Teacher’s report card shines

from the Boston Herald by Margery Eagan:
Tonight at the Shubert Theatre, the Boston Public Schools will recognize 11 extraordinary teachers.
Among them is Amy Gailunas, a second-grade teacher for 18 years at Dorchester’s Henderson Inclusion School, a rare school where children of all abilities learn together. That means the gifted and talented read alongside children with learning disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome. Some kids need wheelchairs. Others need feeding tubes. But everybody gets the same content. They just learn it at their own level.
“When you meet with parents and ask their hopes and dreams for their children,” said Principal Tricia Lampron, “they say, ‘I want my children to have friends. I want them invited to birthday parties.’ ”
At Henderson, they get both the friends and the party invitations. And then many go on to college. Teachers such as Gailunas, Lampron said, make it happen.
Ann and Gerard Gorman were two of many who nominated Gailunas for her award. Their son, Ronan, has severe dyslexia and they watched him struggle and fall behind. “He would stare endlessly at books and ask why he couldn’t read. I could see how sad and hopeless he felt and it broke my heart,” his mother said.
Then Gailunas began meeting with Ronan in the morning before school started. She showed him how to make connections among letters and sounds and syllables. Ronan said he used to be “frustrated even though I tried really hard. ... The most important thing that Mrs. Gailunas helped me with was believing that I could learn how to read. She said she would help me and she did.”
Said Ronan’s mother, “I know longer fear for his future.”
Principal Lampron has stacks of letters from other parents, students and peers describing Gailunas’ ability to help even hugely challenged children love learning. Some plan to become teachers themselves. “Kind,” “caring,” “funny,” “calm” and “compassionate” are words they use to describe her.
At a time when bashing teachers has become something of a national pastime, it’s both heartening and humbling to hear praise like this. But Gailunas, like many of her fellow nominees, said yesterday she’s a bit uncomfortable with the attention, “though it’s certainly an honor.”
Asked about her unique skills, she said it’s her fellow teachers, her pupils and their parents who are truly “amazing.” Asked whether she loves her job, she said, “What’s not to love?” Asked whether it’s satisfying, she said, “Oh gosh, you have no idea.”

Program offers football, cheerleading for kids with Down syndrome

By Pamela Wood - Capital Gazette:

Stephen Nowak dreams big: He wants to be the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens.The 19-year-old from Churchton, who has Down syndrome, came pretty close to living his dream Saturday, playing football on the artificial turf of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.“This is as good as it gets,” said Stephen’s mom, Marla. “This is a lifetime memory.”
Stephen was among several dozen young people with Down syndrome who got a chance to play football and cheer on the sidelines through a two-day camp sponsored by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. The event was a first for Annapolis.
On Friday, the players and cheerleaders learned fundamentals. Then, on Saturday, they got to participate in a game, complete with a professional announcer, scoreboard highlights and celebrity coaches.
Stephen, who wore a white No. 7 jersey for the Dragons, said his favorite part of the game was “getting the touchdown.”
His little sister Lila, 14, was the only girl on the football field, wearing 22 for the Dragons. She said the best part was running.
The Nowaks’ team, the Dragons, was coached by Mike Shanahan, coach of the Washington Redskins.
Across the field in blue were the Honey Badgers, coached by former Baltimore Ravens coach and current TV analyst Brian Billick.
In the end, the teams tied, 35-35.
Down syndrome is a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome. Individuals affected have mild cognitive delays and physical characteristics that include slanted eyes and a flattened nose.
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation, which is based in Colorado, had previously teamed up with former Denver Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey for Dare to Play football and Dare to Cheer cheerleading events out west.
McCaffrey enlisted the help of Shanahan, who coached him in Denver, and Billick, who coached him in college at Stanford University, to put on the Annapolis program.
“This is one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever had in my life,” McCaffrey told the crowd. “We’ve had so much fun doing it in Colorado. We’re so happy to be in Annapolis to do our first one here.”
Billick hopes Dare to Play and Dare to Cheer becomes an annual event in Annapolis.
“This is the first time I’ve been a part of this, and I plan on doing it going forward,” said Billick, who lives on the Eastern Shore. “Hopefully we can build this event to a larger event here in Annapolis.”
The football players were teamed up with players from the Naval Academy, who guided them on the field. Boys from the Severn School in Severna Park shouted encouragement from the sidelines.
Navy seniors Matt Shibata of Hawaii and Jerad Fehr of Utah said they were inspired by the passion of the young players.
“These kids love the game — shoot, maybe more than we do,” said Fehr, a safety.
Shibata said working with children with developmental disabilities reminds him to be grateful for the abilities he has.
“You learn to appreciate the things you have,” said Shibata, a wide receiver.
The game was kind of managed chaos, but a happy chaos. The players ranged from pipsqueaks too small for their jerseys to teens who could run fast and throw some juke moves to evade defenders.
There were as many coaches and volunteers on the field as players.
Narrating the action was Chris Russell, a Redskins radio personality on ESPN 980 AM. His 10-year-old son Tyler has Down syndrome.
Russell roamed the field, calling the action over the public address system. A video crew taped the event and played highlights on the end zone scoreboards.
In front of the stands, the cheerleaders wore navy and orange uniforms and waved white pompoms with the help of professional cheerleaders for the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins.
Greg and Lisa Custer of Arnold beamed as they watched their 17-year-old daughter, Valerie, perform with the cheerleaders.
Valerie, who attends Broadneck High School, cheers with a special-needs squad sponsored by the Maryland Twisters club. But that’s a competition squad that doesn’t cheer at sports events.
“Just to give her a chance to be a real cheerleader on the field, to work with professional cheerleaders — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Lisa Custer said.
Cathy Hill’s daughter, 19-year-old Victoria, also relished the chance to cheer in a big stadium. She’s also a member of the Maryland Twisters.
Hill praised the professional cheerleaders for helping foster friendships among the girls and the two boys who cheered.
“The biggest thing is, the kids are happy,” she said.

