They took their first steps toward success!
A class of pint-sized pupils proudly picked up their pre-school diplomas on Friday at the graduation ceremony for a Downtown school that teaches youngsters with emotional, physical, or neurological disabilities.
Many of the tots who walked down the aisle began the school year unable to stand on their own two feet, showcasing remarkable growth that did not go unnoticed by educators at Helen Keller Services for the Blind’s Children’s Learning Center, according to a faculty member.
“A couple of the children who didn’t walk before they came to our school were walking down the aisle, said principal Garth White. “It was really nice.”
School staff handed out floral bouquets to all 14 of the 3-to-5-year-old graduates’ families who showed up to commemorate their young scholars’ achievements at the National Grid Auditorium at One MetroTech Center, according to White, who said spectators were as overjoyed by the accomplishment as the kids themselves.
“The parents were very excited,” he said.
And the graduates — who White said will go on to enroll in specialized private schools, or in kindergarten classes at one of two public schools that serve students with such disabilities — celebrated their big day with festivities beyond diploma-collecting, including a dance performance and live show by maestros from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, White said.
“It was a very joyous occasion,” he said of the graduation.
