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Times-Advocate, 1983-03-02, Page 8CREATING A STIR — KeIIy Gackstetter and Laurie Ball stir dishes of hamburg casserole they are preparing as part Of the curriculum in the special learningneeds class at the Exeter Public School , The readers write Wants Dear Editor, Last week. I had the oppor- tunity to attend "Variety Is...'83'',. an annual musical presentation by London secondary schools. As I -sat in Alumni Hall listening to the choirs and bands perform. I realized What I had missed in my high school education This new awareness left me with some unanswered ques- tions. What can a high school music program provide for the individual, for the school find for thecommunity at large? Furthermore, I asked myself why South Huron does not have a music program. Music in a high school pro- vides the individual with an opportunity, otherwise not readily available, to broaden his interests. Not onlydoes a music program serve as an alternative and addition to other extracurricular ac- tivities, it gives the individual a skill he can enjoy after his high school years are over. In addition; exchanges with other schools make it possible for band members to travel. meet people and to learn. For the school; the band or the choir. can be a sourceof spirit and pride. in concerts, theatre productions or ttrpsenting the school in petitions. the music pro- gram can bring recognition l0 a high school; just like 'a successful sports team. 'At assemblies or athletic com- petitions. a hand can be an in; spirational force: capable of uniting the student body. In the community, the music program can heighten the school's profile by perfor- ming 'benefits and par- - licipating in parades :and • other community events: As enumerated here. there ap- IT'S BETTER - O 3— IN C OC Drapes ona Other Things.is now operating from KIRKTON, ONTARIO for your benefit 1)IITTER SERVICE freedom to serve you at your convenience 2)f1ETTER PRICES year round discount in wallcoverings and window treatment 3)1REE SNOP•AT-HOME SERVICE view our large selection of wallpaper books and drapery/blind samples in the comfort of our home AT HOME music program pear to be significant advan- students aren't the decisive factors. Furthermore, the re- cent institution of instrumen- tal music at Hullet Central and Holmesville elementary schools with the financial help of area service clubs in- dicated that money is far less important than one might expect. Rather, it is a demonstrated interest by students; parents and the community that will bring music into the halls of the local high school. ft is only through persistent pressure on the administration and the Board of Education to hire a teacher with an interest and ability in music that South Huron can ever hope to get a music program. Certainly, experience -has shown us not to expect those in positions of power to know what is best for '.us in our education system. We must decide for ourselves and then demand il.: Yours sincerely Matt McClure tages to having a music pro- gram in a secondary school. Why doesn't South Huron have a music program, then'' Why is it that other county high schools have viable pro- grams? If Goderich can sup- port two bands and a choir and Central Huron can start an instrumental program during a time of economic restraint and declining enrol- ment, then 'what is there to" stop the introduction of a similar program at South Huron. • Certainly. the Clinton ex- ample suggests that money and reduced numbers of. Choir set for festival Ever wonder what music has been written by Cana- dians? You might be surpris- ed to learn that we have a vast musical heritage and to prove. the point, the Blyth . Festival Singers are presen- ting an all -Canadian concert On Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m. and.8 p.m. in.Blyth Memorial Hall. . The epertoire for the con- cert was chosen to reflect the musical styles of different regions of Canada, as well as various times in our.history. ,The choir will.be singing ar- rangements of a number of folk -songs from the Maritimes and French Canada. And through several pieces taken from the Blyth production of The Life That Jack Built, the choir will take the audience back to the ear- ly twentieth century world of Jack McLaren and the Dumbells. The Singers will also per- form works by such well- known Canadian composers 'as Healey Willan. Godfrey • Ridoutt and Keith Bissell as well as an Eskimo lullaby ar- ranged by Irving Glick. Many of these compositions repre- sent the tremendous growth in the output of music in Canada in recent years, much of it encouraged by the im- petus given to the arts in Centennial year. To augment the Canadian. theme of the concert, an art show of Canadian works on loan from Gallery Stratford will open in the Centre's art gallery on the same day as the concert: The Blyth Festival Singers are now in their third season. as a community choir under - the auspices of the Blyth ('en- • tre for the Arts. The choir is directed by Laurie Itow•botham of Listowel. and -accompanied by Arlene Darn- brough of Goderich. The Singers are especially proud of presenting an all -Canadian concert which complements the mandate 'of the lily(h Summer Festival which is to produce solely new, Canadian plays. • The choir's SO members conic from all over the lluron- Perth area members