OCR Text |
Show I 4 P 0 Sun Advocate Price. Utah Thursday March 9, 2000 0 CASTLE the Castle Valley Center begins with Ann Self (far left), the Carbon president of the New Century Club, who became' interested in the education of the handicapped. She fought to organize a school for them against a lack of public interest and a reluctance to admit handicapped chilThe story of dren needed any kind of education. Self contacted local civic and service clubs for help in starting a private school for the handicapped. She started with pining public interest then personally ran a fund raising campaign for all the operating funds needed, exclusive of the tuition that was allowed in those days. Castle Valley Day Care and Training Center was officially organized on Dec. 12, 1960 by Self with a board of Dina Bayer, Garth Frandsen, C.W. Petersen, V. Edwa D Bates, Evelyn Larson, Carlos Larson and Boyd Bunnell. . First classes were held March 1, 1961 at a home located at 30 East First South, Price with eight to 10 children They used the house for over a year on temporary basis from the . county commission. The center, locally known as The Opportunity Center then moved into a more permanent building on Sep. 3, 1962. The county provided the site located at 113 South Carbon Avenue (left). They also provided the heat, lights and water! Donations and tuition from 16 students provided all else. Mission of school outlined r i ) V Effective instruction, curriculum emphasized The misskin of the Cstte Center; havingpositive regard to individual uniqueness, is to op- -. to of life and enhance the Indepenquality portunitiea S denceof individuals witii disabilities (ages to 63) living in the Carbon and Emery area by developing appropriate educational and vocational goals which ... . providing opportunities through specialized staff, tedmofogynKthOdaiadaptlveeqiilpiratraiated vice providers, parents and community The mission statement emphasizes the belief that every student, regardless of handicapping condition, can lean; that students learn in different ways; and that an environment must be provided where each Btu- dent can reach hWher fullest potential. .. All decisions made at Castle Vfclley Center mu8t align with the misskm statement The taculty and staff strive to provide instruction and activities which will be beneficial to alt Students receive instruction in ' multi, renting; wriannw, widal atndtea, languagqfenm- skills, prevocational munlcattons, music, activities, computer literacy and RE. Other activities include art, scouts, special Olympic functions, - self-he- lp ' - ' 4--H, etc. . The students work toward independence and They not only learn in academic arras, but also receive training in Independent living and vocational skills. As less help is needed, less Is given. Students understand that they must perform newly ao- -. grows quired skills without assistance. thmugti MWMipHiifflt of Parental involvement in developing and implement- Ingtlia mlaginn wMemffilt upflarf thrif iwnnwnf nl gives them ownership in the future education of their child. Parents also help develop and write the Individualized Educational PlanIndhidualized Program Plan (EEPIPP) for their child. IEFs outline plans for preschool and school age Btudents; IPPs set param-- .. eters for workshop clients over the age of22. Together, itinerant the parents, strwTftnts, personnel) discuss concerns, look at options, make prammATviailnnw, and nhnmw nppmprUto pmgwuna self-directi- . ' Self-estee- m . . haveathorough knowledge of behav-ioral modification techniques and Specialized curriculum and In- -' dividualized instruction enhance work in the classrooms at Castle Vfclley Center. Because of the na-ture of the students, teachers can-not rely entirely upon commer- clally prepared textbook series. themselves, become the development special-ists and create appropriate pro- for classroom use. In or-to do this, each teacher must have a complete understanding of typical and atypical child develop- ment, scope and sequence, and Bkill hierarchies in several areas. Outcome Based Education is the term now used for this method of instruction. All teachers are certified to in- struct severely multiply handi- capped students. Many have ere- dentials in other areas, such as learning disabilities, emotionally disabled, preschool handicapped, elementary and secondary educa-tlon. Because of outstanding com- mitment and skin, two of the teach- era and the principal have been recognized as "Utah Rural Teacher of the Year." Fbrming measurable behav- objectives and writinggoals that advance in small increments serve as the basis for teaching hi s, Willey Center. and teacher observation help formulate these goals. Teach--1 u reinforcement skills. Achievement of stated objectives shows the progress and success of the students. ' Reinforcement, a vital component In student progress, varies from mediate primary and verbal forcers to intrinsic rewards. Along rein-curricul- with reinforcement, modeling, shap-gram- s ing, overlearning transfer, and ap-der propriate correction procedures play an important role in successful instruction. Castle hlley Center has a more lndustveurriculum than found at regular schools. The needs of the students range from basic attending and sensory motor de- velopment to complex independent Uvingskills. Because of this, students need training and practice In many areas and also require exposure to new situations and experiences. Tb accommodate these needs, the staff seif-feedi- implements the recommendations of ra become proficient In usingvari- - . . . . ; ' LearoingatCastleWleyCenterreliesuponacurriculum geared toward developmental not chronological age. 