With over 200,000 special needs students in North Carolina, we are so excited to be able to provide resources for these students in our community. At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, we introduced our Exceptional Children’s program, starting with Upper School. We added a Lower School class the following year, and this year we rounded out the program by adding our Middle School class. 

With this exciting new program comes two amazing new teachers: Ms. Simmons and Ms. Quantica, known as Ms. Q by the students. They are teaching and caring for a fun bunch of 8 children in their classroom located at the end of the Middle School hallway in Bradley Hall. While most of the students are returning and have moved up from the elementary class, we do have one new student, but he’s fitting in so well that it’s as if he’s been here all along!

With just 8 students and 2 teachers, there is a 1-to-4 ratio that allows staff to pay close attention to each student and his or her needs, which is crucial in helping them reach their goals big or small. We are so lucky to have Ms. Simmons and Ms. Q working so hard to help their students succeed daily. Every morning they meet with the students and their parents to gauge how the students are feeling that day and what their particular needs are. 

Along with educating the students academically, Ms. Simmons and Ms. Q are teaching important life skills like shopping and swimming. The class goes to the local YMCA to swim every other Tuesday and goes shopping for groceries twice a month; they make a list, get the items, and then go through the checkout process. Aside from working on life skills, they’re working to improve coping mechanisms and their interpersonal skills (including showing appropriate emotional expression). As you can tell, Ms. Simmons and Ms. Q are doing a wonderful job preparing their students for their futures. 

Because RMA is a family, many of our Upper School students support the EC Program through the Stronger Together Club, which helps out with special–and super fun!–activities throughout the year. A couple of weeks ago, along with the Upper School EC students,  MS EC kids participated in the Special Olympics at Rocky Mount Middle School, and several members of Stronger Together tagged along to enjoy the fun and help with the games, which were several basketball-related tasks. The Stronger Together Club has also helped the new class with activities right here on campus. Before Halloween, all three EC classes carved pumpkins in the courtyard; Madisyn Rogers and I helped Will Franklin Dees, a student in the MS class, make a Nutcracker-themed Jack-O’-Lantern to combine the Halloween holiday with Will Franklin’s love of Christmas! On the Monday we returned from the Thanksgiving break, all of the Exceptional Children’s classes came together for a Thanksgiving lunch in the courtyard, where Stronger Together members brought traditional foods like turkey, stuffing, mac n cheese, bread rolls, and cookies for everyone to enjoy. 

In the next few months, the EC program has even more exciting things on its agenda. At the upcoming Christmas Concert, they will be singing “Must Be Santa,” along with Mrs. Tickle’s LS EC class. In the spring, all of the classes will come together to perform Peter Pan. After the success of last year’s Finding Nemo, we’re so excited to see those smiling faces again on stage!

Needless to say, the Middle School Exceptional Children’s class has been an exceptional addition to our constantly growing RMA family. I’ve loved spending time with them and getting to know the individual students. They all have unique personalities and are some of the most friendly people I’ve ever met. They are constantly filled with joy, and they never fail to spread their smiles with everyone in the room. Their laughter is contagious, and I can tell you from personal experience that their dance parties are always the best.