a link between the BOD and the PST.
TRAINING COURSES:
After a brief period of in-person training from February 2023, training had to go back to the online format from the third term of 2023, and continues to do so to date. The Directors made this decision to encourage people to sign up for training courses and workshops, as online training is more cost-effective for the participants, who do not have to pay for travel and accommodation.
NILD-SA has introduced the new Rx for Discovery Writing-Fundamentals and Rx for Discovery Reading-Fundamentals courses and is excited to be able to introduce three 1-day workshops in term 3 of 2024. These are: Executive Functions, Math II, and Spelling: linking reading and writing. Five NILD Educational Therapy Level 1 courses, four Rx for Discovery Reading – Fundamentals, two Rx 4 Discovery Math I and two Search and Teach courses have been given over the past year.
In the coming year, NILD-SA plans to run two NILD Educational Level 1 courses, a Level 2 course, and hopefully a Level 3 training course. More than one Search and Teach training course, and a number of Rx courses are also planned for the year ahead, as well as a few opportunities for participants to try the three new courses.
EQUIPMENT:
The 2023/2024 year has passed by in a flash and the Equipment Portfolio has maintained a slow and steady pace in printing, ordering and delivering quality materials and equipment to NILD-SA members and course participants.
The liquidation of the regular printing company necessitated a move to a new printing works. A thorough research of local companies to find an equally reliable group to print and bind our materials ensued. NILD-SA is currently using Pinetown Printplacer for the bulk of the work and after a few initial hiccups, has found them to be efficient and reasonably priced. LT Printers have been used for smaller jobs like Anchor Cards and Sound Boxes. PMB Drawing Office has continued to provide NILD-SA with excellent service and print all course manuals, notes and certificates. A well-established relationship with PostNet has developed over many years, and they are used to courier materials to NILD-SA members and course participants. The staff at Postnet has gone above and beyond the call of duty to offer a truly professional service.
A steady flow of orders for Grey Matter Student Kits, Anchor Cards and SOAR 3 books has continued since being introduced in SA. These orders are processed and posted on Thursday afternoons.
The courses that have run over the 2023/2024 period have required a great deal of ‘hands-on’ hours. The time and energy involved in the packing and posting of materials, and the printing, collection and collating of manuals for courses is at times, a heavy load. Dividing some of these tasks up into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be delegated to other members of the Professional Support Team, would be ideal. This has been a challenge due to role players not being geographically close to one another, or to the central, storage and printing hub based in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal. We are actively working on solutions to overcome this challenge.
The ladies responsible for the Equipment portfolio continue to strive for excellence in the presentation and delivery of materials to NILD-SA members, and look forward to further refining operational processes to ensure that the Equipment Portfolio remains a well-oiled cog in the NILDSA structure.
AREA SUPPORT GROUPS:
Area Support Groups across South Africa have shown exciting growth over the past year. Quarterly Zoom meetings are held with group leaders to keep our members informed as to the development of NILD protocols and praxis.
Members are allocated to one of the five groups, namely, Cape Town, KZN South Coast, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg. Meetings are held online once a quarter. NILD-SA Members are required to attend a minimum of three of these meetings per year. These meetings offer support and ongoing training for our members as well as keeping members informed of changes within the organisation.
There were several changes to the NILD SA Area Support Group structure this year. Rae Mosedell joined the Board of Directors and Bronwen Broomberg and Lara Baldrey took over the ASG portfolio on the PST towards the end of 2023.
In October 2023, Riana Howard took over the leadership of the Greater Durban ASG from Paula Steyn. In Feb 2024 Lara Baldrey took over the leadership of the South Coast Meetings from Lynn Aaron and in May 2024, Tanja Fourie tool over the leadership of the Cape Town ASG group from Santie Botha. NILD-SA appreciates these ladies for agreeing to take on these roles and look forward to their input in the months to come. A heartfelt “thank you” is also extended to Lynn Arnold, Santie Botha and Paula Steyn for all their hard work, leadership and dedication over the years.
