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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-02-24, Page 1847.40 PAGE 18--GODE.RIC/1 SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY.. FEBRUARY 29, )977 Committe e (continued from page 1) education Ralph Smith conceded it ,was a con- siderable sum to spend but pdinted out that the children have an equal right to an education. He said the teachers were doing their best to give the children training to allow them to function in society and the board should do everything it can to keep that standard up. HIGH NUMBER OF REFERRALS The co-ordinator of the board's special student services Ila Kayes outlined some of the criteria used in determining the need for children to have special education classes. She said the majority of the children were average 5 ^ above average in intelligence but for reasons usually sought out in the special education classes, were behind their peers in classroom progress. She said the reasons were numerous andP ointed out some -such as visual or audio problems, social problems, lack of refined motor skills or speech problems. She said the additional staff was needed due to the high number of referrals her department gets annually adding that the number increases every year. She said the system now dictates that a child referred by a teacher to special education is tested to try to diagnose the problem and the child is then either put on a program the teacher can handle or is placed in a special education class. She said the problem now faced by her staff is rechecking the referrals to see if the programs they were put on are succeeding. Superintendent Ralph Smith said he didn't want to be critical of special education services but pointed out that there may be room for improvement at the classroom level. He said he had asked for a list of reasons children, were referred by teachers to special services and had discovered that a number of the referrals had no good reasons. He said he felt perhaps the board was giving teachers too much leeway and teachers are Board (continued from page 1) concern was not so much the denial by the board but the feeling. that the GDCI student body wouldn't support a project of their own. He said the board seemed to think the students had no initiative to raise money and this was just not the case. He pointed out that the students had raised about $4,200 for a new school track, had raised $3,000 for a weight machine, $1,000 for a new time clock for the gymnasium and had just finished a dance- a-thon ' that netted about $2,500. "The people that get the least benefit from this reunion are the students," he said. "They have no need for a reunion. They see each other every day." Mr. Hill advised the board of education at a special meeting Monday night that he would be bringing the matter up again. He said he had made a notice of motion on the matter for the board's March meeting claiming he felt there was some misun- derstanding on the subject. referring students to get them out of their classes rather than offer them help. Director John Cochrane said he agreed in some cases with Mr. Smith but said his concern was not whether or not children should or should not be referred but who should decide. He said the board could take a look at the possibility of setting up a panel of teachers in each school to take a look at referrals to see if they are warranted. By doing this he felt teachers who have had the child in their classes before can shed some light on the problem, perhaps removing the need for special education and increasing the need for good teaching pract ices. "I'd like to see the case load reduced but I'd hate to see kids that need help not get it because of money," he said. Ms. Kayes said her staff now made use of regular class room o m time where possible but still couldn't keep up the contact with the children that they should. She said the staff determined jf the child could be put on a program handled by the regular teacher and then briefed the teacher. , The problem arose later when the staff should be going back to check on the child's progress and couldn't because of new referrals. "We are becoming a lot more knowlegeable in the field and parents and teachers are also becoming more aware of problems which is why the referrals are • up," she said. `"Some of the problems are caused by single parents, some by working, parents and some are the cause of our social structure." Goderich trustee Cayley Hill said he didn't want to be a defeatist but questioned the ability of the board to handle the problem at all. "Are me embarking on a problem we cant afford nor solve," he asked. FEW TEACHERS QUALIFIED Ms. Kayes pointed out that the problem may stem from the' area's social structure but is evident in a child's learning ability. She said the ministry of education dictates that a teacher be capable of han- dling every student in his or her class which is a very tall order and beyond the present abilities of some teachers. She added that there are courses offered in special education but few teachers take them since they are involved with university courses that increase their qualifications and salaries-. Superintendent Jim Coulter said he couldn't be convinced that