Chugiak High School - Babiche Yearbook (Chugiak, AK)

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Special Ed Mentors Are Special Many of the students and faculty who have httle to do with the Special Education Department fail to realize just what a special type of education it really is. Chugiak ' s 1984-85 Special Education teachers helped others to un- derstand the fact that kids who take special classes are very rarely of lower intelligence than their peers. Instead, they are exceptional people who happen to have different learning abilities. This can range from learning more quickly to learning more slowly. Either can be extremely hard on a teenager. Gifted students can become frustrated and upset with the teachers who go over material too slowly for them. They are sometimes ostracized ' by their classmates because they catch on to things more easily. They often give up on school, become class clowns, or coast along on straight A ' s without bothering to put more effort into their classes than is strictly necessary to main- tain grades. On the other side of the coin are students who learn more slowly. They can be too easily discouraged by peers who seem to grasp a subject instantly. These kids may struggle for hours and still not understand. Many times, though, it just takes a patient teacher and a different manner of presenting material to turn a slower student into a star student. In fact, kids who have problems learn- ing may have the best comprehension of a subject once they catch on. Knowledge dearly come by doesn ' t just slip away. There are also special education students who just have problems in one area. It might be math or science, English or social studies, or anything. Students may be well-rounded, but there is always some area which needs improvement. A major part of a special education teacher ' s job IS to help out in problem areas, and to help students and their peers adjust to each other. ABOVE: Helen Boehm smiles over her work: beside her, a student snoozes. LEFT: With baited breath. Mrs. Gould watches to see how a .■student ' s project is turning out. TOP LEFT: Contemplating a slack of homework papers, Mr. Sampson sips his coffee. Special Educaiion

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ABOVE: Mrs. Lyon raises an eyebrow and purses her lips appraismgly as she looks over a particularly creative paper. TOP: Mr. Wells grins knowingly as Armand Ruffin regales him with the tale of how he lost his homework. RIGHT: With interest, Mr. Schulz reads an essay written in one of his Work-Study English classes. Special Education

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Elect ives Variate Student Schedules Elective classes added variety and diversity to student ' s schedules at CHS. Enrollment in elective classes was very good according to Mrs. Barbara Kelly. Typing, for- eign languages, and choir continued to be chosen most often. One of the most popular departments, foreign languages, steadily gained momentum. The increased demand was probably due to more students becoming aware that uni- versities and colleges expected students to have at least two years of a foreign language for entrance. Mrs. Flor- ence Pearson was very pleased with the CHS students at the Alaska State Foreign Language Declamation Contest. In the French I category, Kyle Reynolds took second place and Rick Goodwin took third in Spanish 5. Choir is always a popular choice and Mrs. Shirley Letcher had her schedule full with five vocal classes per day. The well known Chugiak Esquires made a prestigious excursion to Hollywood in April of ' 85 to compete in the National Performance Choir Competition. The Chugiak Esquires placed 8th out of 22 choir presentations and Mrs. Letcher couldn ' t have a more talented group. Added equipment in the elective department included new word processors in the business department, Mr. Fiske along with other drafting teachers were happy to see the woodworking department become computerized. The variety of elective classes was tremendous and Mrs. Kelly felt that the departments were well prepared to handle the increased demands in the future. OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP LEFT: Smiling approv- ingly at one of his ca- dets, Mr. Bradley awaits his next class. TOP RIGHT: Mr. Dave Christy. CE NTER RIGHT: Going over the day ' s schedule, Mr. Chip Taylor calculates the band ' s progress. BOT- TOM RIGHT: After a long day with ROTC classes, Mr. Houk antici- pates 2:00. BOTTOM LEFT: Keeping the class in perfect rhythm, Mrs. Leffingwell is at- tune to the orchestra ' s pitch. CENTER LEFT: Explaining the basic techniques of drafting, Mr. Fiske waits for questions. THIS PAGE TOP RIGHT: Assisting Stacy Belmudes and Amy Mascott. Mr. Jack Taylor shows the prop- er procedure for typing a business letter. BOT- TOM RIGHT: Helping a photo student, Mr. Cre- sap demonstrates how to load a camera. RIGHT: Mrs. Una Ker- nodle. 8.2 Electives I