Topics covered in the 2023/ 2024 meetings were:
Term 3 and 4 meetings continued with the focus on establishing and providing opportunities for networking and developing meaningful connections with like-minded professionals, as well as on sustaining and caring for own and others mental health as the focus. The acronym SALT was used for the character development theme alongside the termly topics. SALT: Serving, Accountability, Love, Trust. The last two-character qualities from the SALT acronym, Love and Trust were incorporated into the topics for the last 2 ASG meetings of 2023.
Term 3: The 3rd letter in the SALT acronym – LOVE. Love is a verb!
Bible Verses: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Outlining the qualities of love) with special focus on vs 7” It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” 1 Corinthians 13:13 “…and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”.
The topic covered was “Could it be a Nonverbal Learning Disability? An Overlooked LD in kids with ADHD”. Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD) is poorly understood and frequently seen in children with ADHD. In this ADDitude webinar, Amy Margolis, Ph.D., explains the condition, how to distinguish symptoms from those of ADHD, and the strategies that could help these children in school and social settings.
Term 4: The 4th letter in the SALT acronym: Trust.
Bible verse: “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” Jeremiah 17v7.
The topic covered was “Morphology: Important from the Beginning”. This was a webinar talk by Sue Hegland from the International Dyslexia Association. The webinar discussed the inclusion of instruction in morphology in a structured Literacy approach and its value and power in developing vocabulary and unlocking complex words. The webinar discussed the importance of morphology from the very beginning, along with some ideas for integrating it into systematic approaches.
New theme for 2024 meetings:
The new focus for the year encompassed the theme BE BOLD! Igniting passion for NILD! The focus for the year was to help members become more professional and confident when talking to parents about NILD, provide practical information, processes and potential practice setup, while strengthening techniques.
Term 1: Theme –PROFESSIONAL – Be Strong, Be Bold, Be You.
Bible Verse: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
The webinar was called “Starting NILD programs in Schools & Private Practice”, by Nana Campana, PCET and Teresa Voltz, PCET. The webinar showed the steps needed to begin an NILD program in a school setting or to open private practices. It included information on best practices and the important steps necessary to build a successful program.
Members were also provided with various documents to help them with administrative duties including intake forms, recording student information, parental agreements and a PowerPoint Presentation to use when meeting or talking to people to about NILD.
Term 2: Theme – ENTHUSIATIC, Be You.
Bible Verse: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act.” Psalm 37v5 (NIV)
This term’s topic was a NILD Webinar called “How to Talk About NILD Educational Therapy So People Listen””. The webinar was hosted by Leah Muhlenfeld and Matt Carroll, marketing and communication experts who spearheaded NILD’s latest brand update and website.
The webinar discussed a simple formula for NILD Therapists to follow that allow them the confidence to explain “what they do” and so that people do not lump therapists in with other tutoring or special needs programs.
The ASG team is still in the process of improving its service to NILD-SA members by making interesting articles, links to sharable talks from various social media platforms and sharable resources available to our members via ASG WhatsApp groups and the Google classroom platform. The ladies responsible for the ASG portfolio are very excited at the growth in the ASG groups, and hope to see the development and realisation of more professional and confident educational therapists and assist in Igniting and maintaining the passion for NILD!
Current ASG leaders:
Cape Town: Tanja Fourie
KZN South Coast: Lara Baldrey
KZN Durban: Riana Howard
KZN Pietermaritzburg: Belinda Quin
Gauteng: Bronwen Broomberg
MEMBERSHIP:
The 2023-2024 membership year has been marked by significant enhancements and adjustments aimed at optimising our operational efficiency and member engagement within NILD-SA. This report provides an overview of our achievements, changes in personnel, training initiatives, and outlines our goals moving forward.
During this period, Chivonne Aldous transitioned from the Professional Support team to assume a role on the Board of Directors. We warmly welcomed Tanya Adey as her successor within the team.
Training Initiatives and Membership Growth
A notable highlight of the year has been the expansion of our training programmes. Transitioning to online courses has enabled broader participation, resulting in an increase in our membership base. The convenience of online training has facilitated more individuals to pursue further education within our organization.
