Two students graduate from Hopewell of Coshocton
COSHOCTON − Hopewell School recently had a rare event of two students graduating from the program for those with developmental disabilities. A recognition for preschool and other classes was held along with the graduation ceremony.
Transitions teacher Tammy Zimmer said they might go several years without a graduate and other years they'll just have one. Exiting the program were Joseph Raber and Hayleigh Clapper. Both are nonverbal and in wheelchairs. Zimmer said they both attended Hopewell since preschool. Zimmer projects they'll have one graduate next year and another the year after.
Zimmer said she worked with the students on life skills, maintaining conditions and doing as much as they can on their own, such as hand over hand coordination to trigger switches and buttons. Raber will now attend an Amish day hab program and Clapper will go to Midwest Community Services in the Downtowner Plaza.
Shannon Shontz, director of education, talked to those in attendance at the ceremony about the privilege of watching Raber and Clapper grow over the years. In the education world, it's rare for any staff member to be with someone for their entire academic career.
"They've had such tremendous growth over the years and I'm so proud of both of them. We'll definitely miss seeing them every day here at school. I won't know what to think without them here, because it's been such a long time," she said. "As sad as we are to see them go, we're happy for what the future brings for each of these two students."
Clapper also received the Lovely Listener Award and Raber received the Ray of Sunshine Award. Paraprofessional Dick McCune said at the start of the year he and other staff talked about goals for the students. Those goals were to make sure they had excellent care, all their needs were met and they would know they were loved and cared for.
"I think we succeeded in our goals, but what I didn't expect to find out was that by the end of the year these kids made us knew we were cared for," he said. "They made sure we knew we were loved."
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Two students graduate from Hopewell of Coshocton
