- March 28, 2024
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A few kids at Pine Trail Elementary School are prepping for their big night at the Very Special Arts Talent Show.
An exceptional student education class at Pine Trail Elementary School sat eagerly in their desks, as teacher Wendy Buckman had the floor.
“You all learned how to play the chimes,” Buckman said. “How does that make you feel?”
Students’ hands shot up all across the room, and, one by one, they shared similar feelings of confidence.
“We’re gonna sing and play chimes,” Alisha Huda, 10, said. “Even though I don’t like singing very much, I’m still going to love it.”
“I feel good,” Shaan Raval, 12, said. “I keep practicing on it and reading all the notes. The music teacher said I did awesome, and my parents are happy for me, too. They are really proud.”
The students will perform in The Luminaries, which is the 24th-annual talent show put on by Very Special Arts Volusia. The show, which is free and open to the publc, begins 7 p.m. May 2, at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center.
More than 50 students will participate to showcase how students and adults with developmental disabilities can learn through and enjoy the arts.
Shaan Raval’s father, Amit Raval, said his son has a mild form of autism and didn’t start speaking until he was 4. He has seen not only improvement in his son, but an increase in confidence since he’s been involved with the talent show.
“It does help him a lot because he gets involved with other children,” Amit Raval said. “Being in front of the public helps. It builds his morale and opens him up.”
For more, call 441-0547.