00:00:10.685 --> 00:00:11.565
N-E-I-S-D,

00:00:11.625 --> 00:00:16.125
San Antonio Special Olympics and
adapted PE students and their coaches

00:00:16.475 --> 00:00:21.245
were followed by a documentary
crew and myself during the 20 21 22

00:00:21.245 --> 00:00:22.078
school year.

00:00:26.195 --> 00:00:28.965
This is their story camera.
What do you have right there?

00:00:29.115 --> 00:00:29.948
Letters.

00:00:30.955 --> 00:00:31.788
What letters?

00:00:32.165 --> 00:00:33.005
A, B, C. 1, 2, 3.

00:00:33.165 --> 00:00:34.925
A, B, C. 1, 2, 3. There.

00:00:34.925 --> 00:00:39.645
You go. S-H-O-T-U. Ut.

00:00:40.545 --> 00:00:41.645
Did you do good at shot put.

00:00:42.445 --> 00:00:43.605
PUT shot put.

00:00:46.985 --> 00:00:49.205
Let me explain to you
before you freak out. Yes,

00:00:49.225 --> 00:00:54.205
my kid might be standing a little too
close to you or maybe his behavior's a

00:00:54.205 --> 00:00:56.525
little bit different than
what you're expecting or what,

00:00:57.665 --> 00:00:59.085
and it makes people stare.

00:01:00.305 --> 00:01:05.245
But when you get around other places
where the parents are all going through

00:01:05.245 --> 00:01:09.045
the same thing, basically it's just kind
of a collective sigh of relief. Like,

00:01:09.045 --> 00:01:14.045
okay, let my kid be my kid and I don't
have to explain every little thing. To.

00:01:14.045 --> 00:01:14.878
Me,

00:01:15.425 --> 00:01:20.285
our program is really beneficial
to our kids because they get

00:01:20.425 --> 00:01:23.645
the same if not more than their peers do,

00:01:23.855 --> 00:01:26.405
which is exactly what
the federal law says.

00:01:26.785 --> 00:01:29.405
It should be comparable to
what their peers are getting.

00:01:30.145 --> 00:01:34.485
And so when we take our
knowledge and our equipment

00:01:35.225 --> 00:01:38.725
and apply it to the skills they're
learning, our students shine.

00:01:39.065 --> 00:01:43.285
Oh, this is my mom holding
a cake of happy birthday.

00:01:43.625 --> 00:01:46.285
The doctor kept saying, oh, he'll
grow out of it, he'll grow out of it.

00:01:46.305 --> 00:01:49.805
But that never happened. And
so she joined the military.

00:01:51.505 --> 00:01:56.205
We moved up here and to used the
insurance in the military to have an

00:01:56.205 --> 00:01:58.565
actual full examination done and all that,

00:01:58.565 --> 00:02:02.045
and at that point is when they
said that he was severely autistic.

00:02:03.185 --> 00:02:06.765
And we didn't know as
much then as we do now,

00:02:06.865 --> 00:02:09.845
but we learned that our
child was not working out,

00:02:10.515 --> 00:02:14.725
just learning that we
just kept moving forward.

00:02:15.115 --> 00:02:17.085
He's not broken. There's
nothing wrong with him.

00:02:17.225 --> 00:02:20.005
We have to be in his world and his steps.

00:02:23.625 --> 00:02:27.885
What's one of the most challenging
things that you've dealt with in the past

00:02:27.885 --> 00:02:28.525
year?

00:02:28.525 --> 00:02:32.845
I would say just adapting to literally
the kids' needs and what their skill

00:02:32.845 --> 00:02:33.678
levels are.

00:02:33.825 --> 00:02:38.685
So we have a whole wide range of
different skill levels with all our

00:02:38.765 --> 00:02:41.445
children. So some kids are in
wheelchairs, some kids could do it all.

00:02:41.445 --> 00:02:45.085
They just maybe just are hyperactive and
they just can't pay attention for more

00:02:45.085 --> 00:02:45.918
than two minutes.

00:02:46.795 --> 00:02:49.485
When they're able to do
it. And I get all excited.

00:02:51.505 --> 00:02:54.125
That's my accomplishment.

00:02:57.905 --> 00:03:01.325
People want to come to Northeast
to be an adaptive PE teacher.

00:03:01.745 --> 00:03:05.645
People want to come and be part of
our program because what we do for our

00:03:05.805 --> 00:03:08.125
adaptive PE students and for
our special Olympic students.

00:03:31.675 --> 00:03:33.165
What does your day-to-day look like?

00:03:34.185 --> 00:03:38.565
So is I go to five different schools,

00:03:39.065 --> 00:03:43.725
so just traveling and then
going to different schools
and teaching class for at

00:03:43.725 --> 00:03:45.685
least an hour out of the
day every class period.

00:03:46.105 --> 00:03:50.445
So this period I have my high school
students and today we are going to be

00:03:50.455 --> 00:03:54.565
practicing some bowling since usually
at this time we're getting ready for

00:03:54.565 --> 00:03:57.365
Special Olympics bowling, so I kind
of just want to keep with the groove.

00:03:57.855 --> 00:03:59.365
We're going to do bowling
again today. Okay.

00:04:00.235 --> 00:04:03.525
Keep practicing case we do Special
Olympics. We got to get ready.

00:04:04.205 --> 00:04:08.165
I want y'all to do good,
so let's just warm a line.

00:04:08.775 --> 00:04:13.045
Let's start a line today. Oh,

00:04:14.455 --> 00:04:14.965
there you.

00:04:14.965 --> 00:04:19.125
Go, girl. I knew you could do it.

00:04:19.385 --> 00:04:21.085
That's my biggest thing. I
always want them to be active.

00:04:21.165 --> 00:04:22.565
I always wanted to be
participating in class,

00:04:22.715 --> 00:04:25.445
even if I know it's probably not the
funnest thing or they could do it very

00:04:25.445 --> 00:04:28.045
well, I still want them to be
motivated to be there and do that.

00:04:28.265 --> 00:04:29.285
So that's why I do it.

00:04:29.635 --> 00:04:32.565
Once King's done, we have to clean up.

00:04:34.425 --> 00:04:36.685
You are. You're going to get a belt
buddy. I want you to get that Turkey.

00:04:38.985 --> 00:04:39.818
That's right.

00:04:40.305 --> 00:04:43.885
Not even Thanksgiving. Here I come,

00:04:44.865 --> 00:04:46.325
the Turkey will be mine.

00:04:47.195 --> 00:04:50.685
I'll have this Turkey empty my pack.

00:04:52.575 --> 00:04:54.205
Focus. Fuck.

00:05:01.755 --> 00:05:02.435
Back.

00:05:02.435 --> 00:05:04.205
Nice. Good job To the real Turkey.

00:05:04.545 --> 00:05:06.605
Oh, well I can't have a
real Turkey here at school.

00:05:06.905 --> 00:05:09.245
No, I can win two times in the wild.

00:05:09.515 --> 00:05:10.348
Good job.

00:05:10.475 --> 00:05:11.308
Wait.

00:05:11.345 --> 00:05:14.365
Man. You did amazing
today, bud. I like that.

00:05:17.065 --> 00:05:18.645
All right, we good? We
good. Everyone got water?

00:05:18.785 --> 00:05:23.125
So I guess challenges we're seeing
right now are getting back to everyday

00:05:23.125 --> 00:05:23.958
classes,

00:05:24.225 --> 00:05:28.645
so just having lessons prepared
and on the go and ready to

00:05:29.195 --> 00:05:32.285
fill our children's needs that we needed
to get done went away from the virtual

00:05:32.315 --> 00:05:36.045
concept in a way since every
kid has to be back in class.

00:05:37.025 --> 00:05:41.965
So I think overall our challenges
see now is just being back in the

00:05:41.965 --> 00:05:44.125
classroom, sanitizing
what we need to sanitize,

00:05:44.155 --> 00:05:48.085
keeping the distance and adapting to I
guess the co regulations right now at

00:05:48.085 --> 00:05:48.918
this time.

00:05:51.665 --> 00:05:52.498
That's amazing.

00:05:53.765 --> 00:05:57.405
Normally I'm sitting up there where
we just came off of for 20 minutes.

00:05:57.945 --> 00:05:59.125
How long had you been teaching?

00:06:00.035 --> 00:06:01.685
This is year 30 for me.

00:06:01.975 --> 00:06:06.605
First classroom I stepped into was a third
grade classroom because that's what I

00:06:06.605 --> 00:06:10.925
was hired to do, but I
specialized in physical education.

00:06:11.665 --> 00:06:16.005
So after setting up my
third grade classroom, two
weeks before school started,

00:06:16.065 --> 00:06:19.605
the principal called and asked if
I would like to be her PE teacher.

00:06:20.545 --> 00:06:23.205
And I said yes, because
it's harder to get a PE job.

00:06:23.945 --> 00:06:28.645
And so I did that for 21
years and in the last five

00:06:28.865 --> 00:06:31.365
of my general PE career,

00:06:32.045 --> 00:06:36.805
I became our adaptive PE facilitator
for the school district I was in

00:06:37.195 --> 00:06:40.725
because they wouldn't hire
full-time, adaptive PE teachers.

00:06:41.465 --> 00:06:46.405
So I trained all the general PE
teachers to do the job of an adaptive PE

00:06:46.405 --> 00:06:47.238
teacher.

00:06:48.425 --> 00:06:53.245
And so currently I've been doing
just exclusively adapted PE

00:06:53.505 --> 00:06:57.525
for nine years now. Circle. Circle.

00:07:02.555 --> 00:07:07.165
Okay. Get there quick. Thank
you. All right. Are we ready?

00:07:07.215 --> 00:07:11.565
We're going to stretch. Good job
right here. All right. Butterflies.

00:07:12.825 --> 00:07:13.275
One.

00:07:13.275 --> 00:07:18.125
Look at me. Two, two, help
me. Count three, four.

00:07:18.345 --> 00:07:20.005
Do it again. Five. I don't hear you.

00:07:20.465 --> 00:07:25.405
6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Ready?

00:07:27.475 --> 00:07:31.125
Yeah. You ready? All one.

00:07:31.385 --> 00:07:34.445
You get your two, three, go.

00:07:37.955 --> 00:07:39.965
Good job too.

00:07:39.965 --> 00:07:44.845
Late Texas to our adapted PE
program here in our district

00:07:45.425 --> 00:07:48.565
is really unique because
we are a pullout program.

00:07:49.145 --> 00:07:53.405
We take our students who have qualified
for direct service and we put them into

00:07:53.445 --> 00:07:56.805
a small group and we
teach PE as PE teachers.

00:07:57.815 --> 00:08:02.245
Other school districts around
the state either don't have,

00:08:02.275 --> 00:08:03.845
they have a non-existent program,

00:08:04.295 --> 00:08:07.285
which is really a disservice
to their students.

00:08:08.825 --> 00:08:13.565
Or they have a program in which the
students are pushed into the general PE

00:08:13.565 --> 00:08:18.125
program and the adaptive PE teacher
comes and works alongside them

00:08:18.685 --> 00:08:23.525
a few days a week, a few hours a
month, whatever it is in the art. How.