many students merit "special" treatment. He said the board din't seem to be making an effort to get at the root of the problem which may be the fault of the education system. Mr. Coulter said he was concerned about . the educators subjecting kin- dergarten children to tests to find out what was wrong with them and that he felt there was nothing worong with them He said perhaps the system created the problem and rather than give the students remedial assistanpe the teachers be given remedial assistance: He added that perhaps some teachers were passing the buck. Miller Thunderbolt 225 amp. Welder • Complus. with power cable • Molding' cable • Tonga • around Cl.mp • Neiman URVICI UOMIN10111 r MARE VIC.rOA'IA S`T. NORTH GODEMICH Bryant r. Bluewater Centre administrator Ross Bryan t announced his resignation this week effective in four weeks. Mr. Bryant said he felt his resignation was in the best interest of his career in hospital administration and will be taking over as executive director of the Alexandra General Hospital in Ingersoll. The 32 -year-old said he felt his career -development and progress were at stake when he made the decision to leave the Bluewater Centre, adding it was "time for a little challenge". He said his training he holds a masters degress in hospital ad- ministration - was in acute care centres as opposed to residential centres and hat felt he should return to that setting. He claimed the responsibilities of the .,...,?:� ear..:...,.. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES job will be very similar in Ingersoll but the health administration will differ. He said the new position will give him overall responsibility for medical and nursing staff, custodial staff, budgets, care o.f resident patients and will also make him responsiblg' to a hospital board. Mr. Bryant came to Goderich from Orillia where he served as assistant administrator at the Huronia Centre, a resident facility for mentall;, retarded. The move here allowed himto switch to a psychiatric care facility at the Goderich hospital where he became administrator in September of 1974. The Goderich Psychiatric Hospital was closed in December of 1975 and on April 1, 1976, when the move was finally ns position carried out, Mr. Bryant considered leaving. He said he had been put in an unusual `position during the closing, a position he would have liked very much to have avoided. His position as administrator ,made him the main contact the hospital had with the ministry of health which served for a time to alianatehim from the staff of the facility. The staff, angered at the government over the closing, had grouped Mr. Bryant in with ministry ' staff. The ministry however had never advised Mr. Bryant of his position and until the final hours failed to tell him if he would be staying on at Bluewater after the transition. He . said, however, that ' from a professional' standpoint the experience was educational. Decisions faced during that period seldom have to be han by administrators during their Ca- and aand the kind of management Mr. 817 had used proved its worth beyotu doubts. He felt he had built up a rapport with his staff and that ra proved itself during the months o moil and unsettled positions most personnel at GPH went through. "I hate to say that out of every; bad comes some good but that's al what happened," he said. The administrator said that benefit of his move will, be his prox to university. He said he was consid going after his doctorate in heal ministration and the' move d Western University may now mak goal easier to realize. ,. � ori;+F:f•:inv+��.s, BUY by the CASE:tand sci;e$$S's CREAM $5 . 75 CORN OR *CASE PEAS 4 TINS $1.00 VEGETABLE OR $9 TOMATO .29 soup CASE 5 TINS $1 •00 GREEN GIANT 12 FL. OZ. KERNEL ORANGE PEKOE '23.79 TEA BAGS CASE 60'S BAGS $1.09 BRUCE PACKERS FRESH PORK RIBLETS 5.49 10 LB. BOX SCHNEIDER'S 2 LB. FRIED CHICKEN BUCKET 6"B" WIENE69 RS $4• BOX SMOKED SAUSAGE 7.69 BOX SCHNEIDER'S 2 OZ. PKG. CORNED BEEF 93 VICTORIA STREET OPEN NITELY GODERICI'{ TILL 10 P.M. ALL POPULAR BRANDS CIGARETTES $6.49 CARTON MEADOW GOLD i ICE CREAM 2L 99 4 MAPLE LEAF HAM I TTNB CANNED 2.99 SILV,ERWOOD's DELUXE CAN. NO. I GRADE BUTTER $1.15 ALBACORE SOLID WHITE TUNA 7 OZ. TIN 994 SUNSPUN FROZEN 6 FL. OZ. CASE OF 48 TINS $9.49 CAMPBELL'S 10 FL. OZ. ,TINS CHICKEN NOODLE CASE OF 48 TINS SAVARIN 11 OZ. FROZEN DINNERS SAVARIN 8 OZ. Y R � war PCT PIES CASE OF 24 $7,89 BLUEWATER 37 OZ. BOX FISH n' CHIPS $ BRIMFULL CHOICE 28 FL. OZ. TOMATOES __ PRICES IN EFFECT TILL FEB,'ti' OR WHILE QUANTITIES LAS�3 PEACH HALVES $11.291 OR BARTLETT PEARS CASE COCKTAIL FRUIT 2 TINS 1 .00 esti end ectt re CASE RED SOCKEYE 61 /3 99' SALMON TIN $1.29/' ALL FLAVOURS 10 FL. OZ. TIN SOFT $'i DRINKS CSE SCHNEI . 5 BOLOGNA AC N' CHE-ESE. DUTCH LOAF PORKLOAF PICKLE, CHICKEN LOAF OLIVE LOAF COOKED MEATS 6 OZ. PKG. 2 a 'y SCHNEIDER'S COUNTRY • $6.59, ��.19 SAUSAGE 1 LB. PKG. 16 LB. BOX $ 1 3 .9 9 ALL BEEF STEAKETTES LB. PKG. 89c BRUCE PACKERS SUMMER SAUSAGE HUMPTY DUMPTY POTATO CHIPS FIVE ROSES FLOUR 22L� PURINA DOG CHOW IQ e1 en 11 gen can an; od mer ver ne in bi g sf one ult Go tint Cor ng tion ate at off1 de pee mu Hut tall Idi Asst eras wo•1 Y, of nce 11 Ous -01 ga Veh ht ei 8w P011 et at�t FRUIT AND VEGETABLES ORANGES