Sharpe Health School Turns ‘Night’ into ‘Day’ with Back to School Event
For parents, students, teachers and community, Northwest school feels ‘like home’
Sharpe Health School, Ward 4 | Photo by Fred Lewis
Sharpe Health School, Ward 4 | Photo by Fred Lewis
Sharpe Health School, Ward 4 | Photo by Fred Lewis
Sharpe Health School, Ward 4 | Photo by Fred Lewis
Like many other parents of severely disabled children, Cynthia Bland wanted her daughter to attend a school that took care of her needs. She wanted her daughter to feel safe and comfortable, productive and loved.
Eighteen years ago, she found C. Melvin Sharpe Health School.
“It’s like home,” said Bland, whose 21-year-old daughter, Kyonna, has attended the Northwest DC school since she was 3 years old. “The people here, the staff, make my daughter feel like their own.”
It’s a feeling Principal Savetria Francis wants to maintain in her tenure and one she hoped to convey at the Sharpe’s Back to School Day. The event, held Sept. 23 at Sharpe, gave parents and community members a chance to explore the classrooms, meet teachers and witness firsthand the care staff provide for a population of 105 students ages 3-22 with conditions such as cerebral palsy, polio and muscular dystrophy. Holding the event during the day – as opposed to the Back to School Nights held this month at other public schools around the District – gives parents a chance to visit the school without having to arrange childcare in the evening.
“They can actually see their students working and interacting with staff,” Principal Francis said. “Because these kids are special to [parents], their biggest concern is people treating them as their own and see the compassion and care staff provide and make them feel comfortable and safe.”
Bland said that’s exactly why she chose Sharpe and why she has continued to send her daughter there for nearly two decades.
“It’s already hard because I have a child with a disability so for me, I’m overprotective,” she said. “To see the teachers and paraprofessionals working with students is great. My daughter comes home happy and that’s the biggest thing. She would cry if we missed the bus.”
The event featured pizza and a cookout, a mini-train ride around the playground and a spirited on-stage performance by students that brought teachers, students and parents in the audience to their feet to dance and sing along.
“It’s a chance for children to be featured on stage performing for parents and they don’t get these opportunities as often as they should,” said Dr. Lolli Haws, Instructional Superintendent for Cluster 8 DCPS schools. “It’s just a joy to see them singing and dancing for their parents.”
Principal Francis said the event also gives community members and partners – such as Kiwanis – a chance to visit and be involved.
“We want to make the community aware of our school and that our students are valuable members of society,” she said.
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