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10 A s a teacher of children with develâ€" opmental challenges, Wendy Mcinâ€" tyre‘s job of the last 12 years has never been easy. In fact, for the most, it‘s been downright formidable. But that hasn‘t kept her from facing each day with eagerâ€" ness and opti. :ism, determined to make a difâ€" ference in the lives of the young people who need her. Because of that, Mcintyre was honored Monâ€" day evening with the W.T. Townshend Award, named for former public school board director William Townshend. The award was estabâ€" lished by the Waterloo County Principals‘ Association following Townshend‘s retirement 10 years ago "I thimk 1 have a lot of patience. And I guess you need a good sense of humor and 1 seem to have that. You know, sometimes you could cry, but it‘s healthier to laugh," Mcintyre says of her demanding job. "I seem to have the ability to understand what kids want and need when they don‘t have the verbal ability to tell you. And I‘ve always enjoyed being with kids, so that helps. It is challenging, certainly. But 1 really love facing a challenge and being successful." The Waterloo single mother of two began her teaching career at Prueter public school in Kitchâ€" ener 12 years ago in a segregated class for chilâ€" dren with severe communication and behavior problems. _ Five years ago, Mcintyre moved to King Edward public school in Kitchener, where she provided home/school support to children with Wild mushrooms have been known to the world for over 5000 years. In the 17th century, King Louis of France began the first known cultivation of mushâ€" rooms. Today, mushrooms are the third most valuable Canadian vegetable crop. They are a good source of riboflavin, niacin and vitamin D. Over 10,000 species grow in North America, however, not all of them are edible. Mushrooms don‘t have much flavor until cooked and combined with other ingredients. Stuffed mushroom caps are probably one of the easiest hors d‘oeuvres to make from scratch and the first to disappear at any party. Choose medium to large mushrooms. Clean the mushrooms with a mushâ€" room brush, a dry cloth or paper towel. If you wash them in water, dry thorâ€" oughly. Always store mushrooms in a paper bag. You can keep them for three or four days in the vegetable compartment of the fridge before they will start to ws,opensrflt\ip,onarbdirip;shet To prepare mushrooms for stuffing, pop out the stems and set aside to be used in the filling or for soup. Tidy the opening left for stuffing. Set mushroom 1 believe that recipes should be as quick and easy as possible. I‘ve chosen the following for their simplicity. Experiment and be creative because the filling I l' ; are “ < Filling 1; _ It doesn‘t get much easier than this. Fill bottom of opening with one or two pineapple tidbits Cover each opening with chopped or shredded mozzarella cheese Stuffed mushroom caps, anyone? LIFESTVLES ________ Head of the class Wendy McIntyre honored for teaching excellence Chronicle Staff learning disabilities, such as attention deficit disâ€" orders, who were integrated into regular classâ€" Now based at Rosemount public school in Kitchener, Mcintyre is an itinerant resource teacher for central Waterloo Region, and proâ€" vides support to integrated children with develâ€" opmental challenges, as well as their teachers and family members. "An integration facilitator â€" that‘s a good way to describe what I am, because what 1 do is help the teachers to not only develop behavior plans to encourage behavior that is appropriate for school, but we do a lot of program modifying so that what children are asked to do is within their ability level," Mcintyre says. "So first we deterâ€" mined what their ability level is, and then we add math skills and reading skills and writing skills. But behavior is the first thing we focus on â€" that and social relationships and communicaâ€" tion skills." Murray MacKinnon, viceâ€"principal at King Edward public school and coâ€"chair of the selecâ€" tion committee for the W.T. Townshend Award, says the honor is given to a teacher who has shown superior qualities, not only as a teacher but as a person. Principals and viceâ€"principals from public schools throughout the region annually submit nominees for the award to the selection commitâ€" tee, which subsequently determines the award "It‘s not an easy job because we get some pretty high class teachers nominated each year, and they‘re all winners," MacKinnon says. "But our mandate is to select one." recipient MacKinnon worked with Mcintyre for three of the four years she taught at King Edward school, before she left last year to take the position as an itinerant support teacher. During that time, he came to respect her as a teacher, as a leader, and as a person. "In my experience with her, she is very much the person that other staff members would seek advice from and would confide in on certain issues," MacKinnon says. "When myself or the 3 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/2 teaspoon fresh chives or parsley, chopped a shake of salt and pepper Firmly pack mushroom caps with‘ your choice of filling and bake at 350 degrees, in a preheated oven, for 20 minutes. Mushrooms will still be firm but slightly wrinkled. Toppings will have browned or melted. Place mushroom caps on a paper towel, before setting on serving platter, to eliminate excess moisturt. Filling 2: _ This is one of my favorites. Place one peeled whole garlic clove in each mushroom cap Cover with chopped or shredded mozzarella cheese Filling 3: _ Fills about 6 caps Filling 4: _ Fills about 6 caps Combine: â€" 3 tablespoons cream cheese 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple, well drained 2 tablespoons herbed cream cheese 2 tablespoons chopped mushroom stems 1/16 teaspoon salt or just a shake principal would be out of the school, she would be the one that we would have responsible for the operation of the school, knowing that her decisions would be well thought out." But it was her accomplishments with the chilâ€" dren she worked with, and the care and comâ€" passion she offered them, that weighed most in Mcintyre‘s favor. "She is the kind of person who really puts the needs of the kids up front," MacKinnon says. "Some of these children she worked with are pretty difficult children, but she has that unique ability to get through the distractions and all the other things in their tives and see the child Some of these children weren‘t always pleasant but she did not seject them or give up on them at any time. She would strive endlessly to find a strategy that was going to reach this person." Mcintyre says the rewards of her job far out weigh any difficulties she encounters in her day. "The rewards are when you‘ve given a child little more control over their environment, c given them the ability to express something the couldn‘t before," Mcintyre says. "To increase th quality of their lives, that‘s very rewarding â€" t me, anyway." . Although Mcintyre knew she had been nom nated for the W.T. Townshend Award, she di not expect to win. When she heard the news, sh was both thrilled and humbled. "I was surprised and honored," Mcintyre say "But I also find it very humbling because thet are ever so many absolutely excellent teache that I‘ve worked with. To be picked out of a these people that do such a good job, it‘s ver humbling