The arrival of the day’s mail is an important event even in an age of ever-expanding options for electronic communication. Packages, letters, and postcards can transform a relatively mundane day into a truly unique one. That scenario is no different at Eastern Elementary School where the privilege of sorting the day’s mail goes to Zach Lowe, a student in Johnalyn Burns’ Life Skills Class. With great attention to detail and an eagerness to serve, Zach takes great pride in making sure everyone on campus gets whatever the postmaster bestowed on them on that day.
If you take the time to follow Zach back to his classroom after his duties are completed, you will meet some of the newest members of the Eastern community. Last summer, Kokomo Center Schools withdrew from a cooperative program known as KASEC (the Kokomo Area Special Education Cooperative) leaving the future educational home for these students up in the air. An agreement was then reached that Eastern would welcome students in the Life Skills program who live in the eastern and southern portions of Howard County while Western would welcome students from the western and northern portions.
The influx of these students has proven to be a blessing in a number of ways. Under the watchful care of teachers Janet Leeder and Johnalyn Burns along with several aids, Eastern was able to welcome back students who live in the area but who were previously going into Kokomo to receive their education. The students in the class obviously benefit from being part of the larger Eastern community and the various resources it has to offer.
However, Principal Randy Maurer was quick to add
that the advantages don’t simply benefit the students in the Life Skills program but all students at Eastern. “We’re all Eastern Comets,” Maurer added, as all students are learning to appreciate one another’s unique gifts and talents. Janet Silver, the Special Education Director for the Eastern Howard School Corporation, added, “Children learn what they live and they need to be around children of other abilities. It has made all of them better.”
The enrollment of each student in the Life Skills program begins with a case conference between the parents and teachers. Leeder and Burns then chart a course for each student with the goal in mind of teaching skills and abilities designed to yield self-sufficiency. At the heart of these efforts are a variety of lessons designed to address not only academic needs, but also motor skills, communication, and daily living. Although the day is structured into thirty minute blocks, Leeder and Burns are quick to add that flexibility is necessary to make sure the needs of each child are met.
When asked how the reception has been to their new educational home, Leeder and Burns are quick to add they were welcomed with open arms. A considerable amount of credit for this hospitality goes to the administration. However, students in other classes also played a critical role. For example, a group of fifth grade girls now volunteer in the Life Skills class. At other times, the reception is less formal but just as warm as other students welcome their newest classmates into a variety of activities at recess.
If you are fortunate enough to be at the elementary school around 10:45 AM on any given day, you may want to consider asking Zach Lowe to give you a tour. Not only does he know the names of the teachers and administrators whose mail he sorts, but he often knows the names of their children and, in some of their cases, even their grand-children. For Zach, sorting the mail is not simply a duty he is glad to perform but a way he is
now woven into the fabric of his new educational home.
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