00:08:23.525 --> 00:08:28.165
Do you think that your leadership role
impacts the adaptive PE and the Special

00:08:28.405 --> 00:08:31.325
Olympics programs throughout the
district with dealing with coaches and

00:08:31.445 --> 00:08:32.278
children?

00:08:32.665 --> 00:08:36.605
The one thing I can claim as a gift
is my ability to think on my feet

00:08:37.865 --> 00:08:40.565
and also have the words
that need to be said.

00:08:41.225 --> 00:08:45.685
And so I think that's why a lot of times

00:08:45.795 --> 00:08:49.085
everybody on the team is
comfortable calling and saying, Hey,

00:08:49.125 --> 00:08:53.085
I need help with this. What should I
say about this? How do I handle this?

00:08:53.425 --> 00:08:56.605
But I also think that being
in this leadership role,

00:08:57.285 --> 00:09:02.045
I have let people take
what they can do with their

00:09:02.045 --> 00:09:03.605
abilities and run with it.

00:09:05.225 --> 00:09:06.965
I'm so fortunate. I have a great staff.

00:09:07.135 --> 00:09:10.885
Those positions are hard to
find and fill, adapt to pe.

00:09:11.385 --> 00:09:12.805
We did have two openings,

00:09:12.825 --> 00:09:17.325
but I was able to secure two adaptive PE
teachers that have years of experience

00:09:17.325 --> 00:09:18.245
that want to come over.

00:09:18.905 --> 00:09:22.565
And so we're very fortunate and
that really is a testament to y'all,

00:09:22.565 --> 00:09:23.605
the A PE teachers.

00:09:23.865 --> 00:09:27.085
My highlight of the day is when I have
to come to the adaptive PE gym and watch

00:09:27.085 --> 00:09:29.765
out for your little observations
or for your walkthroughs.

00:09:31.025 --> 00:09:35.005
The smiles on the students'
faces, they're so excited. I mean,

00:09:35.005 --> 00:09:38.285
they're literally jumping up and down
when they see the adaptive PE teacher

00:09:38.355 --> 00:09:42.725
come. Just seeing the kids enjoying
themselves and realizing, wow,

00:09:42.905 --> 00:09:46.805
you got them to do some stuff that general
ed kids sometimes find difficult to

00:09:46.805 --> 00:09:48.325
do. Truly amazing.

00:09:49.105 --> 00:09:53.365
So when they leave feeling
that it's contagious. I mean,

00:09:53.425 --> 00:09:56.125
you leave feeling better about
yourself, your day's better.

00:09:59.065 --> 00:10:03.485
So are you excited about being back in
school? Yeah, because of my sickness,

00:10:04.155 --> 00:10:08.845
nose cloth, coughing and

00:10:13.865 --> 00:10:18.685
boy sounds funny and blah,
blah, blah. I can't go to school

00:10:20.235 --> 00:10:23.685
when I about to get everyone
sick and get Corona.

00:10:24.105 --> 00:10:25.325
Oh no jump.

00:10:26.965 --> 00:10:31.845
Remember, you get the noodle tag
the legs only and you get tagged.

00:10:31.955 --> 00:10:35.605
Take the flag once both flags are gone.

00:10:37.185 --> 00:10:40.365
10 jumping jacks. That's right.
10 jumping jacks. I want that.

00:10:41.625 --> 00:10:46.285
Got it, got it, got it.
Where are we tagging?

00:10:47.455 --> 00:10:50.765
Where are we tagging Ready.

00:10:52.855 --> 00:10:55.165
Ready go.

00:11:02.435 --> 00:11:05.565
Come on.

00:11:07.305 --> 00:11:11.685
Hey. Hey. Legs only.
Remember, legs only on,

00:11:12.505 --> 00:11:16.845
oh, you both coach a flag. Both of
you. I get All right. Y'all go here.

00:11:16.845 --> 00:11:21.845
3, 5, 6, 9, 10.

00:11:22.945 --> 00:11:23.845
All right, grab one.

00:11:47.835 --> 00:11:51.805
Well five minutes winter. Hello?

00:11:59.305 --> 00:12:03.805
My pencil or pen and on my

00:12:05.085 --> 00:12:08.645
computer so I could handle
anything while I go.

00:12:09.435 --> 00:12:12.925
This is my mouse.

00:12:15.185 --> 00:12:17.765
Oh, Play-Doh

00:12:22.195 --> 00:12:26.645
strings. Oh my lucky
penny. The one I found on

00:12:28.885 --> 00:12:33.205
a, I just pick up a
panic and I was so lucky.

00:12:34.865 --> 00:12:39.405
You did a great job today in class
and I miss being your teacher.

00:12:39.875 --> 00:12:40.305
Yeah.

00:12:40.305 --> 00:12:42.165
But I don't know why you gave up.

00:12:42.965 --> 00:12:45.965
I didn't give up. It's just you graduated.
You're not in eighth grade anymore.

00:12:46.905 --> 00:12:47.765
I'm a ninth grade.

00:12:47.825 --> 00:12:50.245
You're a ninth grader. I'm not
a ninth grade teacher at Mac.

00:12:50.305 --> 00:12:54.005
I'm an eighth grade teacher at Bradley.
Right. I didn't give up on you.

00:12:54.245 --> 00:12:56.845
I promise. I'm here right
now. Right. Awesome. Yeah.

00:12:57.625 --> 00:13:00.365
But I'll see you next
time, right? Yeah, you

00:13:06.505 --> 00:13:11.405
Hi babe. How was school today
baby? It was good. Oh look.

00:13:11.405 --> 00:13:14.925
Pickle say hi. Hi Pickle. Hi Coach. Mike.

00:13:15.335 --> 00:13:17.205
Where did we find it? Where
did we find the kittens?

00:13:17.865 --> 00:13:21.725
Ah, there it was April 26 right here.

00:13:23.945 --> 00:13:25.165
And you found all those kitties.

00:13:26.595 --> 00:13:27.485
Only four of them.

00:13:29.145 --> 00:13:33.645
The reason why tiny always keep meowing
because she always wants attention.

00:13:35.265 --> 00:13:37.685
Having a pet, this big responsibility.

00:13:39.045 --> 00:13:43.285
February 13th, 2007, like almost
nine pounds baby with a huge,

00:13:44.465 --> 00:13:45.885
he was hitting all his milestones.

00:13:46.025 --> 00:13:50.685
He was actually over the percentage
at that particular age group,

00:13:52.025 --> 00:13:53.485
so we just couldn't understand it.

00:13:53.715 --> 00:13:56.445
Then after joining the
military here in Fort Sam,

00:13:56.745 --> 00:14:01.565
we went through the pediatrician and
then a team of doctors decided to observe

00:14:01.585 --> 00:14:06.565
him and interact to see how he would
interact and play with toys and they

00:14:06.565 --> 00:14:10.525
would notice that he was very distant
and he had all the characteristics.

00:14:10.545 --> 00:14:14.685
So when he finally did get diagnosed,
it was severe autism with regression,

00:14:14.685 --> 00:14:16.445
which we had already seen.

00:14:17.025 --> 00:14:21.005
But it takes time to get that
diagnosis. At that point,

00:14:21.785 --> 00:14:26.405
not one person could diagnose. It was a
team of doctors that needed to see him.

00:14:27.185 --> 00:14:32.085
It is nice to have the designation
sooner because we could have

00:14:32.085 --> 00:14:35.045
gotten help a lot earlier. There was
no reason to have gone that long,

00:14:35.765 --> 00:14:38.005
a year and a half or so before he was,

00:14:38.185 --> 00:14:40.445
before we could get any
kind of help for him.

00:14:42.145 --> 00:14:46.725
But I mean luckily now he is gone
from nonverbal to verbal and speaks

00:14:47.515 --> 00:14:51.525
very well for his age
and everything. But yeah,

00:14:51.525 --> 00:14:53.085
it was definitely very
tough at the beginning.

00:14:53.345 --> 00:14:56.405
We looked through the internet, we
were like, well, where can we take him?

00:14:56.405 --> 00:14:57.238
And I was like,

00:14:57.245 --> 00:15:01.965
I want a school that that
gives him everything on top of

00:15:02.225 --> 00:15:06.605
the education. So we did find one
for autism, which was about 30,

00:15:06.695 --> 00:15:10.245
40 minutes from where we lived.
And grad would take him every day.

00:15:10.595 --> 00:15:13.965
Yeah, they did. They did a really
good job while he was there. They did.

00:15:14.805 --> 00:15:19.405
I mean he went from being completely
nonverbal to speaking in a very short

00:15:20.065 --> 00:15:21.045
period of time too.

00:15:21.505 --> 00:15:23.725
We started to find out later
on that it's a huge spectrum.

00:15:23.905 --> 00:15:26.765
Now you have high
functioning, low functioning,

00:15:27.675 --> 00:15:32.045
then you have Asperger. So as
time went on we're like, okay,

00:15:32.105 --> 00:15:36.405
now we're having more and more and we
went to a lot of parenting classes with

00:15:36.665 --> 00:15:40.925
any baby camp program and that
was really a great program for us.

00:15:41.465 --> 00:15:46.405
We needed to understand that for him,
everything is so high sensory, the noise,

00:15:46.745 --> 00:15:50.405
the people getting
overwhelmed and it was tough.

00:15:50.625 --> 00:15:54.245
We just had to see the world
through his eyes and understand him.

00:15:54.785 --> 00:15:58.605
And once we did that, it
became a lot easier for us.

00:15:58.945 --> 00:16:01.485
Really. I mean it takes way more,

00:16:01.985 --> 00:16:06.285
way more than Medicaid or
anything else can offer.

00:16:06.485 --> 00:16:08.285
I mean to get King to where he is,

00:16:08.825 --> 00:16:13.525
it took way more than any kind of state
run program than what most people can

00:16:13.525 --> 00:16:15.205
afford. In fact,

00:16:15.205 --> 00:16:18.605
that's why he's where he is at now back
in the public school is because it got

00:16:18.605 --> 00:16:19.845
to a point we couldn't keep up anymore.

00:16:20.435 --> 00:16:23.765
When they stopped taking the
military insurance, they were like,

00:16:24.135 --> 00:16:28.925
we're going to cash only to go
here. We're like, oh, okay. Alright,

00:16:29.055 --> 00:16:30.405
we're going to have to
look for something else.

00:16:31.325 --> 00:16:36.005
The thing is that it takes a
lot of work, a lot of work,

00:16:37.205 --> 00:16:40.125
a lot of work that a lot of kids
don't have access to unfortunately.

00:16:40.425 --> 00:16:45.325
So the more I guess the more
it gets out there and the more

00:16:45.325 --> 00:16:48.805
people know the state run agencies
just don't have what it takes.

00:16:49.005 --> 00:16:53.965
I mean it literally took one-on-one
with him with teachers at

00:16:54.365 --> 00:16:59.165
multiple hours a day for years before
he got to a speaking point and where

00:16:59.225 --> 00:17:01.445
are you going to get
that in state run agency,

00:17:01.835 --> 00:17:05.405
like three separate teachers that are
one-on-one with your child for years at a

00:17:05.405 --> 00:17:06.065
time.

00:17:06.065 --> 00:17:10.885
So that's really what's going to be

00:17:10.885 --> 00:17:15.885
necessary to help a lot of people is a
lot more money and a lot more access to a

00:17:15.885 --> 00:17:16.718
lot of stuff.

