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Sams School marks 20 yrs. of serving children

For many in Fayette County Sunday, Feb. 20 was the day before President’s Day, a national holiday to celebrate the historical contributions of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

But the creators, staff, board members, parents and students of The Joseph Sams School in Fayetteville celebrated a different historical milestone and the public is invited to share the experience.

On that day, the school will celebrate its 20th year of making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities and their families. On that day, they will rededicate the building, unveiling newly constructed space, and reaffirm their mission - to provide education and life skills development to children with cognitive, physical and developmental challenges.

Like President Lincoln, who grew up in a log cabin, Sams School had humble beginnings.

In 1984, three families of children with disabilities came together to help their children. Mary Ann Crofton, Marie Sams and Mary Ann Mitcham saw a need, and they wanted to create an environment where learning and love went hand in hand.

So, housed in a small, donated wood frame cottage, the school began as The Early Years.

“The student body was small - only five - the faculty was small - only three - and we had an all volunteer administrative staff,” recalled Marie Sams. “In 1984, the intent of the school was to serve students from ages two to five, filling the gap between existing early intervention programs and public schools.”

Throughout the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, as the school’s reputation spread, so did its mission. By 1996, it had outgrown its original name, serving a wider range of students. In that year, it was renamed in memory of Marie’s own son, Joe, one of the school’s original students who passed away that same year from complications of leukemia.

The school now serves 30 children age 18 months to 15 years old, and can handle about 5 more. There are no geographic boundaries on attendance. The school currently serves children from six south metro and one North Central Georgia counties.

One family recently moved from Louisiana to Fayette County to avail their disabled child of the school’s innovative MOVE (Mobility Opportunity Via Education) program. The program’s goal is to enable non-ambulatory students to become as mobile and independent as possible.

The halls of this school are filled with stories of miracles, unimaginable except for the work, dedication and compassion of the gifted staff.

Miracles such as Kayla, a young girl with autism, who not only learned to talk during her four years at the school, but who sang a solo at last year’s end-of-the-year program.

Or, the miracle of Trey, a non-verbal preschooler, who learned signed language within a year at the school, moved on to speech, then went to public high school, where he entered the gifted program and graduated salutatorian.

The teacher to student ration remains low, 3:1 or 2:1, intentionally, says Marie, despite the growth of the student body.

“The one thing that has remained unchanged is the school’s learning environment,” she said. “There is a completely individualized program for each student and a structured, predictable classroom environment.”

The school receives no federal, state or local funding. Its existence and success relies solely on grants from foundations and corporations, and donations from civic organizations, businesses and individuals. Several fundraising events are held each year. Tuition routinely doesn’t cover even half of the average $20,000 per year cost per child.

It takes a very special and gifted person to be a teacher at Sams. The work is intense, and success isn’t normally measured in hours or day, but over weeks, months or years. However, their efforts give hope to parents whose children might otherwise not progress in areas such as cognition, language and communication, gross and fine motor skills and social or self-help skills.

Perhaps on a global scale, the day to day successes at Sams School don’t compare to the history-making impact that Presidents Washington and Lincoln had on the world. But in the worlds of the children and families who are touched daily by the accomplishments at Sams, the effect is equally as dynamic as the Gettysburg Address or the Crossing of the Delaware.

The school is located at 280 Brandywine Boulevard in Fayetteville. For information, call 770-461-5894 or visit www.josephsams.org.