Sponsor a Special Education Student

This year has been a huge success for our Special Needs Program.  In addition to our designated Special Needs Classroom we have full inclusion of at least twenty students in geneal education classrooms.  Additionally, this year, ten of our teachers are continuing their education and are enrolled in a Bachelor's program which will also provide them certification in Special Needs.  

Next year promises to be even more rewarding as we develop our program to include some team teaching in classrooms who have children with Special Needs.  Team teaching will allow more one on one time with students who need remedial help in areas in which they are challenged.  Focusing on the basics and building sound foundations in Math, Phonics, Spelling, Grammer and Creative Writing.  

Continuing to raise awareness is an ongoing process within the community.  The understanding that children with Special Needs are able to learn. The objective is to make every child the best individual they can become.  Too often children with special needs are left at home and never engaged, thereby never being able to reach for their highest achievements. The staff at ACES is making a difference not only in the lives of these children but in the community as a whole. We continue to educate parents and community leaders about how much these children can learn and do to become productive citizens in the community.

Our program has grown tremendously in the last year and I have all of you to thank for that! We are now accommodating children with Autism, Down Syndrome, Visual Impairments, Physical Impairments and Speech and Language Disorders. Students are engaging in academic courses as well as life skills, social skills and speech.

Our latest project is our greenhouse. The greenhouse was built and screened in to keep away those pesky iguanas! Students collected recycled plastic containers which we cut and poked holes in. We were able to purchase some dirt which students used to plant the seeds. Each day the children take turns watering and maintaining the greenhouse. We hope to have cucumbers, peppers, basil, cilantro, parsley, tomatoes and flowers all very soon!

Next term, we will discuss healthy eating. This will involve food preparation and grocery shopping. Students will have the opportunity to visit local fruit stands and stores and practice purchasing their favorite healthy foods.

The student body at Ambergris Caye Elementary School has responded so positively to our special needs classroom despite some of the daily challenges we face. The children have been accepting and welcoming to all of our children with special needs. Each morning students greet each other and provide opportunities for social interactions. All of the students are so willing to help our special children, whether it be walking them to class, helping them purchase their lunch, pushing a wheelchair, playing during lunch time or giving them a hug when they’re having a difficult day. It is so heartwarming to be involved in such a positive and accepting school community.

I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your continued support. Special education is something that is relatively new to the island of Ambergris Caye. I meet so many children with special needs on a daily basis who are lost in the shuffle of large classroom sizes at the local public schools or do not attend school at all because of their needs. In a recent survey conducted in the community, 64.7% of teachers said that their school does not provide them with information on how to teach children with special needs. That is why these scholarships are so very important. Every child has a right to an education, a right to learn. The special education students at A.C.E.S. have reached so many major milestones and we will continue to work towards reaching our goals. We must continue to create awareness within the community, improve education and show people that having a disability does not define who a child is but is simply presents itself with obstacles that can be overcome.