The True Vision Institute

For Teachers and School Administrators

READ STUDENT FEEDBACK or VISIT OUR GUESTBOOK

From: Matt Leggat, 7th grade English Teacher, Owen Middle School

January 2005

Ms. Montgomery visited our school two weeks ago to speak to my students about her journey from having been a photographer to becoming a blind person some twenty years ago. She shared several discoveries about how we can all "see" from the inside. Speaking about intuition, she gave descriptive examples of how to listen and pay attention to feelings and inner promptings. In a participatory dialogue, my students learned about "seeing with their hearts" and using their imagination. They seemed particularly excited about the avenue of seeing through their dreams.

I was happy to have Ms. Montgomery speak on the subject of inner awareness, which is definitely relevant to the students' well-being, but not easily accessed by this general age group. They were able to observe her resilience in moving from photography through blindness to a career of writing and speaking. She passed out copies of her book, Silent Strength, a combination of her nature photography and inspirational poetry. This may have helped them to understand that a physical disability doesn't have to disrupt the flow of one's creativity. I feel that any chance for our students to learn to focus outside of their immediate lives to see how others adjust and cope is great!

Having heard Ms. Montgomery's talk, I feel inspired to focus on the needs and welfare of others, which I hope to convey to my students. I also plan to tie in the use of visualization into my curriculum.

Ms. Montgomery was able to keep my students engaged for over an hour. They responded enthusiastically with questions and they were eager to share many of their own experiences.

August 30, 2006

To Whom It May Concern,
While serving as the Assistant Principal at Enka Middle School in Candler NC, I was fortunate enough to have Ms. Linda Montgomery come to speak at my school. Ms. Montgomery was wonderful at explaining to our 6th Grade students what it was like to be blind and also what it was like to see in other ways besides with one's eyes. The students were mesmerized at Ms. Montgomery's stories and descriptions, (often very humorous) at what it is like to be a perfectly functioning adult to being completely blind and having to function. The talk lasted approximately one hour and it was well worth the time and cost for our students educationally, and developmentally. Most of them had never actually seen a blind person in real life, let alone gotten a chance to ask questions and interact with one.

I highly recommend Ms. Montgomery's lecture program for any school who cares about their students and wants to make a difference in their student's lives.

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,
Dr. Russ Froman
Assistant Principal
PK Yonge Developmental Research School
University of Florida
Gainseville, FL 32606
352-392-1554

January 28, 2007

Dear Linda,
We were pleased to receive the brochure from the True Vision Institute and hear about the good work you are doing. I hope you are able to savor the triumph over the struggles you have had to confront over the years. Your life has been an inspiration to see how you have risen to meet the challenge and then take it beyond the experience to become a spiritual affirmation. In short, you really know how to turn lemons into lemonade!

We want to support you in the good things you are doing and so we send this donation to help you further your message. May your spirit continue to nourish your body.

Fond regards,
Bruce & Wendy Fraser

My Dear Linda,

Your mailing, especially the letter from the student, is very well done. Congratulations on your continued exceptional work. You do make such a positive difference in the world.

Carry on!

With love,
Major

March 22, 2006

Linda Montgomery
True Vision Institute

Dear Linda,

On behalf of the faculty and students of Black Mountain Elementary School, I would like to thank you for sharing several hours of your life with us. Yours was an inspiring message, about which our children were speaking long after you left our building.

I would highly recommend that you consider sharing your inspirational message with children at other schools. There is one suggestion I would make. For fifth and fourth graders, you may want to limit your speaking time to 30-40 minutes, allowing more time for questions. Also, your poetry was really quite moving. I would recommend that you share some of your work when speaking to student groups. Lacing your talk with your poetry would, I believe, inspire some of your audience to write more frequently themselves.

Again, thank you so much for your visit.

Respectfully,

Norman Bossert, Principal
Black Mountain Elementary School
(by e-mail)

Teacher from Emma Elementary School, 3/21/07:
As I watched and observed (the students) reactions, I realized they were really in tune to her information. It was at their level. I thought it was...very beneficial to them. I loved it!...This is a very diverse school. And we are always teaching the acceptance of others and, consequently, this was right down our alley and we'll be able to use the examples that she gave us in the classroom...have the children possibly do some brainstorming and ways to accept others and also, I think, ways to find their inner strengths.

Chad Upton, Vice Principal at Emma Elementary School, 3/22/07:
...The program was well designed for this age group and gave children the chance to see something and be part of something that they don't get a whole lot of exposure to...Things coming in from a different perspective from what they have is certainly important for them. And I think it helps them grow as learners and grow into the adults that they will become one day.

I love having Linda here. One of the great things about what she does is that it is so in sync with what we do here at Rainbow Mountain. We emphasize as a school not just analytical ways of knowing but other ways of knowing – spiritual knowing and intuitive knowing. And the message she brings is consistent with that.

It is quite obvious the children were very engaged. It is quite clear also by the number of students that volunteered to stay afterward and be interviewed that they were very responsive and it is very rare to see that many kids together that quiet for so long so they were obviously engaged and attuned to what she was saying.

So I am very pleased to have her come. This is not the first time and every time she has been her it has been great.

I hope that Linda will continue this work and continue to visit us periodically because it is a wonderful gift that she brings to the school here and I again emphasize that it is so in sync with what we are committed to, the values we are committed to. I very much hope she will continue to come back.

