HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-01-27, Page 1The question of special
•ducation as offeredin the
Huron County -School system,
;,c_artie before, the Board , of
•4:Education again --on Monday,
' this time in the form or a
report from Superintendent
of Education W.D. Kenwell.
The report, making a series
1,,of seven recommendations to
the Board, was the end result
,t,4 of a survey 'circulated to
school -principals in the
county during November of
' last,year. The survey set out
'to ascertain the number of
' children, ,who , were receiving
t
some .!,! type of special
education for a typical month
'.(in this - ,case October-
•i'Nevemher) and the grade
placement of these students.
If,
It also tried to establish the
type of special education
assistance- which 'should be
;3`.. xpeiuted-- for the 1977-78
.,..:School year and what type of
SPeciat I.education might be
• .introdiieeir the new term.
Special education
assistance -in Huron is offered
,,,three levels, Primary,
- Junior and Intermediate, and
in seven categories,
. ' _ •
nts boogie r bucks.Joanne . Hurst, . Tor school activities. The dance -a -Mon was one Ot the most
y Botz and Bill Walters were part of the 115 GDCI successful money making ventures undertaken
ts who danced for 10 !limit's last Friday to raise $3,000 ' students council. (staff photo)
the '''''''remediat, speech, learning
testing, visually
handicapped, hearing han-
dicappeki and physically
„„,
711andicapned. Results of the.
—47survey snowed that a total of
1420 students were receiving
ssistance in these classes
'ii 93in the Primary levet
in Junior and 134 rn
Intermediate.
The survey also showed
five areas in which principals
suggested expanSions to the
current special education
program.
The first was an increase in
in -school time for itinerant
learning disability teachers
to spend both in the actual
instruction of children and in
conference with regular
classroom teachers. The
survey also produced calls for
increased time, for resident
remedial teacher to spend
with students requiring
assistance, an expansion
from half time daily to full
time for opportunity classes,
additional Opportunity
classes and increased in -
school time for itinerant
speech correction teachers.
Principal responses also
suggested a number of new
types of special education for
introduction. The establish-
ment of senior special
education classes, the em- -
new members of the Goderich -
tion Board were welcomed into
with a "catliion from Reeve and
e chEiltitnari Bill Clifford to keep
ins on theupcoming budget
e Clifford, substituting for Mayor
ewfelt,.welconi4z.ne_robersiotbe.
al session -of the recreation
ast Thursday and cautioned the
on its past history of over ex -
re.
the past four years, was elected
chairman for the two year term of the
board. The board members consist of
Mayor Shewfelt, Councillors John
Doherty and Bob Allen- and Jon Ginn,
Bob ' Cornish, . Randy Smith, Robert
Gibbons and Joan Vanden Broeck.
Donnelly lad the boatiraiat the Past,
two years had been hectic and the board
experienced many budget problems with
the arena.
,
rd commented that the She welcomed new members and
ion board has been over budget explained that it would likely take
past two years, a practice he said several sessions to get organized and
to be continued. also expressed an urgency for the board
valuate the existing recreation to meet with representatives of neigh-
s and analyze the philosophy of, bouring townships to discuss the topic of
ys," he said. "You must consider recreation and costs.
ing no*andetrike a budget that ":, "We 'definitely need a meeting of this
live within..?!. board, and representatives of Goderich
and Colborne townships," she said. "It
rd added .1.that''hewas not appears that some problems exist that I
g to be critical .t'the'lxiaid but think are just misunderstandings."
wanted to make'a point:prior„to In a report from the recreation
time and reiterate the fact that 'director 'Mike Dymond, he stated that
was Still -tight ' ' ' the board should review its policies and
DonnellyiAl'board member for procedures as well as its role and fun -
ction within the municipal recreation
scheme.
He said the board should review the
philosophy of municipal recreation and
the purpose of the board as the members
see it, the function of the director and the
ensuing pdlicies.
From the new committee members,
two sub committees were formed. Jon
Ginn, Robert Gibbons and Robert
Cornish were appointed to the arena sub-
ployinent of primary reading
snecialists the employment
of a .teapher for the gifted,
c_eunselitag for students with
emofional problems, and
establishment of a class for
the emotionally disturbed.
SPECIAL ED, TEACHERS
The Huron County Board of
Education currently employs
the equivalent of 46 itinerant
student services teachers
who deal with students ex-
periencing learning dif-
ficulties. (4.6 represents four
teachers on full time and one
part-time teacher working
about .6 of full time.)
