!!Julie!Emmons!CB!2251!Elon!University!Elon,!NC!27244!!TO!WHOM!IT!MAY!CONCERN:!

My!name!is!Julie!Emmons,!and!I!teach!in!the!School!of!Education!at!Elon!University.!!It!was!my!privilege!to!welcome!Kevin!Spencer!to!my!Foundations!of!Special!Education!classroom!in!September,!2012.!!Kevin!is!a!true!pioneer!who!has!discovered!an!innovative,!creative!way!to!reach!exceptional!learners.!!His!inspiring!story!and!his!passionate!pursuit!of!a!curriculum!that!would!reach!these!students!had!a!tremendous!impact!on!our!teacher!candidates.!!They!realized!that!the!field!of!Special!Education!is!one!that!is!very!open!to!new!ideas!and!that!it!is!never!too!late!to!try!to!reach!our!learners!who!often!remain!in!the!margins!of!both!the!classroom!and!our!society.!!

I!have!been!able!to!review!Mr.!Spencer’s!Hocus!Focus!curriculum,!and!I!am!impressed!with!the!thorough,!effective,!and!researchUbased!nature!of!the!lessons.!!A!key!feature!is!that!this!curriculum,!and!Mr.!Spencer’s!entire!premise!of!using!magic!to!reach!students!with!special!needs,!is!one!that!reaches!across!both!categorical!and!disciplinary!bounds.!!It!can!be!used!in!virtually!any!class!with!any!group!of!students.!!This!is!a!rare!thing!in!our!field,!and!the!value!is!immeasurable.!!!

I!cannot!wait!to!hear!about!the!new!developments!that!Kevin!Spencer!will!have!next!for!our!students,!and!I!am!excited!about!the!prospect!of!his!proven!methods!gaining!even!more!ground!and!attention!in!schools!across!the!country.!!It!is!truly!one!of!the!most!promising!things!that!we’ve!been!able!to!offer!our!students!with!special!needs!in!a!very!long!time.!!!

Sincerely,!

!

Julie!Emmons,!M.Ed.!Adjunct!Instructor,!Special!Education!School!of!Education!Elon!University!

!!!Alden!Road!Exceptional!Student!Center!#252!Duval!County!Schools!Jacksonville,!FL!!January!31,!2012!!Hocus!Focus,!Inc.!PO!Box!10396!Lynchburg,!VA!!24506!!To!Whom!It!May!Concern:!!Kevin!Spencer!came!to!visit!our!school,!Alden!Road!Exceptional!Center,!for!the!second!time!in!January!2012.!!The!students!that!were!here!for!his!first!visit!were!excited!and!eager!to!see!Kevin!again,!as!were!the!teachers.!!Spencer’s!workshop!is!more!than!a!mere!magic!show.!!It!is!a!vibrant!and!exciting!learning!tool!for!a!myriad!of!skills.!!The!simple!tricks!help!students!increase!their!fine!motor!skills!and!follow!directions.!!For!our!highest!functioning!students,!the!tricks!help!them!achieve!a!sense!of!selfYdetermination!and!selfYconfidence.!!Many!students!are,!for!the!first!time!in!their!lives,!able!to!do!something!that!others!cannot!do.!!In!turn,!they!garner!a!respect!from!not!only!their!peers,!but!others!in!their!environments.!!They!are!able!to!“show!off”!in!a!positive!manner!and!shine.!!No!other!activities!can!give!quite!that!level!of!personal!achievement!to!our!students.!!Kevin!worked!with!our!students!at!all!their!diversity!of!functioning!levels!and!capacities.!!He!is!always!upbeat,!smiling,!warm,!and!demonstrates!a!love!for!our!kids!that!is!unusual!for!those!outside!of!our!immediate!community.!!We!look!forward!to!Kevin’s!visits!whenever!he!is!in!our!area!and!we!thank!him!for!everything!he!gives!our!kids!!!Sincerely,!!!!Tammy!Boyd!Principal!

