HCTC connects with local elementary students to promote unity

People are different. People are the same.The Holmes County Training Center wants to celebrate and educate on both of those points, and on Feb. 2 the HCTC staff and some of its students visited Millersburg Elementary, where the second- and fifth-grade classes from the elementary saw firsthand how the Training Center is working toward promoting the uniqueness of its individuals while at the same time letting kids understand that there are many similarities.Rhoda Mast, Holmes County Training Center principal, said that while there are obvious differences, there are plenty of ways the Training Center students are much like any student at school. She went on to say focusing on both sides of the coin is crucial to acceptance.“There are definitely ways that our Training Center students are different, and we need to communicate that to other students because it helps them see the ways that our students are overcoming some of these differences and obstacles,” Mast said. “But it is also important for all of these young people to realize that they are not so different in a lot of ways. They all want to laugh, have fun and enjoy life, and they all want to learn.”Learning may come in a different form for many of the Training Center students, but they have shown the ability to progress quickly by utilizing the many various learning tools supplied by the HCTC.Electronic talking devices have given a voice to some students who formerly struggled to have a voice. Through the talkers students now can communicate in ways they never could have imagined 10 years ago.While the HCTC students opened the program by performing a musical number through the bell choir, they began to focus on ways to communicate, showcasing what they have learned, and the Millersburg students were incredibly attentive and respectful throughout the assembly.The HCTC students included Justin, James, Loretta, Arlene, Aaron, Brandon, Charlie, Jared, Kylie, Aaron and Danny. Whether it was Danny telling jokes on his talker, which brought the crowd to laughter; Loretta and Arlene sharing on their talkers; James reading a story; or Charlie singing “Kumbaya” and amazing the Millersburg students, there were plenty of opportunities for everyone to realize what kind of amazing steps the HCTC students have been making.Elementary principal Renee Woods said, “Such joy and acceptance, we could all take a lesson from them.”Woods said that for years many of the Training Center students have been integrated at her school, and seeing how they have been accepted and welcomed by students has been heartwarming.“I love the way our students, especially our older students, have just accepted them without question,” Woods said. “It’s just a normal, routine day any more for a lot of these kids because they have grown up with these students from the Training Center. It is almost more of an adjustment for the teaching staff.”Woods said one of the neat parts about these visits from the HCTC is that it helps alleviate fears some of the Millersburg students might have when meeting a Training Center student. She also said it is good to celebrate the sameness between the two schools.“There are a lot of things that we all share,” Woods said. “They like to do a lot of the same kinds of things. I think getting together like this helps our kids see those kinds of things.”The staff members in attendance included Molli Starner, Kim Miller, Pam Miller, Ruth Vaughn, Mandee Lemon, Katja Rottman and Mast.At the end of the assembly Mast had all of the Millersburg students turn around and acknowledge their own teachers with a word of thanks.“They have dedicated themselves to teaching you all of these things that make you happy with your life and preparing you for later in life. That is the same thing that we as a staff at the Holmes County Training Center are doing for our students. We are helping each of these individuals learn what they can do best so they can make life meaningful and be happy with their lives.”