Capistrano Valley High School - El Gato Yearbook (Mission Viejo, CA)

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T HI THERE! — Junior Ed Lind finishes a day ' s work after making the campus beautiful. Ed ' s job as a janitor kept him very busy during ► LET ' S RAP — Mr. DeCeer teaches his stu- dents to RAP , which is a reading strategy. His learning techniques motivated his stu- dents to achieve. Picuf M(y cud tah (fowv kdfofftb ' Mt. OejGem Numbered ping-pong balls rattle and click as they tumble against each other. Players watch in hushed silence as each numbered ball pops up, checking to see if they have a winning match. It ' s the Califor- nia Lottery, right? Wrong! It ' s Mr. Mike DeGeer ' s special day class for learning disabled students at Capo. We play lottery every week with a five dollar prize, he explains, and students who an- swer bonus questions and do their home- work are eligible tor an additional two dol- lar prize. While other students may scoff at such a learning strategy, Mr. DeCeer says that with his kids, it ' s a must. It helps motivate the students to excel, he said. It ' s not all fun and games with DeCeer, however. Teaching lower level students can be extremely demanding. I have to wear a lot of hats. 1 have five classes and 1 have to find different ways to teach five different people in every one, he said. The goal of the special day program is to merge the special students ' learning and behavior with other students. And in spite of the obvious differences between his kids and others in the school, DeCeer points out that they are teenagers, the same as stu- dents in regular academic classes, and they want to be treated like everyone else. And how does he see this happening? I would like other students to talk with them and not be afraid of them. 1 want other students to realize that these kids are per- haps more sensitive and often feel embar- rassed about their disabilities, too. ■ HEY, THAT ' S GREAT - Sophomore Adam Thornfield daydreams about somewhere far far away. Daydreams helped pass the time away for some students when in class. Special Offerings 117

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f uei Mlgml fo v p i d Ed The direction in wliich education starts a man will determine his future life, —Plato Kou may have seen junior Ed Lind after school picking up trash in the hallways. Watching him work one may not notice that Ed has muscular dys- trophy and is learning handicapped. Because of his handicap, Ed will nevei learn to read or write and concepts mus be repeated over and over in order fo him to learn and remember. Mrs Downs, his mom, says, Sometimes I ge ' frustrated because I want him to do it. But by watching him and by seeing the things he does he gives me hope. There are many things to realize about Ed and other learning disabled students. Mrs. Downs believes that, Kids with handicaps are extremely special people. If people would recognize their work and effort it would help them to contin- ue and excel. I think it is unfair that kids like Ed are not recognized because they are not in regular classes. Ed and the kids in his class work three or four times as hard. Ed maintains an A-B average in his fa- vorite classes of machine and auto shop. I ' m learning about car engines and I ' m taking them apart and putting them back together, Ed said. I like to work on cars and get dirty. It is kind of fun for me. In addition to auto shop, Ed started working as a janitor last year and likes holding a job. I worked five days a week all summer. I was really busy. Since he came to Capo as a freshman Ed has developed a positive attitude and has really grown and improved. Mrs. Downs stated, Ed is doing 80° o better. I have seen a lot of growth since Ed started working. His auto and machine shop class have made a big difference. In school, Ed now recognizes letters in addition to his other achievements. I have learned how to add and subtract and use the computer. I like all the graphics and stuff, he said. Although Ed really enjoys school, there are some things he dislikes about it. I don ' t like it when the kinds make a mess on the carpet because then I have to pick up the trash. Of the students Ed says, I don ' t like alcohol and drugs. I say to the kids using drugs that they are doing the wrong thing and they will ruin their lives. On some days Ed has problems walk- ing and his feet hurt because of his mus- cular dystrophy. In the future he may have surgery which could help him. But right now, Ed is very excited about gra duating next year. When I graduate I will remember everything I learned. At first I didn ' t know what to expect but now everything is a-okay. Ed also shares some common goals with many other Capo students. For his plans after graduation Ed says, I want to learn how to drive. I also would like to find me a job and live on my own. Ed is a very concerned and loving per- son. He is close to his family and Mrs. Downs shared one of the special things they do together. We take our Christ- mas cards and Ed draws a card each night and then we pray for that person. Ed is very compassionate and he cares so much. While Ed is special, he ' s typical of many of the students in Special Offer- ings. The Resource Specialist Program is an educational alternative for students with learning disabilities. Learning Cen- ter and Independent Study are also geared toward meeting students person- al and mdiudiKil n. ' cds lor thoir best possible h irninu I ' viJciirrK ■ A OH! WHAT ' S THAT ANSWER? Senior Stacey Etheredge pauses to ponder a ques- tion on her homework assignment. Stu- dents wfio completed their homework were placed in a weekly drawing for a $2.00 prize. ► WOW! REALIY? Junior Nati Perez is in tune with Mr. DeCeer ' s lecture. Mr. De- Ceer made learning fun and exciting for his students. 116 Special Offerings

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P(jm vTo fiflt It ' s not whether you win or lose, it ' s how you play game! Charlie Brown ' s earnest excuse for blowing yet another baseball game doesn ' t quite comply with Capo ' s tradition of athletic excellence, for we play the game very well. Although our teams belong to the tough South Coast League, the Cougars have always been competitive. Most of our teams reached CIF - waterpolo, swimming, tennis, surf- ing, basketball , and in what was supposed to be a rebuild- ing year for football, they, too, managed to advance into post-season action. Given the overwhelming success and winning tradition of Cougar athletics, it ' s not surprising that some 1000 of us participate in 22 sports, ranging from track and field with over 250 participants to golf with only 20. A few out of the thousand may have the potential and ability to pursue athletics in college and perhaps even at the professional level, but most participate knowing that they will never be recruited by UCLA or offered a scholarship to Penn State. But still they practice as diligently as the stars, and even though they warm the bench, they had their moments of glory, even if it was during garbage time. For both stars and the Waterboys, participation in sports bred discipline. Eight o ' clock Saturday morning practices and long bus rides for away games stretched our dedication and will power beyond the normal capacity of a flaky teen. Whether as participants or as spectators. Capo learned to win, to lose, and to be proud of its dominance in the world of sports. So, Charlie Brown, maybe it is how you play the game that counts, but winning and losing are important lessons for us to learn. Why do you think we keep score? 118 Sports