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES & COMMUNITY

SUPPORT SERVICES 2500 Ada Road

Lima, OH 45801-3340 (419) 221-1385

Fax: (419) 221-1296

Esther Baldridge Superintendent

ebaldridge@acbdd.org

Martha J. Nance Director of Business mnance@acbdd.org

Mike Steiger

Human Resource Director msteiger@acbdd.org

Jeannie Stahl

Director of Community Support Services jstahl@acbdd.org

Theresa Schnipke

Service and Support Administration (SSA) Manager

tschnipke@acbdd.org

CHILDRENS SERVICES Peggy Cockerell

Director of Education pcockerell@acbdd.org

2550 Ada Road Lima, OH 45801 -3340

(419) 221 -1262 Fax: (419) 225 -5184

ADULT SERVICES

Angie Herzog Adult Services Director aherzog@acbdd.org

2450 Ada Road Lima, OH 45801 -3340

(419) 221 -1226 Fax: (419) 221-3145

TTY: (419) 221-3393

Marimor School is located in Lima, Ohio. Our school is a segregated facility that provides educational services to children in preschool and school age programs who have multiple disabilities and/or autism. On January 29, 2012 we had the time of our lives. As a community outreach program, Ohio Northern University arranged for magician Kevin Spencer to spend the day with our students. The “Hocus Focus” program was much more than teaching students to perform simple magic tricks. As I escorted Kevin from classroom to classroom, I saw children who typically get frustrated when presented with fine motor tasks diligently using those small muscles as they performed their magic tricks. I saw several children who do not typically interact with visitors smile, speak, and allow Kevin to ‘invade their personal space’. I saw a child who is new to our school smiling from ear to ear. (Sadly…this hasn’t happened much for him this year at school.) This morning, two children who were having behavioral challenges were brought to my office. I handed them a dollar bill and two paper clips and asked if they remembered how to do their magic trick. Within minutes they calmed down….were smiling… and more importantly they were ready to go back to their classroom and cooperated! If you have the opportunity to bring Kevin to your school, you need to do it. I am excited to have added a new ‘tool’ to our tool chest to help our students to learn and to help them feel good about themselves. If you would like to hear first hand from a school on the impact this program has on students with special needs, feel free to contact me. Peggy Cockerell Director of Education 419-221-1262 pcockerell@acbdd.org

!!

3420!Nevada!Ave!N!Crystal,!MN!55427!

!763748675359!

www.LionsgateAcademy.org!!

EXECUTIVE(DIRECTOR(Stan!Hacker!

!BOARD(OF(DIRECTORS(

Ron!Berger,!MBA,!Chairperson!!Joan!Steinman,!Vice!Chairperson!Jonathan!Scharlau,!Treasurer!Brandy!Dougherty,!BS,!BA,!MA,!!

Secretary!Meta!Pautsch!Meg!Fuller!Bob!Radspinner!(

COMMUNITY(PARTNERS(• Novations!Educational!

Opportunities,!Authorizer!• Autism!Society!of!Minnesota!• Border!Foods!• Courage!Center!• Ittrium!• MacPhail!Center!for!Music!• Opportunity!Partners!• Reach!for!Resources!• University!of!Minnesota!

Institute!on!Community!Integration!

• University!of!Minnesota!Pediatric!Clinic!

• VSA!Arts!of!Minnesota!!!!!!!!!(

MISSION(The!Mission!of!Lionsgate!

Academy!is!to!provide!a!transition7oriented!and!personalized!learning!program!focusing!on!secondary,!higher7functioning!students!on!the!autism!spectrum!that!supports!their!full!potential,!participation,!and!self7determination!within!their!school,!family,!and!community.!

!!!March!30,!2012 Kevin Spencer PO Box 10396 Lynchburg, VA 24506 Dear Kevin: Thank you for visiting Lionsgate Academy with your Hocus Focus program on March 7th, 2012. The student’s response to this program was extremely positive. We appreciated very much you taking time out of your busy tour schedule to make a stop at our very special school. The middle school theater class you spent time with has spread “magic fever” throughout our building. The positive energy that was planted that day has grown exponentially ever since. You made the students feel empowered, special, confident, talented, and is they were famous magicians themselves. The staff at Lionsgate wants to send their deepest thanks for sharing Hocus Focus. We are very fortunate to have people like you who are willing to share their talents to help better our student’s lives. Sincerely, Meg Fuller Special Education Case Manager Lionsgate Academy

t)!--../ BROKEN ARROW PUBLIC SCHOOLSl\. 1+Esr.t9o+-l/ ,', )-------.----"4':/\,-'\ : -1.

:,.*, _\\lii" \

March 1.1,2011

Dear Kevin,

Hocus Focus is a great program for students with varying deglees of educationalchallenges and abilities. The activities are motivational, promote positive seltexpressionand reinforce so many key skills needed for student success. The teacher training wasexciting, fun and provided good examples of how magic can be used to support corecurriculum requirements. The level of engagement of teachers in the training wasexceptional.

