May 1st was a beautiful day for the children in the Socorro Independent School District’s Individualized Learning Classrooms (ILC) and their families. The district hosted its annual Celebration Day to honor ILC students who are medically fragile and require specialized mobility support, providing a meaningful opportunity for families, staff and students to come together and recognize their unique abilities and resilience.
This year’s theme, “It’s a Beautiful Day in Our Neighborhood: A Celebration of El Paso,” brought the gym at Pebble Hills High School to life through a variety of El Paso-themed activities and photo opportunities designed to meet each student's individual strengths and ability level.
“These are students that might have severe physical impairments, but we create an environment, a sensory-rich, technology-rich environment and activities that they can do on their own or with little assistance,” said Sandy Gutierrez, an SISD occupational therapist.
Activities included a sensory tunnel to simulate a car wash, games, prizes, a photo booth and more. The event featured colorful decorations and well-known scenes from El Paso, including the Franklin mountains and yellow poppies, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the alligator sculpture in San Jacinto Plaza.
Community health agencies also were available to provide information and support to families. Folklorico dancers entertained the crowd and well-known El Paso mascots, the Amigo Man, Chico from the El Paso Chihuahuas, and Paydirt Pete, competed in a dance off and mingled with the students and families.
“I think parents like the inclusivity of (Celebration Day) and that they can bring their children to a safe place,” Gutierrez said.
Christian Rodriguez, whose daughter is in the ILC program at Myrtle Cooper Elementary School, said he appreciated the hard work from the teachers and staff who organized the event. He said that his family had been looking forward to attending since they first participated last year because the event helped his daughter "enjoy her life."
“She has a lot of people in her corner,” Rodriguez said. "Although we really enjoy it ourselves, we know everyone loves putting it together and doing it for the children. At the end of the day, we know it's for her and for students like her, and we hope that they all enjoy it.”