BEGINNING OUR YEAR WITH GRATITUDE AND GOOD NEWS!

Thank you from the children at The STEP Centre!

Blog written by Leslie Wan

Where to begin - with the best ofcourse - all of you are THE BEST and the best news is that we are here again this year. Do you hear the Hallelujah choir, because I do!

 How do I /we begin to thank all of you who responded to our financial crisis? Perhaps the best thank you was to simply open our doors to a new school year and let the children in. Those children are a tribute to each and every one of you who opened your hearts and checkbooks and helped us begin the year with donations in all kinds of ways. We have personally thanked many of you, and many of you just want to know WE and the children appreciate it, and that is all the recognition you need. We appreciate it not only for the contribution, but because it has renewed our spirit that so many believe in our children and in what we do. We start our year knowing that our physical therapy for the children can continue and by the grace of one of you, we can now pay a speech therapist again to work with the children. By these donations and all the donations, we feel more confident that our teachers and staff this year will get paid regularly, as they should, and we have resources to use to stimulate the students. Meeting the needs of our kids is a dance that requires us to keep dancing even when we are weary. We also will have resources for special needs that we have hoped for for years from an online membership resource, and from Amazon.com. These will help stimulate, teach and engage our students. I could go on at great length about the wonder of you, our readers, and the blessings you have given us to make it through another year, but the smiles of our children and the commitment of our staff say it best I think. Hilary and I were discussing how the feeling is so much lighter and happier as this year starts than at the end of the last year. BLESS YOU.....BLESS YOU......Bless you ....for believing in us and in the importance in the value of children who need all the support they deserve, just for being one of God's creations.  

VERY GOOD NEWS TO SHARE.

 1.  The Kingston Rotary Club has selected the STEP Centre to be a part of their school "Early Act" program.  Early Act - "  EarlyAct™ provides young students the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world. At a young age, all students can easily be encouraged to be caring and helpful. Their minds are open to recognize the dignity and worth of each individual which builds respect for others."  

The significance is that they have made a decision to be inclusive to the special needs community and make the special needs community a part of their mission. In our minds it is HUGE and gratifying that they have decided to venture into the world of mentoring and supporting a community that is "differently abled", and have chosen US! We have elected officers from our students and we have had the installation ceremony at the school. What is not to love about the fact that this is one more opportunity for our children to be a part of the regular world of children and acquire the leadership, responsibility and compassionate tools to be a part of their community. Yes, we take this very seriously for ALL kinds of reasons and we are very grateful to Kingston Rotary Club. We are the first special needs school to be selected in this district to be in the Early Act program. We will work with them and sometimes with the other 2 able-bodied schools also selected from the district. Our students beamed as they were honored and made officers on the day. 

President Brandon and Vice President Gianni

Our officers with the Kingston Rotary Officers: Noel Osbourne, Yasmin Chong, Mureen Thomas, Steven Hudson and Father Louis Grenier S.F. ( blessed us on the day)   

Steven Hudson, Yasmin Chong, Noel Osbourne, Peta-Rose Hall (Board Chair) and Hilary Sherlock (Director of the school) and the children   

"Team shot of the day" -Our officers and Rotary of Kingston Officers. 

World Cerebral Palsy Day - Autonomy for the Teens

2. It has been a mission of Hilary's for some time now to give her teenage students and all challenged teens, some autonomy and knowledge of their place in the world and their potential for growth. It is often hard to remember that students with special needs do grow up to be teenagers, and with all that entails for that period in their life. Often those students have goals that are far different than the goals of parents. They want some autonomy in their lives and to be able to make decisions about their lives. In order to have this goal and this sense of "self",  they need information about themselves, their conditions, and their future possibilities. As such, a day has been arranged at the school which will coincide with World Cerebral Palsy Day. It is at the school, but it will be a forum co-hosted by STEP Centre and Jamaica Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Included on the day will be students from STEP Centre, Liberty High, Genesis Academy and JAID - associated schools. We will have speakers from 4 different areas. Dr Dayanana Sawh (orthopedist), Dr. Abigail Harrison (Lecturer UWI and Adolescent Medical specialist), Dr Paula Dawson (U.S. Board certified physiatrist) and Dr. Judy Tapper ( pediatric neurologist). Just for students (no parents) and a forum for them to ask any questions they may want to ask from professionals who understand their needs and desires!! The intent is to help them plan their futures, voice their concerns, practice their autonomy and alleviate their feelings of isolation and loneliness among students just like themselves, facing a future as adults. We have repeatedly said that we see outreach to the special needs community at large, important to our mission. Just them at school on that day and on World Cerebral Palsy Day - a day dedicated just to them - whoot. Soon come......................

What is not to love about these two things? Our children will work towards becoming who THEY want to be and being included in the greater world around them. We feel sooooo blessed. 

You our readers matter to us! All special needs children, matter to the world.  

Leslie's message for you today...... 

Wake up tomorrow with a belief that what you do in this life matters.  

Have faith that if all you have to give to others are kind words, those words will give so much to someone who needed them more than you will ever know. Believe that whatever small grace you show to others, will ripple out and become a powerful wave as it washes through from one life to the next.