I especially appreciate the time devoted to the classroom visits and interactions withstudents. You quickly adjusted your demonstrations to meet the unique needs of eachgroup. Less attentive students remained focused and reluctant students were attemptingeach activity with enthusiasm. Students that generally resist any form of classperformance in front of peers were volunteering to share stories.

The entire week was a wonderful experience for all. Hocus Focus is a creativeinstructional tool to support the learning of autistic, cognitively delayed, emotionallydisturbed and learning disabled students. Thank you so much for sharing your talents andincredibie ability to relate to many different popuiations.

Most sincerely,

laruLCarol GrubenDirector of Special Education

7O1 SOLITII N4AIN STREET . BROKEN- ARROVV. OKLAHOIVIA 74O12 . 918.259.57OO . F:918.258.O399 . \\jW\\i.BASCHOOLS.ORCI

!

!

"#$%&'%(!)*+!,-))!

!

./!01/2!34!5'(!6/78#%79!

.1%/&:1!41#!:#7#%/;<4(!/=!'!>/8'>!?/7/%+!5'%4<7!5#2/%<'>!@/;A<4'>!B';!'$>#!4/!$%<7:!C#D<7!EA#78#%!'7?!1<;!8/2A'7(!4/!?/!'!F#;<?#78(!G%/:%'2!B<41!/&%!F#1'$<><4'4</7!H#A'%42#74!'7?!41#!5'%4<7!6/&74(!;81//>!;(;4#2!I5'%4<7!6/&74(!J?&8'4</7!"/&7?'4</7KL!!.1<;!&7<M&#!/AA/%4&7<4(!B';!'!1&:#!;&88#;;!/7!2'7(!>#D#>;L!

C#D<7!EA#78#%!%'7!4B/!;#A'%'4#!#?&8'4</7'>!;#;;</7;!'7?!:#'%#?!41#!8/&%;#B/%N!4/!41#<%!;A#8<=<8!'%#'!/=!A%'84<8#L!!O7#!;#;;</7!8/7;<;4#?!/=!A#?<'4%<8!%#1'$<><4'4</7!41#%'A<;4;!'7?!;81//>!4#'81#%;P41#%'A<;4;L!!.1#!;N<>>;!41'4!B#%#!4'&:14!B#%#!%#>#D'74!4/!41#<%!A'4<#74Q;!':#+!;N<>>!>#D#>+!'7?!A'%4<8&>'%!?<':7/;<;!'7?!;(2A4/2;L!!!!.1#!/41#%!;#;;</7!B';!:#'%#?!=/%!41#!:#7#%'>!%#1'$!'?&>4!':#?!A'4<#74L!!O88&A'4</7'>!.1#%'A<;4;+!G1(;<8'>!.1#%'A<;4;+!'7?!R<8#7;#?!5';;':#!.1#%'A<;4;!B#%#!'$>#!4/!8/>>#84!A%#S'AA%/D#?!8/74<7&<7:!#?&8'4</7!8%#?<4;!=/%!41#;#!8/&%;#;L!!.1#!8/&%;#B/%N!=/%!41#;#!;#;;</7;!B#%#!%#D<#B#?!'7?!'AA%/D#?!$(!41#<%!A%/=#;;</7'>!';;/8<'4</7;!<7!'?D'78#L!!!0#!1'?!'AA%/T<2'4#>(!U-!';;/8<'4#;!'7?!4#'81#%;!4'N#!'?D'74':#!/=!41<;!B/7?#%=&>!#?&8'4</7'>!/AA/%4&7<4(!'7?!1'D#!%#8#<D#?!:%#'4!=##?$'8N!/7!41#!'AA><8'4</7!/=!41<;!N7/B>#?:#L!

V=4#%!/&%!;4'==!1'?!%#8#<D#?!4%'<7<7:+!B#!;81#?&>#?!/7#!/7!/7#!;#;;</7;!B<41!41#!A#?<'4%<8!%#1'$<><4'4</7!A'4<#74;+!41#<%!41#%'A<;4+!41#!A'4<#74Q;!A'%#74;+!'7?!41#!2':<8<'7L!!.1<;!<;!B1#%#!<4!'>>!8'2#!4/:#41#%!'7?!41#!41#%'A<;4;!B<41!41#!:&<?'78#!/=!C#D<7!EA#78#%!8/&>?!&;#!41#<%!7#B>(!>#'%7#?!4//>;!4/!#71'78#!41#<%!41#%'A#&4<8!;#;;</7;L!!.1#!A'%#74;!B#%#!'$>#!4/!A'%4<8<A'4#+!/$;#%D#+!'7?!>#'%7!41#;#!4%<8N;!';!B#>>!'7?!B#%#!#78/&%':#?!4/!&;#!41#2!'4!1/2#L!!.1#;#!2':<8'>!4//>;!B#%#!&;#?!4/!#><8<4!2/4<D'4</7+!8//%?<7'4</7+!%'7:#!/=!2/4</7+!A%#1#7;</7+!'7?!=<7#!2/4/%!8//%?<7'4</7+!'7?!A#%8#A4&'>!4%'<7<7:!<7!41#<%!A'4<#74;L!!.1#!;#;;</7;!B#%#!;81#?&>#?!=%/2!W-!2<7&4#;!4/!'7!1/&%!?#A#7?<7:!/7!41#!81<>?!'7?!41#<%!?<;'$<><4(!/D#%!'!4B/!?'(!A#%</?!

