The 2nd Swimming Carnival

Excitement builds quickly when the kids return to school to find out the swimming carnival is on in the second week. Lots of chit chat goes on amongst kids about what races they are going in, and it's no different for Missy.
Missy blog readers may remember the post about her 1st swimming carnival and her participate in the backstroke race. Well this year she promptly told me that she was going in two races, the freestyle and backstroke.
Missy seems to have little regard to how she will actually stay afloat and propel herself along, that is just something that she thinks someone else will work out, while she tries her heart out, has a go alongside her mates, gains points for her house and shares in the excitement and adrenaline of waiting for the gun to go off.

Our wonderful Aide Miss H went in the water with Missy, who competed in the freestyle race in a wetsuit and then did the backstroke with her neck float on. Missy wasn't happy to start at the 15metres to the finish, like last year and insisted on starting up at the blocks. Missy had only just started her race and the whole school was chanting her name.
Missy has advised me that next year she is going to be in three races... there is no end to the height,she sets the bar for herself.

Class 3/4 S - Top Ten

In Missy's class during the last week of school, the teacher gave the kids a survey, they were asked to write down the top ten things learnt this year. All the results were collated together and out come the top ten, I wasn't really surprised to hear that learning sign language rated in the top ten.
So a group of 8-10yr girls and boys think that learning sign language was pretty cool, an excellent example of how willing kids are to learn from others, and most importantly learn there is more than one way to communicate.
You never know but some of these kids might go on to be sign language teachers, translators or just give the next person they meet with communication difficulties, the respect they deserve.
Pictures show Missy's sign for "Oh-No" and "girl", these signs form part of a chart that hangs in each classroom, so kids/tachers can refer to it.

School Gossip

The end of the school year brings lots of exciting events, high on Missy's priority is the school disco.
We rush home from school, grab a bite to eat and race back to school for the start. Missy cruises in her powerchair to spot her friends, not that it takes long, they come running, checking out each others outfits... she quickly signs for the walker, strapped in, she is off dancing with her mates, usually in the loudest spot available. Missy dances all night in her walker, with no regard for sore feet, tired legs and perspiration.
Ever since she went to her first school disco in Kindergarten, she was the last one standing at the end of the disco.
Her love for loud music and dancing with her mates has never waived over the years.
Recently Missy's school grounds was swamped by heavy rain and the entrance to her classroom had a significant flow of water going past the entrance, so Missy's friends decided to take their shoes and socks off to walk thru to get to their classroom. Of course Missy will be a part of everything and she proceeded to take her shoes and socks off with some help. If I could paint the picture, Missy is in her powerchair with no shoes and socks ready to cross the water with her friends and off she drives thru the water, her feet nowhere near the water but hey...it could have splashed. That's Missy just being one of the kids.

The School Excursion

The big 3 day Sydney Excursion was a fantastic experience for Missy.
All the planning by everyone certainly paid off, with everything running to plan pretty well. They headed off early from School at 7am travelling to Sydney , the three days were filled with many tourist attractions like the powerhouse museum, Australian museum, Sydney Aquarium, Wildlife World, Ferry ride to Manly, visited the Collaroy beach, scenic world at Katoomba with lots fun stuff like ten pin bowling and rock climbing. Missy of course, enjoyed every attraction and activity to her fullest alongside her peers. For Missy the biggest bonus for this excursion was having her powerchair on the excursion, the school had hired a small trailer to accompany the coach so Missy's powerchair and numerous other pieces of equipment(see above photo) could be stored. We recently purchased a portable ramp and it worked well with the trailer, along with having a bus driver that soon learned how to drive and operate Missy's powerchair. Having a trailer on a coach manoeuvring around Sydney brings it's challenges and many times the driver parked out on the road, used the ramps to get her chair off the trailer and then again to get up gutters. When Missy has her powerchair it brings her so many choices and independence to explore attractions and hang with who she wants.
All venues and timetabling was organised by the teachers to ensure wheelchair accessibility and that toilets were available for Missy are appropriate times, all the venues were good except one that didn't quite live up to it's standard.
Miss H and another Aide went with Missy on the excursion and my concerns about maybe she will get homesick were soon squashed as she expressed she didn't want the excursion to end. She shared a room with her best mates and lots of giggling went on.
By Friday afternoon the excursion was drawing to an end and the long trip on the coach was well underway... Missy sitting on the back seat was perfecting her skills of knuckle sandwiches and wet willies with her classmates.
What a wonderful experience for her, to be so well supported by school staff to ensure her full inclusion, to be able to enjoy all that her classmates did, and as a parent feel confident that she is safe and having the best time possible. I was so proud of Missy's stamina and maturity, that at the age of 8 she was confident going on a 3 day excursion.
Looking forward to another big excursion next year.

