Vol. 119 No. 20
THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889
May 18 - May 24, 2008
The
SEPA] AS POST.
SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS AND LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL
DISTRICTS
+ Developmentally disabled young women
benefit from "Circle of Friends" program.
By REBECCA BRIA
rbria@timesleader.com
When Megan Deubler saw her younger broth-
er, Zach, move away to school, she wanted to go,
too. But, because she has Down syndrome and ce-
rebral palsy, college was not an option for the
young girl.
Or so she and her family thought.
7 Deubler, 24, of Lehman Township,
& I wanted to graduated on May 17 from the Circle
go because | of Friends program at Misericordia
University. The program is an on-
wanted to be campus transitional program for
full-ti young women who have developmen-
a -UIME {5 disabilities. The women must be
student and between the ages of 18 and 23 when
they begin the program.
take actual “I wanted to go because I wanted to
be a full-time student and take actual
classes. That classes,” Deubler said. “That was my
goal. It feels great that I did accom-
was my goal. plish it.”
The Circle of Friends program was
It feels great the idea of Dr. Susan Sordoni, a Mi-
that I did ac- sericordia alumnus and parent of a
. 7s; 5» young woman with a developmental
complish IL.” disability. Sordoni, of Harveys Lake,
- Megan Deubler approached the college president
about the need for such a program
and the Circle of Friends began in the fall of 2002
as a commuter program. One year later, it was
converted into a residency program so the wom-
See CIRCLE, Page 11
CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/FOR THE DALLAS POST
Megan Deubler plays with her dog “Ariel” at
her Lehman Township home. Deubler recently
finished the Circle of Friends program at Miser-
icordia University. The on-campus residential
program teaches young women with devel-
opmental disabilities independent living skills
and provides educational and social activities
in a college setting.
Ross Elementary hosts Earth Day events
By REBECCA BRIA
rbria@timesleader.com
McKenzie Connors hopped
along in her sack with all her
might, collecting pieces of “gar-
bage” in her lane as she went for-
. The 6-year-old emptied the
“garbage” into a bin and hopped
back to her classmates in Tracey
Long’s kindergarten class with a
smile on her face.
“It was hard because I was
bouncing my legs and they start-
ed to get tired,” Connors said.
“And I almost fell down. I like it
whenever I jump.”
The race was part of Earth Day
activities on April 25 at Ross Ele-
mentary School in which all chil-
dren in the school participated.
dd
Teachers devised activities for
the event and students in each
class rotated among the different
activities.
“It gives the kids an opportuni-
ty to reflect on what Earth Day is
about,” James said. “It gives
them a chance to get outdoors
and participate in hands-on activ-
ities.”
James says this year’s weather
on April 25 was the nicest they
have had for Earth Day events.
Highs on April 25 climbed into
the 70s under clear skies.
“This is my very first one
(Earth Day at Ross) so it’s an awe-
some feeling to watch the kids en-
joy themselves on a day like this,”
See EARTH DAY, Page 9
CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE DALLAS POST
Sixth-grade students listen to the “Food for Thought’ presenta-
tion as part of Earth Day activities on April 25 at Ross Elem.
CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE DALLAS POST
Students in Kelly Cave’s Research Writing classes at Lake-
Lehman Junior/Senior High School are equipped with state of
the art technology through Classrooms for the Future state
grant. Cave says students’ grades have noticeably improved in
all of her classes since her classroom received the technology.
New technology
for LL students
‘Classrooms for the Future
’
equips school with laptops
By REBECCA BRIA
rbria@timesleader.com
For some Lake-Lehman stu-
dents, school has never been so
much fun.
Thanks to a “Classrooms for
the Future” state grant of over
$200,000 this school year, eight
classrooms at Lake-Lehman Ju-
nior and Senior High School
have been equipped with tech-
nology, including 24 student
laptop computers, one teacher
laptop computer and an interac-
tive promethium board.
The school also received vid-
eo, digital and Web cameras.
Students in Kelly Cave’s Re-
search Writing classes utilized
the technology
to create pod-
casts to pro-
mote the Socie-
ty for the Pre-
vention of Cru-
elty to Animals
(SPCA). Pod-
casts are MP3
audio files
posted on the
Students work on their pro-
bored as easily in regular class-
rooms.
Ninth-grader Jamie Aldrich
likes that he can interact with
what Cave is teaching instead of
just staring at a chalkboard.
Claire Sesson, a ninth grade stu-
dent, feels the computers allow
her to work at her own pace.
Freshman Nikki Snyder says
the way the class uses the com-
puters is what makes it so spe-
cial.
“It’s different because we're
using the computers in a differ-
ent way than we normally do,”
Snyder said.
“Instead of just typing papers
and surveys, we make podcasts
and videos. With the technology
advancing in
the modern
world, we're
advancing
with it.”
Prior to tak-
ing the Re-
search Writ-
ing class,
many of the
students did
omer foie jects with laptop computers. BL eyen aon
to and can be “Instead of just cast was.
downloaded . Cave says
onto a comput- typing papers and this new tech-
er, iPod or oth- surveys, we make nology will
er mobile de-
help them in
vice: podcasts and vid- collese and
Currently, eos. With the tech- their careers.
the students In addition
are helping the
or video ver-
nology advancing
SPCA by creat- in the modern
ing vodcasts, orld we're ad-
to their re-
search on the
SPCA, Cave’s
students held
sions of pod- vancing with it.” a monetary
Saves, admin Nikki Snyder and Sods
documentar- Freshian ve for the
ies. In the fu- organization.
ture, they will The students
make mini Wikis, Web sites or
similar online resources which
allow users to add and edit con-
tent collectively.
The students will build mini
Wikis on various topics relating
to the SPCA, animal testing, ani-
mal cruelty, the use of animals
in circuses and animal cloning.
Cave says students’ grades
have noticeably improved in all
of her classes since her class-
room received the technology.
“It's amazing the difference
having the technology now,”
Cave said.
“I see a total turnaround in
my students. It’s almost as if
they’re learning without realiz-
ing it.”
The students say they look
forward to Research Writing
class because the technology
makes it more enjoyable and in-
teractive. They do not become
were required to each solicit
three businesses for donations.
They opened the drive up to
the entire school and Lake-Leh-
man School District to collect as
many resources as possible.
Eight more classrooms will
be equipped with the new tech-
nology through the “Class-
rooms For the Future” grant
next year.
Rebecca Bria, a staff writer for The
Dallas Post, can be reached at
970-7436.
0981512007 98g
oo