Message from Our Superintendent of Schools:
A LETTER OF A DIFFERENT KIND

In the course of any given school year, I receive a lot of letters. They are written for a variety of reasons. For example, they are written to proffer an opinion, to make a complaint, to support an issue or to explain a position. Some are harsh, some are kind, some are rambling, some are eloquently written and, on occasion, one is elegant in its simplicity and ability to move the soul. This week I received that elegant, moving letter.

The author of the letter is the sister of a recent graduate of East Providence High School. She writes about her brother’s years at East Providence High School. He was a special needs student involved in the Partners Program. She was compelled to write me because she heard that the Partners Program was being eliminated. She needed to let me know that this was not a good decision. She also needed to let me know why she held that opinion.

At this point, let me break from her letter to provide the reader some background information on the program. The Partners Program involves students in grades 10 to 12 who take a year long course serving as a partner. These students work with special education students in academics, physical education, and life-skills settings throughout the school day and in after school settings. Many of these students are a partner for two or three years. In some cases, long term relationships are established. Jamie Silva, now a member of the Indianapolis Colts, served as a partner during his days at East Providence High school.

Now, let me take you back to the letter. Her letter continues with the painting of a vivid and moving landscape of the positive influence and value that the program provided for her brother during his school years. But she did not stop there. She expresses how the participants in the Partners Program taught him valuable life lessons that continue to help him today. She wanted me to know that he is reminded on a daily basis how much he cherishes the opportunity to have participated in the Partners Program.
His sister writes about her brother’s experiences in the program and the effects his involvement had on his life, both in and outside of school. The most touching point in her letter was that the Partners Program helped her brother to feel “part of the school community and not the special-needs classroom”. She added that if it were not for the program, her brother “would not have friendships or successes in life”. She continues by saying that the program gave him “a sense of belonging in the world”.

Today, her brother is driving and working a part-time job. She says he is thrilled when he runs into a “partner” in the community. He has never forgotten his fellow students and staff that helped him master the skills he needs to help himself. 

Currently, our middle schools operate on a fixed schedule with no flexibility. Our principals do not have the leeway to choose teachers by “best fit” according to classroom needs.
As an added treat, attached to her letter was a hand-written letter from her brother. Simply put, he reveals how he would not know math, writing, and reading; have money skills or be able to drive a car and have a job today if it were not for his involvement in the Partners Program.

Our Partners Program plays a critical role in assisting our students to grow into well-rounded, compassionate, helpful adult citizens. Just imagine the immense sense of satisfaction that our partner students feel as they see their efforts translate into a fellow student mastering a skill, or seeing a fellow student understand something they may have taken for granted as “easy” and, ultimately, to run into a partner in the community who is thriving.

This is a win-win program for everyone. Each of us needs friendships, personal successes and a sense of belonging. The Partners Program and all of the students and staff involved should feel very proud of their contributions that last a lifetime.

So, what is the future of the Partners Program? It is not being eliminated and consideration was never given to its demise. It is alive and well and will continue to be a positive influence in the lives of all those who are involved.

So, what is the future of the Partners Program? It is not being eliminated and consideration was never given to its demise. It is alive and well and will continue to be a positive influence in the lives of all those who are involved.

Mario F. Cirillo Jr., Ed.D.