After-school program impacts the whole school
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

PHOTO/ANGELA GREINER PM Strive after-school program students (l to r) Amelia Santos, Kathleen Mac Munn and Gabby Melo cheer on the Hudson girls ice hockey team with peer tutor Ana Santos Jan. 26.

Hudson - "Crossing social bridges" is the motto of the "PM Strive" after-school program that runs at Hudson High School for Special Education students. The program, which began in 2005, is an example of one of the many initiatives that the school uses to enrich the student body.

PM Strive is funded through the Special Education budget and runs Monday through Friday until 4:30 p.m., with a maximum of eight students participating at one time. Pro- gram Coordinator Sherry Arsenault said that several students from the school work in the after-school program as peer leaders. The peer leaders work hands-on with students who have moderate to severe handicaps, assisting them with homework and then participating with them in activities.

Arsenault said that the program was created to bring the Special Education students together with the rest of the student body in a social setting.

"The [Special Education] students in the PM Strive program benefit by making friends with students they normally would not have contact with and by participating in activities that they otherwise would not be able to," she said.

The students who are involved in the PM Strive program participate in a variety of activities including cheerleading, soccer, basketball, track, drama and more.

"They have formed friendships, attend birthday parties, sit together at lunch, visit each other during the summer and go to school dances," she said.

Integrating students in the Special Education program with students in the regular program, Arsenault said, helps the entire student body accept those students as peers.

"The peer tutors benefit by working with the students," Arsenault said. "They learn to problem solve, to be patient, understanding and compassionate for people living with physical and mental limitations."

The program for some peer leaders is such a valued experience that they choose to continue their studies and work in the Special Education field at college.

The peer leaders' involvement has been recognized and appreciated by the students in the program, their families and the community. The community recently recognized peer tutors Rebecca Arsenault and Stacey Braga with the Rotary Club's Student Achievement Award for their work in the program. Last year, the Hudson athletic director received a letter from a referee who was touched by the fact that a student with Down Syndrome played on a Hudson High School team, and how his teammates rallied around him and supported him.

"The families gain the experience of watching their children participate in school events that they otherwise wouldn't," Arsenault said. "They are proud to attend a drama performance or sporting event and see their child participate and socialize with students in their school."

The peers who work with Arsenault share in her commitment to the PM Strive program, dedicating evenings and weekends to take students to various sporting events and outings.

"It gives me great joy and pride to see the friendships that come out of this program and to see the entire student body accept these students as their friends, teammates and peers," Arsenault said.