Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-22, Page 29Segregation is unwarranted Says htindlcapp.d shouki g�t By now everyone is familiar with the' problems faced by parent, and educators alike, "Why Johnny'Can't Read?" "Why Johnny Can't Write?" (or add, either. ) Well, there's a new challenge out there for us today: "Why Johnny Can't Go to School with his brothers and sisters?" The answer used to be, and still is, in most areas, because Johnny is mentally or physically handicapped. What are we talking about here? Nothing less than the right of every child, of whatever ability, to be educated in the same community school as his siblings. That was the controversal topic of a, seminar sponsored by the South Huron District Association for the Mentally Handicapped, on Friday, October 10 held at ARC Industries in Dashwood. The guest speaker, Dr. Marsha Forest, Ed. D., addressed a group of nearly 70 teachers, child care workers and parents, on -Integra- tion: How To" or "No More Segregated Settings." Dr. Forest, who works with the Canadian Association for Communi- ty Living, has travelled the length and breadth of Canada to speak to groups of parents and educators. She is a con- sultant for several school boards and agencies on integrating children with handicaps into regular nursery pro- grams and school settings. Dr. Forest gave a very challenging and pro- vocative workshop to the group. Not all the teachers, or parents, were con- fident enough to consider transferring their children from existing facilities, but Dr. Forest is obviously presenting the exciting wave of the future in education of the handicapped. Society has come along way so far, from keeping all imperfect children hidden away in homes or institutions or attics, to the segregated schools for each type of disability. One for the deaf, one for blind, one school for the retarded, etc. Now there are more likely, segregated classrooms within one designated area school, like McCurdy; better, but the best is yet to come, according to Dr. Forest. The final move requires a change in the attitude of parents, teachers and the community as a whole. We rust learn to regard education of the handicapped as a civil right, not as public charity. One definition of integration is the full participation of the handicapped, with their peers, in the life of their community." Sound simple? Some areas of the country have already achieved that goal. New Brunswick, for example, will be the first province to make full integration a social and ministerial policy in their schools. The school boards in Guelph and Hamilton are living proof that com- plete integration can work here in On- tario. Some schools in Toronto are beginning to follow suit. So how do you make integration work? According to Dr. Forest, first you need a school -board -and a prin- cipal willing to take a risk, who will support the teaching staff. Then you have to deal with the very real fears of the teachers who are afraid that they can't cope with the extra needs and demands of a handicapped child. Then there are the fears of the parents, for the child's safety, per- sonal needs, and ability to learn in such a setting. There are also unfor- tunately, the fears of parents of the "normal children" who don't want their kids exposed to those "problem kids." It is interesting to note, that in every properly run integrateisetting, all the children seem to get a ong fine. Financial costs actually aren't that much of a concern. It is cheaper to meet the needs of one integrated child in a community school, on the whole, than it is to build, staff, and maintain separate facilities. It is also being pro- ven, over and over again, that these handicapped children improve JOIN GROUPS — At a ceremony, Thursday six new Cubs and one Scout were received into the Grand Bend pack, In the back are leaders Jack Stanloke, Lorry Taylor, Tino Breuer and Janet Hartwell. In the centreis Reid Turner, Scout Matthew Miller, SilePA,D siordine, and .Cam Sweiger., lr jhe,,fr9rt rcw is Kye Vermeulen, Matthew Hayter, and Andrew Smith, dashwbod. Resort council approve shelter at outdoor rink Grand Bend council received a re- quest from the Grand Bend Lioness club at their regular meeting on Mon- day night. The Lioness proposed to build a shelter beside the skating rink on Alberta Street, commonly known as the "Old Riverbed". A drawing of this shelter was submitted for all coun- cillors to views. 