Friday, September 26, 2008

History of the Prince of Wales GOLD Program

Towards the close of the 1980s, Corinne Bees, an energetic, idealistic, and visionary teacher realized that she was seeing many very intelligent and incredibly creative adolescents struggling with school due to difficulties in matching their unique learning needs to the school system. She created a program at Prince of Wales Secondary, which she called "GOLD". GOLD stood for "gifted over learning-disabled".

Under her leadership over the following fifteen years the program flourished, eventually enrolling 30 students from grades 8-12.

Corinne was a strong advocate for her students--tirelessly active in her efforts to try to help people (teachers, parents, students, administrators, GOLD students) understand the unique profile of the individuals enrolled in her program. This is a role she has not relinquished to this day, as she continues, despite her retirement from teaching, in her efforts to increase acceptance and understanding.

As Corinne eased into retirement, she shared the position of GOLD Teacher with Suzanne Amenta, who eventually assumed the reins in 2003-4. Suzanne held the position for two years, until taking maternity leave in 2004-5.

Chris Bromige, who had worked for three years with the GOLD program under Corinne as an assistant, assumed leadership as the GOLD Teacher in September of 2005.

In the spring of 2006 the Prince of Wales GOLD Program celebrated the birth of the second program hosted by a public secondary school designed around the needs of the "twice exceptional" or GLD population--David Thompson GOLD helmed by Janet McCarron.

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