Each of the three Rim-area Rotary Clubs invites people from local agencies and organizations to speak at their meetings. The clubs have had folks speak to them from San Bernardino County Fire, the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station, the CHP, Mountain Skies Astronomical Society, Friends of Big Bear Valley, the Mountain Homeless Coalition, the Rim of the World Educational Foundation and many more, including representatives from the Rim of the World Unified School District.
Tori Wood, who has been a Special Ed teacher for 22 years, teaches the extensive needs students at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School. She recently shared her experience with the Mountain Sunrise Rotary Club.
Her classroom includes 13 students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade at different levels of academic ability and life skills.
The students, she said, range from those who are intellectually disabled to those who have severe physical disabilities. Some are on the autism spectrum.
“Their independence levels are not where we want them yet,” Wood said. “The goal is to enable them to move out of my classroom.”
When asked if every child has their own aide with them during the day, Wood said each classroom is staffed based on need. In her classroom she is joined by four other adults. Three of the students are one-on-one with their aides. “It’s fluid,” she said.
She told the Rotarians about the benefits of having a Power Link 4 in her classroom. It allows students of all abilities to operate anything that plugs in and operates on a single switch.
Her students cook once a week. With a stand mixer – which Wood brought from home – they can make ice cream and snow cones. With the attachments, they can safely participate in food processing – slicing, dicing and spiralizing.
The Power Link 4 also allows the students to operate fans, a microwave and lamps. They can also play electronic games and with interactive toys.
“It enables them to play with their friends,” Wood said. “It creates an environment of inclusivity for all students. I don’t have passive viewers in my classroom – everyone participates at some level.”
The switches, Wood said, are for everyone. “If everyone in the class is using switches, it is more normalized.”
Students can use switches to access their computers and to turn pages in an online book. With them they can also participate in online education and learning games.
The Rotarians donated funds to Wood so she can purchase a stand mixer for her classroom – and take hers home.
For more information on Rotary on the mountain, visit the clubs’ websites:
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