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Mohansic students recently wowed the Board of Education with an inspiring presentation about their Friday Fun Club, a program that goes beyond fun crafts and activities to foster empathy, inclusivity, and essential life skills.
At the heart of this initiative is the pairing of second-grade students with K-1 students from Mrs. Vadala's special education class. This buddy system aims to foster connections and deeper understanding among peers.
Under the guidance of the school’s speech language pathologists, the second graders embraced their roles as peer leaders. At Monday’s school board meeting, some of Mrs. Dable’s students spoke passionately about their experiences including lessons focused on nonverbal communication and empathy, collaborative crafts, games, and interactive sessions that further strengthened the relationship across the two classes.
Before their visits to Mrs. Vadala’s class, the students met with speech language pathologist Mrs. Poccia and delved into “A Day with No Words,” a story depicting Aidan, a nonverbal boy with autism. This story shed light on nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions and body language. They even learned about how some students can communicate using devices with images.
The students also shared the importance of expressing and understanding feelings. “It’s like having a friendship superpower,” shared one student.
Dr. Hattar and the Board of Education commended the students for embracing friendship, kindness, and delivering confident speeches. They also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of teachers, administrators, and parents in supporting this initiative.
Mrs. Dable expressed gratitude for the community-driven approach behind the Friday Fun Club, emphasizing the impact of the buddy system on both sets of students.
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