'Hie abil--i ity of the student, more than hWher age, determines classroom placement. Curriculum Involves much more than academic subjects. Students require instruction in many thingB . other children learn naturally Systematic teaching of basic concepts such as over, under; through, between, wetdry tojV bottom, and fastslow becomes an important part of the cur- riculum. Other concepts addressed include decision making, generalization socialization, personal hygiene, appropriate public behavior, and lifetime leisure and recreational skills. Many special technkpiea help students learn, retain, and buDd upon acquired skills. In order for students to become partners in learning they first have to be taught how to make choices. This process takes manyyears to culminate. It begins with understanding cause and effect relationships and hopefully expands into the student becoming au integral partner in making decisions regarding hWher schooling job, and life. Because of the diverse cognitive leveto of the students, some participate more fulty in the decision making process than others. Choice making; a part of the curriculum, follows a skill hierarchy Students at the primary level of decision making choose between things such as food or drink, crayon color, . flavorofjuioe,andwhichoftwotoyBtoplaywith.Atthis8tagB, students work for Immediate, tangible reinforcement. Those at a higher level make choices in the areas of scouting; free time, spending of allowance, library books, and rewards ' they would like to work toward. The?e students receive inter- mlttent reinforcement. The students at the highest level have more Input and control in their IEPIPP goals, work situa-- . tions, leisure time activities, and independent living status. -Students now work for natural reinforcements Buch as social praise, pay checks, and self gratification. As students become more capable of maklhg choices, they have more influence in decisions that directly affect them. Their Increases and they become hisher fullest potential and become a partner in learning; therefore, contributing to the success of the schooL Right-Jane- tte Needles assists Rate Nielsen in planning his daily schedule.-Rate- activi- s lined up for him in picture form on a schedule board. They help him visualize each he will be participating in next Eventually Rate wilt be able to make that activity ties are . , - tions about what activity he wants to do when. Rate wears a helmet to protect him from seizures. His mom explained that Rate will be undergoing a new procedure at Primary Children's hospital involving the Vagus nerve stimulator, which is hoped to control the seizures. Less than 20 patients have undergone the same procedure at Primaiy Children's Berensen helps kindergarten students Caiti Lu Barff, Jonathan hospital. Below-Jea- n Valesquez and Colton Fluharty with their math assignment : , officers annual torch run, yearty.forest service overnight camping and fishing trip, Helper City Fire Departments poster contest and a Halloween party and hay ride sponsored by the Hks. A local bowling alley opens its doors twicea month for students to team and practice bowling skills. Irrfrder to provide activities beneficial to and enjoyed by these students, parental and community involvement have proven essential. trav-Castl- post-test- s, Students full partners , in learning process time society ignored children with disabilities and parents kept ttfom in the closet This scenario nb longer exists. An assortment of activities take students into their communities. Cliff Woodruff and Blaze McCormick enjoy a field trip to Thanksgiving Point last October. Other activities include a school scout troop, 4--H projects and fair, police At one al Pre-test- ous teachingtechniques to set up and ensure student success. All Community Involvement essential itinerant staff and plans excursions to help broaden students' knowledge, Students at the school have had some novel experiences. As part of a social studies activity students spon- sored a bill to the Utah State Legls-iorlature to adopt coal as the state rock. When the legislature accepted the e proposal, a few of the students elod to the Utah State Capitol to see the bill signed. The students also erected a monument at Soldier Sum-emit remembering soldiers who died there in the winter of 1861. . r i 4-- H, . I self-estee- m , v V V . |