Believing beyond possibilities and looking beyond the present

Believing no matter where we begin

I start my life on shifting sands but still I rise

Written by Leslie Wan 

It is hard to know what anyone who has never been to the STEP Centre will feel when they walk into our school. I would guess there are those who walk in and are overwhelmed by the challenges  our children face in daily living.  I would hope there are those who think as they enter....how wonderful that there is a place with such dedication and perseverance! But here is what you will KNOW after a few visits. You will know that the school is filled with children who love being here. It is  filled with staff who though this is their job, it is their passion as well. Our staff knows what each child is capable of (or not capable of) and on most days they make a choice to look beyond that, to what they HOPE for them to be capable of. You will learn that most of our staff has been with us for years and many of our children have grown up before our eyes and reached many landmarks along the way . You should be aware that behind each of our students is a dedicated parent or guardian or children's home that cares about that child and wants the best for them. Why would a child ever leave our school? Well for many reasons... illness beyond what the school or that child can handle, financial hardship of those who support these children, migration  of a parent or guardian, their age has placed them beyond our parameters, the parents/ guardians feel that what the student can gain is more than the sacrifice to keep them there and sadly also death. BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE TRULY AND DEEPLY MISSED when they no longer pass through the door anymore. So mostly I would say that the visitor to the school becomes the STEP Centre believer and the believer becomes our ambassador for special needs children.

Concentration and determination, one step at a time 

 

     

What sets apart the STEP Centre from many other places is joy - pure and simple joy. It is not always something you see, but something you feel. It is that mischievous smile of the child who thinks he can get away with something and yet isn't upset when a staff will have none of that! You'll see a place where individual diversities are magnified to the "nth degree" and yet no one even sees them as unusual. You'll see laughter, messy fun hand painting, wheelchair dancing, and singing that is sometimes little more than squawking and grinning, but it will be LOUD and HAPPY and DETERMINED! You will hear children getting a geography lesson on the parishes of Jamaica,  teachers and students reviewing their homework of grammar and math, and teachers who are not afraid to scold them gently when they see a lazy day or a homework that has not been completed. Puzzles and color lessons, sensory work, physiotherapy, massage to relax tight muscles and calm the distressed, handwriting practice and on and on can be any part of a regular day. Through it all you will see happy children who thrive in the dedicated time and teaching they are getting, when most would look at these children  and think why bother. 

Lessons via the computer - sadly only 1 computer to share

Standing exercises and motor skills are worked on.

All of us on any given day, in any given week, can find ourselves annoyed and frustrated with things we haven't accomplished yet.  We think we are tired of fighting and slogging through things we think should come easier.  Life is like that, many valleys to climb  and hopefully the  hills are reached when we aspire to them. But importantly.........let's hope we have the wisdom to recognize those hilltop moments when we reach them, and isn't that something we often overlook? 

I hope that the next time you find yourself at one of those tired moments, you take a lesson from some of our children, their parents, and our staff.................SMILE because just smiling can change a moment and a mood. Remember that often it is about thinking greater than  the present, and believing beyond what you think is possible. 

Finally remember that every day brings new possibilities and most certainly more reasons to have faith that what you do now, no matter how small, is a step in the path to the higher moment just around the corner.   

Post by Leslie Wan

   

    

Building the wall - affirming the dream

 BUILDING THE WALL     

Another piece of our dream was becoming reality.  Lesli-Ann Belnavis, the artist (and Art Therapist) and Stefan, the sculptor were walking and discussing what new textures were going to be added to the wall.  Bianca, the jeweler was sitting watching them, hands busy twisting copper wire into tiny orbs.  Berger, the carpenter (handyman) was threading coloured, plastic balls onto cable.  I watched from the classroom as our art wall began to take shape, going from a dream to a reality.  It was a great day!

Beginning as part of a garden/playground in our school for very special children, the wall has become so much more than I had hoped.  Our space keeps evolving - it has gone from building site rubble to dirt with a concrete pathway. It has gone from zinc fences to concrete walls and our dirt is giving way to grass.  We endured days of noise as boulders were broken into beautifully cut limestone that shine in the sun and that with each fracture, held the promise of tiny fossils.  Trees, many given by friends, have been planted promising shade, fruit, flowers and bird nests. Really, it is all about the vision for the future, while celebrating the present work along the way.

The once sad perimeter wall is now the focus of young creative energy.  This wall which was  intended to provide visual and tactile stimulation to wake up the senses of our children with severe learning challenges, is waking up the creative energy in ALL of us.  This creation of the wall is now part of the long road, an affirmation of the goal, and the belief in our children is stirring all of us to walk together to achieve it.   We say thanks to the Digicel Foundation and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, for believing that our children deserve an environment reflecting their joy of life and for sharing the belief that no matter the child, they deserve nothing less. Thanks to all of you who have given of themselves in this process.  Most of all though, thanks to our children for challenging us to journey with them daily.  A wall usually built to keep people out, has become a symbol of inclusion and an affirmation that believing in our children is a belief shared by many. 

Finally, as I gaze at that wall, it purely and simply speaks "Happiness", happiness for the dream that is finally becoming reality, happiness for the wonderful people and organizations that are making it possible and happy that the children will have one more reason to smile when they come to our school every day. I end this post with a simple and powerful word..................Gratitude............... that says it all!!!

                         Hillary Sherlock- Principal

Welcome to the journey

Welcome to the beginning of a journey of all things S.T.E.P. Centre, the passionate creation of our school and some wonderful folks who support us in ways we can't begin to thank them for. This blog has been a thought in the making for some time, and finally has come to fruition.. We now are ready and want to share with all folks who we are, how we love, how we teach and the magnificence of spreading the joy of our children and our daily beat here at the school.

In a future blog we will share some history of our school, but let's start with introducing our blog and asking you to follow us via e-mail as we enlighten you, inspire you and meld our hearts and mission with your lives.  We will share pictures, thoughts, and inspirational messages to bolster your day. This blog will give you some idea of who we are and how the lives of our children differ, and  the ways the heart and soul of our children are the same.  We also will highlight folks who help us in our daily progress. Our blog will be a collaborative effort at times with contributions from people who make us who we are, and help us to be the best we can be.  

We hope to inspire you through your life's missions on our blog , as it is clear that it is all of our supporters who keep us going financially and spiritually. We hope to give back that support to you into your lives.  Learning and sharing is a two way street. Sure our blog will be about us, but we readily admit that US is a very big word and maybe should be a very big "WE" , that includes all of you. Inspiring and teaching others is the important part of what we do. Learning is an never ending dynamic and we grow as we learn.  

So join us and share us by signing up via e-mail in the continuing celebration of our children, our staff, our school, our mission and the inspiration of living and loving, no matter who or how we are as people.  

                                              Leslie Wan