THE TRAINERS

Melissa McHugh is a Special Education teacher in Joshua, Texas. Melissa holds a BFA from Auburn University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a certified teacher for both general and special education and has worked with kids of all abilities, both in small groups and in the large classroom setting. She was named Burleson Independent School District Support Staff Member of the Year in 2011 and was Teacher of the Year at her campus in 2011, 2014, and 2016. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2018 at Caddo Grove Elementary. In 1999, Melissa began using Handwriting Without Tears with her students with special needs and now works with General Education teachers to bring it into their classrooms as well. When not in the classroom, Melissa and her husband, Chris, can be found on the football and soccer fields, or at Rodeo Competitions cheering on their two boys, Wesley and Nick. When at home, Melissa enjoys HGTV, crafts, reading, and taking care of all the family pets (including: dogs, munchkin cats, fish, tortoises, a rat, and a horse!) Melissa loves the Handwriting Without Tears Program and how it changed how she teaches in the classroom, and looks forward to sharing it with you!

Email: melissa.mchugh@lwtears.com Address: Texas

Jenna O’Donoghue received her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Thomas University in Thomasville, Georgia. She has eight years of classroom teaching experience ranging from Kindergarten to 4th grade. Jenna also served as an Early Learning Specialist for a large school district in Florida. She resides in Ponder, Texas where she is currently serving as an Instructor for the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center. Jenna is also pursuing her Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Jenna has utilized the Learning Without Tears curriculum within her classroom for instructional purposes with huge success but has witnessed the profound effects by watching her daughter as she has moved through the PreK lessons to Kindergarten and now, entering 3rd Grade. She is eager to share her experience and passion of the curriculum with you.

Address: Texas

Mark D. Putney is currently a K-4 Computer and Technology teacher in the Fredonia (New York) Central School District. Using the Keyboarding Without Tears program with his students. He learned about the Get Set For School and Handwriting Without Tears programs while teaching grades 1st through 5th during his first 20 years of teaching in the elementary classroom. He has both his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction from the State University of New York College at Fredonia. Mark was so inspired by what the Keyboarding Without Tears program was doing for his students that, after attending a workshop himself, he pursued an opportunity to teach all of the programs that Learning Without Tears has to offer. He has been a curriculum presenter for 10 years during his career, traveling throughout the United States, and ultimately has a passion to help teachers learn. Aside from his roles as teacher and presenter, Mark is also a husband and father. He and his wife, Melissa, have 4 children, Tyler, Emma, Ashton, and Graham.

Address: New York

Vanessa Silver is the owner of Silver Lining Educational Services, Inc. She has a private practice as a Board Certified Educational Therapist in Los Angeles and is a former resource specialist with LAUSD. She has earned and maintains her Multiple Subject (General) Education and Special Education (Mild/Moderate) Credentials and holds a Resource Specialist Certificate in California. As Certified level member of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) and Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist with The International Dyslexia Associate (IDA), her extensive background in the field of reading disabilities, dysgraphia, and educational assessment is being furthered as she works toward her Fellowship with AOGPE. She homeschools and remediates children with cognitive and specific learning disabilities as well as assesses. She has been in the education field since 1998 and served on the local and national boards of the California Association of Resource Specialists (CARS+), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and Association for Educational Therapists (AET). She is listed in Who’s Who in American Education. Vanessa has proudly been presenting all levels of workshops nationally and internationally for Handwriting Without Tears® since 2000.

Email: vanessa.silver@lwtears.com Address: California

Cheryl Lundy Swift is a 1993 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she double majored in Sociology and Rhetoric & Communication Studies. She received a Master of Education in Administration & Supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University. Cheryl is currently pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Kean University in Union, NJ.

Cheryl has been a dedicated educator for over 20 years. Cheryl has worked in leadership and executive roles for various educational organizations including public schools, post-secondary institutions, and education companies including several leading tutoring and supplemental education service companies. Cheryl is the founder and CEO of EduPower, an education consulting firm that empowers school and business leaders, teachers, parents, and students to reach their fullest potential through professional development, coaching and curriculum. Cheryl is an award winning educational leader, curriculum developer, motivational speaker and trainer. She has developed and delivered leadership, team building, and a variety of instructional topics to help transform leadership teams and instructional practices to improve culture and climate, instructional effectiveness, parent involvement and student outcomes for thousands of school leaders and teachers across the country. She has designed, developed and delivered literacy and math curriculum to benefit thousands of students, teachers and parents across the country. She served as the Lead Curriculum Developer for Learning Without Tears’ Get Set for School’s Language and Literacy curriculum, which received an AEP Distinguished Achievement award. In 2017, Cheryl was awarded the Investor Bank’s Educator of the Year Award.

While Cheryl continues to support schools around the country, most recently, Cheryl took on a principalship of one of her clients, Summit Academy Charter School in Brooklyn, New York. She led turnaround efforts to improve the overall school culture, parental involvement and state assessment scores. Summit Academy Charter School has recently received national attention on the Ellen DeGeneres Show where Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart awarded the school $25,000 and the biggest award ever given by the Ellen DeGeneres Show- 4 year scholarships for the entire senior Class of 2017. Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart have continued to pour into Summit Academy and its scholars by following six of Summit Academy’s scholars to college. Cheryl has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show five times.

Cheryl enjoys playing golf, singing, dancing, reading, traveling and spending quality time with her family and friends. Cheryl resides in New Jersey with her husband, Hassan. They are proud parents of their nephew, Sid and their calico cat, Dashboard.

Email: cheryl.lundyswift@lwtears.com Address: New Jersey

Roxanne Thompson received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 1998. She has practiced OT in the public schools, early intervention, and currently a private pediatric out-patient clinic. She also provides handwriting tutoring services to children in pre-school through middle school. She completed her Level 1 certification in March 2007 and has been presenting for Learning Without Tears since 2009. Roxanne lives in Frisco with her husband and 2 children.

Address: Texas

Cathy Van Haute has been a national presenter for Learning Without Tears since 2003. She obtained a Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Kansas, and a Masters degree in Child Development from the University of Nebraska. She is also Level One Certified Handwriting Specialist and Neurodevelopmental Treatment Certified. Cathy has been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 35 years. She operates her own therapy business, which provides therapy strategies in both school and home based settings. Through her energy and engagement, she makes Learning Without Tears® an amazing educational experience. Her passion for helping children fuels her dedication to providing top notch training for all attendees.

Email: cathy.vanhaute@lwtears.com Address: Nebraska

Bill has represented Learning Without Tears for several years providing instruction on developmental teaching methods to teachers, parents, and caregivers. He serves as an Occupational Therapist at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and worked with children in the school system for several years. He is Level 1 Certified through HWT and can offer private handwriting services along with various summer handwriting camp(s) through his company Functional-OT. He is involved with the Autism Center at UIHC and has been trained in the various components of TEACCH. He also provides consultative services to the pediatric bio-behavioral clinics and specializes in treating children with feeding disorders. He is trained in various components of ABA and utilizes Constraint Induced Movement Therapy, Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and various other modalities intended to increase function.
Bill graduated from St. Ambrose University with a Master of Occupational Therapy and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, he served in a variety of positions within the aviation industry.

Email: bill.weaver@lwtears.com Address: Arizona