Our afternoon at New Palestine Junior High was a fun-filled day of delicious pizza and smiling faces. Alex and Luke are drivers for the Pizza Hut in New Palestine, and Mrs. Amones suggested that a pizza party for the resource students would be fantastic. Two weeks prior to the party, Alex called his manager, Antonio, and made arrangements for the small pizzas the students would cover with pizza sauce, cheese, and various toppings. We made a list of the students' desired toppings and messaged Antonio. Wednesday arrived, and Luke, Alex, and I left school early to pick up the materials from Pizza Hut. Antonio had organized the dough into several, small pans, and the other ingredients were separated amongst clear, plastic cups. All of which were inside a hefty Pizza Hut delivery bag.
Mrs. Amones and one of the resource students were waiting at the front door of NPJH when our group arrived. Duane grabbed the heavy bag and despite being nearly two sizes smaller than the container, he carried the pizzas all the way to the classroom. The remaining students gathered around the table in the kitchen area of the classroom, and Alex divided the ingredients and pizza pans between the young boys and girls. The students started by spreading the pizza sauce across the dough with the small plastic spoons provided by Pizza Hut. Mrs. Amones was extremely proud of the students' ability to follow Alex, Luke, and I's instructions concerning the pizza procedure. We finished by adding the cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. One student, Nick, made a smiley face pizza out of the sausage and pepperoni. The students then inserted the pizza pans into the oven with some help from Alex and Mrs. Amones. The class was so proud of their unique pizzas. As the pizzas finished rising in the oven, Jillian asked to write a letter to both the nurse at NPJH and Antonio. Jillian wanted to make the nurse feel appreciated and loved on Nurse's Appreciation Week. I wrote the components of the letter on post-it notes and helped Jillian spell the various words by speaking and pointing. She then completed her letter to Antonio, thanking him for the pizzas. The only phrase she thought was sufficient - "I love you" (LOL). We finally decorated the letters with an assortment of colorful stickers.
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Thursday was a great experience for Alex, Luke, and I at New Palestine Junior High. Typically, we visit our friends at NPJH on Wednesdays; however, with the alternative schedule at the high school, Thursday would provide us with the maximum amount of time to help the students with various class activities. Thursday was "Bring Your Student To Work Day" for the resource teachers. After getting settled in the classroom, I started working with Jillian on a letter to the elementary students' teachers. I used a whiteboard to spell out the words on the projector in order to help Jillian understand the components of the letter. The students finished the letters, and we transitioned to a scavenger hunt that would allow them to identify numbers and follow instructions. Jillian was not feeling well, so I completed the scavenger hunt with one of the teacher's daughter, Brandi. Energetic and positive, Brandi enjoyed running around the classroom and school finding tissue boxes, paper shredders, and plush chairs. The scavenger hunt concluded, and I walked with the students to lunch. We finished the day at NPJH with a fun game of basketball.
Alex, Luke, and I have started a new service project with Erin Amones, the special education teacher at New Palestine Junior High. Prior to the beginning of spring break, our group contacted Mrs. Amones about a potential project with her students. She quickly responded, sharing her excitement and optimism about our idea. Mrs. Amones provided us with several opportunities: establishing a coffee cart system at NPJH, construct a "sensory wall" in the classroom, put together a unified track team at the junior high, or simply spend one day a week helping with daily classroom activities. Spring break came and passed, and, eventually, Luke, Alex, and I were off to New Palestine Junior High to meet with Mrs. Amones and her class. We were greeted with bright smiles and warm "hello's" the instant we walked through the door. Alex, Luke, and I were introduced to the several student in Mrs. Amones class. Kameron, Cam, Nick, Jenny, Duane, Dylan, Jillian, and Addy were nervous to meet new faces; however, they quickly came out of their shells. We spent the first day playing Headbands and spending time on the playground. Both activities are put in place to help the students learn to use their words and work with those around them. The teachers informed Alex, Luke, and I that every moment is a new learning experience for the students. The first day with Mrs. Amones class was an eye-opening experience. I was overjoyed to learn more about each child's personality.
The following week we returned to Mrs. Amones classroom to complete more activities with the class. To begin, we played Guess Who and Chutes and Ladders to teach the students the importance of teamwork, descriptive language, and basic mathematics. I was on a team with Jillian and Dylan, while Alex worked with Duane and Addy. After about an hour of playing games, Mrs. Amones asked me to help Kameron through the lunch line. Mrs. Amones, Kameron, and I walked to the nacho line in the lunchroom at NPJH. Mrs. Amones taught me more about Kameron's condition as he slowly filled his tray with food. She explained the importance of allowing Kameron to flourish as an independent individual. I especially loved the way Mrs. Amones explained her classroom, "Everyone has challenges, and we all need a little help sometimes." Although it took some time, Kameron successfully filled his tray with nachos, applesauce, and beans, and he was so excited to show off his accomplishment. Next week, Mrs. Amones is allowing me to work with Kameron independently, and I believe this experience will be amazing. It is easy to take simple tasks for granted, and Mrs. Amones' students are constantly reminding me to appreciate my blessings. After the lunch period passed, we spent time with several animals brought to the school by a local farm owner. Alex, Luke, and I are beyond excited for the future of this project. We are planning to travel to Bradford Woods with the class in several weeks. |
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