Dutchess BOCES

Dutchess BOCES Cosmetology Teacher Sharon Myers wants to bring everyone at the Career and Technical Institute together.  Her efforts continue one class at a time.

Myers’ class visit students and teachers in the Pegasus program twice a week to do variety of activities such as crafts, playing games and encouraging socialization. The initiative is going strong five years after Myers first proposed the idea to make Pegasus students feel more comfortable at CTI after their classroom moved to the building.

The Pegasus Program at CTI provides services to students aged 14 to 21 years who have multisensory or motor deficiencies and developmental lags in physical, cognitive and psychomotor capabilities. This program provides academics, perceptual motor training, self-help skills and vocational activities as designated on the students’ IEPs.

“It’s really a way of connection and comfort in our building,” Myers said. “All the teachers love it.”

Myers approached Pegasus teachers about the idea of her students becoming familiar with the program’s students, as well as encouraging acceptance, to which Pegasus teachers agreed.

“Cosmetology students are able to gain exposure and become more comfortable with individuals with special needs,” Special Education Teacher Krystine Nardozzi said.

Nardozzi’s students love having cosmetology students over to visit and look forward to it every week. Nardozzi and her fellow teacher Nicole Haight hope to collaborate further with Myers’ students and other CTI classes.

“Mrs. Haight and I love that our students are included in CTI activities and look forward to doing more work with Ms. Myers and her class as well as any other trade classes,” Nardozzi said.

Second-year cosmetology student Rose Callamari-Rodriguez first participated in the program this year and she loves the camaraderie.

“We’re able to build relationships with the kids so they have somebody,” Callamari-Rodriguez said.

Callamari-Rodriguez works with a student who has limited verbal skills and said hearing him say thank you to her has been the best part of the experience.

“That was a highlight for me,” she said.