00:17:19.775 --> 00:17:21.165
Covid cases were going down,

00:17:21.165 --> 00:17:24.445
people were starting to see the light
at the end of the tunnel and getting

00:17:24.445 --> 00:17:26.605
excited. We might actually
have Special Olympics bowling,

00:17:26.625 --> 00:17:29.965
but then the Delta variant popped up
cases across the district started to spike

00:17:29.965 --> 00:17:33.725
again and Cynthia Parks our head of
delegation for the Special Olympics in our

00:17:33.965 --> 00:17:34.798
district. Got word.

00:17:37.165 --> 00:17:42.165
I contacted Jaylen at the beginning of
the week this week to see what was going

00:17:42.185 --> 00:17:45.885
on in regards to bowling.

00:17:46.195 --> 00:17:48.925
They've already decided
to push it to January.

00:17:51.065 --> 00:17:55.285
So my next question was, okay,

00:17:56.225 --> 00:17:58.685
how will that affect
basketball and track field?

00:17:59.785 --> 00:18:04.565
And he says they really want
22 to be as normal as possible,

00:18:06.135 --> 00:18:10.965
which basketball tends to
happen in March in track and

00:18:10.965 --> 00:18:13.005
field in May.

00:18:14.305 --> 00:18:17.525
So what that would mean
is basketball in January,

00:18:18.025 --> 00:18:22.645
not bowling in January, basketball in
March, track and field in April, may.

00:18:23.145 --> 00:18:25.405
I'm going to contact the
venues today and let them know.

00:18:26.445 --> 00:18:31.085
I think the next question should
be, the next decision should be,

00:18:31.225 --> 00:18:34.365
do we even want to do bowling
if they decide in January?

00:18:35.235 --> 00:18:35.925
There's no way.

00:18:35.925 --> 00:18:39.725
When I looked at y'all schedule back
in 2019 when I first came on board,

00:18:40.035 --> 00:18:42.245
January 28th is when part,

00:18:42.525 --> 00:18:46.725
I mean is when Kathy White had her
tournament at Encino Park for basketball.

00:18:46.725 --> 00:18:49.845
Y'all are already in basketball in
January. I don't want to push that back.

00:18:50.035 --> 00:18:55.005
Just think that we do
something else as an a PE team

00:18:55.155 --> 00:18:58.925
this semester and then we just continue
on the second semester with bowling.

00:18:58.965 --> 00:19:03.045
I mean with basketball and with track
and field. I love your thing, Stephanie,

00:19:03.165 --> 00:19:05.485
about backyard lawn games. To me,

00:19:05.485 --> 00:19:09.725
those are lifelong recreational
skills that they can have and

00:19:11.145 --> 00:19:15.405
we do, I don't know. We say, okay,
we're going to do two weeks of washers.

00:19:15.775 --> 00:19:17.925
We're going to do two
weeks of, or whatever,

00:19:19.245 --> 00:19:22.325
whatever kind of outdoor lawn games.

00:19:23.195 --> 00:19:28.085
Then I would love for us to be
able to have a fall festival

00:19:28.085 --> 00:19:32.765
where families just all come and we
just all have different lawn game

00:19:32.765 --> 00:19:36.325
stations and they're coming around and
actually being able to play those with

00:19:36.325 --> 00:19:39.605
their students. Their students have
learned the games in y'all's classes.

00:19:40.235 --> 00:19:41.445
What about something like that?

00:19:42.345 --> 00:19:46.645
The only thing is that still hinges
on where are we at with covid, right?

00:19:47.425 --> 00:19:48.925
If we can actually all gather.

00:19:49.415 --> 00:19:50.248
Right.

00:19:50.665 --> 00:19:53.525
But if it's outside, we should
be able to if it's outside.

00:19:54.345 --> 00:19:56.605
All right guys, well
y'all have a great Friday.

00:19:57.545 --> 00:19:58.805
You too. Thank.

00:19:58.805 --> 00:20:00.405
Y'all for the info and your time.

00:20:00.905 --> 00:20:04.325
I'm going to email the powers to and
let them know what we've decided.

00:20:05.975 --> 00:20:06.925
There we go again.

00:20:07.665 --> 00:20:12.665
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10.

00:20:17.235 --> 00:20:18.405
Last one. Reach for the

00:20:22.665 --> 00:20:22.915
10.

00:20:22.915 --> 00:20:27.245
Alright, good job. Alright,

00:20:27.245 --> 00:20:31.085
let's get back to play ass. Go, go,
go, go, go. Come on Aaron. Go. Go.

00:20:32.425 --> 00:20:36.365
You go, go. Quentin, Fredo, Fredo.

00:20:37.715 --> 00:20:42.405
Keep going. Keep going. There's one,

00:20:42.685 --> 00:20:47.445
A one, one only. One only. No cheating.

00:20:47.585 --> 00:20:50.845
No cheating. Come on Aaron. Grab one.
Go. Go. Grab, grab them. Go, go, go.

00:20:51.175 --> 00:20:56.125
Fredo, go. One, one. Fredo, go
pick. Go and get it. Favor. Oh,

00:20:56.125 --> 00:21:00.405
you going backwards? Walk
backwards Rod. Go, go, go, go.

00:21:01.055 --> 00:21:04.725
Fredo. Keep going. Let's
count. Here you go.

00:21:05.945 --> 00:21:06.778
Can you count with me?

00:21:07.105 --> 00:21:12.105
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

00:21:13.465 --> 00:21:18.285
You have 12. Good job. Good. Counting
12. Alright Quentin, let's see how many.

00:21:18.495 --> 00:21:20.645
After Coach Gomez was done
dropping off his class,

00:21:20.705 --> 00:21:22.765
we broke the news about
bullying. Are we going to.

00:21:22.765 --> 00:21:25.645
Do anything ourselves then outside
of Special Olympics like us?

00:21:25.645 --> 00:21:27.765
That's what we're going to
discuss. Yeah, the plan is.

00:21:27.825 --> 00:21:29.765
Yes, but it's still.

00:21:30.385 --> 00:21:34.685
Up in the air. Well great.

00:21:36.585 --> 00:21:39.005
How does that make you feel though?
No, I really don't. I mean like I said,

00:21:39.005 --> 00:21:41.485
it's the best part of our job
is doing a special Olympics.

00:21:41.585 --> 00:21:45.605
So I mean once again it's another year
where it's just a wash and we can't get

00:21:45.605 --> 00:21:50.565
these kids to do something fun outside
of just PE class and to get out to

00:21:51.355 --> 00:21:56.045
regular society and have a good time,
just have a good old time. So yeah,

00:21:56.045 --> 00:22:00.445
it stinks. It's not, it's the
greatest feeling but I don't know.

00:22:00.955 --> 00:22:03.405
Hopefully it gets better. I'm just, wow,

00:22:03.605 --> 00:22:06.485
I didn't think that was going to happen.
Even today being at the high school,

00:22:06.765 --> 00:22:09.245
I saw a couple of the old athletes and
they're asking when's it going to be

00:22:09.445 --> 00:22:12.165
practice and when are they going
to be able to get into games again?

00:22:12.355 --> 00:22:14.645
Just like I told 'em,

00:22:14.645 --> 00:22:17.085
hopefully we are going to do it but
now here in this it's just like, man,

00:22:17.085 --> 00:22:21.285
it's another crushing 'em again, what
they look forward to all the time.

00:22:27.355 --> 00:22:29.085
When bowling was canceled for the year,

00:22:29.145 --> 00:22:31.805
the adapted physical education
team sprung into action.

00:22:32.075 --> 00:22:36.405
Christine and Coach Allen went to the
Johnson Pals who have helped with Special

00:22:36.805 --> 00:22:40.925
Olympics events in the past to see if
they could help and get some fresh ideas

00:22:40.925 --> 00:22:41.758
from them.

00:22:44.685 --> 00:22:48.165
I worked at that high school
further down 2 81 Valley.

00:22:48.325 --> 00:22:51.885
I was your assistant principal and their
lead counselor for years and I jumped

00:22:51.885 --> 00:22:55.165
over to Northeast and so a year and
a half ago was my very first year.

00:22:56.145 --> 00:22:57.605
My very first day on the job,

00:22:58.085 --> 00:23:03.005
I go to Main Event and I see these
awesome teenagers helping these special

00:23:03.005 --> 00:23:06.565
Olympic athletes doing all this
bowling stuff and I was like, my gosh,

00:23:06.665 --> 00:23:07.498
who is this group?

00:23:07.625 --> 00:23:11.365
And it was Johnson and then we had this
big tournament and Kristen Allen was

00:23:11.365 --> 00:23:13.205
like, coach Allen was like, Hey,

00:23:13.305 --> 00:23:16.005
I'm just going to go over all
the rules and stuff with my pals.

00:23:16.005 --> 00:23:18.645
They're going to get here early, they're
going to help set up the bullying,

00:23:18.645 --> 00:23:19.765
they're going to get the ramps out,

00:23:19.765 --> 00:23:22.565
they're going to get all the cards all
set up for the kids. And I'm like, what?

00:23:22.565 --> 00:23:24.805
They're not even supposed
to be here yet. Oh my gosh.

00:23:25.135 --> 00:23:29.085
Every single Johnson Powell was there
on time alert and did everything that

00:23:29.085 --> 00:23:30.165
Ms. Allen asked her to do.

00:23:30.745 --> 00:23:34.205
And when I saw the look
on the athlete's faces,

00:23:34.805 --> 00:23:38.445
whenever the pals would come and help
them and talk to them and cheer them on,

00:23:38.765 --> 00:23:39.645
I mean it was priceless.

00:23:39.905 --> 00:23:43.565
It was so priceless just to see that
engagement and that relationship be

00:23:43.725 --> 00:23:47.245
informed. And so when Coach
Rod came up and was like, Hey,

00:23:47.365 --> 00:23:51.365
I really want to do this documentary
about Special Olympics and adaptive pe,

00:23:52.045 --> 00:23:55.205
I went to Coach Allen and I told
her, I go, okay, you do this.

00:23:55.545 --> 00:23:59.765
One highlight that I really want to show
is the house program and just how the

00:23:59.765 --> 00:24:03.085
relationships that have created
between y'all and our athletes,

00:24:03.585 --> 00:24:06.685
how meaningful it is and how it
not only changes their lives,

00:24:06.985 --> 00:24:10.485
but what it does for, I even
see it in y'all's faces.

00:24:11.015 --> 00:24:12.445
Y'all leave just a little bit happier,

00:24:12.755 --> 00:24:17.005
your smiles just a little bit bigger
when you leave your experiences with our

00:24:17.245 --> 00:24:21.165
athletes and so be able to show that
to share that I think could be very,

00:24:21.195 --> 00:24:22.028
very bad.

00:24:22.355 --> 00:24:23.685
Some of y'all meet the Jags,

00:24:24.015 --> 00:24:27.165
we're in a holding pattern to
see what are we going to do?

00:24:27.705 --> 00:24:30.285
Are they going to let us
Because you guys probably,

00:24:30.305 --> 00:24:32.445
you may not pay total
attention to the news,

00:24:32.545 --> 00:24:35.445
but you see your parents and you
probably see it on social media.

