By Keith Marsh
Everybody at school knows me as Jeremiah’s Dad. I take him to school in the morning where his class welcomes him like he’s the special kid on the block. And he does the same for them. At 11 years old, he is part of Corr Elementary’s Exceptional Student Education program (ESE). He has a micro-deletion on his 15th chromosome, which affects his speech and overall development. He has difficulty with hard consonants at the beginning of words. He also has myoclonic epilepsy.
All of the children, and their parents, are learning to overcome a challenge or disability in their lives.
We were originally Jeremiah’s foster parents; adopting him was the next step we chose. Though we can’t imagine life without him, it’s not always easy. Other ESE parents are heroes and role models for us as they stay positive in the face of very challenging situations. It is an amazing community!
My purpose in writing is simply to say, “Thank you!” When your life’s journey faces medical, neurological or psychological mountains, you appreciate deeply those who reach out and help. So, here’s a big shout out to all of the ESE teachers at Corr Elementary. Thank you for loving our kids, believing that they can learn and for demonstrating progress both academically and socially. Thank you Mrs. Ferguson for your amazing leadership in developing Corr’s ESE program in vision and resources.
Another big, “Thank you!” has to go to Mrs. Faerber, the Principal at Corr Elementary, who has instilled not only a caring attitude towards all the children, but a culture that makes Jeremiah’s progress possible.
How can we say thank you? From the front desk, to the teachers, staff and the children themselves, Corr truly is an exceptional school.
And, on top of that, there’s Mr. O’Neil, the music teacher. Having 6 kids, I am a veteran of school musicals. But, never in all my born days have I seen one like Mr. O’Neil’s. His creativity knows few limits.
Little did we know what we were in for when our assigned school said they couldn’t help us with Jeremiah. But, never will I forget our first day at Corr! After a few false starts waiting on paperwork and medical records, the big day finally arrived. When we got to the front door, Jeremiah opened it, marched in with his arms lifted high and declared, “I’m here!”
Yes, Jeremiah you are. And so are we. Together we have become part of an exceptional community in every sense of the word.
