----- Original Message -----
From: "Ka30P"
Newsgroups: rec.ponds
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 12:52 PM
Subject: OT Education was new Harry Potter film

Kathy in our seperate highschools there is a world religion studies course
option in either grade 11 or 12. I know I saw it in my son's course guide
book and we talked a little about it. He is thinking he may take it in one
of those years...


We had a Compartive Religions class in my USA high school. Also a very
good
class, very small with only interested kids attending so it was an
easy/challenging class for the teacher to teach.
Nothing offered like that in my teen's high school today. Though they do
have
an alternative religions club.

As a Mom to 2 identified students I can tell you with certainty that
there
is no savings to be made in the area of special education.

Another subject near and dear to mine heart as the mother of a dyslexic
8th
grader. Though he has had excellent teachers, they are overwhelmed with
the
number and scope of all the students that come their way. Luckily I had
the
time, money and the skill (not being dyslexic myself) to supplement his
education. We could use triple the dollars for the programs and still need
more.


Been there, done that and pray I don't have to do it again! ;o) My oldest is
diagnosed with learning disabilities, central auditory processing disorder
(CAPD) and also has visual processing issues. I cringe when I think about
how much money we've spent, he's also had extensive occupational therapy at
school as well as worked with a speech-language therapist. He also wears an
FM system at school for all his classes. My middle kiddo is actually a
gifted learner (go figure!) and my youngest is incredibly similar to her
older brother. She also has CAPD and was speech delayed. She was enrolled in
a special class for SK where she spent a half day in a regular classroom and
the other half with a speech language therapist.


The other thing I noticed has changed is the whole second language issue.
We
started French in grade eight when I was in school in Canada. A Canadian
friend has her daughter starting in kindergarten. Here foreign language is
offered, Spanish only, as a supplemental class in middle school. All
college
bound students must have two years in high school.


Our kids now start learning french in juniour kindergarden.It's been this
way in my board for 9 years. My middle kiddo is in grade 7 and was the first
year. My brother is completely bilingual (thanks to living in Paris for 2
years, not school) and my kiddo can hold a conversation with him. My
youngest, even with her language difficulties is actually quite
conversational in french as well. Our kids must take french all the way
through elementary and must have 1 french credit to graduate highschool.
Janet in Niagara Falls who thankfully missed the doosy storm today!


kathy :-)
A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A