Center provides wnnro atmosphere ffor learraSraoj Students at the Learning Center active more than reading, writing and ,nllimatic-they are loved and a visitor at the school for the handicap-Bed handicap-Bed can't help but feel the "warm" atmosphere at-mosphere at the center. Xbe feeling of being accepted despite joe's handicap is an Intricate part of be school. "Here they don't have to hide their handicap," Shirley Wilkins, director of the school, said, while doing her weekly morning chore of filling the pop machine. .rhere is no stigma here," she iiid. "The kids get a sense of security." "Ye try to get close to all our students Hid to be as positive as possible," Mrs. f iliins said. Frequency students at the center "burst into Mrs. Wilkins' office to show lier tbeir accomplishments. ! "Oh, did you' finish this," she said to . joe of her students who came into her tfiee with an assignment where she note down numbers from one to 100. "1 "But do you know what, you left out limber 28," Mrs. Wilkins told the stu-kst. stu-kst. "Oh I'm sorry," the student respond-A respond-A 1 "it's number 28 that is sorry," Mrs. Wilkins replied. All 90 students and 16 staff members ' i the Learning Center are on a first ""lime basis. Students at the center v$e from five years to 22 years old. "A lot of times the students are roped together by ability," Mrs. Uiss said. Some of the special classes at the kl'js include crafts, woodworking, kycle repair, homemaking, and ' tiers. ! "One of our goals, where possible is to intregate the students back into the school system," Mrs. Wilkins said. "We strive to do our best, and don't accept the word can't." One of the most evident aspects of the school is the positive attitude of the staff, but yet they are firm in discipling them. Even though a student may be ready to go back into the school system, many times they are afraid. "They know they have a handicap, and because of that they are afraid to go back, so we wait until they say they are ready," Mrs. Wilkins said. Teachers at the Learning Center have to "do more than teach, they have to be a friend." "They have to explain why people make fun of them (students)," Mrs. Wilkins said. Mrs. Wilkins said she began as a volunteer at the Learning Center in 1966 when it was called the New Life Training Train-ing Center. "I thought it was unfair that these kids didn't have a school, so when I read the newspaper article that they were going to start a school, I took a course to become a teacher." Before the class was complete, all the teaching positions had been filled at the new school, so Mrs. Wilkins volunteered her time and later became a full-time teacher. When the center grew to 40 kids she quit teaching to become director of the school. Quitting teaching was "a real biggie for me, it was hard to quit." Mrs. Wilkins doesn't take credit for the secure feeling at the school, but attributes at-tributes it to her staff. "I must have the world's greatest secretary," she said referring to her secretary Margaret Adams. "It's unbelieveable the things she keeps track of." If reinstating students is any indication indica-tion of the success of the Learning Center, in 1981 ten students were back into regular school and two went to the Alternative School. Because of move-ins move-ins and outs, about a third of the school students have been shuffled since the first of the year. "Scheduling is a time consuming task," Mrs. Wilkins said. Each student is at a different learning learn-ing level and has a different schedule. When a student is absent, his lessons are kept track of so that he can catch up when he comes back, Mrs. Wilkins said. With the growing population, the Learning Center is also anticipating expanding ex-panding in the future, but one thing that concerns the staff is whether they will be as effective with more students. The school has a very structured curriculum cur-riculum with each student knowing what is required of him. "Don't get the impression that we're any warmer than any other school, but we do have more of a hands-on attitude," at-titude," said Mrs. Wilkins as she hugs two students and tells them how lucky she is to have two arms to hug them , both. Maybe the Learning Center isn't warmer than other schools, but the learning atmosphere at the center is unique ) j- -r - m r"7 .. ' i ' " , " - i' ' 1 "V L ' X- ' K r I . ' ' t - ' C k- c , V X V )Nu ,4; - cs- j i km it v !, ' ' : ft' ' .M ' r - , .; 'kj ' s "" -' - u s. j fS? . y I, & -' -x, " . , 10- ( . ' " '' J ' j- , X' - ' '' TO1.' : - " 1 ' f v - - ;,. -,.' r, ' ' '" -. t rAj Cookies delight Paul Hunting as he prepares to A? ice the goodies during his cooking class at the 0Jf Learning Center, (top) Getting Shirley" s approval f of their completed assignments are Raina Davis and Carrie Palmer, (middle) The trampoline is the i center attraction for Monica Mott and Jenie ! Winn during their lunch break at the Learning V center, (right) In Max Young's shop class Jerry I ; Shimeh maintains the center's bicycles, (above) i J i : (A - ' p "' r. j X , r ; - .! : , .-if " ' '- f ! X 1 i ' . r ) ;X x ' ( j . i . - i; L U ! ' - - ' " .f 1':. i A X - " - ,. :' ', i 'v xv. ' x - ' " li Xk H I X- : - -SJlX ) ; 1 i 1 x i . ,.-,-,vr X - ' : f ' ! prepares to J i :lass at the s approval i -; i -laina Davis , " poline is the - J and Jenie . " " ' ne Learning ? ' class Jerry :les. (above) f . ;v' ;--v ' " . ' r '. . -'1---