Excursion Excitement building

Missy is very excited about her school excursion next week. Not just a day excursion but a three day, two night excursion to Sydney with 44 other kids from Year 3 and 4 in her mainstream school.

Planning started for this excursion in Term 1 ,with our school being more than helpful and willing to ensure the Missy has a fully inclusive experience. There was never really a question of whether Missy will be going on the excursion, Missy and us just expected that she would be part of anything her classmates are doing. Our School has certainly accommodated this expectation with enthusiasm.
School planning to date has included two aides being available on the excursion, a trailer to accompany the bus to carry Missy's powerchair and other equipment, all venues accessible, toilet facilities available at appropriate times, activities can be accommodating (including rock climbing),beach wheelchair booked, meals are suitable, and sleeping arrangements.
Of course with all this planning comes the thought of what if she gets homesick, so I started checking the mood and confidence about the excursion, asking "maybe one of us need to come to make sure you don't get up to any mischief" this meet with the forearms making a cross for "NO DEAL", so at the moment she is full of confidence and can't wait to be part of the bus trip, sight seeing, giggling and most importantly just hanging with your mates 24hours a day.
Big week to come, I will keep you posted...

In the swim

Last Friday, Missy attended her first swimming carnival for her mainstream school. Missy was very excited about the event waking at 4am. She choose to go in the backstroke which had only a 50m race for 8yr olds and she wore a neck float that has taken a couple of years for her to take a liking to. Since getting a blow up pool for Christmas she has soon realised the freedom the neck float gives her. It has allowed her to control her centre of balance which was challenging and very scary for her when first starting out.
As the pressure built up preceding her race, I was thinking this might get a bit much for her but with her heart racing she stepped up to the mark with her "have a go" attitude. Starting from the 35 metre mark she waited excitedly for the starters gun with Miss H in Lane 1. "Bang" and Missy took off with her own unique style of backstroke, she loved every minute of it and managed to smile thru her wild splashing. As her fellow competitors caught up to her, not only her mates but most of the school started the chant "Let's go Missy, Let's go". Missy left the pool with a 4th place, a time sheet, many high fives from fellow swimmers, emotional congrats from teachers and some wild photos taken my proud mum as I cheered.
Look out at next year's carnival, she has her eye on more than one event.

Back to school

Missy was eager to return to school this week. She couldn't wait to hook back up with lots of her friends. Missy entered Year 3 this year and is actually in composite class 3/4 which meant that the majority of the kids haven't been in a class with Missy before.
Knowing this prior to starting,it had made me a little anxious as the skills kids learn from being in Missy class in prior years makes transition smooth. Missy and I discussed maybe we could make a powerpoint presentation about herself to assist many of the new kids. Missy was keen, loving powerpoint presentation choose the things she wanted to share with the class.
Missy was keen to go out the front and use her Dynavox to explain each slide. We made sure the children got to learn about Missy's likes - loud music, dancing and riding fast motorbikes (Photos and sound effects included)she also spoke about the Dynavox, powerchair and a bit about cerebral palsy and how it makes using her muscles tricky. I attended the presentation which we watered down to be her news for the week.
Wondering what sort of questions the kids might throw her way... well they couldn't care less about the CP and muscles part just questions about... How fast can your chair go and have you had any crashes? how many pages on the Dynavox? How does it control the TV? Cool....
So after hearing what interests them and watching the kids leave the classroom on the first day practicing the sign for thank you, I think we have another batch of adaptable kids who once they get used to Missy's parapheralia she will just be another kid in the class.

Mainstream schooling

Missy attends a local regional mainstream school and will head into Year 3 this year. We chose the mainstream route after attending many Family Advocacy workshops and shared in the stories of others who achieved inclusive lives for their children. A fully inclusive life was our dream for Missy, so we set about gathering support, educating ourselves and most importantly talking with other parents.

We wanted Missy to be part of our local community, that starts with peer groups at Day care, Pre-School and mainstream school, not attending a segregated special school where peers groups are restricted.

We chose our school carefully and haven't looked back, it is lead by an enthusiastic principal who supports our vision that Missy belongs in a mainstream setting. Missy is supported full time by a teachers aide while at school, but not just any teachers aide - Miss H who we brought to the school with us. Miss H has worked with Missy for 6 years and is now part of the family. Missy has many wonderful friends at school who greet her each morning, they have expectations that Missy will be included in everything and everyone learns each day to think "how can we do this activity" so Missy can do it. Miss H and class teachers along the way have role modelled this and the kids are straight onto the challenges.

Kids with special needs attending mainstream schools bring out inclusive and empathy qualities in kids. It's has to lead to better communities and inclusive workplaces.

Where were all the kids with disabilities when I was at school? I see it now as missed opportunities to enrich my life.