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School tends to special needs of its students

Morning Star School's 53 students learn at their own pace to gear up for mainstream schooling.

By RITA FARLOW
Published December 19, 2005

On his way to lunch, Josh Acebo stopped to see his friend Coca Cola, a brown and white guinea pig.

"She's the best pet ever. She doesn't bite. If you have a boo-boo, she'll lick it. She's just a snuggler, a little snuggle bug," Josh said as he gently held her on his shoulder, like an infant.

The 11-year-old, a student at Morning Star School, explained in detail how to care for the school's guinea pig, including how much food she eats, how she likes to be held and how often her cage needs cleaning.

Josh, who said science and physical education are his favorite subjects, is one of 53 students enrolled at the Catholic grade school that caters to special needs children.

The school draws students and support from as far north as Safety Harbor and East Lake to its campus in Pinellas Park, according to advisory board member Thomas Irvin, who lives in East Lake Woodlands.

The school uses a nongraded system, serving children ages 6 to 14. Most students are referred to the school by teachers and guidance counselors from other schools, and by word of mouth among the school community. The school employs five full-time teachers, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist and a guidance counselor.

"Each child is learning at their own ability level. They are all children that can learn, but they need a little slower pace," said principal Mary Lou Giacobbe.

Giacobbe said many of the school's children have difficulties in the receptive area of communication, meaning they have trouble perceiving or understanding what people say. "They hear the information and decipher what you're saying, but they can't process it," she said.

Speech and language pathologist Beth Gillespie helps diagnose and evaluate students' strengths and weaknesses and provides individualized therapy to help raise reading and comprehension levels. Gillespie and school administrators use a computer program called Fast ForWord that has proved effective.

"It's a very intensive computer-based reading and language program," Gillespie said. "(The kids) need a lot of repetition and a lot of drill, and the computer can facilitate that so much faster."

Each child has specific needs in regard to speech, language and reading, Gillespie said. For example, a child who has a language level of a third-grader may have a reading level of a first-grader.

"You can have kids that are functioning at one level at reading and another at comprehension," she said. "I've got to bring up those language and vocabulary skills so they can know what they're reading."

Giacobbe said the results from Fast ForWord have been measurable. "(The kids) can decipher words better," she said. "We see an increase in their reading ability and comprehension."

The school's mission is to help students develop communication skills to get them on track to be integrated into a mainstream high school setting. Morning Star also focuses on basics like being organized and following directions - skills the children will need in high school and later in life.

"Our goal is to get their reading and language levels high enough so that they can understand at a high school level," Giacobbe said. "To read and write and keep up with the programs."

Morning Star administrators work with the county school system to place students in both regular and special education programs at public schools. The school operates on funds supplied by tuition ($6,500 to $7,500 per year), fundraisers like a recent silent auction, and local civic groups and businesses. Morning Star receives some funds from the Diocese of St. Petersburg but tries to be self-sufficient.

In 1975, at the request of Bishop Charles McLaughlin, the school formed Opportunity To Help Educate Receptive Students, a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting Morning Star. The group funded the construction of a multipurpose hall in 1979 that the school uses for group assemblies and events, as well as a lunch room and art classroom. In the mid 1980s, the group added an administrative building, a library/conference room and an office, and it upgraded the property's water drainage.

Morning Star administrators hope to upgrade the computer lab soon, so existing computers can be moved into other classrooms for additional use. Plans for a playground, designed by the University of South Florida physical education department specifically for special needs students, are on hold until the school can secure funding. The school is looking for golfers and corporate sponsors for its golf tournament fundraiser in April at Cove Cay Country Club in Clearwater.

Educators see few behavioral problems at the school, Giacobbe said. The children are receptive to learning and supportive of and loving to one another. The support and understanding of peers, many of whom have similar disabilities, help raise the kids' self-esteem - another step in preparing them for mainstream high schools.

"In this small school setting, everyone knows everyone else and everyone helps each other," Giacobbe said. "When (the children) know someone is having a problem, they want to help. They don't make fun of each other."

The result is a safe and loving environment for children who need a little extra time and attention to maximize their potential, Giacobbe said. The students are a caring bunch who exhibit tenderness and empathy, she said.

Josh, who stroked the guinea pig behind the ears before easing her back into her cage by the window, stressed the importance of providing a little TLC for his furry friend.

"You've got to give them lots of love," he said. "If you love them, they'll love you back."

[Last modified December 19, 2005, 01:38:18]