Big & Little Feet Meet Connect Community
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the Commentator June 2015 A publication of Douglas Southall Freeman Vol. 63, No. 1 A publication of Douglas Southall Freeman High School, Henrico, Virginia 23229 Page 1 High School, Henrico, Virginia 23229 Big & Little Feet Meet Connect Community has experience working with Ashley Frederick children with special needs in Features Editor and out of school. “We adopted my younger There is only one event that brother and sister, who both has the unusual combination of have autism, and my mother is a power chair races, shotput, fris- special needs teacher at Tucker,” bee golf, soccer, giant bowling, said Lynn. and turbo jav. This all happens A factor that characterizes the at the Big Feet Meet, a Special environment of the meet is the Olympics event for students lack of awards. Instead, every- with intellectual disabilities. one is a winner. The Big Feet Meet is one of “They had these passports three meets for exceptional that looked like credentials for a education students of all ages. concert and it had all the events. The Little Feet Meet is for As they did them, it would get elementary school children and checked off and initialed by the the Meet in the Middle is for volunteers. Since the meet, one athletes in middle school. kid has been wearing his every All of the high schools in day,” said Mrs. Lightfoot-Clare. Henrico County participated As a whole, the Big Feet Meet in the meet, and 20 Freeman experience is thrilling for both students participated this year. teachers and students. “The Big Feet Meet is a little “There was a combination bit more advanced than the of positivity and excitement. PHOTO: GRACE GEMMELL Meet in the Middle. I’ve done I probably looked like a goofy the Meet in the Middle for the kid because I had the biggest Senior Jamie Lockwood playfully enjoys a game with a Little Feet participant. past two years and they didn’t smile on my face the whole have the relay races. For the Big time. There was just always participate,” said retired P. E. Ms. Donohue. athletes to be able to play with Feet Meet, there are more dif- something going on,” said Mrs. teacher Terry Donohue. Math teacher Richard Timme various pieces of equipment in a ficult events for the students,” Lightfoot-Clare. Ms. Donohue’s role in the went down to the field to watch non-competitive atmosphere. said exceptional education Little Feet also made big meet is site coordinator for his son participate in the meet. Ms. Donohue expressed her teacher Lauren Lightfoot-Clare. strides recently. This year’s Little Special Olympics. “He thoroughly enjoys it, this gratitude to everyone at Free- “All of the kids here in our Feet Meet had the largest turn “I meet with Special Olym- is the third year that he’s done man who ensured the success of program participated in the out in all its years. pics to decide the format to be it. He is in first grade now. I like the meet. meet. We had between 21 and “This number is higher than used and to find out the needs seeing all of the students that “This couldn’t happen without 24 volunteers. It was very nice previous years because buddies from Special Olympics stand- participate having a great time our many student volunteers, to have lots of kids to help out are now allowed to participate point. This year, we changed out there,” said Mr. Timme. a flexible teaching staff, our and let the kids have fun,” said in the events as well. We usually the location of the Young Events in the Little Feet Meet custodial staff, and a support- Mrs. Lightfoot-Clare. have between 400-500 special Athletes (ages 2-5 years old) to include 25 or 50 meter dash ive administration. Looking Freshman Lynn Marsh, a needs children and their bud- the baseball field to allow more depending on age, standing forward to many more years of member of Circle of Friends, dies. Both Henrico and High- room for events and space for long jump, a softball/tennis Little Feet at Freeman,” said volunteered in both the Big Feet land Springs High Schools sent schools to be able to relax and ball throw, and participation at Ms. Donohue. Meet and Little Feet Meet and their JRROTC color guards to snack while at the meet,” said Olympic Town, an area for the A Cafeteria Undergoing Transition Do the new additions contradict the Inside Out Project goals? Gray agrees that it was a nec- Due to the fact that the lunch essary beginning toward Free- lines are located in the larger man becoming more united. section of the cafeteria, it also “It has improved [the diversity serves breakfast in addition issue] by showing that there is to lunch, whereas the smaller a lot