CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 35 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT Fort Lauderdale 2010 alumna Lisa Service, M.Ed., M.M.S., PA-C, a former elementary school teacher with four years of teaching fourth graders prior to entering PA school, currently works in Broward County as a cer- tified physician assistant in pediatrics. In addition, she is now the author of her first children’s book en- titled Where Has Polly Gone? While describing her new role as an author, Serv- ice states, “I have always recognized the importance of education, the opportunities that it presents, and the lives that can be touched simply by opening a book. I have gained a tremendous amount of experi- ence along the way in my three careers as a teacher, physician assistant, and author. They have compli- mented each other with their involvement of chil- dren, teaching, and educating others, but most of all, they have made me become the well-rounded indi- vidual I am today. I am extremely passionate about education, and I have found more than one channel to make a difference in the lives of children.” Where Has Polly Gone? is a comedic adventure story based on math and attention deficit disorder (ADD)/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) awareness. The main character of the book—an ostrich named Netta who has a hard time paying attention in school—has been diag- nosed with ADHD. On the last day of school, a di- version outside causes Netta to miss the entire math lesson on polygons. Netta becomes so engrossed with the distraction that she falls out of her chair and her glasses break into tiny polygons. Mrs. Heed, the teacher, calls on her to answer a question on polygons, but Netta cannot read the board and is extremely confused because she wasn’t paying attention. In all the chaos, Mrs. Heed’s ques- tion “Where is the polygon?” becomes a big misun- derstanding and Netta assumes that Polly is gone. Netta spends her summer vacation traveling all over the world in search of Polly. Each place Netta visits has an abun- dance of polygons, starting with triangles and ending with decagons. “If children don’t even realize they’re learn- ing, it’s a success,” said Jill Berman, a Pem- broke Pines charter school reading special- ist. “They are learning math and not even aware of it; they’re just having fun.” Where Has Polly Gone? is being launched dur- ing a time when our nation’s school system is in need of a change and ADHD evalua- tions, diagnosis, and treatment are at an all- time high of cynicism. ADHD is a controver- sial issue in the classroom, among clinicians, and in our society. The book, which offers readers an op- portunity to see ADHD from a firsthand perspec- tive, has the ability to promote awareness, encourage educated discussions, and allow a child’s mind to be captured by math. “I would like to share this story because I truly believe this book will help children fall in love with math by allowing them to recognize that polygons are all around them and that math can be applied to every aspect of life,” Service concluded. To learn more about Where Has Polly Gone? or the educational services provided by Lisa Service, please visit www.wherehaspollygone.com . By Alicia R Bolden, M.P.A.s., PA-C, Assistant Professor ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: LISA SERVICE Bringing Awareness to ADD and Exploring Math…in One Book Lisa service sharing her story of Where Has Polly Gone ?