Man with Down syndrome who could barely leave house travels to Australia

From The Press by By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter:
He used to be so anxious that he would barely leave the house – but now a York man with Down’s Syndrome has achieved the “impossible” by flying to a family reunion in Australia.
Andrew Parker, 49, who lives in supported-living accommodation in Rawcliffe, has flown to Sydney to see his niece, Jacky, thanks to help from his dedicated support worker Audrey Lawrie.
Audrey, who is currently studying for a diploma in health and social care at the University of York and works for the disability charity United Response, said Andrew’s confidence had soared since he moved into accommodation run by the charity 18 months ago.

“Getting on board an aeroplane was not something that Andrew’s family thought possible, as he used to get anxious just travelling in cars or using lifts,” she said.
“But with a reassuring support team with whom he has built up a trusting relationship, he eventually felt confident enough to undertake the long flight.
“Andrew was naturally apprehensive when boarding, but once we were off he was fine. He was delighted when he saw his relatives all waiting for us at the airport.
“The trip was amazing. Andrew had an apartment overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

“His sister, Sue, joined us a few days after we arrived, with her son, Stephen, and daughter Helen, so it was a real family reunion.

“Andrew came back absolutely delighted; he had a beaming smile on his face for days. It is a great achievement that he did something that no-one would have thought possible just months beforehand.”
Andrew’s sister, Sue, said he had come so far since moving into supported living accommodation, where support workers made sure he got out and about and led a varied lifestyle. “Audrey in particular is great with Andrew. She’s very caring, knows his capabilities and doesn’t try to mother him,” she said.
“I still can’t believe that they went all the way to Australia, because at one point Andrew would barely leave the house.”

Father of 19-year-old with Down syndrome: 'I couldn't be happier' son will be allowed to play as senior

 
from the Detroit Free Press by Mick McCabe:
 
The crusade is over. The Michigan High School Athletic Association is going to let 'em play.
An overwhelming 94% of responding schools voted to approve an amendment to the MHSAA constitution enabling students with disabilities to petition to participate as 19-year-olds.
"I think it tells us what to do," MHSAA executive director Jack Roberts said.
It has been a 2 1/2-year battle for Dean Dompierre, who wants his 19-year-old son Eric, who has Down syndrome, to be able to play on the Ishpeming football and basketball teams.
"I couldn't be happier," Dean Dompierre said. "It's a relief, after 2 1/2 years, to get some positive results from this."
MHSAA rules prohibit students from participating in athletics if they turn 19 before Sept. 1. It was the only rule in the MHSAA handbook not to have any exceptions. Michigan was one of 27 states that did not allow waivers to the maximum age rule.
But as the Dompierres became more aggressive in telling their story -- father and son testified before the state education committee in May -- the state senate passed a resolution encouraging the MHSAA to change its constitution.
"I think there was a concern that the legislature would try to write a rule and might write it badly but pass it anyway," Roberts said. "The feeling was if this was to be done, it should be done right. It shouldn't be any other state's model. It should be what we thought would work best in Michigan."
Beginning this fall, students with medically documented disabilities recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act or Michigan's Persons With Disabilities Civil Rights Act can request a waiver to play as a 19-year-old if their educational process had been delayed before their enrollment in high school.
A student's disability must diminish physical and either intellectual or emotional capabilities and cannot create a health or safety risk to participants and does not create a competitive advantage for the team.

