Year: 1994 - 95 AGM December 1, 1994 - SSAAM
Year: 1994 - 95 AGM December 1, 1994 - SSAAM
Year: 1994 - 95 AGM December 1, 1994 - SSAAM
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Dear Mrs. Baydack,<br />
Your son is awesome! (to be honest I didn't<br />
even know he had Down syndrome until I saw<br />
him up dose.) I think it was good that you<br />
came today. You straightened out a lot of<br />
people, and taught us things that we couldn't<br />
learn from just anybody. I bet you're feeling<br />
sort of scared that when you son goes to school<br />
some kids will pick on him. Maybe some will,<br />
but not all. Young children always seem to<br />
tease people that are different, but everybody<br />
gets teased at some point Some kids don't<br />
understand Ryan's position, but a lot of kids<br />
won't judge him by that either. Once kids get<br />
into Middle School, usually they look past that<br />
stuff. I can honestly tell you that the kids that<br />
tease mentally challenged people are only<br />
doing it because they don't understand it or<br />
they want to look "cool" by putting someone<br />
else down, so don't worry! You should be<br />
really proud of yourself! You didn't give up<br />
on your son and thanks to you and the people<br />
that raise him (you and your husband) you're<br />
going to turn Ryan into the best person he can<br />
be. I think you're a really great mother.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Sue Thompson<br />
Grade?, Room 31<br />
Shamrock School<br />
Dear Mrs. Baydack,<br />
I was touched by your presentation so much that I went home and cried I would like to know<br />
how Ryan does in school and how people react to him. I would like to see him again. He is<br />
very cute and reminds me of my little cousin.<br />
The boys in my class were really impressed by the presentation, but afterwards some of them<br />
were really insulting and uncaring. I feel very strongly about all handicapped children and<br />
adults. After seeing Ryan I feel as though he is part of my own family.<br />
I have never really known or thought about Down Syndrome until during and after your<br />
presentation. I have never really thought about what it would be like and I can't really<br />
imagine having Down Syndrome. I have taken advantage of how normal my life is. Ryan's<br />
life will be normal for him, rijjrt?<br />
Is this goingto be passed down to maybe your ten year old daughter's child? How is she<br />
reacting to this change of life? Are her friends being kind to her about the situation?<br />
Are you and your husband worried about being embarrassed by Ryan's behavior when he is<br />
older, or do you think you will just leave it alone and not care about it?<br />
Ryan and I do have one thing in common. We're both September sixteenth babies. We only<br />
have about ten years between us.<br />
Thank you for coming and please thank Ryan one more time for me. I appreciate you for<br />
coming in and talking to my class so strongly. I know I'm speaking for my whole class when I<br />
say it was an excellent presentation.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Jennifer Nelson,<br />
Grade 7, Room 30<br />
Shamrock School<br />
Together We Have Learned<br />
We came to each other not knowing what to expect<br />
You to learn, me to teach.<br />
There was no way to know how things would turn out.<br />
I didn't know what to do with you -<br />
You knew exactly what to do with me!<br />
You came to me with your own little personality -<br />
You gave me new meaning to the term "determined."<br />
When in doubt, I hesitated - you plunged forward.<br />
I wanted to teach you to hit and catch a ball -<br />
You took pride in holding the bat correctly.<br />
I taught you the rules to certain games -<br />
You taught me certain rules to life.<br />
I worked with you on jumping, skipping, running and<br />
throwing<br />
As you worked showing me how capable you are.<br />
How could I ever have doubted!<br />
I was skeptical of you abilities and if it hadn't been<br />
for you,<br />
I would never have learned how capable and important<br />
you are.<br />
You say you can swing yourself now -<br />
I say I can honestly appreciate your efforts.<br />
You say you can now jump my plastic hurdles -<br />
I can now jump two of life's biggest hurdles - ignorance<br />
and prejudice.<br />
I was in such a hurry to help you do things -<br />
You made me wait until you were sure you could trust<br />
me.<br />
I tried to crowd so much into one week -<br />
You taught me patience, and a little at a time works<br />
best for you.<br />
I was feeling down - you hugged me.<br />
You shared your treasures with me: bugs, chickens,<br />
snacks, lunches.<br />
When I made things complicated,<br />
You showed me the beauty of simplicity.<br />
When I thought winning was so important -<br />
You showed me just finishing was enough.<br />
You shared your accomplishments with me: finishing<br />
the race with a smile, hanging from the bars without<br />
help, going down the slide alone, swinging yourself.<br />
When I took so many things in life for granted -<br />
You showed me how to appreciate the small, simple<br />
things in our daily world.<br />
As you leave me now to go into society<br />
My heart is heavy - yours is excited.<br />
But I know in my heart you're better equipped to handle<br />
life-<br />
And I have the peace of knowing I too will do better -<br />
Because together we have learned.<br />
Sue Porterfield<br />
Physical Education Teacher<br />
1990-1992
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