Classroom Field Trip

 DDSO of the Finger Lakes presents "Kids on the Block" to NCS Third Grade Class.  The DDSO players visit area schools teaching students about children with disabilities.  Above is Mark and Jennifer.  Mark has CP ( Cerebal Palsy).  Our third grade students learned that Mark can do wheelies with his Super Duper Crusier (wheelchair) and that he has very strong arms.  Jennifer had lots of questions for Mark, like how do get into a car and how do you go to the bathroom?

 Melody is waiting for her mom and doesn't know what time it is.  She asks Renoldo for the time.  He touches his watch and tells her it is 2:30pm.  Melody is really curious.  How did Renoldo tell time by touching his watch.  Renoldo tells Melody that he is blind and his watch has raised dots that help him tell time.  One of our students asked Renoldo how does he know what color shirt he is wearing and can he tell if his shirt is on backwards?  Renoldo explained that his mom has made clothing labels with raised dots (Braille) for his shirts and pants.  She has sown them onto the collar and waist band of his pants so that he can tell the color and which is front and back.

 One of the DDSO players demonstrates three signs... stand, sit and jump.  Then she had the students practice the signs.  The students practiced the signs and then followed the ques that were given.  The kids had a lot of fun jumping in our classroom.  Something that is rarely done.

 Jennifer catches up with Jessica. Jessica is feeling a little down because she can't remember all the steps to her dance for the talent show.  Jennifer notices that Jessica has her shoes on the wrong feet.  Jessica tells Jennifer that she has trouble remember her right from her left, she mixes up b's and d's, p's and q's, however, she is really good at math.  Jennifer has a learning disability.  She gets extra help at school from a resource teacher who is teaching her strategies that will help her remember things that we all need to learn.  One of student asked Jessica if she mixes up her m's and w's. 

Third grade students were very attentive to the DDSO players and asked some very good questions.  Parents, ask your child to teach you the three signs they learned from our visitors.