from the Exeter area include: Don McCaffrey, Carol Stuart, Gail Shaw, Marguerite ,McLeod and Harold Sissons Antenna B & T Sales & Service And a Full Line of Towers, Boosters and Rotors F.M. 2 way Communications for Farm and Commercial Channel Master Satellite Receiver ,Brian McAsh 482-7129 Varna, Ontario Teacher use patience to spur their development Times -Advocate, 'March 2, 1983 Page 7 Special classes help students reach potential Each morning at Exeter Public School, nine young people ranging ih age from nine to sixteen meet with staff teacher Jean Turner to form a special class, a class for students with special training needs. Last September the Huron County school board expanded the long-time pro- gram assisting children in the primary grades to continuing the support with' those in grades four to eight. Until then. the cut=off was grade three. When children with learning disabilities were too old, or too mature physically and socially to con- tinue with the primary group, they returned to the regular classes to sick or swim. More often than no', they sank. Learning disabilities, and their causes,.are as individual as the affected children. The results are identical. Inabili- ty to concentrate, hyperac- tivity, poor visual memory, perceptual dysfunction or dif- ficulty with abstract thought cause a build-up of frustration in children . trying to cope academically. Failure after failure constantly reinforces very negative feelings aboyt themselves and their schools, "There is far toomuch em- phasis on academic achieve- ment for children like this, and expectations arefar high,"~Mrs. Turner said. The quick-witted, quick - speaking, quick -moving teacher. whom special learn- ing needs students • affec- tionately call "mother", is eminently qualified to make such an assessment. She has her master's degree with a major - in education, her primary- supervisor's and principal's certificates, and will complete part two of a special education course at Althouse this month. From the beginning, Mrs. Turner has had one primary concern. -She wanted to build a sense of comrtrunity among a group of young people from different backgrounds and different places t Vanastra. Hensel'. .Crediton and Ex- eter ) xeters whose only common. bond was their need, and a "me first, dog-eat-dog at- titude they had developed as a survival To demonstratetactic. the gradual personality change singe September, Turner relates the experience of a teacher from another school who is taking a course in special education and wanted to take part in the Exeter class. Ile gives up one work period- a week to come to the school to teach woodworking. Al first nine- individuals vied wfth each other to grab for themselves the materials to make a gee -haw stick or a hole4in-one game. Now •the • tone has changed to "may I have the hammer when you are through with it. A bonusbyproduct of the woodworking is progressive development of the students' gross and fine motor coordination. The SLN (special learning _needs) participants are taught the basic three Rs nut only in the conventional classroom but outside it too. One -a month the class plans a menu, prepares a grocery list, shops' for ingredients. cooks and'serves an elaborate lunch for all staff members who have signed up as paying customers. • 'The boys and girls are in- creasing their reading skills while checking out the ARTFUL ARRANGEMENT -- KeIIy Gackstetter and Ian Shlanger display plates of marinated vegetables the students In the special learning needs class have prepared for •a staff lunch at Exeter Public School. • 4.1 ,ie'Pk A -PEELING — Special learning needs teacher Jean Turner and student Robin Ball prepare some carrots for marinating during morning life -skills class at Exeter Public School. MAKING CHANGE --. Kelly. Gackstetter makes change. The teacher is paying for o meal prepared by students in the special learning' needs class at the school. SECONDS - Exeter Public School principal Jim Chop - man goes bock for a second helping of food prepared for the staff by students in the special learning needs class. Ian Shlanger, one of the chefs, samples the marinated vegetables. DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC 665-7818 R.R. 1, Neustadt Ontario Horst Feige D.T. 2nd Office: 366 N. Christina St. 1-336-6580 (Corner of London Rd., and Christina St. Sarnia, Ont. A GRATING EXPERIENCE — Karen Davison, a volunteer assistant with the special learning needs class at Exeter Public School, helps student Wayne Berends grate cheese. Kelly Gackstetter watches too. Don't Miss This! Monday, March 7 ---- 7 p.m. Class No. 1 Dehydrating fruits, veg., meats,y, fast economically and safely • without preservatives • with the Re.volutionary, low cost, high performance Magic Aire II dehydrator. Class No. 2 Demonstrating Bocsh kit- chen machine. Oven ready bread in just 15 minutes. Demonstrated By Lane Betas recently interviewed on CBC as an expert on bread making. At Cheese Please 362 Main St., Exeter Area Dealer KO. Elliott, Phone 262.2829 for mor• Information recipes, improving their spelling with the shopping list, their mathematics as they figure out 'the meal ticket charge based on cost plus twenty-five percent, and are painlessly absorbing the metric system by measuring ingredients in grams and millilitres. School board represen- tative King McDonald was a guest for the