CMS Sixth-Graders Enjoy a Presentation from the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities

The 6^th grade language arts classes at CMS completed a realistic fiction unit reading various books about people with disabilities.  After reading the fictional novels, students completed a research paper about the disability that was portrayed in the book that they read.

As a culmination to the unit, the sixth-grade students were able to enjoy an hour long presentation in the middle school gymnasium of guest speakers from the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities.  The program coordinator, Michelle Fortney, brought citizens of the center to share their stories and life experiences of being a person with a disability.  The three individuals had various disabilities (Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and Down Syndrome).

The guests told what their likes and dislikes are, what makes them happy and sad, and what some of their favorite things are in life.  Students were encouraged to ask the presenters any questions that they would like to ask during a question- and-answer session.  The sixth-graders were a very attentive and courteous audience, asking many good, thoughtful questions.   It was a great experience for the students to be able to have the opportunity to meet and talk with people with different types of disabilities.  The sixth-grade of CMS would like to send a huge thank you to the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities for their willingness to visit Cloverleaf Middle School.