Students Partner with Those with Special Needs for Elective Class

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Mansfield ISD students are helping their classmates who have special needs through a program that is proving to be mutually beneficial.

The district’s Partners Program gives special needs students a general education companion for their art or P.E. elective class. MISD’s director of special education, Lesa Shocklee, said the focus of the program is to offer an interactive and inclusive environment.

“This program provides access to the general education setting for students with the most significant disabilities in a positive way,” Shocklee explained. “It’s also a great experience for the non-disabled students because it allows them an opportunity to mentor and partner with students.”

The Partners Program was implemented in MISD more than 10 years ago. Although it helps special needs students engage in the different art and physical activities, many participants find themselves bonding with their partner as well.

The students with special needs get assistance to complete their assignment.

“The partnerships, the friendships, last a lifetime really,” said Shane Skinner, Legacy High School art teacher. “I have some college students now who were in the program for a few years. They have actually come back. And every year, we share a little meal, and they hang out with the kids because they form these relationships with these kids.”

Sierra Skidmore, a junior at Legacy High School, has been a partner for two years. She believes that this program has helped her become a better person.

“You really learn who you are and who they are by talking to them and learning from them. You become more open minded,” she said.

The Partners Program class counts as one elective credit and is usually run by the general education students. Each six weeks, the general education students switch partners.

“It’s really fun from the beginning of the semester to see the growth of some of the students and also for my general education students—to see the excitement as they’ve helped the student and see them grow, even in something as simple as touching their toes,” said Lacy Beckler, head track coach at Legacy High.

The classes meet throughout the week. Beckler noted that most of the students who become partners go on to pursue a career helping people with special needs.

To become a partner, interested high school students fill out an application form and are selected by the teacher. For more information about MISD’s Partners Program, contact the Special Education Department.

Visual Guide Dog Gives MISD Student More Freedom

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When Mady Walker was in the eighth grade, she began losing her vision. Doctors diagnosed her with optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve that causes blurred or dimmed vision.

“With my vision, I can’t see any of my peripheral vision, which means I can’t see anything to the sides of me. It’s black,” Walker explained.

Despite her visual impairment, Walker was determined to stay active as a student. She transitioned to Legacy High School and joined the band and student council, eventually becoming the student body president in her senior year.

With special accommodations and her cane, she is able to keep up with her peers. However, Walker wanted to gain even more freedom in her final year of high school by applying for a guide dog.

The 18-year-old went to a Leader Dogs for the Blind camp in the summer for training. Within five months, she received her new companion.

When Keeper is in his harness, he knows he's on duty.

“She went to go get the guide dog in December, which was phenomenal that it happened that fast,” said Shay Utley, certified orientation and mobility specialist. “She’s the first student that I know of in Mansfield ISD that has ever had a guide dog.”

The guide dog’s name is Keeper. He’s a 20-month-old black Labrador. Walker said she is already able to do more in the short amount of time that she has had him.

“I travel a lot faster. For the most part, he is able to take me places and make me more independent as a person,” said Walker.

She said staff members and classmates have been helpful to her and are getting used to having a canine walking through the hallways.

“They’ve been super accepting. They love to learn more about him,” she said. “Both students and teachers and administration alike have been very welcoming and helpful with this process.”

Walker said although her journey has not been easy, she has finally learned that she can do just as much as someone who has perfect vision.

The senior added that caring for Keeper can be tedious, but she and her dog have been inseparable since they first met.

Students with Special Needs Growing Through Sports

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Mansfield ISD students with special needs have a way to participate in year-round sports.

With the help of staff members and volunteers, Mansfield ISD All-Stars provides children in the special education program sports training and athletic competitions.

The students can choose from aquatics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, tennis and track and field.

“This allows our students to do an extracurricular activity too,” said Rebecca Poggensee, an MISD adaptive P.E. teacher. “Having this type of program allows our students to interact with other students throughout the district who are similar to them.”

