General John Stricker students help each other learn, grow

For one hour every Wednesday afternoon at General John Stricker Middle School, eighth graders in Lisa Markiewicz’s Gifted and Talented English class assist students in the school’s Communication and Learning Support Program for students with autism, which is taught by Rebekah Carney and Cynthia Casey. Markiewicz’s students help the Communication and Learning Support Program students complete assignments. The students also spend time socializing.

Outside of the classroom, the relationships continue. Frequently the students say hello to each other in the hallways.

In the words of Sarah Mertens, who assists in the classroom, “The autism students seem to ‘live’ for when the eighth grade students come to visit. They want to share things they have created and experiences they have had. They see the eighth graders as friends. These kids, who often have difficulty bonding with other students in an appropriate way, do find a way to communicate and have a relationship with the eighth grade students.”

“The program is especially important because the Communication and Learning Support program is new to General John Stricker Middle School,” says Carney. “It has really helped my students to truly become a part of the student body here at Stricker.”

The Gifted and Talented students also gain from the interaction, learning how to work with students who are different from them. As part of the experience, the eighth grade students write reflection essays on their experiences in the program.

Story by Ellen Montoya, mentor, General John Stricker Middle School, and Diana Spencer, communications officer. Photos courtesy of General John Stricker Middle School.