1t would be an 8' x 10' building to accommodate people us- ing that sports area. From council. the Lioness wished to obtain their support of this project as well as the use of the village public works staff to remove and put back this shelter at the riverbed for the winter months. It could be stored dur- ing the summer at the recreation pro- perty beside the legion. Reeve Harold Green was totally against this proposal, being skeptical about accidents, and stated that he wanted a recorded vote on any mo- tion. A motion was then passed by council to advise the Lioness that their proposal was very acceptable, on the understanding that they obtain permission from the Southcott Pines Park Assoc. (owners of the Old Riverbed); and that the village would look after removal for one year as trial. With regards to any liability, Coun- a Mary's Musings Just when I think I'm cured, it strikes again. f suttee from a serious health disorder -- severe migraine hiccups. Fortunately, these attacks only come about every six months. In fact, i'; go for several months hiccup free, when suddenly, the disease strikes. When the hiccups hit, they arrive first thing in the morning and last all day. When 1 stopped and thought about it, 1 made an interesting discovery -- 1 have never had a sudden attack of hiccups in midmorning or late after- noon. Without fail. i wake up in the morning with the hiccups and they last all day. on and off. i have yet to figure out why such days occur twice a year. and what triggers the attack. i could probably withstand the discomfort that comes with a day of hicciping, but the embarassment is intolerable. Maintaining one's com- posure while waiting for the next hic- cup is difficult. imagine pulling up to a stop light in your car, on your way to work in the morning. Hiccups jar your entire body. l'ou glance over at the man in the car beside you. tie's leaning for- ward in his seat. staring at you. So you hold your breath, hoping the hic- cups will stop. The light changes and he drives away, shaking his head. Or picture this -- recently. i was conducting a class in public speaking. 1 was just stressing the importance of clear enunciation, when, you guessed it, a loud hiccup slipped out. i steeled myself for the laughter i was expec- ting from the class, but it never came. By Mary Alderson The students were so incredulous, that they didn't believe their ears. Sure, sure, I've tried all the cures -- and only one works. I've tried plug- ging my ears and drinking water ( It's not easy if the water is in a glass, bet- ter to find a drinking fountain. ) I've even tried drinking upside down -- that's when you kneel on a chair, bend over and drink out. of the far side of a glass. These remedies may tem- porarily stop the hiccups, but they will soon re -occur. As 1 said, i do know of one sure-fire cure. My never -fail remedy works well if I'm at home, but it is difficult to do in a public place. All i have (tido is stand on my head. Works every time! First I get a nice soft pillow, then place it in my favorite spot in our narrow hall area. i plant my head on the pillow and then walk my feet up one side of the hall. flip them across the hall to the other wall. and presto, I'm on my head. i hold this position for as long as my head can stand it (about three seconds) and4hen 1 usually crumble in a heap. My head aches for the next hour but my hiccups are gone for several months. Now, all i need at work is a'private office with a narrow hallway -- either that or i stay at home on the morn- ings when i wake up with hiccups. Unfortunately, I've passed this legacy on to my young daughter. ('helsey, too, suffers from bouts of severe hiccups. 1 wasn't surprised -- she frequently suffered from hiccups even before she was born. Tim,s•Advocate, October 22, 19e6 Page 13A same •dueatIonaI ,pp.rtunity cillor Barb Southcott suggested that council advise the village works department, that they would be responsible for placing and removing the shelter only. Any damage would be totally at the Lioness expense. This proposal was accepted for the '86-'87 season. . Deputy -reeve Dennis Snider and Councillors Bruce Woodley, Southcott, and Marsha Lemon all voted in favor, but the reeve remain- ed in the negative. Another request was received from Gaiser-Kneale Insurance Agency located on 81 Crescent. They wished to obtain permission to set up a gar- bage container beside the existing one located across from their office. Council gave the firm permission to obtain a container only on the understanding, that it is put on their own property, and not on village pro- perty beside the other one. in other new business, council declared the month of October as stamp collecting month in the village of Grand Bend. The motion was pass- ed after council received cor- respondence from the local postmaster, Gar Johnston. A complaint was received about derelict vehicles located at 49 Gill Road. It was reported that there is a number of other eyesores littering that same area. The clerk was advis- ed to notify the property standards of- ficer to forward a memo to the owners of this property. The vehicles and other debris would have to be remov- ed or it will be removed by the village and the cast charged to the proper- ty owners. Correspondence was received regarding a rabies clinic in Grand Bend. Green obtained information from South