Friday, June 5, 2015
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Ca’Nei Barnes and Brynn Luce, both 5, were all smiles, entertaining their families at the graduation ceremony of the medically fragile special-needs preschool at William Holmes McGuffey Elementary School.
Other members of the class are Bria Pearson, Brianna Pollock, Christopher Snipes and LaNiya Strong. Andrielle Dunkin was absent from Thursday’s commencement.
“My daughter is autistic,” said Rachel Watts, Brynn’s mom. “The doctor told me when she was 2 that if she didn’t talk by the time she was 5, she would never talk.”
Three years later, Brynn is a chatterbox, and Watts credits that to teacher Cheryl Vanatsky.
“If it wasn’t for Cheryl, I don’t think she’d be doing so well,” Watts said.
Brynn’s also come out of her shell since coming to the school, her mother said.
“I’ve seen a huge difference,” she said.
Kristal Coles, Ca’Nei’s mother, notes differences since Ca’Nei came to the school, too.
“He expresses himself more,” she said.
Ca’Nei suffered a brain injury when he was younger that set him back, Coles said.
“Since he’s been in the class, he’s been more active,” she said.
The students all have developmental delays and medical problems ranging from diabetes to seizures to deafness.
They study a curriculum modified from the traditional preschool curriculum, and each child has an individualized education program.
After preschool, the students may continue with a modified curriculum in kindergarten. Some study a regular curriculum.
“Each year, I probably have at least one who goes into regular curriculum with some support,” Vanatsky said.
At Thursday’s event, Vanatsky, assistants Deborah Duffy and Jacqueline Polcha and Carlye Slaughter, speech therapist, led the students through songs, and hand motions such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Baby Bumble Bee” and “The Ants Go Marching.”
“You’re the most-important people in these children’s lives,” Vanatsky told the parents and grandparents. “Thank you for sharing them with me.”