by Pam Kyrka
4/9/2018

Adams Middle School Special Olympic Athletes

The Adams Middle School began Friday, March 23rd with a send off of its Special Olympics athletes to the 5 Town School Day Games, held at the Medway Middle School. The hallway was lined with cheering students as Ava Jeye, a wheelchair athlete, led the procession.

With the help of a device that attaches to her chair, Ava plays soccer. Lucy Maurao and Ella Bosselman planned and constructed this device as part of a Tech Ed adaptive device project in teacher Michelle Roy’s class. Everyone in the class worked on the same project, but after testing devices, Ava chose Lucy’s and Ella’s.

Seventh graders, Lucy and Ella are athletes themselves. Lucy plays basketball and softball and Ella plays soccer, runs cross-country and track, and swims. They told me that they planned the device in a few days and then constructed it so that Ave could practice with it.

Two round wooden poles attach to the lower front of the wheelchair and then to a box-shaped structure made of foam, covered in black and, Ava’s favorite color, purple Gorilla duct tape. Lucy and Ella made a cut out on top so that Ava can see the ball. The device includes wheels in front for a smoother ride.

Ava, who also likes basketball and visiting her grandmother, was excited about the games, as were Lucy and Ella who also attended. The send off was loud and enthusiastic with faculty, staff and students cheering wildly.

The following was provided by teacher, Michelle Roy:
I teach STEMs (we call it tech ed lol but it is really STEMs)  In my class students use what they have learned in math and science to solve problems using the engineering design process using simple to complex technological tools.  Materials are 100% trash items that I have found, "dumpster dived" or people were going to throw the items away and I claimed them to repurpose.

Our theme this year in my class is the sustainable development goals of the UN.  We focus on trying to solve problems that relate to these goals.  The adaptive device project challenges students to create an adaptive device out of trash items or to invent a project and make it out of trash.  The idea is to make something that could be replicated for little money in a developing country where they often time have no access to healthcare and have high poverty rates.  Some students created the adaptive device for Ava because Mr. Kwas reached out to me and knew the kids could make something for Ava without having to spend money.  They did an excellent job researching adaptive devices and designing ones made of 100% trash.