00:24:35.585 --> 00:24:39.725
The covid numbers have just
been going up and a lot of our

00:24:40.445 --> 00:24:43.485
athletes have besides disabilities,

00:24:43.485 --> 00:24:47.805
they have health issues and some are
immunocompromised and that kind of thing.

00:24:48.345 --> 00:24:50.445
So when Special Olympics,

00:24:50.495 --> 00:24:55.485
Texas has a whole guidelines that
they follow like a flow chart to say

00:24:55.535 --> 00:24:56.245
where they're not,

00:24:56.245 --> 00:25:01.125
they're going to allow in-person
or only outdoor activities or if

00:25:01.125 --> 00:25:03.125
they're going to halt
all activities together.

00:25:03.225 --> 00:25:04.765
So we've been kind of
in a holding pattern.

00:25:05.045 --> 00:25:09.925
I think they made a decision
for right now that we will

00:25:09.925 --> 00:25:10.805
not have bowling.

00:25:10.895 --> 00:25:15.365
Their highlight is Special Olympics and
so when that is taken away from them or

00:25:15.365 --> 00:25:16.205
it's suspended,

00:25:16.715 --> 00:25:20.805
they really struggle with trying to
fulfill or find something very similar to

00:25:20.805 --> 00:25:23.845
match that. So we're trying
to, with your help baby,

00:25:24.265 --> 00:25:28.645
bounce off some ideas on what we can do
to maybe still do something at a smaller

00:25:28.695 --> 00:25:32.165
scale, not sponsored by Special
Olympics but something for our athletes.

00:25:32.245 --> 00:25:34.765
I would incorporate you guys, it's
kind of like what we're thinking.

00:25:35.375 --> 00:25:40.285
Would this be just for Johnson
athletes or all the district,

00:25:40.285 --> 00:25:41.118
like high school.

00:25:41.915 --> 00:25:44.165
High school, middle
school, elementary school,

00:25:44.165 --> 00:25:46.005
something to get all of the kids in the.

00:25:46.465 --> 00:25:50.205
So last year when things were shut down
and there was no special Olympics all

00:25:50.205 --> 00:25:50.825
year,

00:25:50.825 --> 00:25:55.725
but we did to adapt is that we
created our own special Olympics

00:25:55.755 --> 00:25:59.725
like northeast Facebook page
and we have a monthly challenge

00:26:00.385 --> 00:26:04.925
And so for the month of October we
had a big walk-a-thon for November

00:26:05.225 --> 00:26:09.645
we did a big dance party and then we had
a big live Zoom dance party at the very

00:26:09.645 --> 00:26:10.565
end as a finale.

00:26:10.625 --> 00:26:15.165
We all had did videos to put on our
Facebook page if the kids could see us

00:26:15.945 --> 00:26:17.405
and so we don't know if we're to that,

00:26:17.455 --> 00:26:19.725
we're still offering that
on our Facebook page,

00:26:19.785 --> 00:26:24.445
but I also kind of like the idea of
maybe doing a big backyard lawn games.

00:26:25.405 --> 00:26:28.525
I know that y'all kind of
just take it for granted.

00:26:28.525 --> 00:26:32.085
The jack and go backyard now can see play
washers when you'll have friends come

00:26:32.085 --> 00:26:32.755
over.

00:26:32.755 --> 00:26:36.125
Well our students don't do stuff like
that all the time and so if we can teach

00:26:36.125 --> 00:26:39.165
them a skill that they can do
for the rest of their life,

00:26:39.305 --> 00:26:41.005
it would be so more meaningful to them.

00:26:41.585 --> 00:26:43.845
And so we were thinking even
if we did something like that,

00:26:43.985 --> 00:26:47.885
did a big backyard lawn game tournament,
high school versus high school,

00:26:48.155 --> 00:26:51.485
just tried to get some kind of
tournament, some kind of spirit,

00:26:51.515 --> 00:26:56.405
something together for our athletes
farthest maybe like a medicine ball.

00:26:56.625 --> 00:26:59.725
Yes. Or even how she was
saying about bullet hoops.

00:26:59.725 --> 00:27:03.165
They could have a large hole group and
there can be cones and they have to toss

00:27:03.165 --> 00:27:06.165
the bullet who onto the
cones Love it. Yes. Look,

00:27:06.335 --> 00:27:10.685
there are lawn activities of their own
house so that way they can still be

00:27:10.685 --> 00:27:11.518
there. Yeah.

00:27:11.715 --> 00:27:14.005
Well and obviously
participate in the sendoff.

00:27:14.125 --> 00:27:16.285
I feel like the sendoff
makes everyone excited.

00:27:16.665 --> 00:27:21.205
We can even do get the community and
get their friends and family to do those

00:27:21.305 --> 00:27:24.365
car parades that people did
during covid and we could,

00:27:24.595 --> 00:27:26.045
obviously not everyone has cars,

00:27:26.145 --> 00:27:30.605
but put balloons on our cars
or have confetti cannons and

00:27:30.915 --> 00:27:34.125
just be like, yay and drive
by their house and stuff.

00:27:34.425 --> 00:27:36.845
And then the whole community
would be like, what is going on?

00:27:36.945 --> 00:27:40.965
And then everyone would be like, oh,
let me cheer them on too. Love ideas.

00:27:45.435 --> 00:27:47.245
Hearing from Y is y'all are in,

00:27:50.215 --> 00:27:52.205
y'all want to help us in
participating in this,

00:27:52.205 --> 00:27:54.925
which is going to be an amazing
experience. That's great.

00:27:56.755 --> 00:27:59.345
How's it going so far
this year? Let's see.

00:27:59.345 --> 00:28:04.105
We've had a mask mandate then not a mask
mandate and now if you want to wear a

00:28:04.105 --> 00:28:07.505
mask you don't have to but you
can and we can't force you to,

00:28:08.085 --> 00:28:11.625
but it's strongly encouraged in every
building. So that's where we're at.

00:28:11.995 --> 00:28:16.705
We're still working around Special
Olympics and we're coming up with

00:28:16.705 --> 00:28:20.665
alternative activities for our families
and we're doing the best we can.

00:28:20.845 --> 00:28:25.345
We have two subs on our list that
are willing to do adaptive PE

00:28:26.005 --> 00:28:26.905
if they're available,

00:28:27.995 --> 00:28:32.945
which we've had three of our 14 staff
members who have come up positive with

00:28:32.945 --> 00:28:36.265
covid, which is a minimum
of 10 days off work.

00:28:38.155 --> 00:28:42.945
Every single time I reach out to the
team while Christine reaches out to the

00:28:42.945 --> 00:28:45.985
campus administrators to let them
know we're doing the best we can,

00:28:46.085 --> 00:28:47.465
but we may not have coverage.

00:28:47.885 --> 00:28:51.905
Our coordinator herself went out
and taught some of the classes.

00:28:52.645 --> 00:28:57.625
She left her office and her high heels
and went and taught classes that needed

00:28:57.625 --> 00:29:01.705
to be taught. We're getting to the point
now where we've done everything we can.

00:29:01.965 --> 00:29:03.545
You have to stay in the moment,

00:29:03.765 --> 00:29:07.625
figure out the problem and then move
on to the next one and if the problems

00:29:07.625 --> 00:29:12.145
start to pile up and just put 'em in
order of what needs to be handled first.

00:29:12.565 --> 00:29:16.625
Red circle. Red circle. How
long? Okay, I'm waiting. Okay,

00:29:16.625 --> 00:29:21.185
I'll hold the door for everybody.
Cam put that in the trash.

00:29:29.775 --> 00:29:32.065
I've been trying to get
him in a therapy for years.

00:29:32.775 --> 00:29:37.705
It's really hard to get kids
into a BA as new patients if

00:29:37.705 --> 00:29:39.865
they're over the age of eight as they do.

00:29:40.055 --> 00:29:43.965
They're not the ones that exactly play
well with your insurance company and so

00:29:43.965 --> 00:29:45.125
it's really pricey.

00:29:46.075 --> 00:29:50.445
Finding a program that will
accept him at age 10 and

00:29:50.835 --> 00:29:55.365
help work with me on a sliding pay scale
kind of thing has been a hard thing.

00:29:55.685 --> 00:29:59.005
I go into those ARD
meetings and I'm normally,

00:29:59.235 --> 00:30:02.725
they've labeled me an easy parent because
I'll go in and I'll be like, okay,

00:30:02.725 --> 00:30:06.205
what are you guys doing for him? I'm
happy with everything he's had so far.

00:30:07.765 --> 00:30:11.805
I don't fight them on things I don't
argue because most of the time I feel like

00:30:11.805 --> 00:30:12.765
his needs are being met,

00:30:12.865 --> 00:30:17.565
but when I hear that he could have
these things that he needs and they're

00:30:17.685 --> 00:30:21.525
stopping him with an arbitrary
rule, that's a huge problem for me.

00:30:21.555 --> 00:30:24.085
I've been working on it for three
years trying to get him a b, a

00:30:26.645 --> 00:30:27.945
and it's not on the teachers.

00:30:28.185 --> 00:30:32.865
I get that because they
literally took beatings

00:30:32.975 --> 00:30:33.808
from my son.

00:30:34.535 --> 00:30:35.368
Because.

00:30:35.405 --> 00:30:40.185
Of his behavioral issues and all that
and they would go home at night and they

00:30:40.185 --> 00:30:44.025
would think about ways to make his
life better, to make their life better.

00:30:45.285 --> 00:30:46.425
All these solutions,

00:30:47.245 --> 00:30:51.385
that's the kind of people they are
the special needs teachers are another

00:30:51.575 --> 00:30:54.785
echelon of people. He gets a
little bit of occupational therapy,

00:30:54.925 --> 00:30:57.465
he gets a little bit of
speech therapy, all that.

00:30:57.735 --> 00:31:01.545
It's not like he's not going to get
everything he needs within the school

00:31:01.785 --> 00:31:05.745
district, so he's still not going to get
as much ABA as he could possibly need.

00:31:06.285 --> 00:31:10.825
But my goal in all of this was
to help him with behavioral

00:31:10.975 --> 00:31:15.025
replacement so that he can figure out
a way not to be violent at school.

00:31:16.325 --> 00:31:18.775
He's not violent at home.
I don't have those issues.

00:31:18.855 --> 00:31:21.775
I can't have them come and observe it
at home because that's not where the

00:31:21.975 --> 00:31:25.495
behavior's taking place. And when I
dropped him off, they did this thing like,

00:31:25.495 --> 00:31:25.695
okay,

00:31:25.695 --> 00:31:29.735
we're going to observe his behavior for
several hours and of course he was just

00:31:29.775 --> 00:31:34.295
a little delight. He was this sweet
kid. None of those anger issues,

00:31:34.365 --> 00:31:38.735
just all happy and smiling,
giggling and just the best of texts.

00:31:39.895 --> 00:31:42.895
I see the level of care
that happens in a PE,

00:31:43.045 --> 00:31:47.895
they understand that it's not
about having to assert power over

00:31:47.895 --> 00:31:49.695
them or say you have to do this my way.

00:31:49.725 --> 00:31:53.655
It's about redirecting
your thoughts and saying,

00:31:54.035 --> 00:31:56.335
if I can give them this
works best for them.

