Simcoe Lions School

The Simcoe Lions School was operated as a special elementary school for the mentally challenged by the Simcoe Lions Club from 1957 until the 1970s. Until its establishment, mentally challenged people were turned away from area schools by faculty who were unable to understand their needs. In its later days, children from this school were partially integrated with the North Public School kids for the afternoon. This school was located in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Graduates from this school attended Simcoe Composite School along with children from Doan's Hollow Public School. Funding for this school was provided primarily by the Lions Club and by the local association for the mentally retarded.

Graduates from the "Simcoe Lions School" were denied most of their civil rights until the year 1989 when the mentally challenged people received the right to vote in municipal, provinicial, and federal elections. Many great teachers and principals have inspired students to become members of the "Norfolk Association for Community Living" (NACL). While they spend their time and effort being members of this program, the former students have been known to either sell concession stand food at the local arena or work at the local "McDonald's" in order to earn money. This encourages them to earn their own money instead of turning to their caregivers or the government for income. Some of the older Simcoe Lions School graduates also learn new life skills every day of their lives at a group home for the elderly rather than being stagnant in an institution where they simply learn nothing.

Certain members of the defunct "Norfolk Federation of Women Teachers" have served here as teachers and were willing to volunteer in an attempt to teach these "trainable retarded" children and allow them to graduate from elementary school.

External links

* [http://www.nacl.ca/history.html Norfolk Association for Community Living]