One of these teachers
spends all his time testing
students and recommending
remedial techniques to be
employed. The increasing
complexity of tests relating to
learning disabilities, Mr.
Kenwell's rt notes,• as
well as the detail required in
written reports, combine to
reduce the number of in-
dividual students who can be
served by one intinerant
teacher.
"We currently have
received 950 referrals for
testing learning disabilities in
the past four months,- he
explained.
The report also suggested
that time allotment for
resident remedial teachers
should be distributed by the
principal, in accordance with
Board staffing guidelines:
The special education
report also observes that a
declining enrolment at
Clinton Public School should
help alleviate the need for
increased Opportunity Class
time in that particular school.
Expansion of the power
Learning class at Brussels,
the report goes on, to include
three schools kather than two
acolommodate a
request 'from Walton for
access to Power Learning
instruction. •
"This proposal would
necessitate the rental of one
additional portable •
classroom at Brussels and the
employment of an additional
half time teacher," Mr.
Kenwell noted.
A declining enrolment in
another school, • Brookside, •
will apparently result in a
portable classroom being
available for use as an op-
portunity classroom. The
teacher would be able to
transfer her base of
operations from the staff
room to a more suitable
setting.
Huron at present, employes
the equivalent of 3.4 -Speech
Correction teachers. Recent
research by speech
therapists, Mr. Kenwell told
the Board, recommends that
(continued on `page 16)
committee and Joan Vanden Broeck and
Randy Smith were appointed to the pool
sub -committee. Both the recreation
board chairman and director also sit on
both sub -committees.
Arena manager, Bill Lumby. stated
that since more entertainment is booked
for the arena floor it may be ad-
Vantageous to acquire some tables that
can be easily set up and stored at the
arena. He claimed that several
organizations do not book the arena floor
•because they do not have the facilities
pick up and set up tables and chairs:
The matter was referred to the arena
sub-conimittee.
In his report on Special Education in
Huron Co‘inty School, Superintendent of
Educatio4 W.D. Kenwell refers to a
number programs Offered under tivie
-rh4fthe school system by thus -or
service mes which may not clearly
describe the program concerned for
most laypeople.
'Opportunity Class', Mr. Kenwell
explains, is one and the same as 'Power
Learning Class'. There are about 10 such
classes in Huron at present with
enrollment in each one ranging from
eight to 14 students. The classes have
been set up_for students whose progress
is slower than normal. These- young
people attend the special class for either
a part day, or a full day depending upon
the individual situation, and the em-
phasis is on the subjects in which each
Student is especially weak. Usually this
means reading and the related skills of
writing and spelling and may also in-
clude mathematics.
'Senior Special Education Class 'are
designed to fill the gap after the
'Opportunity Class'. The Superintendent
of Education explains that 'Opportunity
Classes' are normally for the ages from
about eight to 12. A problem is presented
when a student passes age 12 but still
needs some special assistance: "They
are too young or perhaps too immature
to go on to high school," Mr. Kenwell
notes, "and they are being squeezed out
of the 'Opportunity Class' by the
pressure of younger students needing to
be enrolled."
There are, hewever, not enough such
ttidelits ' in' each ^schi361' to warrant
establishment of - 'Senior Special
Ed cation Classes', so the report
tg
reommended establishment of central
c asses to which the students would be
transported through the interlocking bus
system.
'Service Occupations Course' has been
designed to fill the needs of students of
secondary school age who have an
academic capability at the primary
• level_ In secondary school, Mr. Kenwell
explains, there are a number of courses.
Course 150 (equivalent to the former five
year arts and science), course 140
(equivalent to the former four year arts
and science), course 130 in some schools
( a combination of arts and science and
Business and Commerce), course 120
(occupational) and the course 110 '
(service occupational).
The 120 program is for students who
are 14 to 16 years of age but who have an
academic level of grade five to six. The
110,program is for ages 14 to 16 with an
academic level of grade four to five.
