Middle Gate Elementary School students navigated one course in the school’s gymnasium using a wheelchair on Wednesday, February 25, while in another corner students wearing blindfolds used canes to navigate their way around cones.

This year’s Differences Day, which is an annual event at the school, offered a range of activities and lessons to highlight differences people may have from one another. Fourth grade students at Middle Gate participated in the event.

Three main stations were set up in the gymnasium to help the fourth graders learn about mobility impairment, vision impairment, and gross and fine motor skills, according to Middle Gate Principal Chris Geissler. Other activity stations were also offered and guest speaker Carl DeStefanis, a teacher of the hearing impaired at Soundbridge Academy in Wethersfield, also gave presentations for the full fourth grade.

In a letter sent home to parents about the day, Mr Geissler wrote, “As we prepare our fourth graders for life beyond fourth grade, it is our intention to make them aware that not everyone looks or functions in the world the same way. Sometimes these differences are obvious, while other times some challenges are not visible.”

With students working on writing their name in brail near him, Mr Geissler said Differences Day is, “one of my favorite days of the year.”

The day came together, Mr Geissler said, thanks to the hard work of many, including parent volunteers. Mr Geissler also said there is more planned for next year’s Differences Day, and some of those plans may include branching the celebration out to other grade levels.

During one of his two presentations of the day, Mr DeStefanis answered questions from students about his life. Mr DeStefanis attended Soundbridge Academy as a child, and eventually returned to teach at the academy. Mr DeStefanis told the students what it was like to have his cochlear implants, and explained other aspects of his life.

When one student asked Mr DeStefanis if he can play sports, he responded, “Yes, you can. You can do whatever you like,” he said, adding that he was a wrestler in high school. Later he said, “And you can be quite successful.”

To another question, Mr DeStefanis said it is important for students to move forward in life and to keep having a positive attitude. Now Mr DeStefanis says he is happy he worked hard to get to where he is today.

Mr DeStefanis also shared an “unfair hearing test” with students that is designed to demonstrate how trying listening can be for someone with hearing loss, and he shared examples of how students can help other students who may have hearing loss.