The students and volunteers have fun  socializing between practice runs.

MISD parent Deborah Weete said she appreciates having an organized activity where peers and adults can work together to help students reach their full potential.

“[Ava’s] involved with a group of people who love and support her no matter what her abilities are,” Weete said about her daughter. "That's what I love about it."

Coaches said the excitement on the children’s faces as they push themselves to meet personal goals is the highlight of being a part of the Mansfield ISD All-Stars.

“The experience that you get to see on their faces is like they have won the most important thing in their life,” Poggensee explained. “Just to see them beaming with pride is amazing.”

The athletes and coaches are currently in the track and field season. The team will participate at the Special Olympics Texas in Arlington on May 24-27, featuring nearly 3,000 athletes from all around the state of Texas.

View more information about Mansfield ISD All-Stars here.

Make-A-Wish Surprises Student with Dream Trip

If you ask 16-year-old Andrew Creel the one place in the world he’d like to visit, he’ll tell you with certainty that it’s London.

The Mansfield High School sophomore is intrigued with the castles, towers and other historic landmarks.

He never knew if he’d be able to make the trip across the pond, though, because traveling has become much harder.

“Andrew was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was 2,” explained Shana Creel, Andrew’s mother. “So over time, he loses his strength and ability to get around.”

Andrew (seated) posed with his parents and said
he can't wait to tour the Tower of London.

With the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, Andrew’s dream was about to come true. The organization, which grants wishes to children with critical illnesses, coordinated with school officials and Andrew’s parents to hold a special surprise on campus.

When Andrew heard the news that he and his family would be leaving for London on Saturday, his eyes lit up in disbelief.

“Our hearts were in our throats just trying to keep it together without bawling—just to see how happy it has made him,” the mom described.

Make-A-Wish coordinators said these types of surprises make their job worthwhile, and making dreams come true is not just about magical moments.

“The wishes themselves are medically necessary,” said Make-A-Wish volunteer Dennis Baird. “The kids are responding to treatment better, the families are also responding and communities come together. We like to say that wishes aren’t just nice; they’re necessary.”

For the Creel family, it’s a trip they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

“This will more than likely be the last international trip that Andrew will be able to take,” said James Creel, Andrew’s dad, as he fought back tears. “It’ll be really special for us, and we thank Make-A-Wish for making this happen.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980. To date, more than 285,000 children in the United States and its territories have gotten their wish granted by the organization.

MISD Students with Special Needs Learn to Grow and Give

The group picked more than 20 pounds of produce in one day.

Every Tuesday and Thursday this summer, Mansfield ISD agricultural science teacher Keven Smith had two things on his mind—teaching life skills to students with special needs and giving back to the community.

Smith and the students went to the Ron Whitson Agricultural Science Center to feed the farm animals. He then took them over to a garden where they harvested produce to donate to local food pantries.

“I got together with MISD’s special education SUCCESS programs, and we started the SUCCESS garden three years ago. Students would come out and plant, and we would later harvest the food and give it to local food pantries,” said Smith. “We have harvested thousands of pounds of fresh foods like watermelon, okra, and squash so far.”

Smith said he loves instilling the knowledge of agriculture into the children’s lives. He wants them to know that fresh food does not magically appear in the stores.

“My goal is to teach them how important farming and ranching is,” he continued. “It’s not a career choice of the past. We need those jobs to sustain life. Also, people have the power to grow their own food, and they should learn how to.”

This year, the agricultural science teacher solicited the help of high school volunteers to provide another social element to the experience.

“I like that I get to help them,” said Kaitlyn Weitzman, incoming sophomore at Mansfield High School. “My brother has special needs too, and they don’t always get the chance to explore and do as much as they are out here.”

After a day of picking, the students got to fish in the local pond.

Smith will continue to instill the love of cultivation into young learners in the upcoming school year. He hosts pumpkin patch field trips, farm animal visits, and he is partnering with the new Tarver-Rendon School of Agricultural Leadership to teach core content and leadership skills through agricultural-based experiences.