The waivers, which must be approved by the MHSAA's Executive Committee, will be for one year only and will allow students to compete in their first four years of high school enrollment.
Dean Dompierre began his campaign to add an amendment to the MHSAA's constitution when he realized Eric would be ineligible to play as a senior.
"I've spent hours and hours -- countless hours -- over the last 2 1/2 years sitting with a laptop in my lap, typing things up, sending things to people and receiving things from people. This certainly makes it all worth it," he said. "It's not just for Eric. It will be great to be able to see Eric play, but I'd love to be able to go to some other games to see kids who are going to benefit from this."
Roberts said the rule was not initially popular with school administrators, who were concerned over the growing number of disabilities and how the waiver process would be handled.
"I think the strength of the proposal we have prepared and has been adopted is this: There must be a medically documented disability before the student reaches seventh grade that has slowed the educational progress and is a direct cause of the slowed progress, and not just because the parents wanted to redshirt the kid," Roberts said.
Dompierre established a website ( letemplay.us) to present Eric's story. The website detailed the 23 states that allow waivers for students with disabilities to play as 19-year-olds and contained an online petition urging MHSAA officials to allow schools to vote on an amendment to allow a waiver.
"I never expected it to get as big as it did and to have as many people jump on board as did," Dompierre said. "The last I checked, it was over 93,000 people from all walks of life and all corners of the earth signed that petition. They had never ever met Eric, but they signed the petition. I'm sure there were hundreds, if not thousands, of letters sent to the MHSAA supporting these kids."

Watch ESPN's E:60 feature: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7992850

Community rallies around baseball player with Down syndrome

By Keith McCord, Deseret News:

Next week, it's post season tournament time for the Farmington Area Baseball League. And for the Angels, who are in the Pony Division, they're hoping to turn their season around and win the trophy.
One of the players is extremely excited. He's number 12, Blake Curtis. But everybody calls him "Blakee."
For the 17-year-old right fielder and sometimes pitcher, Wednesday's game was just another game. Blake's been playing ball since he was about 5, and he can't wait to get to the ball park.
"I have to be really careful about game day," laughs Jeff Curtis, Blake's father and coach. "As soon as I tell Blake there's a game, he'll put his uniform on. Most times, I come home from work and the game isn't for three hours, he's already home with his uniform on saying, 'Come on, let's go play.'"
Blake has Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in a child's mental and physical development. Curtis has two children with Down syndrome. He said through experience he has learned that with children with disabilities, parents have to start early doing activities or there's no opportunity for the children to develop skills.
"We thought we'd try to go through the hard times, so we could get to this point," he said, "and it's been worth it."
He said the most important thing with anyone with a disability is to let them set their own limits. Not everyone can play baseball, he said, but some of them can, so people should let them play.
The league rules have been modified somewhat for him. For example, when he's batting, if the pitch is outside the strike zone and he swings and misses, it's still called a "ball."
"If it's over his head and he swings, it's a ball," explained Curtis. "But if it's in the strike zone, it's a strike no matter what he does. But that does two things: it forces the pitcher to throw strikes and it gives Blake a chance to go up and wail away and see what happens. And he's hit pretty good, he's done pretty well."
The team is also allowed to have 10 players on the field. "The reason we asked for that, and I've never had a parent say it, it's never been an issue, but I never wanted a parent to come and say, 'Well, why is my son sitting down because the boy with Down syndrome is playing," Curtis said.
Blake didn't hit the home runs he was hoping for that night, but he got on base a couple of times and scored. The Angels have wrapped up their 12-game regular schedule, and it was a tough year with three wins, eight losses and a tie. But the post-season starts Monday and the team has new optimism.
Blake's dad said there have been some difficult learning moments on the field through the years. Blake used to throw the bat, instead of dropping it after he hit a ball. And the first time he got hit by a pitch, he got mad and didn't want to go to first base. He wanted to stay at the plate and keep swinging.
Blake plays each game with great enthusiasm. Curtis credits that to all the players, parents and the league for giving Blake the chance to play.
"It's just been a lot of fun because everybody's been so good to him," he said, getting a little emotional. "These kids especially, they've supported him, rallied around him when he bats or when he pitches. (It's) been a lot of fun."
Curtis is grateful for the opportunity his son has been given. "That's all he ever wanted. That's all we wanted to see."
Blake and the Angels now have an opportunity to win the league championship next week.
"When we started, I never thought we'd get past the pitching machine," Curtis said. "He's faced a real pitcher and done really well. It's amazing what kids are capable of if you just give them the opportunity and get out of their way."