Joseph Sams School celebrates 20 years

Serves children with special needs up to age 15

The Joseph Sams School in Fayetteville will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special event Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

The school is dedicated to children with special needs and serves 30 children between 18 months and 15 years old, with the capacity to serve about five more youths.

The rededication program will be open to the public, as the staff shows off the new lower level renovations in the 17,000 sq. ft. building. Several rooms will be unveiled which have been named in honor or memory of others.

The school is located at 280 Brandywine Blvd. in Fayetteville.

The school began in 1984 when three families of children with disabilites joined together to create an environment where learning and love went hand-in-hand. Marie Sams, one of the organizers, said the idea was to serve students ages 2 through five, “filling the gap between existing early intervention programs and public schools.”

Back then, the school was known as The Early Years. The name changed in 1996 to honor Marie Sams’ son, who died from complications from leukemia.

The school receives no federal, state or local funding. It relies solely on grants from foundations and corporations along with donations from civic organizations, businesses and individuals. It costs an average of $20,000 per year for each child.

The school has a low student to teacher ratio on purpose, Sams said.

“There is a completely individualized program for each student and a structured, predictable classroom environment,” Sams said.

The school’s students come from six south metro counties and one county in north Georgia.


		Friday, Feb. 18, 2005