Christmas meal of turkey, baked potatoes with cheese, cranberry mould. mixed vegetables, relishes and Watergate salad, topped off with German chocolate cheesecake. After the diners have eaten their fill, the SLN students can Rolish off what remains. However, the canny chefs hedge their bets; they bring their own lunches and eat them first, in case they don't like some of the dishes on the menu. The food is prepared in a small kitchen near the gym, on an old electric stove prin- cipal Jim Chapman bought at an auction sale. The class is sanding the rust spots from an ancient refrigerator resur- rected from Chapman's garage; they hope a paint job will maker it look • more respectable. This epitomizes the. "tremendous amount of sup- port" Jean 'turner has receiv- ed from the staff., The other Epilepsy group planning. draw The Huron,County Chapter of Epilepsy Ontario Midwest is holding their first fund:: raising endeavour. It is a lot-` tery with' 21- prizes. These prizes have been donated by. individuals and merchants from across the county. Contributors from Exeter area include: Canadian Tire Associate Store - MX Wildcat Supercycle; Huron Country Playhouse -season subscrip- tion; Studio 82 -shampoo, cut and Style; Swartman Fashions Ltd. - $25.00 gift' certificate. All proceeds from this lot- tery go to support the services offered by the Huron County Chapter to the people in our. area who have epilepsy, their families, friends, teachers. employers etc The draws will take place during the Livery, "Las Vegas Night" to be held on Saturday, March 12 at the Goderich Memorial and Com- munity Arena. The tickets . may be obtained from any of the above mentioned stores or from Dianne Morrissey. 524-7977. CASH FOR GOLD All Gold and Silver rings, watches, earrings, chains, medals, and den- tal gold. Damaged or broken. Special prices for • Canadian and American silver coins and condition. Also buy- ing uying any foreign silver coins. Whiting's Warehouse Furniture and Appliances 63 Main St. Exeter, Ontario Exclusive Agent in Exeter for Northland Gold & Silver inc. teachers are backing a recommendation that will he made ta,the county board to further expand the special learning needs class program to the afternoons. Mrs. Turner also receives support from the communi- ty. Some of the parents, ana volunteers like Joanne McKnight. Verla . Russell. Karen Davison. Gloria McFalls. Alma .Godbolt, Sylvia Smith and Nancy Rooth come to the school on a regular basis to coach the stu- dent 'in reading -or spelling, help peel carrots. or just give the child's self-confidence a boost. Mrs. Turner is delighted to observe the children becom- ing more positive about themselves. One can now ad- mit his poor coordination means he would make a mess of slicing the hard-boiled eggs. without feeling like a miserable failure. Another can laugh without a burden of guilt after mistakenly adding three-quarters .of a cup in- stead of three-quarters of a teaspoon of hot dry mustard to the vegetable marinade. (Jean noticed the powdering of mustard in the empty cup in time to remove most of it from the sauce. though the vegetables did have a little more bite than originally; intended. ) Mrs: Turner, who instructs regular grade seven and eight English classes in the after- noons, explodes the myth of -the uncaring teacher. $he describes her mornings with the SLN students as emo- tionally draining but very challenging and rewarding. "I love every one. They all . have something extremely positive going for them - per- sonality, humour, suppor- tiveness of other students, often exceptionally good work habits - if people take the bine to find it," she said. adding it has been her good fortune to be involved with children with , learning. problems. "These are kids who will be able to cope in a crisis". she concluded. P.S. The class could use a newer refrigerator. Spinning Classes Start ck Mar. 7 For two week period Limited Enrolment For further details Phone 666-1777 HURON -PERTH COUNTY ROMAN CATHOLIC SEPARATE SCHOOL BOARD KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION Precious Blood School, Mr. Laurie Kraftcheck, Principal Sanders Street, West Exeter, Ontarlo Telephone 235-1691 Date: March 9, 1983 Time: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Kindergarten children need to 'be 5 years of age on or before 31st December, 1983. Please bring proof of age (Birth Certificate and Baptismal Certificate.) Enrol your child for Kindergarten 1983-84 Please phone or contact your Public School between February 21 and March 6 1. Exeter P.S. 2. Hensel) P.S. 3. Huron Centennial P.S. 4. J.A. D. McCurdy P.S. 5. Stephen Central P.S. 6. Usborne Central P.S. 7. Zurich P.S. 235-2630 262-2833 482-3330 228=6321 234-6302 235-0331 236=4942 Further information re registration, visitation, health clinics etc. will be pro- vided by each school. Proof of date of birth and O.H.I,.P. number requested at registration. HURON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WEDDING INVITATIONS &IV Dy1NFERN irONAL/F SrRArr '01) ('hoose your wedding invitations \N ith complete confidence front our. elegant selection../.which includes announcements and all the correct wedding accessories. Our wedding gift to you... a Keepsake copy'of your invitation processed in luxurious gold. • We also have' personalised wedding napkins, matches and cake boxes. Imes • dvocate • •