eSpecially Ben

The special education classes at Ben's school performed Phil Collins' You'll Be in My Heart . The words held more meaning because the school is closing and students, teachers and assistants are being displaced to many other schools. There were not many dry eyes by the end. And if you do notice Ben in the center with the orange shirt, he is crying because he saw me. His reaction was upsetting and shocking, since crying is only reserved for wanting to watch a Bob the Builder video. I guess I should not complain, it appears my status is now on par with Bob. * Digital effects in place to obscure identities of the children. You’ll Be In My Heart Lyrics by Phil Collins Come stop your crying It will be all right Just take my hand Hold it tight I will protect you From all around you I will be here Don't you cry For one so small, You seem so strong My arms will hold you Keep you safe and warm This bond between us Can't be broken I will be here Don

Each week this year, Ben's class studied a different letter of the alphabet. When I visited his class last week for the school performance, this artwork was hanging on the wall along with the rest of the" class skeletons." So cute and creative! I post artwork every Monday as part of the Magic Marker Monday Series offered through 5 Minutes for Special Needs . Check it out to see more artwork or to post something of your own.

I think I will start a resume for Ben - he's been in videos about Kindergarten readiness and literacy , and now, he is here modeling a special cut out desk. Who knows who might coming knocking next?   Duke Energy ran this story: Hydro Employee Uses Gift to Craft Furniture for Students Don Ligon builds desks for special-needs children. If you’ve never worked with special-needs children, it’s something you’ve probably never thought about. It had never crossed Don Ligon’s mind. But when a friend told him about how special-needs children require special desks and the problem she was having finding them for students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system, he understood. And then Ligon had a light bulb moment. He was already involved with woodworking as a hobby and had made several pieces of furniture over the years. Why not build the desks for the children? Now, at least once every year, he delivers a batch of solid-oak desks for students. He’s built more than 150 over the