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SECTION TWO Wednesday, April 1,1992 We Asked and You Said 2 What's Happening Around the Town? 4 Community Correspondence 8-13 ■\ y Special Education Classes Help Overcome Disabilities If you arc a parent, have you taken taken a good look at your child's inschool inschool performance lately? If so, did you feel at case with how your child is doing? ~ Most parents don't need to worry about how their children arc learning the three R's. , However, some parents do. ; Take Courtice resident, Melanie Ritchie, for example. ■ Her son, Jason, is now in Grade 6 at Dr. Emily Stowe Public School. Jason faces challenges every day lie is in school because he has a learning disability. To help him, the school's Special Education Resource Teacher, Pal Van Scggclcn, spends time with him each morning to help in math, reading reading and writing. "It's interesting how much of an impact interested teachers can have on a child," she noted. Ms Ritchie said no mother wants to hear that her son or daughter is having problems in die classroom. However, with the right type of help, learning doesn't need to be a problem. problem. "At first I didn't understand what was going on," Ms Ritchie said. Jason used to come home from school he jvas attending at the time and vent his frustration there. "He would say that he was stupid," stupid," said Ms Ritchie. Ms Ritchie said she would tell Jason Jason that she didn't believe he was. m Jason has problems with getting ideas from his mind to paper. This is one of the problems he was having trouble with. His mother has wondered if Jason's Jason's problems with reading can be related back to her husband's problems problems with reading. "I don't know if reading disorders arc inherited," said Ms Ritchie. However, Jason docs not have any problems when it comes to discussing discussing information he learned from conversations. In that way, he has a mind like a steel trap. "If lie had the reading abilities, he'd have a photographic memory, but since he's a verbal person--," she's not sure what he would be considered considered to be'. Special Needs Jason is just one of many students within the public school board system system who is considered to be a special needs child. There arc many children who have disabilities ranging from dyslexia dyslexia to those who must overcome physical or medical challenges before before they can work on the learning process presented to them at school. In today's world, some students who have gone through the special education programs of the past arc now in special education programs in the few colleges and universities which offer special education programs, programs, said Ms Van Seggclen. Gifted Students Included "Special education is not solely for learning disabled students, but also for students who have been determined determined as being gifted," said Ms Van Seggclen. Teachers arc becoming more in tunc with how to recognize students who arc not keeping up with the rest of their classmates. "Sometimes gifted children can be missed." In fact, sometimes these kids, instead instead of appearing to be keen to learn about everything, seem to be bored. "That is because they tend to think in different ways," said Ms Van Seggclen. Students who arc gifted fall - under the special education program, just the same as students who have learning learning disabilities. They arc given the opportunity to go beyond what other children in their classes arc doing, depending on their own talents and strengths. "With help, learning doesn't need to be a problem." Testing is done on children in the public school board when they reach Grade 3, says Charles Kennedy, the superintendent at the Northumberland Northumberland Newcastle Board of Education. The public school board docs not test children earlier than Grade 3 because because in the lower grades children arc still in their "formative years," said Mr. Kennedy. Testing is not only done on children children who are considered to be gifted by their parents and teachers but also on children who arc showing signs of having problems learning. Symptoms Symptoms of learning problems "manifest in many ways," said Mr. Kennedy. "Some children become emotionally upset when they can't do the work that they arc assigned at school." Children know when they can't keep up with the rest of their classmates classmates or beyond what their classmates classmates arc doing. In cases where a learning challenge challenge is evident, however, not yet identified, teachers will try to provide provide the child with extra attention and help. Parents arc told to look for changes changes in a child's altitudes. Some children children may decide that they don't like to go to school or that they don't like a teacher or a particular subject. The testing process pins down the area or areas where a child is having difficulty. The philosophy of the public school board is to make sure that each child receives the best quality education possible. The parents arc brought into the process because they have been with the child during the first part of the child's life, and know how she or he reacts to different different situations, said Mr. Kennedy. Parents Involved During an interview with a child's parents, they are asked about behavioral behavioral problems occurring at home including including relating with their siblings and friends. Special education is losing the stigma attached to it, said Ms Van Seggclen. Currently, 10 per cent of the students students in the public school board have been identified as special needs students--gifted students--gifted and physically/ medically and mentally challenged, said Mary Gunn, the Administrative Officer for Special Education. "However, not every school has a Continued on Page 14 Pat Van Seggclen, the Special Education Resource teacher at Dr. Emily Stowe Public School, discusses discusses with James his ideas for a science fair project. James eventually decided on building an electromagnet. electromagnet. United Wav els Annus * n C 1 0 b. A new slate of directors was named to lead the United Way for the coming year. They arc, from left to right, front row, past president Bob Alexander, president Bette Morrison, back row, 1st vice-president Rick James, treasurer Ken Catlierwood, and second vice-president Jim Doswell. une of two community awards was presented to Christopher Mondes of the Flying Dutchman for organizing a Hospitality Dance that raised $7,000 for the United Way. He is seen her receiving the award from United Way campaign director Anne Kinsclla. The Osliawa Chamber of Commerce received the second award for its 50's dance that raised $10,000. The United Way of Osliawa, Whitby and Newcastle has just completed completed one of the most challenging 12 months in its 51-year history. "The current economic times have proven to be a double-tiered problem. problem. While our agencies are faced with ever-increasing demands for their services, the public is being asked to give more in spite of unemployment, unemployment, layoffs, cutbacks, bankruptcies, bankruptcies, and business closings," said United Way President Bob Alexander Alexander in his annual report. United Way supporters reviewed • highlights of 1991 and elected a slate of officers for the upcoming year during the organization's annual general general meeting held at the Bowman- ville Lions Centre on Wednesday, March 25. The United Way president thanked all those who helped to make the past year a success. 1-Ie said he is confident the organization will meet the challenges which lie ahead. "I have been'repeatedly heartened by the efforts and dedication of everyone everyone involved with the United Way," Mr. Alexander said. "I am certain that volunteers from all walks of life - labour, business, professionals, individuals, individuals, retirees, and government employees - will once again pull together together as one united force and give willingly and unselfishly of their time, their talents and their dollars for the community." In 1991, the fund-raising campaign campaign achieved 95 per cent of the goal which had been established. A total of $2,959,691 was raised last year - an amount greater than had been raispd in any previous year. Over 2,000 volunteers were responsible responsible for leading the fund-raising effort last year. A shortfall of $126,500 was recorded recorded at the end of the campaign. However, some of that amount will be recovered by voluntary reductions in the allocations requested by several several United Way agencies. The remaining remaining money will come from the United United Way stabilization fund. Some of the highlights reported in 1991 were as follows: •52 awards presented to workplaces workplaces at the End of Campaign Celebration. Celebration. •Special events including the Hospitality Hospitality Industry Dance, Monte Carlo Night and Craft Sale, •A revision in pledge forms allowing allowing donors, for the first time, to direct their contribution to a specific area of concern in the community. The United Way funds over 40 agencies in Osliawa, Whitby and Newcastle. Not all children who come under the watchful eyes of Pat Van Seggclen have been identified as special special education students. Here Fillip and Jennifer read from a book to their Grade 2 reading buddies. Ms Van Seggclen and David hold the larger copy of the same book so the Grade 2 students can follow the pictures. Dr. Emily Stowe students Amanda and Darryl discuss their art projects with special education resource resource teacher Pat Van Scggclcn. Amanda talked about one of her grandfather's artistic abilities and how she was forming her plaster cast into a particular shape. Darryl talked about how he used his mother's mother's ceramics tools to work on his plaster cast project. "It takes a lot of pounding," said Amanda. "It's actually quite fun!"