GH Special Ed. Students

Special Ed Classes and Some Special Kids

While it's not something we promote or seek out, from time to time we're asked to speak to school groups - about gorillas or about our work, Gorilla Haven. Any time we can help inspire or encourage students to THINK about their world and to learn more, we try to help any way we can.

Fannin County High School, Blue Ridge, GA (freshman and sophomores - students ages 13 to 18 years old)
During the height of the so-called controversy in Fannin County (fall/winter 1997/98), we were invited to talk to two classes at the local high school. It was very enlightening to see how much the rumors were affecting the students. At one special ed class, I asked the teacher to have her students make two lists for us before we got there. One list was questions the students might have, the other was a list of facts they know to be true. Here are those two lists:

Questions about Gorillas, Gorilla Haven or the Dewars:

Why couldn't you pick another place to go or why did you pick this area? Cold here?
How will you prevent them getting out?
What do you think about Buddy Folsom (the head of the anti-gorilla campaign)?
Will it affect wildlife and hunting in our area?
Won't they give deers (sic) disease they can be passed on to humans if we eat their meat - especially squirrels.
Will the place be away from trees? Won't they swing from trees and get out?
Will someone watch them?
Will it ever be open to the public?
Will people be able to slip in and kill them?
Will it hurt the environment?
Will it bring a lot of tourists in?
How many gorillas will there be?
Where are they coming from?
How and why did you decide to build gorilla haven?
Will they throw feces at people driving by and spread diseases?
How much will they cost? How will you decide which ones you take?

Facts Students Know To Be True, about Gorillas, Gorilla Haven and/or The Dewars:

(Gorillas are the) closest thing to humans.
They eat bananas.
They can spread diseases especially AIDS.
Ms. Dewar has a baby gorilla at her house.
You say they won't attack humans.
They like to be left alone.
They like to be free.

It was great fun addressing and answering all these issues and questions and while we were never asked to talk to the local elementary schools, we feel at least some students were given more to think about. We are especially indebted to Mr. Jack Key and Mrs. Betsy Hyde for their commitment to helping their students see ALL sides of an issue and encouraging their students to think for themselves, which is, after all, what education is all about.

Bethune Elementary School, Jacksonville, FL (4th and 5th graders - students ages 9 to 11 years old).
In November 1998 I drove to Jacksonville, FL to talk to a group of special education students in Miss Harp's class at the Bethune Elementary school. Miss Harp, it seems, has a passion for gorillas and we began an email correspondence, which turned into a pen pal relationship between her and her students. I also had friends of mine send post cards to Miss Harp's class, so they had pen pals in Taiwan, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Israel, Kenya, all over the USA and indeed all over the world. Top Photo: Miss Harp (top row, far left) and her class. Brian is the gorilla, top row, next to me. (Click on photo to enlarge).

I'd wanted to see the new gorilla exhibit at the Jacksonville Zoo anyway, so I drove down to visit gorillas and meet Miss Harp and her very special students. When I arrived, the classroom was covered with photos of gorillas and primates everywhere. The kids shouted "Welcome Mrs. Gorilla Lady!" as a huge banner proclaimed the same sentiment. One student, Brian, was dressed in a gorilla costume and showed me how silverbacks knuckle walk. Miss Harp made a special gorilla cake, complete with chocolate icing mixed with some vanilla to give the figure a real silver back! I talked to the class about gorillas and showed them some videos and photos. We had a great time and I thought I'd share a couple of photos of the visit on our web page to let other educators know, with a little creativity and enthusiasm, kids can learn to appreciate their world. Bottom Photo: Miss Harp and her special silverback chocolate cake!

It's kids like these that renew my faith in humanity and give me hope for the future. And the world could use more teachers like Rebekah Harp, who stimulate, challenge and encourage her special needs students to reach for the stars. And special thanks to Miss Harp's class including teacher assistant Mrs. Darden and kids McClary, Richard, Brian, Demarcus, Ebony, Tammy, Kenny, Darrell, Ervina, Lashanda, Andre, Derek and Jamal.

Here are some of the kids' comments, taken from our many pen-pal letter exchanges:

Assignment: Write one paragraph about Mrs Dewar's visit.

"It was fun because she was teaching us. I like her very much. And she was fun and lovely. I like when she talk to us about the gorillas. I love gorillas. She was beautiful. She talk a lot about gorillas. We learn about it very well." Tammy. (Gee, why was this one of my favorites?? Ed.)

"Wen Mrs Dewar we has fun because she was talking about gorillas. She was talking about and we watch a v.c. tape about the gorillas and his name Binti and silverhead. She were talking about differents. She shode us three tapes about gorillas. The end." Lashanda

"She showed us a movie of the gorillas and she had to come to the class room and we said hi Mis gorilla lady. She was siaspert [expert?] and she give us gorilla candy. She needed help with her thing so I heped her take her thing to her car. Her van it had a gorilla rug in the car." Jamal

"She gave us a gorilla candy. We look it moves she show us picaice [pictures?] we made gorilla book. I like for her to visit again. O in we love monkey. We like her visit" Demarcus.

"Dear Gorill Lady. It was so wonderful to finally meet you gorilla presentation was excellent. I remember how to say I love gorillas in sign language! Thanks for come to our class. We miss you, Love, Ervina" Ervina

"Dear Gorill Lady, It was so wonderful to finally meet you! Your gorilla presentation was excellent .. best wonman I have friend I loved the chocolate. Thank you very much. Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. Love, Ebony" Ebony

" … My name is McClary. I like to do fun think I play football and basketball. Thing you for the candy. Did you see the football game Sunday I was playing what my cousin and friend. Your candy was good. Can you come visit use aging. Love, McClary" McClary

"…My name is Kenny. I like dogs but I do not like gorillas because they is mean but I like python's and my mom do not like pythons." Kenny 14Sep98.
"…I told you before that I didn't like gorillas? Now I love gorillas." Kenny 25Sep98
Kenny was absent for my presentation on 19Nov98, but I left him a gorilla lollipop, like the other kids, and he wrote back:
"I am srry that I missed you and I heard that you all had fun and I heard that you all watch some good movie and I like the gorilla candy. Thank you for the candy. Love gorillas." "Sorry that I didn't come yesterday and I am sorry I am good in class and thank you for the treat and I hope you will come again. I love gorillas and I hope you is a nice lady's to me and I am good to my frind Koko and my class is good." Kenny Nov98