Schools

Honorable Ames 8th Graders do Exceptional Work

Ames Middle School Peer PE volunteers will be recognized at 6th Annual Story County Youth Volunteer Awards 7 p.m. Tuesday.

 

Quinn Long, rode his bicycle through the hall. His peer physical education partner, eighth-grader Ryan Smith, walked along side him.

They stopped and Quinn, who is blind and has cerebral palsy, verbalized a few words.

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Smith understood that Quinn wanted to put his bike away and told Quinn gently that he would just have to ride a little longer “Then you can listen to your music," he said.

Quinn seemed to smile, then rocked in his bicycle seat and sang a few words and continued to pedal.

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While Smith supervised Quinn in the hallways, Jennifer Chumos, Mattie Kupfer, Dagney Paskach and Braeden Weyhrich exercised upstairs in the fitness room with their partners in the Peer Physical Education Program called PEP. They danced and bounced on exercise balls on a recent Friday while singing songs.

They are including us because when they accept us and they are excited to see us, it makes us feel good and we feel included and we are including them. It's sort of like a mutual thing.”

All students (13 and 14-year-olds) gave up their eighth grade year of physical education to work with special education students who have a range of both physical and mental disabilities. They meet for one period every other day.

“We are the only time they get with people their own age and that's really important to them and they really look forward to seeing us because we are like playmates,” Kupfer said.

The peers will all be recognized during the 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Memorial Union.

The PEP class allows the school's most exceptional or disabled students to partner with regular education peers who motivate them to exercise and make them feel like a part of the school.

When PEP time ends, Paskach's partner, Mac, often asks if she will come back tomorrow.

“I feel sad. I have to say 'No we have to wait for another day,'” Paskach said.

PEP Program

The PEP program started 10 years ago or more. Rick Ballantine, a physical education teacher, decided to take on the class when state law required that special education students be included in regular physical education. Some special needs students join regular education classes, but others are unable because of their disabilities so they work with peer partners instead.

The peer matching program is popular and several students apply. They all must be good students. But Ballantine, who selects the student volunteers, also looks for students who are giving, aware of the needs of others, who show kindness and empathy.

“The exposure to the regular student body makes them feel much more like a part of the school and the interaction and friends developed with peers is really invaluable,” Ballantine said.

It's an invaluable experience for the regular students too.

“They are including us because when they accept us and they are excited to see us it makes us feel good and we feel included and we are including them. It's sort of like a mutual thing,” Kupfer said.

It's also reinforced what most people already know.

“Everyone always tells you, 'Don't judge a book by its cover,'” Weyhrich said. “Don't just look at someone and think they are a bad person… It really teaches 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' to us better.”

David Doughan, one of the students' resource teachers, said the regular education students see that the kids he teaches are all great kids and see how they are the same as everybody else.

“Sometimes they want to do things in PE and sometimes not,” Doughan said.

The peers lead activities like the chicken dance or catch, games that students said anyone can play, and learn how to work with the students as they go.

Paskach learned early on that singing would be very important as would wearing her partner Mac's choice of shirt.

“Mac will start singing a song,” Paskach said and the other students will sing along as motivation.

Paskach will also promise to wear certain shirts if Mac agrees to run.

“She practically picks your wardrobe,” Weyhrich said.

Life Lessons

Doughan said a lot of life lessons come up during the class as well.

The students work on teaching students boundaries such as not hugging everyone or for Kupfer's partner it's not to throw temper tantrums. Kupfer has learned to ignore her.

“We're helping her to see that I don't throw temper tantrums and I don't accept when she throws temper tantrums,” Kupfer said.

Chumos, who isn't very athletic, prefers PEP to the regular physical education class she would have been in this year.

“I really enjoy helping because I usually feel useless in these types of things. I can't play games or I never learned how or I can't run too long. I'm just happy to help,” she said.

Doughan nominated the peer partners for the award they will receive on Tuesday.

“You've done a wonderful job and I appreciate all your hard effort. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done. You have made a difference in their lives so thanks for doing that,” Doughan told them.


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