: are  gettinay

: Physical. activity: takes all forms including | dancing as these youngsters at Montroyal
Elementary School discover; They are having fun, while at the same time improving both
body and. mind. Latest research shows many children need more physical activity than they

. ,, See page 3 for story. [Photo credit Anne money 7 :

Page 1, N.Y. School Board Sup

- lators.the need for computa- me
-» tional skills. wa downplayed ; o :
and: abstract ‘concept’ deve- =
- lopment:and ‘manipulation of) >:
~ symbols -. received - increased /
i emphasis. _ Structure © and:
: concepts | replaced. drill and

to Education -

Students receive assistance from
adult volunteer futors.....

Senior. students. acting as”

tutors are helping learning ©.
- assistance teachers solve the”
. problem of meeting the many |
and varied needs of younger. .
students with learning: diffi-
culties. --. |
Learning assistance teach-
ers. constantly face a multi-
1ude of responsibilities, pro-
blems, challenges, frustra-
tions and = even failures,
Regardless of his/her en-

thusiasm and ‘personal, re- .

solve,. no. one:.teacher: can |
meet all the  ticeds ‘of..a
| roomful of | students. ‘But, by...
using * student tutors, the.
teachers. are finding: away
to provide one-to- one: atten:
tion for. disabled learners.

In the past,’ ‘teachers have.

rejected, this sort of pupil-to-

pupil teaching relationshi ip.
on the grounds that. ‘only:
experienced | teachers: », are”
qualified to give instruction.

Although this may be true,
so far.as new ‘concepts and |
overall education. are con-
cerned, it is not always true
that teachers are the best

guide: for’ © discrete * + skill
_ development.
‘Using . students in -the

“teaching role, the teacher
.can capitalize upon the shift
in the educational modelling ,

of children. As the child goes -

through school, his/her
modelling shifts ftom par-
ents and adult: figures to

his/her peers. In addition, .

another student can express
an abstract idea in a way that
is ..readily .. understood by. .

another student. : ‘Adults fre-
"quently. find : themselves un |

-able - to: ‘communicate ©
Simply or.so well.

Another bonus . of. this
’ pupil- -pupil. relationship is
‘that. .both students tend : to
grow: in academic. skills; They |
‘are. both in'-a ‘one-to-one:
situation: which. “maximizes
“Opportunities, for direct ex-,
. pression, feedback and.‘for. |

full participation’ and involve- ‘

ment in. the learning activity.

Many: fearning assistance

‘teachers in North Vancouver
are now using this ready-

‘made « tutorial: staff within | |

their schools. .

Care is taken ‘to ensure
that. the. tutorial Programs
are organized around |

structional goals’ based on 'f

pretesting, that the tutors
are ‘trained in
techniques, that there exists

.in the basic organization of _

the programs regular and
continuous. assessment . of.
‘progress and_ that. careful
Fecords: are. © kept.

tutors”

" Fifty-three pupils . with
special difficulties have been
‘ “assisted : by. ‘a-corps of adult.
* yvolunieer tutors this year.

“We ‘have been’ able to
expand our service to provide
for children: with problems
other than reading difficul-
ties," comments = Shirley

classrooms. :

66 a

“Jargely: to the publicity given’
-to declining. skills ‘in basic’
- arithmetic...A°

-basics”’ Movement. was born.

' closing.

tutoring ©

‘memory learning’’ “in | many.”

- BACK-TO-THE-BASICS _

In the late 60's. a. reaction’
set in to the excesses. of the:

new ‘mathematics. due

6 ‘‘back-to-the-

~In- North: Vancouver | the.
new. math’ of the. late 30's

: school ‘opening. and

The “purpose. for”

2 extended calendar i is to’ ‘allow. :
“-long-term.* ‘planning,
“Minister

McGeer.
The: fou

‘tentative | in. case there ‘are

.. any, unforeseeable. changes
-. Such:as a special: holiday.

oe . The calendar shows, school a
in: ‘session

194° days .
1978/79 and from 194 to 196

the following four years... »-

Students who have developed a hgh degree of oll in various subjects volunteer ‘to tutor:

oS the.

“said -
(Pat
. . Pupils; are. oe from

979/80' are: ie ‘called

i = ae

There | are - “two” changes.

. from: past ‘practices. Non-..

- instructional days, of which ©
dates. and’ holidays —

. ‘fora five year. period instead _
ae of the usual c one: year Period. a

‘to four a year for: teachers’ *
- professional *- - development »
‘and other: purposes, miust.be |

- ‘announced ° to” ‘parents’ by .
September 15 for the firt part
‘of the school. year. and. by ~

January 15 for the last: part.

tional days...’

‘The second | change. effec.
tive..in the 1979/80... school.

year, will. see Good~ Friday -

and: Easter. Monday” jincor-
porated into the spring break
every year. The spring. break’
is held as close as possible to

na atiay Te hehe, vere VwtEN te

Se eames

Snarevveseaitet
oF
' aaieees VS RET ee Ae teat

serena ee ‘sesewsonag ene
fi ed vanne hes

whe m Baster cate
the board: may authorize. Up In future,

~oceurs in: ‘March, the break

p reviously has been: ‘separat-
‘ed from ‘the Easter holidays: -
2 very. late.
when. Easter

will ‘begin with ‘Good. Friday;
- when it occurs in April, it will
end with Easter ‘Monday.

‘S.- return to school; October
Thanksgiving | ‘Day; -

_(Remiembrancé’ Day. falls on: PAS

Saturday). ta December 18. -
January”. 1: - Christmas he
Vacation;.’ ‘March 26 - 30 -
Spring’ Vacation;. April an
Good. Friday;. April | -
Easter Monday; | May 1
Victoria: “Day; June 29 |
school ends.

younger students. Noreen Johnson, grade MW, assists Scott’ t Ryans arade 3 in: » Argyle
Secondary Schools Tutorial Centre. |

= scind from student

Drinnan, Coordinator of the
_ Volunteer. Tutors.

**Adult.
been trained to assist hard of
hearing pupils, children with
articulation, language and
fine motor skill difficaltics.
One blind child is. also
receiving assistance on a
one-to-one basis.”’

The. Volunteer Tutoring
Program is based on the

‘volunteers ‘have ©

’

assumption. that some, ~ child"

ren. with educational

pro-
blems often. require - help
from an -adult:' ‘on an

Individual basis. This one to —
not -

one relationship. - is
feasible in regular | class-
rooms where one teacher,
must interact with 25 to 30
pupils.

Drinnan,

According to
“15 hours of in-service
training’’ is provided for

cach volunteer... Training

'

includes discussion, speak-

‘ers, role. playing, | ‘observa. |

tions ‘and practicing newly
acquired skills., Workshops
and meetings throughout the.
year ‘provide - tutors with
ongoing current instruction.

ree

Tutors work in the same
schools in which their Stu-
dent’ attend. Their main
resource person is the

school's learning: assistance
teacher, '

The,.1978/79 ‘school: calen- : ae
dar is as ‘follows: ‘September. cee