Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Hillcrest Primary School has received $25,000 from the Mielke Family Foundation that will go toward a multi-purpose “sensory integration” room for its young students.
The foundation is a fierce advocate of early childhood education, said Troy Edwards, Hillcrest principal. When Edwards showed the school to some of the foundation’s board members a year ago, they were eager to contribute to the school in some way, he said.
Edwards then met with staff members and other education professionals to see what kind of project could be developed that would benefit students and secure funding. The task force hit upon the idea of discovery learning — an education style that is particularly effective for teaching autistic students.
“Sensory integration is good for all students, but especially for those with autism,” Edwards said.
The room will be constantly changing, providing new experiences for students. One of the themes is lights and sounds, according to Edwards, while other themes address colors, textures, and fine motor and gross motor skills.
Hillcrest regularly collaborates with St. James Lutheran School and Sacred Heart Catholic School on programs, and the school often hosts Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs and other community organizations, which also will be able to utilize the room.
Originally, Hillcrest had asked for $21,000 in the hopes of getting basic materials for the sensory room. Edwards said to shoot for more seemed disrespectful.
When members of the foundation board visited the school for a second time, however, they questioned why Edwards had only asked for $21,000 and ultimately provided $4,000 more.
“They wanted to make sure we had that tie with the community and that we got everything we needed,” Edwards said. “We were very grateful.”
The school hopes to have the room ready sometime this school year.
Ed Grys, Mielke Family Foundation board member, said the foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. One of the oldest benevolent organizations in the region, the foundation is eager to help Shawano and Appleton, due to the family’s historic ties to both cities, he said.
“We’ve always had an education basis for giving,” Grys said. “Over the next 10 years, the Mielke Family Foundation is committed to giving in the neighborhood of $1 million for childhood development in the Shawano and Appleton communities.”
FYI
A sensory integration room is designed to make the child want to run into it and play. During sensory integration therapy, the child interacts one-on-one with the occupational therapist and performs an activity that combines sensory input with motion. Examples of such activities include swinging in a hammock (movement through space), dancing to music (sound), crawling through tunnels (touch and movement through space), hitting swinging balls (eye-hand coordination), spinning on a chair (balance and vision).
Source: www.specialneeds.com