This month’s guest blogger is Mary Cariola Center Special Education Teacher Kathy Lee. Kathy’s community classroom is proud to be a 4-H Club, and their countless hand made creations have been donated to various community organizations including—the Ronald McDonald House, the Rochester Press Radio Club, Willow Center, and the Susan B. Anthony House. Kathy has taught at Mary Cariola for 36 years.
I was asked the other day if I was excited to be “returning to normal” and hopefully getting the kids out on community-based outings. My “Kids”—my students -- are physically challenged, all use a wheelchair and ALL love to learn, meet new people and explore their community.
In the past two years we have learned about llama’s, farming, farm animals, gardening, made pottery, grown mushrooms, worms and trees. We had two students win the Outstanding Young Person Award presented by Monroe County legislator Steve Brew in 2021! What an accomplishment. We’ve made snack bags for the Ronald McDonald house and art for the Rochester Contemporary Arts Center 6X6 exhibit. Even though we could not attend, we contributed artwork for the City of Rochester Arbor Day celebration. It speaks to our commitment to staying connected with the world and our community and we did it all virtually! Next week my students will take a virtual tour of Frontier Field.
I am grateful to Homesteads for Hope, Bentley Studios, Monroe County 4-H, the Rochester Red Wings, and Jeffers Farm who have provided educational learning and valuable conversations as we learned inside our classroom.
And yes, I want my guys to get back to a “normal” life. I want them to not be limited and to join the world again. I want them to smile and bring the sunshine. I want them to have experiences that are not via Zoom or a video. I want them to share their wonderful, funny, and kind selves with the world. (And I want to be out there with them, wearing my mask, of course!)
I am always looking for the next best thing to share with my kids. The community has been welcomed into my classroom, and now it’s time for my classroom to be welcomed back into our community. I’m looking for more opportunities to share with my kids… such as enjoying the beauty and inspiration of the Memorial Art Gallery and Rochester Museum and Science Center; the creativity of the Contemporary Art Center 6X6 Exhibit, the inclusive opportunities at Homesteads for Hope, Purple Ponies Therapeutic Riding School, backstage tours of Blue Cross Arena, Geva Backstage, RBTL and the RPO. There is so much more to learn outside of our classroom. Help me get the inside scoop of community destinations that will stimulate minds and generate discussions. Better yet, extend an invitation for us to visit! Help me, help my kids, return to normal.
Contact me at klee@marycariola.org if you can help.
