Tommy's Big Day- Urban Trail Dedication

Today was the big day! The celebration of the opening of the Urban Trail at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. It was the finale of a year long celebration of the school's 125th anniversary.

The Urban Trail was created to allow the school to teach orientation and mobility to the children in a safe yet realistic environment. It is beautifully landscaped and professionally developed for training children who use power wheelchairs, and children who use long white canes. What an amazing opportunity for the students!

The day started with an open house. We got to sit in on music class and the kids were just hysterical. They sang cute Halloween and Fall themed songs, danced, and played with a big gathering drum. Their music teacher has a beautiful voice and he really knew how to get the kids going.

The school's on-site daycare is blended with the school children during certain activities. This is a great preparation for mainstream school for the school children and allows the children in daycare to explore friendships with children of all abilities. It is an important learning experience for all the children involved. Tom loved going to daycare here and I'm glad he still gets to interact with his old friends.

After music class we went upstairs to Tom's classroom where the kids put on a Five Little Pumpkins show based on the popular rhyme. It was very cute. Unfortunately my camera doesn't take good pictures in the dark. Sorry! The children all took turns speaking their lines and using assisted communication devices (switches) to create Halloween sounds to enhance their little production. You could tell they put a lot of work into their performance.

After the performance we enjoyed a snack - butterscotch pudding the children had made for us themselves!

Tom loved having his family visit him at school.

The kids all had matching Pumpkin face shirts they made themselves.

Then it was time to head across the street to the other part of campus for the Urban Trail Dedication. This was a big event and they were expecting over 600 people including the mayor and other local politicians.

Gold, Silver and Bronze medalists in the school's Paralympics getting their moment of fame.

 We listened to several quick and touching speeches and then it was time for Tommy to participate in the torch relay. An alumni of the school who is now an employee lit the torch and represented the past. An student from the main school carried the torch to represent the present. Then Tom, one of the school's newest students, finished the torch procession to represent the future of the school.

Tom and his teacher Jenn.

He loved it when everyone cheered him on and called his name. Loved it!

Almost there!

When he tapped the fountain with the torch they turned it on for the first time.

He then proceeded to play in the water :)

He had to taste that water. 

There was a jazz band playing so Tom couldn't help but dance and celebrate.

A job well done!

And finally a cupcake treat.