An additional service to NILD-SA members in the past year has been the opportunity to attend free practical workshop mornings. The first three of these covered: 1. Math Block, Dictation & Copy, Buzzer, and Rhythmic Writing, 2. Grey Matter technique, 3. Search and Teach. These practical workshops have allowed members to refresh and hone their skills.
Membership Requirements and Compliance
NILD-SA membership criteria have been streamlined to ensure clarity and adherence among its members. Key requirements include attendance at a minimum of three meetings annually, updated Police Clearance certificates every three years, and the completion of essential documentation uploaded to the NILD-SA Members Google Classroom. Regular updates and communication with members have been facilitated by the addition of our Administrative Officer, Karen Oellermann, the to the NILD-SA team.
Goals for the Year Ahead
Looking forward, the objectives for the upcoming year focus on further refining administrative processes. This includes ensuring all information on the Google Classroom and our Excel spreadsheets remains current and accessible. The team aims to continue to enhance communication via Karen Oellermann to send regular reminders and updates about upcoming courses. Additionally, a commitment to encouraging professional development among NILD-SA members, with an emphasis on advancing from Level 1 to Level 2 and from Level 2 to Level 3 training remains a priority.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, the 2023-2024 membership year has been characterised by strategic improvements and proactive measures to strengthen our community and operational frameworks. The NILD-SA Membership team is optimistic about the opportunities ahead and remain dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for our members’ growth and development.
IT SUPPORT:
This year, the IT Support team conducted extensive research to evaluate our digital communication platforms, leading to a thoughtful decision to transition from Zoom to Google Classroom. The seamless integration of existing data and the simplicity of the transition were pivotal factors in this choice. It was assigned the responsibility of assessing NILD SA’s needs and providing comprehensive training to all involved.
Moreover, the merger of the IT and Equipment portfolios was initiated, as a strategic move to plan and chart the most advantageous course forward. This strategic realignment underscores the dedication to deploying efficient and effective communication tools, and is aligned with the organisational objectives of NILD-SA to instil confidence in the future operations of the organisation.
IT support has been extended to other portfolios, facilitating assignments to Google Classroom. This involved completing some Afrikaans materials and books, aiding instructors in uploading assignments, and developing instructional materials. Successful implementation and sustained growth in the coming year is anticipated.
WEBSITE:
The NILD-SA website (www.nildsa.co.za) is the information hub for our members, parents of children who learn differently, and teachers. It provides all the information on all courses and has articles for parents as well as contact details of therapists for those needing assistance for their children.
The Payment gateway is proving to be a very successful method of payment for our members to pay their membership fees, purchase materials, and to pay for courses. It is updated regularly to keep members, and the public, informed.
FINANCES:
NILD SA is a Non-Profit Company, and the financials are audited annually.
Income is generated through training fees, membership fees as well as materials sold to members. The main expenses incurred by NILD-SA are costs incurred to run training courses. Other expenses include annual affiliation and royalty fees to the USA, Woodcock Johnson IV booklets for trained NILD Educational Therapists to use in assessing children, accounting fees, as well as annual CIPC fees.
NILD-SA employs the services of an accounting firm (FinSolve) to ensure the financial running of the non-profit company is professionally managed. The Board of Directors meets with members of the accounting firm quarterly to discuss financial matters relating to the organisation. As of January 2024 NILD-SA has employed the services of an Administrator to monitor emails, organise courses, do marketing (through Mailchimp), and prepare the payment schedule monthly. Karen Oellermann is fitting into her role well, and is an asset to the organisation.
NILD-SA is making provision for the following in the next financial year:
- Woodcock-Johnson IV test and response booklets for all the forms (as needed)
- Annual affiliation and royalty fees due to NILD-USA.
- Accounting Fees
- Administrator fees
IN CLOSING…
NILD-SA continues to grow and improve on the services it offers its members each year. This would not be possible without the dedicated commitment of the members of the PST, the Board of Directors, the ASG leaders, the members of the various subcommittees that support the PST, and the members; all of whom work tirelessly to serve the students across our beautiful country. I sincerely thank each of you for the part you have played.
With gratitude,
Leoné Kode (National Director NILD-SA)