00:31:57.795 --> 00:32:02.615
And I think that they understand the
plight of the individual a whole lot

00:32:02.615 --> 00:32:05.055
more than mainstream teachers do.

00:32:05.415 --> 00:32:07.975
I mean I'm as big as advocate
anyway as his parent,

00:32:08.075 --> 00:32:11.615
but as a special needs parent, I'm very,

00:32:12.675 --> 00:32:14.135
I'm overbearingly protective.

00:32:17.965 --> 00:32:18.415
He's 10,

00:32:18.415 --> 00:32:23.415
but he's been through a whole
lot and he just has me so I have

00:32:23.415 --> 00:32:26.135
to be really on it. What
did your day look like?

00:32:26.835 --> 00:32:30.455
How can I address these
things and help prepare you?

00:32:32.275 --> 00:32:36.375
His dad was his caregiver and
they spoke the same language.

00:32:37.075 --> 00:32:40.365
He just knew he very instinctive.

00:32:41.145 --> 00:32:46.045
And so it was one of those
things where I had to learn a new

00:32:46.245 --> 00:32:48.925
language and I'm still learning

00:32:50.915 --> 00:32:55.285
it's a different world than it was even
10 years ago and I mean I'm hopeful.

00:32:56.225 --> 00:32:57.645
I'm cautiously optimistic,

00:33:00.575 --> 00:33:02.435
so that is what I hope.

00:33:04.275 --> 00:33:08.395
I just hope that they are
given every opportunity and not

00:33:09.585 --> 00:33:10.418
dismissed.

00:33:32.015 --> 00:33:35.835
As the event got closer, everything
just kind of started to fall into place.

00:33:36.395 --> 00:33:40.955
Everyone on the team was doing their
best to get the word out so that as many

00:33:40.985 --> 00:33:44.355
kids from the district in our special
education program could come out,

00:33:44.505 --> 00:33:46.835
have fun with their families
and get back to play.

00:33:47.295 --> 00:33:52.235
Really we're trying to find more of a
central area that would be easy for all of

00:33:52.235 --> 00:33:56.755
our families to access that has the
lights that we can use since it's going to

00:33:56.755 --> 00:33:57.588
be so dark.

00:33:57.695 --> 00:34:02.235
And we actually were able
to secure the in EISD sports

00:34:02.235 --> 00:34:05.595
complex for that night.
It's going to be great.

00:34:05.595 --> 00:34:07.035
They're going to do all of our fields,

00:34:07.035 --> 00:34:09.315
they're going to make sure all
of the bathrooms are clean.

00:34:09.385 --> 00:34:14.315
They're going to be mowing and cleaning
up just around here and letting us

00:34:14.455 --> 00:34:17.275
use this venue for our event that night.

00:34:17.775 --> 00:34:22.755
But one of the talents that
Shauna has that I need more of is

00:34:22.805 --> 00:34:26.595
she's very detail oriented so I can give
her an idea and then she can expand on

00:34:26.595 --> 00:34:28.675
it and be like, oh yes, and
then you need to include this.

00:34:29.255 --> 00:34:31.915
Did you think about this?
Have you called this person?

00:34:32.215 --> 00:34:37.075
And so I usually go to Shauna as
my go-to person just when I have a

00:34:37.075 --> 00:34:40.115
small little kernel of an
idea between her and I,

00:34:40.375 --> 00:34:42.715
we pretty much can get anything done.

00:34:42.895 --> 00:34:46.195
One of the coaches even started a
podcast to talk about current events in

00:34:46.675 --> 00:34:51.075
adaptive PE and Special Olympics to get
the word out about this event and future

00:34:51.075 --> 00:34:52.995
events coming throughout the district.

00:34:52.995 --> 00:34:56.715
Everybody's got a cell phone nowadays.
Everybody's watching videos on YouTube.

00:34:56.715 --> 00:35:01.555
Everybody's got podcasts and listening
to it and we'll discuss events that we're

00:35:01.555 --> 00:35:04.755
doing, kind of see how it goes and just
make it a week to week thing. Yeah,

00:35:04.875 --> 00:35:08.675
I think we're going to have a big
turnout with not just with kids but with

00:35:08.865 --> 00:35:09.875
community as well.

00:35:10.335 --> 00:35:14.235
And I think it's a great thing
because you missed that on unfolding.

00:35:14.385 --> 00:35:16.275
It's kind of like, it's not a competition,

00:35:16.275 --> 00:35:19.235
but it's more for fun and that's what
kids need. It's more fun at this point.

00:35:19.375 --> 00:35:22.635
You want to know what's going on in
Special Olympics and then stand here and I

00:35:22.635 --> 00:35:25.435
think if we send this home, they're so
used to getting those take home folders.

00:35:25.575 --> 00:35:26.115
Yes. That.

00:35:26.115 --> 00:35:26.795
If they see this,

00:35:26.795 --> 00:35:30.235
they'll just take the picture or scan
it and then they can go from there.

00:35:30.495 --> 00:35:33.995
And I also think that what we should do
is let's put it on card stock and we can

00:35:33.995 --> 00:35:38.605
laminate it and if we can put it on the
doors outside of the A LE classrooms

00:35:39.115 --> 00:35:44.005
just so anyone could be
part of our Facebook page so
they could just scan it and

00:35:44.005 --> 00:35:44.675
they can join.

00:35:44.675 --> 00:35:44.965
Yeah,

00:35:44.965 --> 00:35:48.645
and that was another thing I was going
to say is having everyone encourage their

00:35:48.845 --> 00:35:53.365
campuses to join because I had all of
my driskell and MacArthur teachers do it

00:35:53.785 --> 00:35:57.285
and then their friends with parents on
there that I'm not friends with and they

00:35:57.285 --> 00:35:58.065
saw they joined,

00:35:58.065 --> 00:36:01.245
so then they started joining because
they're more comfortable with the campus

00:36:01.425 --> 00:36:03.605
and their caseloads and
all that kind of stuff.

00:36:04.245 --> 00:36:08.845
A really cool thing that came out of the
PALS meeting was the idea of creating a

00:36:09.285 --> 00:36:13.725
platform for the athletes to learn how
to play these games virtually before they

00:36:13.725 --> 00:36:18.005
came to the Backyard Lawrence game
event and we posted them on the Special

00:36:18.485 --> 00:36:23.285
Olympics adapted Facebook page so
that the families and the students

00:36:23.615 --> 00:36:27.685
could learn from their pals how to play
these games before the event happened.

00:36:29.625 --> 00:36:30.275
The loops.

00:36:30.275 --> 00:36:32.885
Yeah. Are those going
to go separate though?

00:36:35.685 --> 00:36:37.605
I can't believe the day's here. I'm very,

00:36:37.715 --> 00:36:42.085
very excited for all of our athletes and
our PAL students that have volunteered,

00:36:42.185 --> 00:36:44.245
but lemme tell you, it's
just very stressful.

00:36:44.545 --> 00:36:47.525
We still have two Amazon orders
that need to come in this afternoon.

00:36:47.935 --> 00:36:52.845
We're waiting for our tic-tac tic-tac
toe and we're waiting for something else

00:36:52.905 --> 00:36:56.565
to come in. All of our stuff
basically came in Friday,

00:36:57.395 --> 00:37:01.565
yesterday and Monday and
so we have been spending

00:37:02.175 --> 00:37:07.085
hours putting glow in the dark
stickers and tapes all over our

00:37:07.085 --> 00:37:11.765
games just so it can all glow in the
dark and just be part of our theme,

00:37:11.765 --> 00:37:15.885
which is blow crazy. And so I think
it's going to be a very, very fun,

00:37:16.355 --> 00:37:21.085
good event not only for our
athletes but also for our PAL

00:37:21.285 --> 00:37:22.565
students that are going
to come and volunteer.

00:37:22.865 --> 00:37:27.565
93, 93 PAL students are
volunteering two hours

00:37:27.705 --> 00:37:30.325
out of their night to come
and help us with our athletes.

00:37:30.725 --> 00:37:32.365
I mean that to me is just so amazing.

00:37:34.085 --> 00:37:38.285
I am just a little nervous with
just never doing this before,

00:37:38.905 --> 00:37:42.165
but I think this event is
just going to be so amazing.

00:37:42.405 --> 00:37:45.725
I think that it incorporates everything
that we would've worked with our

00:37:45.885 --> 00:37:49.325
students on when it came to bowling and
I think that this is going to be a great

00:37:49.325 --> 00:37:51.045
replacement for our bowling tournament.

00:39:27.635 --> 00:39:31.625
Maybe it was good that bowling couldn't
happen because it forced us to have to

00:39:31.625 --> 00:39:36.065
think out of the box and incorporate an
activity where families were engaging

00:39:36.175 --> 00:39:39.745
with their athletes and it was
together as a group. As a unit,

00:39:40.095 --> 00:39:42.225
they were coming in and
participating together.

00:39:53.905 --> 00:39:57.775
Thank you. You're welcome. It's heavier
than your looks. That's pretty dope.

00:39:58.025 --> 00:40:00.895
Isn't that awesome though? It
turned out to be a really fun night.

00:40:00.935 --> 00:40:05.815
I got to see some of my old students
who came up and the Lee kids

00:40:06.275 --> 00:40:09.175
and it was just fun. It was
just fun to be outside and play.

00:40:09.435 --> 00:40:13.815
So Special Olympics after Christmas
break we kind of hit the ground running.

00:40:14.115 --> 00:40:14.475
Yes.

00:40:14.475 --> 00:40:18.735
Can you just tell us what it all entailed
for you as the head of delegation and

00:40:19.085 --> 00:40:22.615
what has transpired?
Omicron, all that stuff,

00:40:22.615 --> 00:40:27.335
like how we were nervous about basketball
and because there was a moment there

00:40:27.335 --> 00:40:29.575
where we thought basketball wasn't
going to happen for a minute.

00:40:32.575 --> 00:40:37.215
I think after bowling was canceled and
then they said okay for basketball.

00:40:38.215 --> 00:40:42.375
I was like, I'm just going to plan
it and then if it doesn't happen,

00:40:42.435 --> 00:40:45.575
it doesn't happen, but I'm just
going to get everything running,

00:40:46.835 --> 00:40:50.775
get as much stuff done as I can
just in case it does happen.

00:40:53.565 --> 00:40:57.055
It's definitely been hard, but I
think we're in a good spot right now.

00:40:58.025 --> 00:41:00.095
We're not the same as we were when before,

00:41:02.555 --> 00:41:07.295
but we're still doing stuff and
for the ones who are able to

00:41:07.295 --> 00:41:11.775
participate, it's going to be
fun. So for me specifically,

00:41:15.275 --> 00:41:17.855
it is crazy. It's absolutely crazy,

00:41:20.275 --> 00:41:21.775
but I like it. It's.

00:41:22.075 --> 00:41:25.175
For good reason. It is very stressful,

00:41:25.265 --> 00:41:28.935
especially since if you
count of the 14 of us,

00:41:29.445 --> 00:41:33.525
five of you haven't done this
before and it is very stressful,

00:41:34.145 --> 00:41:38.765
but at the same time I'm
kind of excited because the

00:41:39.045 --> 00:41:41.925
teachers are excited as well. They're
like, we're finally back. Oh my gosh.

