The glow of Brookside Graduation Print E-mail

Summer school may be underway at UGARC’s Brookside School, but the afterglow of its community preschool graduation still fills the air.  “We were so excited,” says Educational Director Marcene Johnson, “we had nearly 100 preschoolers graduate. It was our largest number ever.”

Family members, neighbors and friends cheered as the children, in caps and gowns, marched to the traditional Pomp and Circumstance. They knew to stand respectfully with little hands over hearts as they led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. A wonderful picnic sponsored by UGARC followed. 

Johnson, known throughout NYS for her fierce advocacy for and dedication to the children she provides supports to,  noted that this was also one of the rare times that UGARC’s Brookside School did not have any “upper classman” graduating.
 
“That’s a good thing,” pointed out UGARC’s Executive Director Laurie A. Kelley. “It marks our success and means we are doing a good job at helping families gain inclusion into mainstream programs at their local schools.” Along with the community preschool, Brookside also offers a Universal Pre-Kindergarten and 12 months of special education classes for children to age 21 who have higher levels of disability that may pose challenges to local schools in providing them with assistance. However, the fact that the numbers of students at Brookside is reducing each year, highlights the advocacy work of staff members at UGARC who help families gain entry into local school programs.
 
Back at graduation, which was held under one of the rare sunny sky days of June, families and their grads were decked out in the finest, proudly sharing in the achievements of these little ones who will be going on to community schools. The beauty of this special preschool, according to Brookside’s families, is that their children are included in classes with children at all levels of abilities, some with developmental delays. “We believe we are teaching tolerance and sensitivity,” Johnson said. “They are all just kids wanting to play with each other; they do not see any differences. It’s just wonderful.”
For information about UGARC and its supports for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities contact:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or 845-331-4300, ext. 707. The not-for-profit agency has been assisting people with disabilities since 1956. It is a Chapter of NYSARC, Inc. and a United Way agency.