Huron Veterinary clinic, Zurich. With all the recent publicity about rabies around this area, coun- cil felt that a clinic would be beneficial. They decided to have it in the spring of '87 at the firehall or the village works shop. The cost would be $5.00 or $8.00 instead of the regular fee.. was decided that clerk Dianne Mollard and Lemon would look at some of the office equipment for sale at Bell Aerospace. Bell will be holding an auction today, of tools in the mor- ning, and office supplies in the: evening. Council went behind closed doors at 9:20 p.m. to discuss wages and salaries. A special meeting was held on Tuesday. October 21 after the regular planning meeting to discuss the proposed development on the Chapman property. Council adjourned after the in - camera session. sometimes substantially, in an in- tegrated setting. How much stimula- tion does a group of retarded - or physically handicapped kids get by ohly interacting with each other? None of them are very motivated to improve, and some get so bored and frustrated they withdraw even fur- ther, losing what capabilities they had, Does their classroom become merely a holding tank? The key•to making the successful integration of each child possible, is called MAPS, the Magill Action Plan- ning System. A group gathers to for- mulate a plan of action for that child, unique to his/her needs, to cover every minute of the school day. A community facilitator organizes the parents, teachers, siblings, health care workers and friends, anyone who knows the child, to define his identi- ty, strengths, weakensses and needs. They set goals to be met: e.g. to sit quietly for 45 minutes, to feed himself, to make new friends, to learn to read and write. Fellow students are enlisted for support; to meet him at the bus, help at lunch time, to get him to classeson time. This support cir- cle, arranged by the community facilitator, would hire a teacher aide, or extra health care worker, so that all of the child's needs are met within that school system. The MAPS pro- gram is regularly reviewed and up- dated, tailor made for that child. The elements of a good program in- clude a principal willing to work with the child in that program; interested, caring teachers; a special education teacher to manage the program for- mulated by the group, the parents and their 'child, and a good program facilitator. Some other good ideas in- clude peer tutoring, cross -age or family grouping, and extracurricular Saintsbury. By MRS. HEBER DAVIS - Rev. Frank Braby was in charge of Holy Communion service at St. Patrick's, Sunday. Cheryl Carroll was pianist and Lisa and Julie Carroll were readers. Service next Sunday is planned for 11 a.m. Several cousins of this community attended the funeral of the late Ada Walker from Haskett's Funeral Home, Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Greenlee, Kim, Pam and Steven held a surprise par- ty for Mrs. Greenlee's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Eaton, who were obser- ving their 40th wedding anniversary, Saturday. mist (791TV62;10rf r., <.'.;- f' .. •.,41.: activities, like class trips and cooperative games. Several times during the course of the seminar, Dr. Forest showed slides and videos to illustrate her examples, with poignant and sometimes startl- ing and heartening effect. The au- dience was asked to break into small groups to discuss various aspects of her talk, and to make suggestions, or ask further questions. Interaction support groups are now being formed to uphold the rights of the handicapped, and to take ad- vocacy action on their behalf, if need be. Such an Interaction Support Group is being organized locally, as a matter of fact. Society must focus on needs, net labels, since you label jars, not people. What are the needs of these children? The same as yours and mine: to belong, to have friends, to have fun, and most of all, to be loved. �3LLa WATCHING THE JUNIORS — Goderich senior football coaches Chris Connor and Ray Donnelly and Ron Bogart of the South Huron Pan- thers watch intently during Thursday's junior football game won by the Panthers over Goderich. In the background are fans Jack and Ernie Chipchase. T -A photo Many visit Pinery While record crowds attended the busy event across the highway at the Lambton Heritage Musuem, many visitors preferred the quieter side of nature Saturday and Sunday. Carloads of people streamed into the Pinery Provincial Park to get away from it all. There were a number of campsite areas open where people enjoyed their own last picnic of the year. Of course the weather co-operated drawing even the shyest visitor to the outdoors. Some of the luckier naturalists caught glimpses of the Pinery's regular guests, the white-tailed deer. But, most people simply enjoyed the fall colours while touring around, and watched the many Le Suisse as these numerous little creatures scurried around for