Letting kids be kids.
That’s one of the goals of Encino Park Elementary School’s Buddy Blizzard. The annual event pairs Alternative Learning Environment (ALE) students with fifth-grade buddies for a fun-filled afternoon created just for them.
“It’s such a sweet thing to watch,” said Encino Park Counselor Lauren Lichte. “It was such an amazing experience for me. To see our ALE students have a fun, safe and inclusive environment that they could fully enjoy with their families was incredible.”
During the Buddy Blizzard, students can race on an inflatable obstacle course.
They can maneuver between cones on specialized bikes.
They can bowl, play skee ball and balance on beams.
They can do it all at the Buddy Blizzard.
North East ISD parent Kristi Gilbert loves the Buddy Blizzard. Her daughter, who is now a Junior at Johnson High School, was one of the first ALE students at Encino Park to experience the Buddy Blizzard. Gilbert loves how the event truly let her kid be a kid. Because the event is created for ALE students, they can do every fun activity. And because the ALE students are paired up with their buddies, parents can just enjoy the moment, knowing their kids are in good hands.
“It’s amazing. There are not a lot of things that are 100 % geared towards kids with special needs,” said Gilbert. “As a parent, it was a great experience to see my child having fun with another student. She was socializing and talking with the other students, and she didn’t need me there. She was much more independent.”
Gilbert’s son is now a seventh-grader at Tejeda Middle School, but he was a buddy during his fifth-grade year at Encino Park. So, they’ve seen the incredible impact this event can have for students on both sides of the Buddy Program. That’s why Kristi and her family continue to volunteer and support the Buddy Blizzard nearly 10 years later -- to see kids be kids – and to help make sure that impact lasts for another generation of students.
“It means a lot as a parent that they value our kids that much. It’s been great to feel that our kids have worth and value. Encino Park is great at that. That school has my heart.”
To learn more, check out our District’s commitment to students with special needs.
