Newspapers / Grimsley High School Student … / Oct. 30, 2007, edition 1 / Page 2
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news October 30, 2007 Exceptional children enjoy performing in classrooms, on campus, on job sites ■BY COURTNEY BROWN News Editor Students may wonder how each week the football team's uniforms appear clean as new, regardless of the previous game, or how all the trash in the recycling bin has "magi cally" disappeared. Teachers from the Exceptional Children (EC) De partment oversee their students who complete these tasks and more, yet other students know little about these peers. Students with severe physical and/or leEirning disabilities comprise the population in EC. Once special ists determine each student's strengths and weaknesses, they formulate lEPs, or individualized educational plans. "Our mission is to help students achieve successful learning in spite of their disabilities and become pro ductive members of society," said EC teacher Debbie Lennon. In modern day society, it has be come increasingly difficult for a per son with a disability to acquire a competitive wage job; therefore, teachers find employment for their students to deflect this problem. Loyalton, Big Lots, Libby Hill Restaurant, and other local busi nesses provide paying jobs for some students, while others volunteer at local businesses, nursing homes, or After returning from their job sites, students pay close attention to David Kessler’s mathematics lesson in which he charts salary scales. the Natural Science Center. Volunteering on campus also occurs in the cafeteria since a group of students cle2m the tables every day. Striving to give EC students as normal a high school career as pos sible, the EC teachers realize some aspects need to be changed. For instance, to aid visual learn ers the class initially views picture representation of the daily plan. Schedules of events include activities including off-campus work, speech therapy, or journal writing. Classes review their daily schedule at the end of the school day to reflect upon what they learned or mastered. Homework assignments are based upon individual skill and ability. Since a number of students are not capable of doing homework, the teachers instruct as many learn ing activities into the school day as possible. "By learning in their classes how to relate with peers and adults in a more positive way, these students become more capable of being inde pendent, good citizens," said EC teacher David Kessler. Even though students with dis abilities can not always work at the same level as their peers, there are specific expectations depending upon their abilities. Students must follow the same guidelines and rules as other high school students. They receive praise for good behavior and punishments for disruptive behav ior. Teachers expect their students to maintain neat classrooms; each stu dent is required to do his or her part. "The students are reminded that they do not have maids to do things for them just because they have a dis ability," said Lennon. Aside from their disabilities, stu dents of the EC program are some what similar to the average student. They like watching the same televi sion shows, enjoy the same types of music, and feel the same pride for their school. "1 like going to school here," said Chris, a student who follows the curriculum. Teachers occasionally must remind members of the student body to be friendly with students in the EC program, for just because someone is disabled does not mean he or she doesn't have much to offer others. "Conflict occurs when peers tease our students," said Kessler. Anyone wishing to excel in a ca reer with Exceptional Children must undergo post-high school training. Lead instructors must graduate with an education degree from a four-year college or universityand earn special certification Educational assistants only need to complete at least two years of college. Dancers express their cultural pride ■ BY RACHEL WEINSTOCK Executive Copy Editor Foreign language teachers often struggle to find authentic cul tural experiences for their students, yet on Sept. 20, many Spanish students enjoyed the treat of a Hispanic dance performance by a group called "Contra- 'Tiempo." The troupe was appearing in Greensboro to perform at the Carolina Theater, so they contacted Prin cipal Kevin Fleming to ask if the foreign lan guage teachers were in terested in hosting a performance as well. Contra-Tiempo is a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, described on its website as an "activist dance company." Its founder and artistic di rector is Ana Maria Alvarez, a 1995 gradu ate. The group features 12 dancers andone member who manages the technical aspects of the performances — music, photograph dis plays, and lights.The group and its work evolved from Alvarez's graduate thesis while attending UCLA. Contra-Tiempo strives to promote awareness of Hispanic and Latino issues. According to their brochure, the group "use[s] salsa to inter twine words, move ments, video, and mu sic to express the com plexity of resistance and struggle for Latinos and communi Contra-Tiempo performs for an audience of students from Spanish classes. The dance troupe utilized a photographic display with metaphorical dances to represent the stuggles of Hispanics in the U S. ties of color in the U.S." Several students en rolled in Spanish at tended, including those in Requel Howard's second period Level IIB and Tiffany Hamilton's Advanced Placement classes. Teacher Amy Todd also invited her Level IVstudents to attend, and several did, two of whom were se niors Juliana Melton and Mary Nash. Teachers who attended the perfor mance believed it helped students experi ence a taste of Latino culture, something quite difficult to achieve in the typical classroom setting. For instance, the group used a rope to symbol ize the border between the U.S. and Mexico as part of the performance. "This was an oppor tunity to experience firsthand Hispanic cul ture through dance. They also saw, through visual images and sym bolic dancing, some of the struggles Latinos have faced living in our country," said Howard. Although currently no plans exist for a re turn visit of Contra- Tiempo, teachers agree they want it to happen. "I would definitely take other classes to see this performance. I feel it is entertaining while still educational, which is the main objective when teaching cul ture," said Todd. The Juvenile Walk for Diabetes focuses on raising awareness among teenagers all over the U.S. Students pursue cure for ailing funds ■BY MANDY HIATT Reporter Friends and family joined together on Sat., Sept. 29, for the Walk for Diabetes. Their goals were to bring greater awareness to this devastating disease and to raise funds for finding acure by walking a few miles. Junior Emily Williams, a diabetic, called her close friends and relatives to participate on the walk in her name. Money is still arriving from Emily's group, but presently, she has raised almost 10,000 dollars. Each diabetic involved chose a name for his or her group. Participants then created their own T-shirts. Prizes were awarded for the most creative design and team name. Emily's group named itself "Emily's Army," and her shirt theme was "Stepping Up to the Challenge." Her group earned the title of Most Outstanding Team. To walk tor Emily, one had to raise 50 dollars. Donors did not necessarily have to participate in the walk itself; instead, they could choose to bring money to her team. Groups who raised the most money will be recognized at an assembly in November. Even though the Walk for Diabetes has already taken place, anyone can still collect and/or donate money to the American Diabetes Association.
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