It's a fun day at Asbury School in Millcreek. Students and teachers are wearing crazy-colored or mismatched socks. It's all about bringing awareness to Down Syndrome.
Even Acting Superintendent William Hall joined in.
"It's fun to be involved in great activities and recognizing one of our most special populations in the district. It's a good day. It's a lot of fun," he said.
It was Karen Morahan's idea for everyone to wear the wild looking socks. Her son, John, is a kindergarten student at Asbury, and a child with Down Syndrome. She loves that the district has special one-on-one classes for John, including Speech and Occupational Therapy. She especially loves the fact that, outside of those classes, John's day is like every other student's day.
"It's just as important for John at this stage, as it is for his peers, because that's when they will learn uniqueness, and tolerance, and patience, and diversity and happiness, and really gain some special friendships as well," she said.
1,037 students in the Millcreek School District need individual education plans. That's 14% of the district's student population.
"We offer programs for folks with intellectual disabilities. Folks with learning disabilities. Speech and language disabilities. Autism. Emotional support. Those are the big areas," says Ed Neintimp, Director of Pupil Services.
Everyone who visits the school can see those students blending in with their peers. At Asbury, all students are asked to sit with someone new at lunch, or play with someone new at recess.
"At Asbury, we kind of have a culture of inclusion. It's not just something that happens in one moment in time. It's all the time," says Michelle Penna, Life Skills Teacher.
In the future, John will go to high school, and will get a job. Thanks to Asbury School, he knows all about inclusion. It's something his schoolmates have learned as well.
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