The STARS of Mills

The STARS classroom here at Lewis S. Mills High School is full of inspiring students ages 14-21 years old. These students have mental and physical disabilities that range from mild to severe. The students take classes; have class in the STARS classroom, and work on stimulating activities. During the week, they take music therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy.

“We would love if other Mills students stopped by our classroom and got to know our students. I always say, we have the most fun out of any other classroom in the school! These kids are great,” says their teacher, Karen Fletcher. Mrs. Fletcher is part of the Student Support Services and she is the lead teacher in the STARS classroom. Her teacher’s assistants include Theresa Ponte, Nancy Celone, Betsy Twitchell, and Jadwiga Morrison. They aid these students throughout the day in the classroom, at lunch, and outside of the classroom.

According to physical therapist Deborah Fogler, “People don’t realize how much these students are capable of a lot of times. They can do so much more than you would expect.” One student, Carl,  sits in a wheelchair due to his disability. Through hard work and physical therapy, Carl has learned how to walk, talk, count, and even sing. Stimulation for Carl includes music therapy, cards, counting practice, using blocks, balls, and physical therapy.

A supportive and encouraging environment is a big part of daily life, and Mrs. Fletcher’s students experience support from teachers as well as one another. Some stimulating classroom activities include using building blocks or magnetic objects, and solving puzzles.

The STARS students bond together not only as peers, but also as friends. Along with having gym class together, they have lunch together, and build friendships outside of school. Jon, another STARS student, enjoys drawing, and often carries his pencil and notebook so he can create the pictures he thinks of in his head.