Students at Viola L. Sickles School in Fair Haven have been exploring and celebrating differences.
It’s an annual event — Understanding Differences Day.
Held on May 15 this year, the day featured hands-on activities and presentations hosted by school staff members and volunteers.
Differences explored were:
Physical
Learning activities included: The use of technology, from Family Resource Associates in Shrewsbury; the maneuvering of crutches and wheelchairs supplied, by Little Silver Family Pharmacy; a station dedicated to educating students about food allergies.
Learning
Sickles School Social Worker Nicole Green and Sickles School Psychologist Ashley Goral hosted an information session about learning disabilities, which included presentations by students from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School who discussed their personal experiences and ways in which they have learned to cope through the years.
Vision
With the help of volunteers the students created name tags using Braille, and participated in hands-on activities to show them how a vision-impaired person might keep track of money and organize food.
Developmental
An interactive presentation hosted by volunteer Sarah Maris helped students to understand the challenges faced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Down’s syndrome, and cerebral palsy.
Hearing
The students attended a presentation by Lori Timney, who is hearing-impaired and shared her life experiences with them.
At the conclusion of the morning and afternoon sessions, all of the third grade students, normally the targeted group for the event, participated in reflective writing sessions based on what they had learned.
This was the first year that students in first through sixth grades participated in Understanding Differences programs.
For example, Sickles School first graders participated in the I’m Thumbody activity. The students discovered that just as no two thumbprints are ever identical, individuals all have different likes, feelings, and abilities as well.
Second graders enjoyed the internationally acclaimed Kids on the Block puppet show, featuring characters who have different abilities but are still regular kids. After the performance, the second graders had the opportunity to interact with the puppets and ask questions about their differences.
At Knollwood School, the fourth graders participated in a field trip to SPUR (Special People United to Ride), a therapeutic horseback riding center in Middletown.
Fifth graders learned about the sixth sense — social sense — with which many individuals on the Autism Spectrum struggle.
Knollwood School Special Education Teacher Kevin Burke, Art Teacher Chris Dudick, Board Certified Behavior Anaylst Beth Keefe, and School Counselor Cara Remmert assisted the students as they utilized SILAS (Social Integration Learning Animation Software) which is designed to teach social skills.
Knollwood School Art Teacher Kelly Fogas involved sixth-grade students in a perspective-taking art projects.
At the conclusion of their learning sessions, the fifth and sixth graders received “Kind Cards” encouraging them to “pay it forward” and spread kindness.
Understanding Differences Day and the Understanding Differences programs were co-chaired by Suzanne Butler, Liza Doonan, and Britt Garrison of the Fair Haven Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Many PTA volunteers assisted with the planning and hosting of activities and information sessions.
— Fair Haven School District press release