The recommended 'Service Occupations
Course' would be designed for those 12,
years of age and over who have an ac-
ademic capability on the primary level.
ntario Hydro conServation expert, years, ' the majOr ,one being money. He
uron c041,4i, public , said .:the' provincial :government had
ers Tuesday that unless altered :" the priority of government
re takenhtthi,tiot,;:1three*eara' 'Spending. so thataydro now 'expands its
erve' etectileal energy :Onterin capacity as money allows rather than as.
e brown outs aktIblackeiitirn the demand dictates. Mr. Metcalfe added
98°' •V11141‘hP:leilicglifiltirtirt:,1riePluetatcltridig
ing a Hydr
ation' rnerce—
ture and;,';pit4f.01;;;:harneilift
e, the„regiotitit 4614k*
ial
said the,':UtiIiti
b in the nextfetyCarst�ma
• they requirc to build and phase
new
• 11:iYrs'were thet, Hydrob7td°t
614itiddedidecIOdaYt0 construct
:at Ieast
-- :a generating station It would be
ke -• .10 years:.before that. tation produced
;
utility
• managers aid empl�yees according to
H�- saldthe l�caI people
• Hydro will train utility people in
‘ouservation will • offer them
programs to show.managers and owners
how they will save money by con -
Servation.
,
SUPPORT
• • NEEDED
The need for: the fullsupport of the
utility Is vital to the success of the
,
program, according to Mr. Metcalfe. tie
said' the future was very sobering if one
looked ,at ,the •statistics1,. adding., ' the
seriousneSS, 'of the stinatien cannot be
conveyed to the public simply because
there is no shortage
We want to give our kids the chance
to live
as we: didwe've got: to' conserve
energy,"., he said.
The biggest : user of power in the
::;sion!ereial;inarketiS shopping centres
Iiecertlity(-400,)4Ydrei statistics. PooFoodst�res and. large 100100ed in
shopping -maI1s :use: -• ?tast`.:amounts
hketitteOffood
The next•largest offender is business,
primarily large office buildings. He said
the buildings are lit round the clock and
up until now very little has changed in
that regard despite Hydro's constant
requests to shut the lights off at night.
Mr. Metcalfe pointed out that Ontario
minister of energy Dennis Timbrell had
warned a group' of businessinen recently
that he was "sick and tired" of asking
them to shut off lights and if they weren't
going to do it he was.
Educational facilities are third in
power use and, Hydro has already in-
Structed boards of education in the
'province to take every step possible to
cthiserve energy. The boards are also
instructed to detail energy uses and
report therm to the province to allow the
ministry to determine whet can be done
tetuttlown energy use.
SmalI retail outlets, automotive
centres, hotels, motels, restaurants and
64040onel facilities come next on the
lilt and Mr. Metcalfe said they were the
concerns of, the local utilities.' He said
`1,,,4.A.it • ,,,!r4":',44'!•,,,ON
thenext year Hydrir.plahned to
every one Of the busineasts4 sue-
weuld be carried out by
;;4ifit'lhe small retail outlets,
lvtdustry be surveyed by the
tn the text two ,years.
Metcalfe said most large industries had
already developed energy conservation
programs that are _working but the
province's 12,000 plus small factories
and plants would be the responsibility of
theutilities.
Stan Stewart, a conservation officer
specializing in agricultural and
residential fields, outlined 'tile con-
serVation program for the private
sector. Mr. Stewart told the utility of-
ficials that Hydro had made upgrading
of building standards and standards for
home appliances and efficiency and
economy of electrical space and water
heaters a priority for the next two years._
He said Hydro had dropped the
practice of inspecting new homes for
insulation but planned in the very near.
rehire to go back to trying to ensure that
the units are properly insulated. He said
Hydro had hoped that local building
inspectors could handle the inspections
but the inspectors were either too busy
or were not qualified to do the job or in
many cases were non-existant.
NEW LIFESTYLE
NECESSARY
He • pointed out however that the
biggest hurdle Hydro faced was con
vincing the public to alter their lifestyle
,
to conserve energy. He said the current
peak period of power consumption is
from four o'clock in the afternoon until ,
seven in the ,evening but that could be
altered if changes were made in some
people's lifestyle.
"If we could convince people to
operate their dishwasher once a day
instead of three times, if we could get
people to ,,do their laundry once a week
instead of three times, or i( we could
even get people -to shut off their
televisions when they're not wataching
them :we-tould save -enormous amounts
of power," he claimed.
He said there are many flagrant cases
of electrical waste in the average home.
Instant- on televisions waste energy,
keeping refrigerators at just above
freezing when 40 degrees will do,
keeping hot water temperatures in
water beaters unnecessarily high and
leaving televisions on for hours when no
one is watching, are obvious wastes that
happen regularly in nearly every home.
"Hydro has never told people they
can't do things but ,has suggested that if
they don't need electrical applicantes on •
or lights on get
Stewart. "We need;0;get conservatfon.
.oft itia gtound'noWin:
down, our one ,percent ln,1ext three
years. ;