C#D<7!'>;/!;A#74!'!?'(!'4!41#!;81//>!;(;4#2!B<41!;/2#!;A#8<'>!7##?;!;4&?#74;!'7?!41#<%!4#'81#%;!'7?!41#%'A<;4;L!!34!B';!'!1&:#!;&88#;;L!

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

G>#';#!=##>!=%##!4/!8/74'84!2#!<=!(/&!1'D#!'7(!=&%41#%!M&#;4</7;L!!!

.1'7N!(/&+!

!

F#$#88'!G1<>><A;+!O.F+!6@.+!6R6G!V?2<7<;4%'4<D#!H<%#84/%!/=!F#1'$<><4'4</7!

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HOCUS FOCUS PROJECT IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, EDUCATORS RESPONDED: Comment: From what I observed, Hocus Focus can be very effective in a classroom of diverse learners. Good for visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learners also. I would recommend the program because it is motivating, different (which peaks student interest), appeals to all learners, and can be adapted to most social, behavioral, and/or academic goals and standards. It is inexpensive and easy to use. I just love it! Comment: While learning the tricks, I could see how the focus was on learning even if the students did not see it. They were very engaged! Comment: Hocus Focus boosted my students’ self-esteem and confidence. They participated 100%, had a great time, and haven’t stopped talking about it. It showed them that they can do things that seem impossible and prompted their thought process and changed their way of thinking. Comment: Hocus Focus demonstrated that when students are engaged and interested, they can learn amazing things. Comment: Hocus Focus sparked my students’ creativity. I noticed increased focus and attention and no one was afraid to participate – they couldn’t wait to demonstrate what they had learned to others. Comment: I watched my students trying whatever was asked of them without hesitation – something they don’t usually do. The Hocus Focus approach was very unique and engaging. My students lost their shyness and feelings of insecurity with an increase in their confidence immediately. Comment: Hocus Focus was well received by the students. They were concentrating and using verbal skills – and they handled it all very well! Comment: Hocus Focus held the interest of my students and they felt successful when they learned the trick. Their on-task focus improved as they tried and tried without giving up. So many, many triumphant smiles! Comment: My students are kinesthetic learners and magic gets them up and moving and using hands-on learning. When they presented their tricks to the class, they demonstrated confidence and developed public speaking skills and critical thinking skills. My Aspergers student was very humorous and did better than expected. I did not realize he would have such good comedic timing. Hocus Focus has many practical uses in the classroom and gets the kids excited about learning. They felt empowered to deliver presentations and learned some new tricks to teach their friends and family (improved social skills).

BEST SUMMATION OF ALL: Every classroom should be a safe, fun place to learn. The Hocus Focus project helps bring that concept into reality. It builds confidence and self-esteem. It allows students to see that success can be achieved through hard work and attention to task. My students blew me away! I feel that my paraprofessional and I have very high expectations for our students, but we were a bit concerned about how they would respond to Kevin’s visit. We didn’t know how well our students would do following multi-step directions, or if they would ask questions when lost or confused. We definitely underestimated them. They watched carefully and followed every direction. They asked each other questions and worked collaboratively to master the tricks. They respected, encouraged, and praised one another throughout the process. They were incredible! I expected improvement in their confidence, but wasn’t prepared for the level of confidence that came about as a result of Hocus Focus. They realized that they were doing things that most adults (including myself) would have trouble with! The climate in my classroom changed as well because this program required them to interact among themselves and encourage one another. Every child deserves to feel the confidence and success that comes from applying Kevin’s methods. Seeing the excitement in their classroom firsthand would remind any teacher why they chose this profession in the first place. What Kevin’s program does for education is truly magical!