inspire
variety’s newsletter fall 2018
meet esabella - a rising star Meet Esabella, a talented 12-year-old passionate about cooking, baking, tap dancing, swimming and acting. She lives in Vancouver with her family and enjoys exploring her talents in the city’s film industry. Variety provided a bursary grant for Esabella this past year so she can reach her full potential at school. Esabella was entering into Grade 2 when she had a Psychoeducational Assessment and was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. To help with her learning, she would often be taken out of the main classroom to work one-to-one with a teacher. As her peers began to notice, Esabella became the target of bullying. When the bullying continued, Esabella’s parents pulled her from school in the spring of Grade 5. Luckily, they found Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School (KGMS) that offers alternative education for students with learning differences. It was the day after Spring Break when Esabella started at KGMS
and it was the first time that her parents saw her happy and looking forward to going back to school. Her first comments were that she belonged there.
“(your support) has made a huge difference. esabella was bullied at her old school and now she feels like she belongs.” After seeing such a remarkable change in Esabella, her parents wanted her to continue attending KGMS. With the help of Variety’s tuition bursary, it was possible for Esabella to stay enrolled. She is now entering Grade 8 and is happier, more confident and has found her extended family through the school. “It has made a HUGE difference. Esabella was bullied at her old school and now she feels like she belongs. Variety has made it possible for Esabella to learn in a safe environment. She is also at a school where she can focus on activities that inspire
her and give her confidence, like piano, tap dancing and acting. Thank you so much for giving us the support we need! You have made school fun again for Esabella. 90% of the kids who go to Esabella’s school have been bullied previously. They all now feel safe and can have fun learning. Thank you so much for giving our daughter the opportunity to be a happy kid again.” – Michael, Esabella’s Dad Esabella just completed three short films and she is currently working on her own short film with an all-female crew. She continues to manage her dyslexia and ADHD and is able to easily learn and memorize all her lines in the scripts. She continues to build confidence and recently passed her first Royal Conservatory Piano Exam. Way to go, Esabella!