Students Receiving Special Education Services Celebrate Achieving Their Personal Best

Matawan Aberdeen students receiving special education services were honored for working hard to achieve their personal best with a on May 22.

Parents of Special People (PoSP) president Jan Casagrande addressed the audience of parents and students in the Anne Hannah Auditorium at , emphasizing that every child honored during the ceremony worked diligently to accomplish their personal best.

"Tonight is really about individual efforts and the efforts of those who help our students," Casangrande said. "For some students, it might have been just to have the courage to train and participate in a sport they otherwise never would have."

One by one students were called to the stage to receive awards for various reasons, including participation in the Special Olympics or Pheonix, learning how to write his or her name, remembering all year to turn in his or her homework, or musical curiousity and achievement.

"That was your personal best, and that was a great effort," Casagrande said.

PoSP held the recognition ceremony during their fifth annual , which officially kicked off on Monday, May 21 when both Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini and Matawan Mayor Paul Buccellato read proclamations from their respective municipalities.

"598 children receive special education and related services in the Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District, and dozens of parents, teachers, children study team members, and school administrators give generously of their time and energy to support the learning needs of special education students," Tagliarini said.

"We owe a special debt of grat to the edu and families of the Matawan Regional School District and the Parents of Special People that have been working hard so our schools and classrooms are characterized as being high performing and inclusive," Buccellato said.