Are You Stupid?

by Ophir Avidan and Sarit Tzikashvilli

Amal Aleph Comprehensive School, Ramla

Do you write with many spelling mistakes? Do you have trouble expressing yourself in writing?
Does your handwriting look like a disaster? Does the sentence, "You have ability, but you are not
doing anything with it," sound familiar? When you read aloud in class, does it sound like an 8
year old is reading in your place?

If the anwer to any of these questions is yes, then you may have a Learning Disability (LD). It is
not a disease, nor is it a brain defect. It is just a definition of certain difficulties in the processing
of information. No one knows for sure what causes these problems. It is very important to keep
in mind that most people with LD's have average or above average IQ's. Their success for failure
in school depends upon locating their problem and getting them suitable treatment; such as tutors
who specialize in LD and relief at school - more time for tests, oral tests, an abbreviation of
moteral for tests, etc.

A lot of people with Learning Disabilities have completed advance degrees (BA, MA, PhD). In
Amal Aleph, there are even teachers with learning disabilities. Amy Gelbart, English teacher,
remembers doing very poorly until she learned to handle her LDs in high school. "I had a very
hard time back then. But I completed a B.A. and even a Masters degree!" Yehudit Freedman, a
history and Torah teacher, shares her experience: "I have learning disabilities, especially in
English. In high school, I had terrible handwriting and spelling mistakes in Hebrew and in
English. I was diagnosed only a few years ago, before I got my B.A. Even though I have learning
disabilities, I succeeded in getting my degree."

A lot of people who made history had learning disabilities. Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill
and even Ehud Tennenbaum, the "analyzer" who broke into the U.S. government's defense
computer system.

LD's can be expressed in different ways. Every subject has its own name. In reading, learning
disabilities are called "dyslexia," in math they are called "dyscalcolia," and in writing they are
called "dysgraphia."

Only a professional can determine which learning disability you have and what the best approach
to cope with the problem is. "In Amal, there are about 96 students diagnosed with LD's. Students
with learning disabilities cannot get grades that reflect their true potential unless they have been
diagnosed and are being helped. This can cause a great deal of frustration. Some students get
failing grades as a result. However, there are also students who have difficulties, but still manage
to get average grades," said Miri, 10th grade guidance counselor.
If you have any questions, go talk to one of Amal's counselors. They are always willing to listen,
give advice and help out. You won't be disappointed.
Should we or shoudn't we? Drugs in Amal

by Na'ama Hagay and Ravit Mayost, Amal Aleph Comprehensive School, Ramla

Drug abuse has become a very widespread phenomenon nowadays. In Israel, it has been
increasing since the Six Day War, which brought about a lowering of prices and easier access. In
western countries, it has been increasing as one of the symptoms of the rebellion of youth.
Society strongly opposes this phenomenon and it tries to spot the drug abusers and punish them.

There are a number of reasons why people take drugs. Drug users often come from broken, lower
class families, but there are also others from rich and middle class families. The former do it in
order to escape from their miserable lives and the grim reality in which they live. They are bored
because they have everything and they have no goals to achieve, so they look for new
experiences and a new interest in life.

A drug abuser goes through three stages. First, he enjoys his new situation and considers himself
lucky because he can get "happy" whenever he chooses to. Then, he realizes that he needs the
stronger drugs that cost a lot. At this stage, he cannot function without the drugs, so he shivers,
shouts and cannot control himself. In the next stage, the drug abuser is a seriously sick person.
His inner organs no longer work. Irreversible damage has been done and the addict will sooner or
later die.

Drug addicts can be saved if they are spotted in time. Attempts to help abusers withdraw from
drugs have been made in mental hospitals. However, only 2% of the patients succeed in quitting.
Effective treatment costs a lot of money because the addicts must be kept in special centers for
long periods and given very expensive medical care. Most of the families cannot raise such huge
sums of money and they seek the help of society.

We found out in a survey of 10th graders that drugs don't have a serious significance in our
school. A lot of students answered, "I have never used drugs." The students in our school care
about what is going on around them.

When asked the question what would they do if they found out their friend was using drugs, one
10th grade student answered, "I will tell his parents." Another student said, "First of all, I will go
directly to him and talk about the implications of using drugs. If that does not help, I will to to a
responsible authority."
Do people use drugs for social reasons? According to our survey 33% of the girls answered that
people do use drugs for social reasons, while 36% of the boys answered that they do not. One
math teacher said, "I think that people use drugs because of social pressure or because of
personal problems." A Hebrew literature teacher said that people use drugs because they want to
be cool.

From the survey, we conclude that despite the negative media attention that Ramla gets as a city
with a drug problem, the students of Amal Aleph say "NO" to drugs.