SOMETHING MAGICAL!

November 16, 2002

We’ve Got to Work Together, is one of the first songs Andrea wrote when creating the musical On the Other Side of the Fence. That particular song has always held a lot of meaning for me. When I think about all of the people it takes to make the Something Magical project successful, the key to that success is everyone working together. I have the privilege of bringing all of those wonderful creative people together, including the students from both schools.

I would briefly like to describe the process, and I must strongly emphasis the word process, because that’s exactly what this project is--a process. The product, a wonderful performance that comes together after the culmination of many months of hard work we see as a bonus.

Each year, Teresa and I meet in December to discuss the partners. We take into consideration each student’s personality, strengths, needs and abilities. We set the rehearsal schedule, which includes approximately 3-4 rehearsals a month, a Friday evening rehearsal for students and their families and three performance dates. The partner list is distributed to the students and they prepare for their first meeting in January.

GFS students arrive at HMS and gather together in the Assembly room where they exchange cards, artwork, photos and even some awkward glances. That first meeting is one filled with excitement and apprehension. We have students from GFS returning for a second year who can’t wait to reunite with their partners. There are also students coming to HMS for the first time who aren’t exactly sure what to expect. Some make connections almost immediately, while others are more tentative and need the weeks to come to help them transition into this new experience.

The first meeting for all is a learning experience. GFS students visit in their partner’s classrooms to help them gain a better understanding of what their school day is like. They get to experiment with adapted equipment, review the safety rules, ask questions and get better acquainted or reacquainted.

Once friendships are on the way to being established, it’s time to give the students their parts in the show. The HMS teachers and therapists work together to discover the most meaningful, functional and fun way to have students participate in the production. There are a variety of ways in which HMS students can participate, including but not limited to, using an assistive communication device to read lines or sing songs, vocalize, verbalize, or "play" an instrument. Or they might dance, either supported by Mary or Eiko, using a walker or in their power wheelchair. It’s then Andrea’s job to take the student’s talents and create the perfect part along with their partner to allow them to successfully participate in the show. Often the parts are still being changed the week before the show to insure that all students are getting the most out of the experience and can perform to the best of their ability. We are constantly reminding ourselves about the process, as well as trying to keep all we do child focused.

There are costumes to sew, devices to program, transportation arrangements to make, programs to create, permission slips to sign and schedules to adjust. We enlist the help of all departments at HMS, including Education, Dietary, Life Skills Assistants, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Recreation, Nursing, Social Work, Administration and Plant Operations. Our supervisor of Plant Operations even doubles as our audio tech person and plays the drums during the performance. And we certainly don’t want to overlook the parents who continue to be an essential part of the team of people it takes to bring this all together. So, to quote Andrea Green Feigenbaum, "We’ve got to work together to find a way, we’ve got to work together today. Time to get to know each other, time to work things through, time for me and time for you."

And after we have all worked together and completed the process and the product, each student comes away from the experience with something different. For some it might mean gaining a better understanding and appreciating differences. For others it could be overcoming fears and accepting what they don’t understand. Still for some it could have been simply enjoying the music, socializing and interacting with others. And yet for others we hope it will be creating bonds and friendships that will remain strong long after the final curtain.

I encourage all of you to explore the possibility of including this project into your program, and I assure you, if you do, you too will experience Something Magical.