It’s still a regular P.E. class with balls flying and whistles blowing, but the people helping run the games are not typical teachers.
Instead of Special School District teachers that typically help kids in an S.S.D. P.E. class, fellow teenagers help their peers play all different sorts of games.
At the start of the class, junior Emily Novak’s “motives were to learn more about the students in the class”, while also making “them feel accepted in their own environment.”
Junior Courtney Pruitt works alongside Novak and the participants in the class, and took her passion for volunteering from the beginning of the year into the class.
“I really enjoyed helping out with Special Olympics earlier in the year and wanted to work more with kids that have special needs,” Pruitt said.
The group intended to benefit from this non-typical class, and the special needs students seem to do just that, according to Brecher.
“I really like my first hour P.E. class; it’s one of my favorite classes, and I just love being there and interacting with my friends and teachers,” said Heidi Mangan.

A Typical P.E. Class
The class follows a structure similar to many other physical education classes.
“To start, we walk in and do laps around the gym to warm up. We [the mentors] have a buddy or two we talk with and get to know. Then, we usually get into an activity before playing the game. The games can get competitive with the kids and are always fun,” senior Justin Bradshaw, a mentor in the class, said.
All kids in the class seem to enjoy the different sporting events they partake in, according to their peers.
“We play all different sorts of games: kickball, lacrosse, hockey…it’s lots of fun. It’s one of my favorite classes, and a great start to my day,” sophomore Patrick Schmittdiel said.

Building Relationships
Mangan and Schmittdiel’s teacher echoed the successfulness of the class, praising its multiple accomplishments.
“The class is really great because it gives our kids the opportunity to participate in P.E.,           giving them the physical exercise all kids need,” Amy Brecher, Special Education teacher, said. “The kids also get the social aspect; they get to interact with some of their peers. It supports them physically and socially, and it’s great they get to build relationships with kids in school they don’t get to see every day.”
Relationships formed can be valuable for these students, as they are not exposed to the whole school as frequently as many other kids.
“Several of my students have built really strong relationships with specific mentors, and they actually seek out the specific mentors in school all the time, and these relationships are really neat to see,” Brecher said.

Mentors Learning Lessons
All in the class have seemed to benefit in some way according to Brecher.
“I think I have grown because before the class I didn’t know much about kids with special needs, but now I feel very comfortable around the students and treat them how I would treat anyone else,” Novak said.
Brecher looks for growth in her students, but notices positive changes in the “mentors.”
“I think it gives the mentors a chance to see that a lot of our kids have a lot of similar interests and to overall see that these kids are not that different from themselves. They’re just normal high school kids and they want friends and to interact with other kids. Overall, the mentors do a great job just being a friend,” Brecher said.
The class has been  underway for years now, thanks to the creativity of Parkway’s S.S.D.
“Our adapted Special School District P.E. Teacher thought it would be a great way for all students to interact with those they don’t always get to see. We understood kids would rather spend time with people your own age, and that’s true for almost all high school kids, whether they have disabilities or not,” Brecher said.

Lessons Learned Influential Today and in Future
Novak feels that she has learned many lessons through the course of the class that will help her in all aspects of her life.
“Involvement in this class already helped me because I have experienced how to react to certain situations that I may have not been comfortable with before the class,” Novak said.
The class is influential in students’ lives long after it ends.
“I’ve always known that I want to be a teacher. My patience and understanding has also improved. Taking this class has even made me consider teaching kids that have special needs,” Pruitt said.
Brecher said that there can be occasional challenges while working with others who might be physically or mentally different.
“The advice I would give to kids first working with other kids with special needs is to be patient and understanding,” Novak said. “Simply treat them exactly how you would like to be treated.”
Bradshaw feels his life has been enriched by working with students with disabilities.
“Everybody in the class is really special in their own way, which shows me that everybody in the world is special and you need to treat everyone with respect,” Bradshaw said.
Brecher said that is equally important to all students in the P.E. Mentor class, and everyone in society.
“Even if someone is different than you they still like the same things, so treat them normally,” Brecher said. “Just be a friend, like you would to anyone else.”
Bradshaw shares a similar long lasting affect from the class that he will try and retain.
“Going to this class everyday has really changed my outlook on how I treat others. The kids participating in the class treat every single person they meet in the nicest way, so that’s how I try to treat them,” Bradshaw said.
With all of these great lessons learned, Pruitt recommends the class whole-heartedly.
“Taking this class has really changed my life. The students are the happiest kids I have ever met,” said Pruitt. “I encourage everyone to take this class at least once. It’s an unforgettable experience.”