Nature Ridge hosts successful Motor Activities competition

Bartlett High School sophomore Ryan Divo bowled an impressive series of strikes last Friday.

Even more impressive was the fact he couldn't see the pins he was throwing at.

Heather Stout, an orientation and mobility specialist in Elgin Area School District U-46, who has worked with Ryan since he was eight, cheered and applauded each of Ryan's efforts.

"You got another strike! You did it, Ryan!" she said.

Last Friday, about 60 student athletes from across the district were achieving similar feats at Nature Ridge Elementary's Motor Activities Competition.

Motor Activities Day was developed for students whose limitations preclude them from participating in team or individual sports in traditional Special Olympics competitions. The emphasis of the event, organizer Rich Beatty said, is on participation rather than competition and is set up so athletes can participate in age-appropriate recreational activities geared to their ability level.

Sports, including basketball, bean bag tosses, tunnel crawls and mountain climbs were modified for the level of the ambulatory and nonambulatory athletes.

To help facilitate the event, 58 general education sixth graders at Nature Ridge volunteered to set up and referee the games.

Athletes, many accompanied by their parents, ranged in age from 5 to 20.

Marybeth Lowe's 10-year-old son Matthew suffers from a pervasive developmental disorder. The competition, she said, helps Matthew gain confidence interacting with kids his own age.

Additionally, she said, the event helps parents of children with disabilities to bond.

"This is the only time each year we see each other," she said. "It's a great day for both me and Matthew."

Perfect score: Da Vinci Academy sixth grade student Sam Bartusek of Geneva won highest honors in the April WordMasters Challenge, a national language arts competition entered by 230,000 third- through eighth-graders each year.

Bartusek earned a perfect score and was one of only 68 sixth graders nationally who achieved at this level.

The WordMasters Challenge requires critical thinking skills as students learn new vocabulary words and complete analogies expressing logical relationships between the words. Working to solve the Challenge analogies helps students think analytically and metaphorically.

Congrats, Sam!