do a lot in the community. There’s a lot of
involvement.
“It’s important to learn about others to
appreciate what you have and to try to
make things better for others.”
The results were more than interesting
and certainly positive.
“The kids interacted very well with
one another,” Mohler said. “Some of them
are non-verbal. It was another learning
experience for everyone involved.
Sometimes, we all take things for granted.
What these kids learned is that there is a
way to communicate with your peers even
when it is not easy. The football players
showed our life-skills kids the way and they
taught them things they would never have
had a chance to learn.”
Andrew Madden, an eighth grade
student of Mohler’s, said he looked forward
to the practice and learning about football.
“There was a lot of new things to learn,”
Madden said. “I liked it. The players showed
us how to do drills and what they did. We
saw them run with the ball and throw it.
The best part was getting a jersey.”
The life-skills students were given a
football jersey to wear during practice
and participated in a variety of drills
throughout.
“It was a great experience having the
kids at our practice,” Engle said. “They
taught us just as much as we taught them.
I feel like this experience brought us
together and hopefully gave all of us new
friends.
“I feel like this experience will give many
of us a better understanding of others’
lives. I believe they are not different, they
are just seeking interaction with their high
school peers. It would give me great pride
if the school would decide to make this a
traditional yearly activity.”
Mohler and her students had success
in the past, working with members of the
boys’ basketball team and its Coach Rick
Bell.
“This kind of thing just gives my students
and the football players an opportunity
to connect with people they wouldn’t
normally be with,” Mohler said. “My kids
aren’t going to be going out for basketball
or football or any other sports.
“It has lended a real positive light on
the atmosphere at Canon-McMillan High
School. It shows our high school is tolerant
and inclusive.”
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