Al4 - Sanday, April 11, 1982 - North Shore News By OLGA RUSKIN The purpose of the school system in B.C. hasn't been defined as yet but a senior Ministry official Bob Overgaard, Director of Curriculum Development, hopes that Minister of Education, Brian Smith, will define this soon in a mandate statement promised since last fall. Overgaard was speaking to over 400 teachers, -sub- stitutes, guests, parents and trustees at a recent West Vancouver Professional Day. He pointed out that the school curriculum has ex- : greatly to cover a diverse number of courses in recent years. As well, more students are staying in high school longer. In the 1920's around 52% of the Grade 8 population reached Grade 11 while in 1972 over 90% of the Grade 8’s went on to Grade 11, he explained. Overgaard stated it would be helpful to have a clear definition as to what the schools should teach. He said that high schools have been preparing students to go on to university though statistics show that on a province-wide basis only 12% of the high school population goes on to uni- versity. (A member of the sudience later pointed out that West Vancouver has three times the provincial rate of students going on to ‘university.) If post secondary training was taken into account, up to 40% of the high school students. went on to these institutions. “Our curriculum, which is directed towards sending our students to university, should be designed towards this end.” What the future trends will be in the 1980's are hard to predict, Overgaard said. “Many think that the future of education lies in com- puter literacy.” But he pointed out that computer programming requires a basic knowledge of the structure. of an English sentence which some Students find difficult to grasp and so will find it difficult to use a computer. One of the changes that has occurred over the past few years is that “parents are enormously vocal” and write letters to the Minister of Education. The purpose of this Professional Day, said co- ordinator Ralph Wallace, was to focus on the new directions in curriculum and how to implement them. Eighty workshop hours were offered including such topics as composition strategies, women’s studies, new sewing techniques, primary nutrition, teaching strategies for secondary math con- cepts. IN THEIR EASTER BONNETS are (left to right) Gertie Todd, M.C. of the annual Memorial Community Centre easter bonnet parade, Miss North Shore Jan McKim, and prize winners Clyde Nichols, Violet Baird, Joyce Cameron, Jessie Patton, and Eve Hoskins. (Terry Peters photo) DOES YOUR CHILD have trouble paying attention? Does he have trouble spelling. often getting words back wards, or getting Ietters the wrong way around? Is he clumsy, or unpredictabic. with left-right confusion, an cratic word memory? Does he have trouble paying attention to parents or teachers? If your child shows one or more of these symptoms it is possible he is learning disabicd. Such disabiliues affect approximately three per cent of children on the North Shore says Margaret Dawson of the North Vancouver Association for Children with Learning Disabilitics. She stresses that these children are not retarded but have a minor brain dysfunction which can be minimized with the proper teaching methods. Instead of being “made to fecl ai failure” Dawson stresses children be en couraged to “improve their self image - that's the thing ~ She feels it’s the parents who will spot' problems in thetr own children before teachers do. To this end, the association is sponsoring a lecture at their = regular meeting Wednesday. April $4at7:30p.m. Guest speaker will be Anneliese Robens a psychologist who has been a teacher and now trains school psychologists and counsellors. With 20 years experience with disabled children and their famihes, she will speak on “Is Your Child Learning Disabled?” Interested parents, professionals, and the public are invited to attend SKYLINE WAREHOUSE SKI & SPORTSWEAR CLEAROUT! | — Public Welcome — MOURS. Veet Pry *ASTERCHARGE VIS Ae » AME RIC & 12-7? om (Sat 9- NE APRE 324 East Esplanade, North Van. rer arr rare oe ghee abe eeeaee MOUNT VERNON, Ili. (UPI) - Linda Byron arrived at her home to find a brown paper sack on her doorstep with a note pinned to the outside that said: “Don't throw away. Molly Elizabeth inside.” Miss Byron, who had just arrived home Tuesday from her job as a lab technician at Good Samaritan Hospital, found a newborn baby girl inside the bag. She made a quick trip back to the hospital with her discovery. With a name-tag bracelet around her ankle, “Molly Elizabeth Doe” was listed in good condition later Tuesday in the hospital's pediatric department. “She's a beautiful little girl - beautiful complexion with What should schools teach? _ Fragile: baby inside dark brown hair,” hospital spokeswoman Barbara Miles said. “She weighs a little over 5 pounds and a nurse says she has big feet,” said Mrs. Miles. “The nurses are all vying for her attention and there have been a lot of offers to take her home.” She said Miss Byron had no idea who might have left the baby on her doorstep. The note indicated the baby had been born at 9 p.m. Monday and said “Take good care of her,” said Mrs. Miles. Police Chief Ron Massey said the Department of Children and Family Ser- vices had taken custody of the child and was investiga- ting the case. t Enusmmerator in your area. if you werent home. we left a registration form for you to complete and return. if ‘re le and have not yet maited your completed form, please do so. If, for some reason have been missed. please contact your nearest Registrar of Agent. foters or Government Onty by compteting and returning your registration form can you ersure that you wil be inctuded on the new provincial voters list 2735 Cambie Street Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 2V4 Phone: 872-0111 Province of Deputy Registra: General of Voters British Cotumbia Elections Branch French Restaurant 1373 Marine Drive, West Vancouver 926-4913 OINNE R Tuesaday thru Sunday LUNCH Tuesday thru F niday 1 BRUNCH Sunday ee ee 6 1tOoMmM am 11 / 10pm i ae RL TS