AHS holds first Prom for special-ed

For many students, the century old American tradition of ending the senior year by attending Prom is a matter of interest. For the special education students, however, prom is rather foreign—an event they have either never heard of or simply just have not had the opportunity to go to.

For the first time ever, the special education students at AHS will have the opportunity to participate in and attend the event that many seniors look forward to throughout all of high school. Occupational Therapist Scotte McElwain came up with the idea after hearing about the day prom that is hosted at Fairoaks. Special education students from different schools, such as Edison and Key High Schools, attend the prom hosted especially from them at Fairoaks.

McElwain, however, decided to host the day Prom for at AHS so the school as a whole would be much more involved in the event. In addition, since many of the special-ed students have health issues that require attention, such as diet issues and seizure problems, McElwain preferred to have the day Prom here at AHS so the students would be more secure and comfortable.

“This way, they will be in their own little territory around the staff and the people they know,” said McElwain.

When the students were first told of the idea, most of them did not know the meaning of a prom. While the guys were enthusiastic about the food, they were a bit skeptical about the dancing. In preparation for the event, music teacher Brian Hubner has been teaching the students some dance steps.

The prom will take place on June 4 in Clausen Hall from 11:00 to 1:00. In the morning, the students will prepare for the dance. The girls will get their hair and makeup done, while the guys will put their suits on. Similar to the traditional prom, it also has a theme: beach. The special ed-students themselves have been creating the
decorations to portray the beach scene. They are currently working on a mural of sand, ocean waves and palm trees.

McElwain’s goal of making this a school event is presented through the team of about 30 students who have volunteered to help out. One of the main goals of the student volunteers will be to insure that the students have an
enjoyable time.

Mellissa Ainsworth, a special education teacher, said, “Some of the students need some help socializing. The volunteers will give that push to our students to dance or talk.”

Junior Becky Takele, a volunteer, said, “It brings joy to my heart to put a smile on their face and give them a short time to feel free.” Both Ainsworth and McElwain are not particularly concerned about the student’s behavior.

Since many of the students have never been to a dance or formal event such as a prom, the music will bring a lot simulation for them. Nonetheless, in the case that some do become hard to control, the teachers, “have a plan for everybody,” said
Ainsworth.

The main purpose of the event is to allow the students to have a pleasurable time and give them the opportunity to attend a dance just like any other high school senior.

“I just want them to loosen up and have a nice time—a nice time with each other and in a place where they can be themselves. I want them to have that opportunity to have that dance just like anybody else—to have a piece of that high
school pie,” said Ainsworth.