OCR Text |
Show T "V. WdV '. StF.i C1 UINTAH BASIN STANDARD. November 13. 1985, education students with behavioral problems .... Special education programs are designed for many types of students. Some will lean more slowly in school; others need special materials and instruction to progress in basic skill areas. Some are upset, angry, depressed and fad up with school, usually avoiding classes by Bluffing and truancy. These students may or may not have difficulty learning in regular classrooms, but the experience shows, that they have not been very successful in the past The Thompson School (formerly North School) wee designed to help these students become more effective learners by. individualizing their lessons, proand supportive viding strict structure at school and counseling them and their. parents that success is possible if they decide to change their behavior. Like-al- l other special programs, the goal is to return the students to the regular classes .possible. Class sizes at Thompson School cannot be larger than 12 and, currently, students spend one-- . half day there and one-haday at their regular school. Urey must earn their way out of the school by demonstrating acceptable behavior and completing academic work. Graduation credit can be earned at the school. Programs like this have proven effective with behavior disordered students, and it is important for ell of us to understand why they are necessary. Behavior problems arise from many sources. Their roots can be found in homes that neglect and reject children as well as those who give in to e child's every demand. Some students are upset, angry and resistant when they begin schooL The only attention they regularly receive ia negative, and they seek it out through misbehavior rather than suffer the agony of being ignored totally. Once this pattern begins, they may become locked into habits which others . begin to . lf ' Concerns about kid's homework fi. Explain to your child in no uncertain terms you support the program totally. They will follow yur lead and try harder to v improve. & Tell your child you are proud of him as a learner and ao will others if he trie his best in chool, regardless of how quickly or slowly he learns. expect and they themselves are afraid to give up. Some children sail through elementary desses quite successfully but have incredible difficulties dealing with the expectation of more independent behavior at the junior and senior high level. Tom in some biochemical changes at puberty and the instinctual need to develop an identity at this .time and you have a student willing to take amazing risks and show poor social judgment. Rather than imply expelling auch students as was done years ago, our schools today are set up to support and help them on the road back to acceptable behavior. Identifying behavior disordered children as early as possible, working with than on a personal basis in the Resource Programs and helping parents to better understand and manage them are the seeds of prevention. To conclude this article on special education, consider these suggestions about what to do if your child is referred for special If 7. . friends or relatives question you about your child's program, answer them with facts and the pride that you are doing everything possible to help him learn the most he m. Duchesne County Schools are proud of ell their apodal programs. They have a right to be proud of them they work. If vou would like to know more about them, call Bill Lewis, Director of Special Education 1 ), or Larry Szaraniec, School Psychologist Karon Brown, Director of Con Amore Center or Jane Thompson, Director of Thompson School very (722-210- . 7388-2411- (722-2101- ), (722-349- (722-5851- Paga 19 Please dont call Susan on the telephone during the week, because she really doesnt have time to talk to you. A shea in classes until about 3 p.m. Then shes off to rehearsals for the school play. Some afternoons she has meetings of the German Club. And Susans a flutist in the school orchestra. Typically, she arrives home at about 6 p.m. each day. Then she helps Mom with supper, helps with the dishes and sometimes tends her younger brothers and sisters. Often, its 8 or 9 p.m. before she can sit down to do her homework. How important is homework anyway? Its a question thats been getting a lot of attention during the current wave of school reform. Several of the "blue ribbon committees reporting to the public cm schools argue tor more homework. Some kids actually say they want more homework. More than 82 percent of top students who responded tto a recent poll agreed that homework ia necessary to the learning process. ninth-grade- r, m m But how much homework should a teacher assign students? How long should a student be expected to toll with homework Do students get assignments? enough time with their families? Will staying up until 11 p.m. every night be more valuable to d and Susan than being alert in school die next day? Is seven hours a day in classes demanding enough? Were in a . period when well-reste- students and teachers are hearing demands for more homework. Yet were also living in a time when kids have less time for it. More and more students have part-tim- e jobs after school. The increasing number of families places more household responsibilities on kids. Many youngsters have private ballet, two-inco- music, gymnastics and the are changing. Maybe traditional attitudes about homework are changing, too. All its problems and benefits need to be considered by people such as Susan, her parents, her teachers and people on blue ribbon schools -- committees. ' . GDastoffi PfeBD help: 1. Keep an open mind. Listen to the reason for referral and ask all the questions you can about test results and observations with the teachers and echoed psychologist. 2. If you have heard rumors about various programs, feel free to discuss them with the school personnel. Chances are good you do not yet know the truth but rather someone's opinion with which you might disagree once the facta are known. 3. Your child will change only for the better if involved in a special program. This is true because, by law, parents are required to help define and develop the plan for their child. We respect your concerns and want your input 4. Once your child is placed in a special program, keep in dose touch with his special and regular class teachers. Ask about pro. gross being made and how you can help. ' ? : lili'ij:. V i, - .. ilfW Hd . nj f.frt.Jfl Ci Jj8 yji(M6 ;'ri Ji . ' I'l'i ' la the backiof The Choice Is Yours! FACT: Since 1965, UINTAH and DUCHESNE COUNTIES (In 1984 Dollars) Serving PROPERTY TAX to the CENTRAL the Uintah Basin in 2 TOP STOP Food Store locations. WEST HIGHWAY have paid 40 Roosevelt $9 MILLION In Mode-O-Da- EAST HIGHWAY Vernal 789-829- 722-994- 0 40 2 UTAH WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT For The CENTRAL UTAH PROJECT We're spending OUR MONEY to eend OUR WATER to the WASATCH FRONT USERS and TAXPAYERS will pay for EXPENSIVE WATER "The Bonneville unit of the CUP hen economic nightmare. Were FACT: WATER following the senseless policy of developing the most expensive water first" Jon R. Miller, Dept, of Economice, Univ. of Utah : FACT: There are ALTERNATIVES to EXPENSIVE CUP WATER. Water needs for Central Utah and for the Wasatch Front can be met well Into the next century with less costly and more efficient technology a FACT: Tuesday, the CENTRAL UTAH WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT wants you to commit yourselves to Next ; YEARS OF PROPERTY TAX 50so that can be sent where it's YOUR WATER NOT NEEDED The CENTRAL UTAH WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT recently in an attempt spent $20,000 of taxpayer's money to print 90,000 brochures live without the CUP. to convince these same taxpayers that they can't FACT: They would like for YOU to continue to help them by throwing GOOD money after BAD. Will you trust them? VOTE AGAINST THE CUP REPAYMENT CONTRACT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH I? . we 701? STORES |