food. Speaking of food, the Pinery store was even open where supplies could be purchased before slipping down to the riverside to watch for beavers. If you missed the fall colours tour of the Pinery Park last weekend, there are still many . more nice weekends yet to come this fall EPS STUDENT COUNCIL — The new student council at Exeter Public School was named recently. From the left are president Ian Mclean, vice-president Jenny Wareham, treasurer Bobbi Harmon and secretary Lisa Wareham. T -A photo. Shipka folk holiday, attend anniversary Sy MRS. HUGH MOUNZ Shipka Mrs. Annie Zielman and Angie, ac- companied by Ruth and Jerry Zehr, of Zurich, returned home Friday from . a two week holiday motoring to Win- nipeg and back, going out by way of Tobermory crossing to Manitoulin island on the Chi Cheemaun, through Espanola and Sault Ste. Marie. They enjoyed a stop for a train trip through the Agawa Canyon. Along Lake Superior they saw a moose on the road and several hunters on the way home with their loads of moose. The highlight of the trip was a '.'Paetkau" family gathering held at Camp Arnes north of Winnipeg. The Paetkau's are Mrs. Zielman's mater- nal family relatives. Others from On- tario attended from Vineland, Oakville and Leamington, also from Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. More thah 50 relatives attended the three day weekend gathering October 10, 11 and 12 visiting, reminiscing, sharing antique family treasures, photo albums, music and a church service. Another Paetkau family gathering is planned in three years to be held in Ontario. One special guest was Mrs. Kathrina Paetkau age 95, of Saska- toon, still spry, healthy and active. On their way home they stopped visit friends in Cochrane where there was 6 inches of snow. While in Win- nipeg the Zielman family stayed with Annie's brother, Peter Janzen. • Mark anniversary Many from this area attended the special service, Sunday, when Green- way United Church celebrated their III th anniversary. The morning ser- f vice saw an overflow crowd with chairs in the aisles. The morning speaker was Dr. James Guest, a den- tist, also a Christian layman from Metropolitan United Church. London. His message titled, "Roots and Foun- dations," was based on scripture from Ephesians 3:1-20, which he said he felt was Paul's greatest prayer for the church. ile said our foundations of faith begin in Christian homes and the love of God. Special morning music was The •"Eighties Four", male quartette. comprising tenor - Laurie Cousins. bass - Ken Armstrong. lead - Bill Brown, baritone - Hugh Monroe. They sang four perennial favourites. Guest organist was Alan Carverhill from Grand Bend. Rev. R. Peeples conducted the evening service with special music by the "Prouty family" of Exeter. Personals More than 100 attended the Thanksgiving Ecumenical, Tuesday night at the immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. Those atten- ding from this area included Mabel Fraser, iva Lagerwerf, Hazel Scott. Eleanor Durie and Annie Morenz. i, along with a car load of Golden Agers from Grand Bend attended the 1 tth rally df United Senior Citizens of Ontario, at Dungannon. hosted by their senior citizen club. The special speaker was Mrs. Shirley Keller, general manager of Goderich Signal Star. Shirley,was raised in this area and attended our local Blackhush school. It is alwaysfun to hear her speak with leer jokes and humor. She told seniors the secret of life is in each one of us. We all need a pur- pose and feeling of self worth. To keep healthy and happy we must keep in- volved. As we grow older we can volunteer for social and cultural ac- tivities. Games and lunch rounded out a pleasant day. Those attending a social evenir1g Saturday, with Les and Marjorie Adams in Exeter were, Ed Turnbull, Zurich; Oscar and Laura Miller, Melvin and Gertie Stade. of Dashwood and area; Clarence and Eleanor Miller. of Taber, Alberta. relatives who were visiting with Stades; and Hugh and Annie Morenz. The occasion was a delayed 78th birthday party for Les. which he had observed earlier this month. in the social time we visited and played euchre, followed by lunch refreshments and birthday cake and ice cream. I-11 club news • The Shipka area girls of the Grand Bend two, 4-11 club held meeting four at Joan Love's home. Roll call was answered by "Nam- ing a cultured dairy product and how it can be used". We read about cultured dairy products of yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream and how they can he used, about cottage cheese, a cultured product in the kitchen, cream acid how it•rises, tips for whip- vingmream, buying butter and storage ('aT3'irabout butter in the kitchen and dairy products versus dairy substitutes. We made yogurt pops and a vegetable dip, that we sampled for lunch. This club chose as their name "Milk Shakers". Meeting adjourned at 8:30. Reported by Connie Russell 1 1