00:41:42.105 --> 00:41:45.845
And then the parents are excited.
And so if you just feed off of that,

00:41:45.985 --> 00:41:49.165
it kind of pushes that negativity
back down and that stress.

00:41:49.305 --> 00:41:53.685
And then I start counting the
days to my break and I know

00:41:54.275 --> 00:41:58.525
next week that my grades are due and my
progress reports are due and we've got

00:41:58.525 --> 00:42:02.885
our showcase performance on Wednesday
night and our track scores are due and our

00:42:03.265 --> 00:42:06.885
bus Google sheet for track is due.
But you know what? It'll all get done,

00:42:07.175 --> 00:42:10.605
it'll all get done and then it'll
probably collapse during spring break,

00:42:11.305 --> 00:42:15.245
but right now I'm feeding off
of the excitement of the kids

00:42:16.425 --> 00:42:18.645
and the teachers who
are so glad it's back.

00:42:23.455 --> 00:42:26.605
Thank you. Alright everybody.

00:42:28.275 --> 00:42:31.725
This is so exciting. We've
waited so long for this

00:42:34.075 --> 00:42:38.245
that me win.

00:42:38.865 --> 00:42:42.245
Let me win. I cannot,

00:42:51.945 --> 00:42:54.165
but if I cannot win,

00:43:10.465 --> 00:43:14.245
let me be brave in the
hunt. Woohoo. Good job.

00:43:22.185 --> 00:43:26.205
Now we're going to have
two students walk our torch

00:43:26.865 --> 00:43:28.485
around the gym.

00:43:44.805 --> 00:43:46.725
Medicals are still rough to get.

00:43:47.485 --> 00:43:52.005
I had to really hound teachers and
parents to get this team together.

00:43:52.365 --> 00:43:53.045
That was rough.

00:43:53.045 --> 00:43:56.885
I was literally struggling up to the
last week until we started practice in

00:43:56.885 --> 00:44:00.565
sense of only having three or four kids
and not having a full basketball team.

00:44:00.625 --> 00:44:04.445
But luckily everything worked out and now
I got my seven kids and we have a good

00:44:04.445 --> 00:44:04.905
team,

00:44:04.905 --> 00:44:09.645
but I have just been super
motivated since the first practice

00:44:09.645 --> 00:44:10.478
that we've had.

00:44:10.725 --> 00:44:15.205
I forgot how cool and how amazing the
sport is and seeing these kids out here

00:44:15.205 --> 00:44:19.165
having fun and then this year bringing
in the pals to help with the basketball

00:44:19.165 --> 00:44:22.005
team, which is something different.
You're right there. Alright,

00:44:22.055 --> 00:44:23.885
don't run to the ball
unless you're on defense

00:44:32.105 --> 00:44:34.325
and y'all can move. Y'all can
grab the ball and dribble,

00:44:34.685 --> 00:44:36.925
whatever it's up to you. Get the
ball and dribble, dribble, Elijah,

00:44:36.925 --> 00:44:38.325
dribble a little bit and
then go look at Bryson.

00:44:38.325 --> 00:44:42.085
You want to pass it to Bryson and
then Bryson, you try shoot it.

00:44:44.355 --> 00:44:48.785
Shoot. Just like that buddy. All right,

00:44:48.785 --> 00:44:51.425
let's try it again. But let's start all
the way down to the bottom. All right,

00:44:51.885 --> 00:44:54.185
all the way down the bottom. Everyone
go all the way down from the start.

00:44:57.975 --> 00:44:58.808
Turn.

00:45:13.855 --> 00:45:15.305
Something around.

00:45:29.635 --> 00:45:29.955
Ken.

00:45:29.955 --> 00:45:30.788
Bounce.

00:45:30.875 --> 00:45:33.175
You go out and bounce.
It's there ball. Okay,

00:45:33.595 --> 00:45:36.095
so you got to look where you're going.
Always pay attention. Okay, you got it.

00:45:39.435 --> 00:45:39.935
Hit the.

00:45:39.935 --> 00:45:40.768
Rebound.

00:45:53.965 --> 00:45:55.855
Grandma's all three, take it off. Go.

00:45:58.345 --> 00:45:59.255
One's going to do's.

00:46:00.195 --> 00:46:02.335
Ups all one, two. Two

00:46:04.505 --> 00:46:05.338
would be nice.

00:46:05.595 --> 00:46:08.135
And seeing him move on to the
championships and all that would be great,

00:46:08.155 --> 00:46:11.335
but seeing him thrive in a team
setting would be really nice.

00:46:12.565 --> 00:46:16.495
Cooperating with his team and all that
kind of stuff and playing through the

00:46:16.495 --> 00:46:17.328
whole game.

00:46:17.435 --> 00:46:20.255
That's what I'm really hoping for is that
he is able to make it through all four

00:46:20.255 --> 00:46:22.615
quarters for all the games
he plays and all that.

00:46:23.435 --> 00:46:28.415
So hopefully he is got it in him to play
through the games and hopefully they do

00:46:28.415 --> 00:46:29.695
go through to the championship.

00:47:25.275 --> 00:47:28.375
The national 10th grade
student, Nate Harris,

00:47:28.905 --> 00:47:33.445
oh say can you see by the dogs

00:47:33.855 --> 00:47:36.605
early life for the

00:47:38.395 --> 00:47:39.445
part of

00:47:41.035 --> 00:47:46.005
last whose cross drives
and bright star through

00:47:46.265 --> 00:47:50.125
the rapper,

00:47:50.745 --> 00:47:51.578
we watch

00:47:54.635 --> 00:47:56.725
streaming in the rock

00:48:00.015 --> 00:48:03.405
Burst through

00:48:05.025 --> 00:48:07.725
the, A flag was still there

00:48:18.625 --> 00:48:19.458
and a.

00:48:30.205 --> 00:48:34.525
I don't know if it was him being
overwhelmed with all the noise at the pep

00:48:34.525 --> 00:48:34.945
rally,

00:48:34.945 --> 00:48:38.845
but King was shutting down so I had to
call his dad from the stands and come

00:48:38.975 --> 00:48:40.765
facilitate a little talk between us all.

00:48:41.665 --> 00:48:46.605
King's dad had to pull the aside after
we had a nice talk with each other and

00:48:46.605 --> 00:48:51.485
understanding of how I want my team to
be ran and how he needs to be a part of a

00:48:51.485 --> 00:48:53.685
team. And once that talk was done,

00:48:54.265 --> 00:48:56.805
he understood the assignment
and just went with it.

00:48:56.865 --> 00:48:59.005
And when I needed him
to do something, he did.

00:48:59.785 --> 00:49:02.725
And when I needed to be at a
place on the court, he was there.

00:49:02.905 --> 00:49:06.565
He really tried and once, like
I said, once we had that talk,

00:49:06.585 --> 00:49:09.605
he knew how a team should be ran
and it's not just one person.

00:49:09.745 --> 00:49:12.885
It takes a lot of people and he was
a part of the team and it was great.

00:49:18.165 --> 00:49:22.805
Gameplay was amazing. I haven't felt
that in a long time and big kids either.

00:49:24.065 --> 00:49:27.565
We started off with a little bit of
nerves in the first quarter that still

00:49:27.595 --> 00:49:31.365
trailed us throughout the most
of the game. Kids got better.

00:49:31.595 --> 00:49:34.005
Kids knew where to be, where
the ball was going to be.

00:49:40.715 --> 00:49:45.045
Overall. I was very, very, very impressed
with my team. They stuck together,

00:49:45.115 --> 00:49:46.005
they worked hard.

00:49:46.195 --> 00:49:50.685
They grinded for the whole four
quarters and I was just proud of 'em.

00:49:56.685 --> 00:49:58.485
Remember down here,
ask for the ball. Okay,

00:49:58.795 --> 00:50:02.965
look around if you get the rebound
shoot again. Shoot. Just shoot. Okay.

00:50:02.965 --> 00:50:06.845
Don't be scared of anything over
here, over here. Take the ball away,

00:50:06.955 --> 00:50:07.965
stay on ball. Whoever.

00:50:33.235 --> 00:50:36.765
They came together when
they needed to be a team.

00:50:36.915 --> 00:50:39.645
They worked hard and they just so proud.

00:50:40.135 --> 00:50:44.125
Can't stress enough how
good they were as a team.

00:50:58.785 --> 00:51:00.845
So once we got past those little nerves,

00:51:01.425 --> 00:51:03.725
we took it to the fourth
and we ended up tying

00:51:09.275 --> 00:51:13.575
the last 30 seconds were wild
King got a hold of that ball.

00:51:14.015 --> 00:51:17.575
He was out there really working
on both ends of the court.

00:51:26.705 --> 00:51:27.205
So we.

00:51:27.205 --> 00:51:30.805
Actually had this saying in the Special
Olympics, our creed is let me win,

00:51:30.945 --> 00:51:34.245
but if I can't win, let me
be brave in the attempt.

00:51:34.745 --> 00:51:39.085
I'm just proud of him what he did to
regroup and come back and be a part of the

00:51:39.085 --> 00:51:41.525
team and actually become a leader
at the end when we needed him.

00:51:42.445 --> 00:51:44.845
I know we didn't end up
winning a championship,

00:51:45.065 --> 00:51:49.165
but they impressed me and I know that
next year they're going to come out more

00:51:49.165 --> 00:51:51.445
hungry and just want to
get that championship.

00:52:01.625 --> 00:52:06.405
My friend Texas this year, he's done
more than he has ever done for me.

00:52:06.795 --> 00:52:10.325
He's throwing the shot put.
There's a continuum on a yardstick.

00:52:10.505 --> 00:52:15.485
If you look at the field events
down here is like your tennis ball

00:52:15.485 --> 00:52:20.125
throw and then your softball throw and
then your javelin throw and then your

00:52:20.405 --> 00:52:24.485
standing long jump and you're running
long jump and the gold standard for all

00:52:24.615 --> 00:52:28.805
field events is the shot put.
So he's throwing the shot put,

00:52:29.755 --> 00:52:33.805
he's progressing. I'm going to be sad
when he goes to middle school next year.

00:52:34.035 --> 00:52:36.885
It's going to be tough. I worry
about my kids when they move on.

00:52:37.455 --> 00:52:38.645
Who's going to be his coach next year?

00:52:39.745 --> 00:52:44.445
He day, the deputy teacher at Wood, he
will be at wood and it'll be Coach Gomez.

00:52:46.695 --> 00:52:47.528
Track is tomorrow.

00:52:48.065 --> 00:52:52.925
We stress about it before
and we beat ourselves up,

00:52:52.925 --> 00:52:55.445
make sure everything's perfect, but
at the end it's going to run smoothly.

00:52:55.685 --> 00:52:57.805
I think it's going to be a great
time. He's going to enjoy it.

00:52:58.435 --> 00:53:01.605
Just super excited for it now
to see all the work pay off.

00:53:02.825 --> 00:53:05.205
So if you were to ask me two weeks ago,

00:53:06.155 --> 00:53:09.685
totally stressed a couple of days ago,
I had to meet with transportation.

00:53:10.405 --> 00:53:12.485
I was stressing to them,
I really need them here.

00:53:12.485 --> 00:53:15.205
Between this amount of
time you don't understand,

00:53:15.705 --> 00:53:18.685
it has to start on time and it all starts
with the buses you're going to make

00:53:18.685 --> 00:53:19.485
our track meets.

