Hermosa View’s friendship circle growing
Alyssa Finigan (left), Zach Derhake (red hat) and Christian Atherton (right) are the final three playing hot potato with a roll of masking tape during the Friendship Circle activities at Hermosa View School. Photo by Ed Pilolla. The children sat in a circle playing Duck-Duck-Goose. As the music stopped and the circle grew smaller, the children cheered and laughed with one another as it’s supposed to be. This wasn’t recess with a group of friends getting together. The game was part of the Friendship Circle at Hermosa View Elementary School that brings together children with and without developmental disabilities— and telling them apart was difficult while they smiled and laughed. Carrie Montreuil has worked as a special education instructor as well as reading group teacher for kids without special needs at Hermosa View School for three years. When she began working, she noticed that children were having some difficulty playing with other children and even simply talking with friends, whether they had special needs or did not. Montreuil, who had taught for four years previously in Washington State, had heard of the Friendship Circle and knew a club existed at Mira Costa High School…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com