Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 8, 1990 TAG: 9003082069
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: YOLETTE NICHOLSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The center, only the second of its kind in Virginia, was established to help parents of children in the special education program cope with their unusual circumstances.
Chris, a West Salem Elementary student, has a reading disability.
Resource Center parent coordinator Donna Powell decided Chris was ideal for the job and under her direction, Chris designed the leaflet, titled "Piecing it All Together."
"It's a little quilt and it has figurines in it and all the L.D. symbols on it, like a rainbow, a math book, an apple, a social studies book, a door, a flag, a little candlestick, well anyway, it's really colorful," Chris said. "There was a heart in it too, and three people as parents, little stick people as parents."
Chris' learning disabilities teacher, Sheila Barber, said the drawing was especially apt in describing the purpose of the new program.
"Each piece of the quilt talks about the ways we can piece together a positive working relationship. And each little piece of the quilt represents a piece of our school and a part of the process in which children enter a special program," Barber said. "The last piece coming into the puzzle is the parents, because we want them to be involved in the process.
"Parents have challenges with having special children, they have lots of questions and a lot of the time they feel very alone with what they're going through."
Chris, who said he has been drawing since kindergarten in art class and in his free time, said he enjoyed having an artist-in-residence at his school and would have liked it if Willard Gayheart could have stayed all year.
"I like his drawings a lot," Chris said.
Chris said his drawing style is very different from Gayheart's, however.
"I draw little villages, I draw anything I want, whenever I just think of something I draw it. Like if I want to draw a department store, I'll draw a department store, whatever comes on my mind," Chris said.
Chris said Gayheart has taught him at least one thing.
"Just got to take your time in drawing," he said.
Barber said she was very proud of Chris and his accomplishments. Although Chris learned to read just last year, he already reads at a fourth grade level, she said.
"He has learned to do what he can by sheer determination and a lot of hard work," she said.
Barber encourages Chris' interest in art.
"Art is a way in which he relaxes," Barber said. "He has learned to take out his frustrations through his drawings.
"When a child has what I call a learning difference, they need an outlet. So many times these children are gifted in other areas and Chris with his art is able to relax and possibly earn a living one day," she said.
But Chris has other plans. "I want to be a lawyer," he said. "And then in my free time, I can draw."
by CNB