00:53:19.485 --> 00:53:23.165
I mean it's all determined because of
transportation and they're all just kind

00:53:23.165 --> 00:53:26.685
of relaxed and I'm like, what's going
on? And then finally someone said,

00:53:27.425 --> 00:53:29.485
you can have whatever you
want. This is our favorite day.

00:53:29.955 --> 00:53:32.325
Then I leave that and I go
to a meeting with principals.

00:53:32.925 --> 00:53:35.045
I want to know who's paying
for all of our substitutes.

00:53:35.695 --> 00:53:38.525
We've got special ed teachers,
para instructional that are coming.

00:53:38.625 --> 00:53:39.885
The PAL sponsors need to come.

00:53:40.385 --> 00:53:44.605
So I'm talking to all these principals
and all the principals just very calmly

00:53:44.605 --> 00:53:47.965
sitting down looking at me and go,
we got it. It's our favorite day.

00:53:48.665 --> 00:53:51.165
And the most simple, beautiful
thing about it is that

00:53:52.835 --> 00:53:57.205
it's the gift of what our kids and our
athletes give us and they're not even

00:53:57.205 --> 00:54:00.125
aware of it and that's why
it's everyone's favorite day.

00:54:02.655 --> 00:54:06.325
Today is kind of like Christmas morning,

00:54:06.905 --> 00:54:09.925
you know what to expect, but there's
still going to be some surprises.

00:54:37.425 --> 00:54:40.485
We are going to just all of a sudden
look around and see everyone smiling,

00:54:40.665 --> 00:54:42.845
the pal's having fun, everyone laughing,

00:54:43.285 --> 00:54:46.365
everyone having a good time and we're
just going to go. It's all worth it.

00:54:46.795 --> 00:54:47.765
This is what it's about.

00:55:10.755 --> 00:55:14.645
Feeling like actually my work is doing
something for someone else other than

00:55:14.645 --> 00:55:19.245
myself or just helping
them just makes me feel

00:55:19.615 --> 00:55:20.645
crazy good inside.

00:55:20.715 --> 00:55:24.005
Just always thinking of the kids and
thinking of the bigger picture. Yes,

00:55:24.105 --> 00:55:28.125
you might stress, yes, we might get
mad at ourselves at other people,

00:55:28.345 --> 00:55:29.725
but at the end of the
day it's for these kids.

00:55:29.745 --> 00:55:31.645
And that's what the number
one goal to think of.

00:55:38.585 --> 00:55:43.565
And I have never in my life had so
many individual parents reach out to me

00:55:43.975 --> 00:55:48.085
about the things that they didn't even
know their own students could do for our

00:55:48.085 --> 00:55:50.165
program. I think it's just
going to keep growing.

00:55:50.445 --> 00:55:54.845
I think Special Olympics is
going to be really, really huge,

00:55:55.105 --> 00:55:59.965
is going to be really big. I believe
we're going to delve more into unified.

00:56:00.575 --> 00:56:05.245
We're in an area right now
where we're kind of pioneering

00:56:05.675 --> 00:56:06.565
what needs to happen

00:56:08.705 --> 00:56:12.245
and if you're interested in
getting into adaptive pe,

00:56:12.305 --> 00:56:13.925
you just need to find someone to follow.

00:56:14.185 --> 00:56:18.325
You need to find someone to shadow and
make sure that it fits the needs of your

00:56:18.395 --> 00:56:19.565
kids and your district.

00:56:21.255 --> 00:56:24.405
Everyone showed up, they did what
they needed to do and the kids,

00:56:24.675 --> 00:56:25.605
they really did well.

00:56:28.315 --> 00:56:30.045
This is Sam. My name's Coach Mike.

00:56:30.515 --> 00:56:34.285
Everybody's going to watch this on tv.
Everybody's going to watch this on tv.

00:56:35.045 --> 00:56:36.605
Everyone's going to get
right. Dude, that's the plan.

00:56:43.725 --> 00:56:44.558
Checking.

00:56:52.545 --> 00:56:56.925
My favorite part, just hearing
them laugh, saying them succeed,

00:56:57.665 --> 00:56:58.765
but hearing them laugh.

00:56:59.755 --> 00:57:03.765
Including these gen ed kids was
just pretty amazing in the sense of

00:57:05.405 --> 00:57:07.445
I feel like more of the
campus was involved,

00:57:07.995 --> 00:57:09.405
more of their friends were involved,

00:57:09.405 --> 00:57:12.165
maybe kids that have never
interacted with our kids,

00:57:13.075 --> 00:57:15.405
they were coming along
together. What do you.

00:57:15.405 --> 00:57:17.845
Think that does for the kids that
are in the general education system?

00:57:18.405 --> 00:57:20.165
I think it broaden the horizon so much.

00:57:20.445 --> 00:57:23.805
I think it shows them that
not everyone's the same.

00:57:23.985 --> 00:57:28.765
Not everyone is on a cognitive
level as they are and that patience,

00:57:29.005 --> 00:57:33.005
patience is a virtue and it teaches them
a lot of patience and how you're not

00:57:33.005 --> 00:57:35.045
always going to get your way.
Even no matter how hard you try,

00:57:36.065 --> 00:57:37.045
you still learning.

00:57:37.155 --> 00:57:40.965
It's still a concept that you're going
to have for the rest of your life pretty

00:57:40.965 --> 00:57:45.325
much. Have you seen personally
friendships blossom through the festival?

00:57:46.245 --> 00:57:50.605
Oh, majorly. I mean, the two boys
that I had for my basketball team,

00:57:50.795 --> 00:57:51.885
when I see 'em in the hallways,

00:57:51.885 --> 00:57:56.485
they're always given literally
all of our special needs, kids,

00:57:56.875 --> 00:57:59.685
high fives, hugs, cheering them on.

00:58:00.065 --> 00:58:04.845
And I deep down makes me happy.
Something that I've never seen before,

00:58:04.905 --> 00:58:07.925
not in a sense I've never seen
but been a part of as well.

00:58:12.975 --> 00:58:17.095
I always say I would give myself five
year doing this job if I ever wanted to

00:58:17.095 --> 00:58:18.535
take it somewhere else. In a sense,

00:58:18.935 --> 00:58:22.455
I love what we do here at Northeast
and the program we have and the team we

00:58:22.455 --> 00:58:23.275
have,

00:58:23.275 --> 00:58:27.215
and I just feel like it's a great model
to have at other districts that don't do

00:58:27.215 --> 00:58:29.935
this. We literally service these kids
every single day, five days a week.

00:58:30.275 --> 00:58:31.735
And there's a lot of
places that don't do that.

00:58:31.735 --> 00:58:35.735
They get to see their kids once or
twice a week and that's everybody.

00:58:35.915 --> 00:58:39.455
All the kids in the district are in one
gym or just different stuff like that.

00:58:39.725 --> 00:58:43.255
They don't have enough manpower
to get to these schools daily.

00:58:43.755 --> 00:58:47.615
So I think I would love
to take that back home.

00:58:47.975 --> 00:58:51.295
I do want to end up back home in
Rio. I don't know when and what age,

00:58:51.715 --> 00:58:53.535
but I think it'd be a great fit.

00:58:55.535 --> 00:59:00.295
I can't wait to just relax and
just recuperate from this past year

00:59:00.355 --> 00:59:04.375
and just get back to where I need to be
for next year and get the ball rolling

00:59:04.385 --> 00:59:04.955
again.

00:59:04.955 --> 00:59:06.295
It was such an exciting thing.

00:59:07.845 --> 00:59:11.655
I've never really gotten to
see him compete in anything.

00:59:12.435 --> 00:59:14.935
And I think everybody there
was just excited to be there.

00:59:15.295 --> 00:59:20.015
I think everybody realized the
gravity of an importance of it after

00:59:22.525 --> 00:59:25.725
everything with covid and people
not being able to get back together,

00:59:25.925 --> 00:59:29.725
I think people don't tend to take
those things for granted as much.

00:59:29.745 --> 00:59:32.365
And you could see it in how
excited everybody was to be there.

00:59:32.425 --> 00:59:37.005
And any ISD stands out compared to maybe
some of the other districts he's been

00:59:37.005 --> 00:59:39.285
part of because

00:59:41.305 --> 00:59:46.285
you get a different attitude
from the teachers than you do.

00:59:47.945 --> 00:59:50.445
You sense burnout in people.
It happens to everybody.

00:59:50.625 --> 00:59:53.205
But with these special needs
teachers, the ones that are there,

00:59:53.795 --> 00:59:56.565
they're there because they want to
be there and you can tell and they're

00:59:56.885 --> 01:00:01.365
invested in the kids and they think about
them and I get text messages from his

01:00:01.765 --> 01:00:06.125
teachers and it's way late into
the night when they should be doing

01:00:06.465 --> 01:00:09.965
things for themselves and they're sending
me pictures of things he's done during

01:00:09.965 --> 01:00:14.085
the day or I was just thinking maybe texts
would like this and just these ideas.

01:00:14.105 --> 01:00:15.005
And that's the kind of

01:00:18.525 --> 01:00:19.685
experience I've had. Overall.

01:00:19.685 --> 01:00:21.565
Those are the highlights when
I think about it overall,

01:00:21.985 --> 01:00:26.885
I'm so grateful for his
coaches and his teachers

01:00:27.065 --> 01:00:31.725
and everybody else because I don't
know that everybody experiences that

01:00:32.005 --> 01:00:36.725
I can be a working mom and I can get
pictures and video of my kid enjoying his

01:00:36.725 --> 01:00:39.245
day and I'm not able
to be there and see it.

01:00:40.025 --> 01:00:44.845
And I know that they're thinking of ways
to make his day better and their day

01:00:44.845 --> 01:00:48.885
better and I never really knew if I
was going to be able to see him get to

01:00:48.885 --> 01:00:49.718
compete in things.

01:00:49.905 --> 01:00:54.325
And it's that overall feeling of I didn't
know he could do that and look at him

01:00:54.325 --> 01:00:57.645
doing that and not just doing
that, but being successful at it.

01:00:59.385 --> 01:01:03.965
My kid has a medal and
I think it's amazing.

01:01:04.745 --> 01:01:05.965
If your husband was still with us,

01:01:06.305 --> 01:01:09.685
do you think he would enjoy
watching him play sports? First.

01:01:09.685 --> 01:01:10.065
Of all,

01:01:10.065 --> 01:01:13.925
he took a ridiculous amount of pride in
every single thing texted regardless,

01:01:15.105 --> 01:01:19.005
but I think it would be really exciting
for him because he did track and field,

01:01:19.065 --> 01:01:19.898
he did football,

01:01:20.425 --> 01:01:24.925
he did all these things and I
think that he would really just,

01:01:25.395 --> 01:01:30.245
he'd probably be the super parent
down in the middle and getting in

01:01:30.365 --> 01:01:34.685
the coach's way and all of that.
But I mean everything he did,

01:01:35.345 --> 01:01:40.245
he was very excited to see Tex do anything
just so full of pride at the smallest

01:01:40.335 --> 01:01:44.645
thing. So seeing Tex accomplish
some amazing genuine things,

01:01:45.125 --> 01:01:49.645
I don't even know if you'd be able to
handle the intensity coming from him.