more diversity than people section is only used for lunch think. It’s not a permanent end- during the day. all solution, but it’s a step in the “Because this part is only used right direction,” said Gray. for lunch, it was always a lot However, the previous con- easier to clean. The new chairs cerns arose again when half actually create more work for of the cafeteria was suddenly the custodial staff, which is presented with different tables why it’s important for us not to and mobile chairs. overload our custodians,” said Freshman Zach Fox sits in the Poates. cafeteria that did not receive the The placement of the tables new setup. He expressed more and chairs was only meant to confusion than concern about serve as a trial run to see if they the change. function well. “I am just curious as to why “My eventual plan is to spread they are only in one-half of the them out in both cafeterias,” cafeteria. It’s not upsetting to said Poates. me, but I think it should be the The feedback on the quality PHOTO: GRACE GEMMELL same in both,” said Zach. of the new addition has been Although there have been con- mostly positive from the stu- Sophomore boys enjoy lunch in the new cafeteria chairs from Varina High School. cerns expressed about differing dents who frequently sit in the treatment, Principal Poates has new chairs. Gibson, cafeteria spectacle, Gray reports presented the logistics behind “I think they are great. They “The portraits were laid out hearing mixed feelings about it. Connor Loughran the new addition. are a lot more comfortable than on a table where we had to put “It’s been ranging from ‘It’s News Editor Because of recent events at the benches we used to sit in,” glue on the back of them. Then really creepy’ to appreciation Varina High School involving said freshman Beau Nardo. we had to put the posters up from the people who understand In an effort to bolster aware- a food fight, the Varina staff However, there are many and smooth them over with glue the underlying message is about ness about accepting diversity, offered to switch their cafeteria students are less than worried and a sponge to get rid of all the diversity. Over time people will the National Art Honors Soci- tables for some with attached about the current situation. creases. It was a tedious pro- accept it,” said Gray. ety has created a way for Free- chairs, and Freeman stepped up “I don’t think the Inside- cess,” said Gray. Due to the social divide in man to celebrate the uniqueness to make the trade. Out Project will be affected by The Inside-Out Project has the cafeteria, NAHS leaders pur- of its student body, in a manner “They sent out the request, these new chairs. Freeman is received recognition on Twitter posefully chose the cafeteria as a that warrants attention from ev- and the next morning we had too strong for that,” said junior and local news coverage. place to spread awareness about eryone- the Inside-Out Project. the different tables and chairs,” Sammy Burr. “I think the Inside-Out Project the present separation within the Several art students dedi- said Poates. is a great way to get people school. cated countless hours over the The placement of the traded together- every style of people. “I think it has worked to course of this process, including furniture was not arbitrary Different cultures can come unify the two cafeterias; there Christie Award the final step of pasting them or purposeful in creating any together, so we aren’t separated isn’t one type of picture in one throughout the school. It took perceived unfair treatment. The Winner anymore,” said sophomore cafeteria. They’re all mixed about three hours to complete smaller section of the cafeteria Zechariah Hartzog. up,” said sophomore Kathryn for Exceptional the process one Saturday morn- was chosen because it is not as While many students share Skeppstrom, who worked on the Educator of the year: ing. Among those students was crowded from the lunch lines. sophmore art student Gray similar enthusiasm for the new project. Lauren Lightfoot- News In Brief WEDNESDAY: THURSDAY: FRIDAY: Clare 2015 Exam Schedule: 3rd & 4th Period 6th & 7th Period 5th Period “This is recognition that is truly deserved for all TUESDAY: 9:00- 10:45AM 9:00- 10:45AM 9:00- 10:45AM that Lauren has done for our program this year.”- 1st & 2nd Period 11:15- 1:00AM 11:15- 1:00AM 11:15- 1:00AM time Mrs. Poates PINIONS 2 O The Commentator Public Displays of Affection: Hot or Not? than making out in Freeman’s Teachers are watching: beautiful hallways in the midst Rachel: Teachers see their stu- of hundreds of Henrico’s finest? dents as the next generation of The best part is, they all get to leaders in America.