The theme of the month is communities support each other’s differences. The students of Mrs. Benaquista and Mrs. Cosgrove’s second grade class encouraged students to look around the cafeteria and notice that all students are unique and different from one another.  Students explained they can learn a lot from each other by being open minded and listening to other’s different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.

April is World Autism Month. It is a time dedicated to raising awareness, understanding, and acceptance for individuals with autism. Our presenters explained that autism is a condition that affects the way a person’s brain works. A person with autism may feel, hear, taste, smell, and see things around them differently. Not all people with autism are the same and everyone has their unique strengths. Students were encouraged to be patient with family members, friends, teammates, and classmates. When meeting new friends, students were told to look for things they have in common with each other, invite each other to play, and help explain directions and rules.

The book of the month is Where Three Oceans Meet. It is a story of how three generations of women are each different in their own way. They learn a lot from each other by listening to past experiences. We also learn that people are stronger together. Even though we are all different, together we make our William O. Schaefer Community stronger.