01:01:52.005 --> 01:01:53.285
I get emotional like, wow,

01:01:53.425 --> 01:01:58.285
my baby who didn't even speak at
times trying to communicate and now

01:01:58.285 --> 01:02:01.925
he's playing this game and
he's just making these shots
and being a team player,

01:02:02.795 --> 01:02:05.805
it's really, really good to see. So I
was just really, really happy for him.

01:02:06.025 --> 01:02:10.525
So seeing him go from not
wanting to go out and practice

01:02:10.525 --> 01:02:14.845
basketball with me to being
in the basketball tournament
to doing great and not

01:02:14.845 --> 01:02:16.445
wanting to go out and
throw the javelin with me.

01:02:16.505 --> 01:02:19.610
And then he has his whole stance and
everything when he was out there,

01:02:19.610 --> 01:02:20.750
which was great to see

01:02:22.905 --> 01:02:25.765
and him actually enjoying
it and not being forced.

01:02:26.225 --> 01:02:28.845
He was genuinely happy being out there.

01:02:28.965 --> 01:02:33.325
I think the whole Special
Olympics, all three of those days,

01:02:34.025 --> 01:02:36.845
he was up early in the morning
and getting ready to go.

01:02:37.465 --> 01:02:40.805
He was making sure we were there on
time, didn't want to miss anything.

01:02:41.445 --> 01:02:42.225
I was just so,

01:02:42.225 --> 01:02:45.605
so happy and so proud of him and I'm
glad that they have something like this

01:02:45.675 --> 01:02:49.365
that targets children like him
and he was just really, really,

01:02:49.865 --> 01:02:54.045
really happy to be around everyone and
seeing all the different families and

01:02:54.045 --> 01:02:57.085
then having both of us there with
him. So I think that was really great.

01:02:57.445 --> 01:03:02.165
A lot of parents and a lot of kids in
the special need community don't have a

01:03:02.165 --> 01:03:03.765
lot of interaction once they go home.

01:03:04.305 --> 01:03:08.925
And I think the Special Olympics is a
great way to get them out and around other

01:03:08.925 --> 01:03:13.485
people that are similar
to them and just around

01:03:13.485 --> 01:03:16.525
friends and that kind of stuff to
give them something that they might be

01:03:16.525 --> 01:03:18.285
missing. What are your thoughts and hopes.

01:03:18.945 --> 01:03:19.165
For.

01:03:19.165 --> 01:03:19.998
Your son?

01:03:20.305 --> 01:03:24.965
We did see in the Special Olympics, not
just high school kids, we saw adults.

01:03:25.185 --> 01:03:28.245
So I was like, Hey, if he's
really interested in this at this.

01:03:28.315 --> 01:03:29.148
Collegial level.

01:03:30.335 --> 01:03:31.168
We're willing to.

01:03:31.425 --> 01:03:32.765
Top level athletes and stuff.

01:03:32.985 --> 01:03:35.405
We are willing to support him,
whatever it is that he wants to do.

01:03:35.605 --> 01:03:39.965
I saw stuff in King this year that I
didn't think I was going to see. I mean

01:03:41.555 --> 01:03:46.045
with all the other hardships and
everything, it was a beautiful thing.

01:03:46.075 --> 01:03:49.605
Just being able to watch him this
entire time. That was amazing.

01:03:49.925 --> 01:03:51.445
I mean it was just for him,

01:03:51.545 --> 01:03:55.405
it was just watching milestone
after milestone after Milestone

01:03:56.825 --> 01:04:00.925
is really watching the beginning because
now I get to see that he does enjoy

01:04:00.925 --> 01:04:05.285
this stuff and I get to have that
experience as a father for the next three

01:04:05.285 --> 01:04:07.565
years and then for the
next four years hopefully.

01:04:09.425 --> 01:04:13.645
So this was really a really
great experience this year.

01:04:21.675 --> 01:04:24.565
Like I told you, my mom told me when
I took this job, she was like, wow,

01:04:25.135 --> 01:04:28.365
could you suit Buddha must really think
you're ready to listen your ears because

01:04:28.425 --> 01:04:31.805
you can't talk so much in this job.
You're not miss know-it-all about it.

01:04:31.805 --> 01:04:34.645
You're going to have to learn
from all those around you.

01:04:34.645 --> 01:04:37.085
That's the only way you're going
to be able to transition to this.

01:04:37.265 --> 01:04:40.685
You know what I mean? And thank
goodness I had that learning curve.

01:04:41.305 --> 01:04:46.125
And so I think when we're
put in situations that
forced us to think out of the

01:04:46.125 --> 01:04:50.645
box, every single one of us had a
different perspective of what to do.

01:04:50.825 --> 01:04:51.965
We wanted to do something,

01:04:52.265 --> 01:04:56.045
but your background's different than my
background versus the other 13 teachers

01:04:56.105 --> 01:04:59.445
too. And I think everyone's
experience is coming together,

01:05:00.345 --> 01:05:02.485
how they look at situations
as different perceptions.

01:05:03.115 --> 01:05:07.525
That is what fueled us to be able to have
the glow crazy in November instead of

01:05:07.525 --> 01:05:08.105
bowling.

01:05:08.105 --> 01:05:11.125
How were we able to get out of a jam
when we didn't think we were going to do

01:05:11.185 --> 01:05:13.965
our basketball was better?
Haven't it unified?

01:05:14.045 --> 01:05:16.925
I don't think we would've ever done that
if we weren't forced to having to do

01:05:17.060 --> 01:05:19.005
something different. We don't like change.

01:05:19.625 --> 01:05:22.805
And I think what this year has taught
us is that change is a good thing as

01:05:22.805 --> 01:05:25.325
uncomfortable. It is.
It happens for a reason.

01:05:25.825 --> 01:05:29.965
And I think that's the greatest lesson
for us adults is what are you going to do

01:05:29.965 --> 01:05:31.565
when that ride comes? Are you
going to make that change?

01:05:31.665 --> 01:05:34.605
Are you going to hold back? Are you
not going to do anything at all?

01:05:34.705 --> 01:05:38.685
And I'm so proud of our team because
we met the challenge and we did what we

01:05:38.685 --> 01:05:40.045
needed to do for our students.

01:05:40.415 --> 01:05:43.005
We're teaching them skills
that they can do lifelong.

01:05:43.425 --> 01:05:45.445
And that's the big push that is,

01:05:45.445 --> 01:05:48.685
does it require that student to always
be in front of Mike Roth in order to do

01:05:48.685 --> 01:05:49.518
it? Do you know what I mean?

01:05:49.875 --> 01:05:53.085
It's a skill that you could actually go
into a bowling alley with your families

01:05:53.085 --> 01:05:55.045
and do they learn lawn games?

01:05:55.185 --> 01:05:59.045
The whole point of that whole night
was you can do this in your backyard.

01:05:59.315 --> 01:06:02.045
This is a skill that you can have for
the rest of your life and play it and

01:06:02.045 --> 01:06:04.285
enjoy it. That's what I
like about our programs.

01:06:04.365 --> 01:06:08.725
I want to see that whatever we do can
transition for them meaningfully outside

01:06:08.725 --> 01:06:09.555
of the school setting.

01:06:09.555 --> 01:06:12.725
It's got to transfer or it won't
make that much of an impact.

01:06:13.025 --> 01:06:14.005
That's what I want to see.

01:06:19.065 --> 01:06:20.765
Why do this project in the beginning?

01:06:23.115 --> 01:06:26.005
Well, the reason why I wanted to do this
project is because I've been a special

01:06:26.155 --> 01:06:30.925
education teacher and adaptive
physical education coach combined for

01:06:31.135 --> 01:06:33.885
going on seven, eight years. Some of the

01:06:35.435 --> 01:06:39.605
most compassionate moments
that I've witnessed in my
life have been at a Special

01:06:39.965 --> 01:06:42.365
Olympics tournament or in the classroom.

01:06:42.475 --> 01:06:47.245
Some of the successes that the students
have are so great and I think they're

01:06:47.245 --> 01:06:51.645
taken for granted by someone
that might not be in special

01:06:51.715 --> 01:06:52.505
education,

01:06:52.505 --> 01:06:57.405
but it's a major victory for these
kids when they accomplish something

01:06:57.405 --> 01:06:58.565
that they're having a tough time with.

01:06:58.585 --> 01:07:02.605
And I think that kind of reflects
on human nature in general.

01:07:02.845 --> 01:07:07.125
I think that we need to be kinder
to ourselves and celebrate our

01:07:07.125 --> 01:07:11.245
accomplishments and our
successes as they come. And

01:07:13.335 --> 01:07:14.145
more and more,

01:07:14.145 --> 01:07:17.945
I feel I've learned that from being a
special education teacher and being a

01:07:17.945 --> 01:07:19.065
Special Olympics coach,

01:07:19.365 --> 01:07:24.185
and I think if you are interested

01:07:24.185 --> 01:07:24.525
in it,

01:07:24.525 --> 01:07:28.425
you should go become a coach and volunteer
for sport because it could change

01:07:28.425 --> 01:07:29.625
your life because it changed mine.

01:07:33.565 --> 01:07:35.105
In my final interview with Christine,

01:07:35.465 --> 01:07:38.465
I asked her what favorite
moment from the past year was.

01:07:39.345 --> 01:07:41.385
I think this is what it's about, truly.

01:07:41.605 --> 01:07:45.625
So this is the memory book that she
creates for her pals, her Little Pal Kids.

01:07:46.055 --> 01:07:47.065
They're in middle school,

01:07:47.205 --> 01:07:50.665
and I'm just going to read you Josh's
favorite memory for the school year.

01:07:51.575 --> 01:07:53.625
Mind you, he's probably
an eighth grader. Okay.

01:07:55.285 --> 01:07:59.665
My favorite part about PALS was the
Special Olympics at Hero Stadium.

01:08:00.215 --> 01:08:05.185
This was my favorite activity this year
in pals because just seeing the pure joy

01:08:05.285 --> 01:08:09.825
and happiness on their faces after running
their race or doing the tennis ball

01:08:09.825 --> 01:08:11.025
throw is priceless.

01:08:13.725 --> 01:08:18.325
My favorite part of a whole day was when
one of the a LE kids went up to sing

01:08:18.325 --> 01:08:22.765
the national anthem. The amount of
courage that must've taken alone is crazy,

01:08:23.345 --> 01:08:26.525
but he went up there and did an
awesome job, which was a great moment.

01:08:27.305 --> 01:08:30.285
I'm glad I got to go to the Special
Olympics because that was probably one of

01:08:30.285 --> 01:08:32.845
the best things I have gone to. Do you,

01:08:34.575 --> 01:08:38.845
every kid in here talks about
our students in Special Olympics.

01:09:07.465 --> 01:09:11.485
The winning human spirit
that's still inside of us.

01:09:11.865 --> 01:09:16.525
It just kind of needs a little
spark to come out, but there's hope.

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My favorite moment from the past year was
getting to document all of the acts of

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kindness from all of our
students, their families,

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and our adapted pe, special
Olympics coaching staff.

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I think people forget kindness is the
greatest gift you can give someone and

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witnessing that this year. Well,

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I know it gave me hope and I
hope it does the same for you.