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SEVERAL North Shore politicians and _ profes-
sionals spent part of last week watching a puppet
named Pazoo performing behind a one way

window.

By WENDY HAYSOM

ree

Pazoo, a martian, is an
educational tool at the Lions-
view Early Education Centre
preschool for mentally handi-
, capped children.

And the politicians — in-
cinding the two North Van-
couver mayors — were
among 60 or so guests who
attended the first observation
week and open house at the
school, which is tucked into a
comer of Canyon Heights

organized the weck to in-

crease public awareness of

eee

ae |

.. Children in their classroom

the schoofs program and -
facilities.

“*There are so many in the |
community who don’t know - »
anything about us,’’ she said._:
“Even some of the profes- .
sionals in the medical field .
who refer children to us, have
never visited us,’” she said.

David Northrup, who is
treasurer of the North Shore
Association for the Mentally
Handicapped, which
operates the school,- was
fascinated by the morning he -
spent watching the 12 -

“It’s a pity more people
don’t realize the amazing
work that is going on here,”’
he said.

And it may have been a
misunderstanding of the
school’s purpose, which led
to a Ministry of Human
Resources plan — now
quashed — to cut some of its
95 per cent funding to the
school.

Under a user-fee plan put
forward last fall by the
Ministry, parents would have
ended up paying $220 instead
of the $30 a month to send
their children to the school.

“*It would have closed the

The school has been a god-
send to her handicapped son.
He was frustrated by lack of
communication when he
started at the school in
September. Since then the
doors for the majority of us. family has learned sign
We simply couldn't have af- language through the school.
forded it,”” said one of the “It has been a  break-
mothers. ‘‘lt was because the through for us,”’ she said.
Ministry thought it was just a  ‘*Now he can order what he
day care situation. When wants for breakfast and he
they (the Ministry) realized can tell us about things like
this is a learning centre, they falling down in the play-
changed their minds,”’ she ground. I’m just delighted.”’
added. The three teachers and

January 30/84

ALL SALES FINAL

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three assistants at the school
who work alongside a physio-
therapist, occupational
therapist and speech therapist
who come in during the
week, emphasize the impor-
tance of language develop-
ment in a fairly structured

program.

““We have high expecta-
tions,’’ said director
McAdams ‘‘but the children
love coming to school and en-
joy themselves here.”’

Last week they weren't the
only ones... . the profession-

NEWS photo Eric Eggertsen

JOSHUA SHAKES HANDS with Pazoo the puppet. with a little help from teacher Jane Russchen. The Liousview Early
education program at Canyon Heights School gives mentally handicapped children a valuable carly start.

watching the children, were
having a good time too.

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