ARLINGTON — “Every day, they sing with me,” Life Skills student Brandon Olsen said of his peer helpers. “We play games together, like tag and basketball. They are kind and wonderful to me.”
Principal Kerri Helgeson explained to the Arlington school board March 14 that Pioneer Elementary helps out students who have special needs, not only with advanced learning technology, but also with peer helpers their own age.
Life Skills teacher Christie Britton showed videos of how blind sixth-grader Mark Onyshchuk uses hand-operated switches to make popcorn and smoothies, while kindergartener Christina Johnson, who has cerebral palsy, uses eye gaze sensors to play video games.
Mark and Grace were joined at the meeting by second-grader Grace Boober, who has Down Syndrome and could barely contain her excitement when she saw videos of herself and her peer helper friends, including Jazmin Profit, Olivia Coppock and Stella Lewis.
More than half-a-dozen fourth- and fifth-graders who volunteer as peer helpers also took the time to write up speeches for the school board, telling about the Life Skills students, including which ones love chocolate bunnies and Legos.
“In Life Skills, I get to experience things that most kids don’t,” Olivia said. “When I go in, I feel warm inside. These kids make my heart fill with joy.”
Olivia cited the importance of giving Life Skills students positive affirmation and individual attention, through activities such as “circle time” sing-alongs.
Jazmin’s sister, Jada, is a Life Skills student. While Jazmin praised Jada as “a smart girl” who is “always ready to learn,” she had no less praise for Grace, “a brave intelligent girl,” or Mark, “a funny boy” who’s learning to read in Braille and loves toy cars.
“Life Skills is an amazing place that really changed me and my friends’ lives, by touching the hearts of students with autism and other syndromes and disabilities,” Jazmin said. “They touch our hearts too.”
Superintendent Kris McDuffy drew laughter when she told the peer helpers, “I hope you all come back to teach here as adults. I have contracts ready for you.”
