Tabor Academy enjoyed a morning of service where they hosted athletes from Special Olympics MA on Wednesday for a day of School Day Games. The weather was perfect and the Tabor community showed up ready to make the day special for over 250 athletes and their teachers.
The smiles on the faces of the unified teams were memorable as the students played basketball, volleyball, and enjoyed weightlifting, fitness events, tumbling and field games such as frisbee, football, soccer, bocce and so much more! The Tabor students brought confident energy and enthusiasm along with a spirit of fun across the campus which made the Special Olympics athletes feel welcome and ready to play.
Tim Cleary, Dean of Students, shared, “Our day with Special Olympics was a highlight of the fall for me.” He added that the Special Olympics representatives and the teachers coming from area schools told him they had never seen students engage in these events as well as the Tabor students. Perhaps the best feedback he received was from one of the athletes who exclaimed that they made “a new best friend” today. One of the guest teacher’s shared this comment about their student’s experience: “(This student) rarely makes eye-contact with anyone and often has her chin buried in her chest. She also never gets involved on her own. By the end of the day, she was seeking out the Tabor kids to play without any coaxing from us. And, look at her chin! She is holding it high!” Other comments were similar, sharing new ways children were challenging themselves by trying new activities and making contact with new people with enthusiasm.
While most of the school was hosting Special Olympics, the sophomore class was enjoying some time at Carney Academy in New Bedford helping their students with a literacy project. Cleary reported, “The sophomores brought similar energy to their task and also enjoyed making some new friends. We are incredibly proud of our students, each of whom did their part to help out and create a morning full of positive energy and fun, wherever they were, whatever their part. Their empathy and joy shone through in every way.”
Tabor Academy invites the community to join them for their next event for “Special Olympics: The Polar Plunge” on December 15 at 11:15 am, at Silvershell Beach in Marion. The student-run club at Tabor is working hard to sign up plungers with great success. It is likely that this year’s event will be one of their largest! For registration information, contact Ellie Gamache at: ellie.gamache@specialolympicsma.org