Fifth-grade students from Folwell Elementary School recently had the opportunity to connect with disabled adults from Bear Creek Services, continuing a cherished tradition that has spanned several years.
Each year, Bear Creek Services collaborates with Folwell Elementary School to organize a pizza dinner, fostering interaction and understanding between the students and the disabled adults.
During the event, held in the school gymnasium, the children engaged with their new friends through games and conversations, utilizing questions they had prepared earlier in the day.
The primary objective of the dinner is to acquaint the students with individuals with disabilities, many of whom they may be encountering for the first time.
Joshua Jewell, representing Bear Creek Services, emphasized the importance of dialogue, stating, “It’s very important to I guess just talk to them.”
For Folwell Elementary’s fifth graders, this tradition has become an eagerly anticipated annual event, eagerly anticipated by each successive class.
Teachers and representatives from Bear Creek Services express the hope that through such interactions, students will come to recognize the similarities they share with individuals with disabilities and depart with newfound friendships.
As fifth-grader Annika Tevaarwerk-Stamm aptly observed, “Sometimes people have been through tougher things than you think by just looking at them, and you can’t judge someone just on how they look.”
Educators aspire for this tradition to extend to all elementary schools in Rochester, fostering inclusivity and understanding among all children in the community.