Fifteen students from St. Brendan High School’s GRACE (Generating Respect and Acceptance for Children with Exceptionalities) Club spent a recent school day assisting teachers at the Marian Center School.
The school, located in Miami Gardens, is a Catholic school for students with special needs from pre-K to age 22. The school’s mission is to educate, train and serve those with developmental disabilities.
According to junior Brianna Parades, “after these students graduate, many of them are offered jobs by big companies such as Publix and Walmart.”
Upon arrival at the Marian Center School, each student was assigned to a classroom to assist students with class work, various learning activities, and to help the teacher in any way needed. The students spent the whole school day with the students, even enjoying lunch with them.
“I have a brother with Down syndrome, and this experience really opened my eyes to what schools like this do to assist students with special needs,” junior Karla Vasquez said.
“The students at the Marian Center were very excited, hardworking, and attentive while we were there,” Paredes said. “I feel blessed that a school like this exists in the archdiocese to give students with disabilities an opportunity to learn at their own pace.”
