1. Written by Ana Arelis Illustrated by BPE- TWC students
Together We Can
Written by Ana Arelis
Illustrated by BPE- TWC students

2. This book is dedicated to the students in the Pre-school Program for Children with Disabilities at Blackland Prairie Elementary School.

3. Second grade is Peter’s favorite grade so far
Second grade is Peter’s favorite grade so far. He is no longer considered a baby, and he is very happy about that. When he sees the pre-school students from the PPCD class (Pre-school Program for Children with Disabilities) he thinks to himself, “They are so small!” You see, Peter was once in the PPCD class himself, but when he entered kindergarten, he was placed in a general education class.

4. Peter is an energetic boy, who enjoys playing very much
Peter is an energetic boy, who enjoys playing very much. He likes to play at home, and he likes to play at school. He likes to play inside, and he likes to play outside. But sometimes, Peter doesn’t want to stop playing when the teacher says playtime is all done.

5. Peter likes to help his teacher
Peter likes to help his teacher. He likes to turn the lights on and off, and he likes being the first person in line all of the time. Being the line leader is important to him. But sometimes, Peter can be impulsive. He jumps out of his seat and rushes to line up before the teacher finishes giving directions. He makes sure he gets there before any of his friends do. When he doesn’t get there first, he gets really frustrated.

6. Peter is very creative. He likes to draw pictures of his friends on the dry erase board, and he likes writing stories about being a famous football player. But sometimes, he can get sidetracked when he’s being creative and he forgets what the assignment was. This causes him to get behind on his work.

7. Fortunately for Peter, he and his teacher have come up with a few strategies to help him succeed in school. It can be tough to remember them all, but his teacher is always willing to help. When playtime is over and Peter stops and follows directions, his teacher will say, “Great job cleaning up and lining up, Peter. I can see that you are working hard to follow directions.” This makes Peter feel good, and it motivates him to continue this positive behavior.

8. Sometimes the teacher plays a game with the class to see which table group can get the most points for good behavior, like raising your hand when you have a question instead of blurting. Peter tries really hard to follow the classroom rules so that his table group can get a lot of points. This game is fun for everyone, because everyone can win if they try really hard.

9. Peter and his teacher have seen the most improvement in his grades thanks to journaling. Peter enjoys writing, but he doesn’t enjoy speaking out in front of his classmates very much. By journaling, Peter is able to communicate with his teacher every day, and he is able to do so without feeling embarrassed.

10. Although it will be a while before school is out and second grade ends, Peter feels confident that he will be successful thanks to the strategies he has learned. Peter shows us that even if some things are difficult for us, we can always learn ways to make them easier for us.