Although his summer program has wrapped up, Smith said he is excited to start planting more crops for an even bigger harvest next year.

A Day of Fun for MISD Students with Special Needs

A student getting support as he prepares for the 100m dash.

Several weeks of planning and several hours of coordinating logistics among every campus at Mansfield ISD was all worth it when staff and volunteers saw one simple gesture—the smile of a child.

MISD’s 11th annual Special Education Field Day was held on October 14 and 15 at the track behind Brooks Wester Middle School. It was a chance for all students in the district’s Fundamental Academic Living Skills (FALS) classes to kick back and enjoy a half-day of games, sporting events, and dancing. More than 200 students attended the field days. Intermediate-level students attended on the first day followed by elementary students the next day.

The Special Education Field Day was created by the Adaptive Physical Education Department, made up of David Jimenez, Rudy Dominguez, Dana Beal, and Becky Poggensee. The group said the event started as a Special Olympics tryout event, but later expanded to provide recreational opportunities to all MISD students with special needs.

“It’s just a great opportunity to see the children be successful,” said Poggensee. “They get to be the kids that they are without worries, and the parents love to see their children having fun too.”

Jeremy Green with his son Ashton after Field Day ended.

Jeremy Green, parent of a fourth grader with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, said he remembers back when he was in school and not every child was given the fair chance to participate in field day events.

“They didn’t have days like this when I was in school, so I love that Mansfield ISD does this,” said Green. “My favorite part is seeing the kids run against each other and the excitement on their faces when they finish the race.”

Although field day is a day of fun, there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Transportation ensures every student leaves and returns safely, and dozens of staff take the necessary precautions to keep every child safe at the event.

“It’s overwhelming to me to see what our teachers do every day to make sure these children are taken care of,” said Carmelynn Bragiel, director of special education. “I call them the unsung heroes.”

With the help of those teachers and staff, along with student and parent volunteers, cheerful grins were seen all around; and that’s what keeps the Adaptive Physical Education Department motivated to keep getting better each year.

 View a full photo gallery of the two-day field day event here.

Student with Special Needs Uses Talent to Illustrate Book

Cooper posing in front of his sketches.

13-year-old Cooper Soesbee was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. He didn’t talk until he was about five years old, but he still found a way to express his emotions long before then—through drawing.

“I like to draw a lot,” said Cooper, a seventh grader at Danny Jones Middle School. “When I grow up, I want to open a comic book store with a coffee shop.”

Not many students can brag about being a published illustrator; but Cooper can, and it all stemmed from his love of pizza.

When Cooper was in kindergarten, he hit a phase where he only wanted to eat a specific type of frozen pizza. Although a pediatrician said it was normal behavior for autistic children, his mother decided to write a book to encourage Cooper to try new things.

“Coco’s Bananas is about a monkey who only wants to eat bananas. After going on an adventure, he discovers other foods that he likes,” said Kim Soesbee, Cooper’s mother.

Because of Cooper’s gift of drawing, Kim hoped he would help bring the story to life through illustration. And nearly eight years later, those illustrations are complete.

“Autism has its own timeline. It took a while for Cooper to stay focused on this one project, but we got it done, and he did a great job,” said Kim.

The book will no longer be just a household staple—it will be available for the public to purchase.

Kim, Cooper, and David Soesbee excited for the book signing.

Coco’s Bananas was published in mid-March. With the help of Cooper’s father, who is also president of Touch Publishing, a book signing is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at the Barnes & Noble at Northeast Mall in Hurst, Texas.

“Cooper’s very excited about it,” said David Soesbee, Cooper’s father. “We hope that this book can be used as a catapult to encourage parents that their child is going through a stage and understand what autism is about.”

The Soesbees have used this experience to launch Triangle & Square Books, which they said will give parents of special needs children an outlet to publish their own books.