Athletes show inclusion, school pride in District 200 Special Games
Anna Gazarek sends a hockey puck into the net with the help of her physical therapist, and her classmate, Jack Weeks, knows it's a moment to celebrate.
Weeks, a thoughtful and attentive teen, retrieves a pompon to congratulate Gazarek and then helps her settle into her wheelchair, carefully adjusting her footrests.
"At the end of the day, I'm helping her out, but she's just another friend," Weeks said.
It's a scene that played out across the indoor field house at Wheaton North High School, the recent host of the 2018 Special Games. It's not a competition, but rather an annual display of inclusion, school pride and bonding between students who have special needs and their peers.
"It's a great platform for our students to show their talents and to show how much care they have for each other," Wheaton North Principal Matt Biscan says.
Students representing four Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 schools showed their athleticism and sportsmanship in adaptive golf, hockey, bowling, running events and basketball during the third-annual games.
"Every one of these students has hope," Biscan said. "That really is it. That's sort of our goal as a high school, by the end of the experience - and that's what high school should be - that they have hope. They have hope for the future. They have confidence in what they're able to do."
Will Prange clearly exuded confidence singing the national anthem, the highlight of an Olympic-style opening ceremony.
"We are Falcons. We are proud. We are North," said the 17-year-old, reciting a favorite mantra of the principal before students paraded into the field house in their school spirit gear.
The teen, who has Down syndrome, prepared for weeks leading up to the games shooting hoops with his buddy Chris Bucci. The two are more than classmates in their adaptive PE classes. They have developed a friendship through the Wheaton North Flock, a group that pairs students with developmental disabilities and their peers for social outings and holiday parties.
"We can push each other, make each other better," said Bucci, feeding off Prange's enthusiasm.
Catherine Prange, Will's mom, sees her son, a social butterfly, run to the school bus every morning, eager to return to the school community reflected in the games and Flock.
"This is everything I dreamed of as a parent, to have him involved," she said. "You just feel very lucky."
She's also grateful for the adaptive PE classes. Students must complete an application and write an essay to join the program and assist classmates with special needs or physical injuries.
"They have more kids that want to join than they have availability, so if that tells you anything about the kids in the district - it's just heartwarming," Prange said.
Michelle Schaffer teaches the classes for Wheaton Warrenville South students, some of whom have autism, cerebral palsy and social-emotional needs. At the games, winning is secondary.
"The kids have a ball. We don't care who wins. We don't keep score. It's just go and have fun," she said.
Schaffer calls Weeks one of her student leaders in the class. Since the start of the school year, he's helped Gazarek build strength in her arms through lifting exercises, rocked out to their favorite jam - "Rolling on the River" - and learned how to use a communication board that enables Gazarek to convey her emotions.
But Weeks doesn't need a device to know that Gazarek is truly happy on this morning at the games.
"She's got a big smile on her face, which is a fun thing to see," he said.