We were very lucky today to meet an athlete who will be participating in the Special Olympics next week. Andrew and his mom dropped by to teach us a bit about Special Olympics. We also got to learn about Andrew himself. He is six years old, like many of the students in our class, and is in kindergarten. Andrew loves ice cream, swimming, running, and playing, also like the kindergartners. The students were excited to learn about these similarities and were eager to share with Andrew what they like to do. Andrew’s mom, Amber, also mentioned that there are some differences that Andrew has, like he has just one hand, and he has Downs Syndrome which means his brain and body are a little different than theirs. It makes it hard for Andrew to talk. Andrew has learned to do many activities with his one hand, like cross the monkey bars, swim, or swing.

Next Friday, Andrew will participate in three events including the 50 yard dash, the softball throw, and the long jump. He quickly won over the hearts of the students and received many hugs and high fives before he left. The kindergartners are already planning what their banners and flags that they will make for the Special Olympics will say!