John Shackelton
Executive Director
Rainbow Mountain Children’s School


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For Teachers and School Administrators READ STUDENT FEEDBACK or VISIT OUR GUESTBOOK From: Matt Leggat, 7th grade English Teacher, Owen Middle School January 2005 Ms. Montgomery visited our school two weeks ago to speak to my students about her journey from having been a photographer to becoming a blind person some twenty years ago. She shared several discoveries about how we can all "see" from the inside. Speaking about intuition, she gave descriptive examples of how to listen and pay attention to feelings and inner promptings. In a participatory dialogue, my students learned about "seeing with their hearts" and using their imagination. They seemed particularly excited about the avenue of seeing through their dreams. I was happy to have Ms. Montgomery speak on the subject of inner awareness, which is definitely relevant to the students' well-being, but not easily accessed by this general age group. They were able to observe her resilience in moving from photography through blindness to a career of writing and speaking. She passed out copies of her book, Silent Strength, a combination of her nature photography and inspirational poetry. This may have helped them to understand that a physical disability doesn't have to disrupt the flow of one's creativity. I feel that any chance for our students to learn to focus outside of their immediate lives to see how others adjust and cope is great! Having heard Ms. Montgomery's talk, I feel inspired to focus on the needs and welfare of others, which I hope to convey to my students. I also plan to tie in the use of visualization into my curriculum. Ms. Montgomery was able to keep my students engaged for over an hour. They responded enthusiastically with questions and they were eager to share many of their own experiences. August 30, 2006 To Whom It May Concern, While serving as the Assistant Principal at Enka Middle School in Candler NC, I was fortunate enough to have Ms. Linda Montgomery come to speak at my school. Ms. Montgomery was wonderful at explaining to our 6th Grade students what it was like to be blind and also what it was like to see in other ways besides with one's eyes. The students were mesmerized at Ms. Montgomery's stories and descriptions, (often very humorous) at what it is like to be a perfectly functioning adult to being completely blind and having to function. The talk lasted approximately one hour and it was well worth the time and cost for our students educationally, and developmentally. Most of them had never actually seen a blind person in real life, let alone gotten a chance to ask questions and interact with one. I highly recommend Ms. Montgomery's lecture program for any school who cares about their students and wants to make a difference in their student's lives. Please contact me if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Dr. Russ Froman Assistant Principal PK Yonge Developmental Research School University of Florida Gainseville, FL 32606 352-392-1554 January 28, 2007 Dear Linda, We were pleased to receive the brochure from the True Vision Institute and hear about the good work you are doing. I hope you are able to savor the triumph over the struggles you have had to confront over the years. Your life has been an inspiration to see how you have risen to meet the challenge and then take it beyond the experience to become a spiritual affirmation. In short, you really know how to turn lemons into lemonade! We want to support you in the good things you are doing and so we send this donation to help you further your message. May your spirit continue to nourish your body. Fond regards, Bruce & Wendy Fraser My Dear Linda, Your mailing, especially the letter from the student, is very well done. Congratulations on your continued exceptional work. You do make such a positive difference in the world. Carry on! With love, Major March 22, 2006 Linda Montgomery True Vision Institute Dear Linda, On behalf of the faculty and students of Black Mountain Elementary School, I would like to thank you for sharing several hours of your life with us. Yours was an inspiring message, about which our children were speaking long after you left our building. I would highly recommend that you consider sharing your inspirational message with children at other schools. There is one suggestion I would make. For fifth and fourth graders, you may want to limit your speaking time to 30-40 minutes, allowing more time for questions. Also, your poetry was really quite moving. I would recommend that you share some of your work when speaking to student groups. Lacing your talk with your poetry would, I believe, inspire some of your audience to write more frequently themselves. Again, thank you so much for your visit. Respectfully, Norman Bossert, Principal Black Mountain Elementary School (by e-mail) Teacher from Emma Elementary School, 3/21/07: As I watched and observed (the students) reactions, I realized they were really in tune to her information. It was at their level. I thought it was...very beneficial to them. I loved it!...This is a very diverse school. And we are always teaching the acceptance of others and, consequently, this was right down our alley and we'll be able to use the examples that she gave us in the classroom...have the children possibly do some brainstorming and ways to accept others and also, I think, ways to find their inner strengths. Chad Upton, Vice Principal at Emma Elementary School, 3/22/07: ...The program was well designed for this age group and gave children the chance to see something and be part of something that they don't get a whole lot of exposure to...Things coming in from a different perspective from what they have is certainly important for them. And I think it helps them grow as learners and grow into the adults that they will become one day. I love having Linda here. One of the great things about what she does is that it is so in sync with what we do here at Rainbow Mountain. We emphasize as a school not just analytical ways of knowing but other ways of knowing – spiritual knowing and intuitive knowing. And the message she brings is consistent with that. It is quite obvious the children were very engaged. It is quite clear also by the number of students that volunteered to stay afterward and be interviewed that they were very responsive and it is very rare to see that many kids together that quiet for so long so they were obviously engaged and attuned to what she was saying. So I am very pleased to have her come. This is not the first time and every time she has been her it has been great. I hope that Linda will continue this work and continue to visit us periodically because it is a wonderful gift that she brings to the school here and I again emphasize that it is so in sync with what we are committed to, the values we are committed to. I very much hope she will continue to come back. John Shackelton Executive Director Rainbow Mountain Children’s School