![Performing a dance, athletes wave their pompoms in the air as special education teacher Wendy Zieleskiewicz stands behind them. Zielesckiewicz, who has been teaching for 25 years, didn’t know what she wanted to pursue until she remembered her love for children. She now sees her students benefiting from Special Olympics. “It's really fun to see [athletes] grow. [Special Olympics is] incredible — It's high energy, it's a lot of fun. It's cool to see the kids all working together and having a good time. They make connections with other students, [and] it's amazing to see how much fun they have. I hope that they can make and maintain relationships with people that are not in this classroom. I always encourage [my students] to participate [in Special Olympics] because it is a lot of fun and even if they don't make a best friend, you still have an opportunity to grow,” Zieleskiewicz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/unnamed-5-1200x798.jpg)
Rising to the occasion, West hosted its 21st Special Olympics on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, Special Olympics was created in response to discriminatory actions and behaviors against people with intellectual disabilities.
The first games began in Chicago, Ill. in 1968 at the Chicago Solider Field and have continued to spread for decades. Regional program director Jocelyn Diehl has been with Special Olympics Missouri for 13 years.
“Our athletes excel at things I never could and it touches me personally how meaningful our program is in so many lives. I also love having student-athletes volunteer at our events because I can see first-hand how their experiences change their mindset about the skills of our athletes,” Diehl said.
From Africa to the Asian Pacific, Special Olympics takes place worldwide.
“Everything [Special Olympics] does is tied to our mission of providing opportunities to those with intellectual disabilities. The mission [of Special Olympics] drives every professional decision I make. It’s helpful to have a guiding set of values to lead us and to have personal relationships with our athletes so I know exactly whom I’m serving and helping” Diehl said.
West hosts a basketball tournament for the organization, with over 10 schools across the St. Louis area participating, and over 100 students volunteering to make the day run smoothly.
“I love the interactions I’m able to have with our athletes but one of my favorite parts of the job is leading our coaches. They are such a special and selfless group of volunteers who live out our mission daily. I get to see everyone at competitions where everyone is living their best lives,” Diehl said.
A variety of activities occur over the day. Basketball games take place in the main gym as ‘Victory Village’ holds face painting. Meanwhile, the small gym hosts hockey and lacrosse shooting. Bracelets and necklaces are available for athletes to decorate. Special Education teacher Lauren Perez is the coordinator for Special Olympics at West.
“As a special education teacher, Special Olympics is an awesome opportunity to allow kids that wouldn’t otherwise be able to access athletics and to have a chance to be a winner and a champion. To show their friends that they can do it,” Perez said.
Taking over the coordinator role in 2018, Perez says it’s about providing an opportunity for kids that wouldn’t have it in other aspects. Students and athletes spend the day together, for lunch students and athletes are provided with lunch through Raising Cane’s.
“My favorite part is watching West High kids love helping other kids who are athletes and need buddies. Watching kids be fulfilled and just kind of have that moment of ‘this is why we do this’ it just gives me warm fuzzies,” Perez said.“It’s such a cool thing that kids will get a lot of fulfillment out of a new experience, having that service opportunity to help other people and have a day that’s not about them. Many teenagers don’t have those opportunities to help other people and realize how truly rewarding that can be.”
Athlete and senior Elizabeth Doyon has participated in multiple Special Olympics over 3 years.
“I’m looking forward to coming out and hanging out with my friends. I’m also looking forward to meeting new people. [If I had to say one word about Special Olympics I would say] amazing but also, scary. You can see what you’re good at, but it can challenge you in certain ways and get you out of your comfort zone,” Doyon said.
![Principal John McCabe announces that Jeffrey Chazen has won Teacher of the Year. Chazen was discussing freedom of speech with his AP Government class when the door opened and administrators rushed in. “[I was] extremely happy and humbled, but mostly shock[ed]. I've been here longer than any other teacher, so I know most of the people on the list of Teachers of the Year, and they are amazing teachers themselves,” Chazen said. “It's just nice to be on the list with them, including [social studies teacher Kristen] Collins, who is the only other social studies teacher who has won Teacher of the Year. It was nice to bring something back to the social studies department.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0021-1-2-1200x801.jpg)
![Kicking off dress rehearsal, Mr. Longhorn contestant and senior Carson Hughes goes over the group routine alongside other competitors. With just two days of practice, all participants learned the entirety of their introductory dance, chose an occupation to embody and crafted skits for the show. “The best part of this [whole thing] was learning the dance and just practicing with the guys. We [have to] try not to laugh the whole time, but we're having a lot of fun,” Hughes said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_5112-1-e1732164157549-1200x812.jpg)
![Blending together a concoction for a science experiment, science teacher Joel Anderson scares his students by bringing excitement and thrill into his classroom for his annual Halloween show. It took about six weeks for Anderson to set up his classroom for the show. “It’s pure terror. I came up with this idea a couple decades ago to do something fun for Halloween. So I pretend to be this mad scientist [that creates] a Frankenstein-like creature [with the class], learning a little bit of science along the way and [then ending] with a laser show. It’s just for fun; entertainment value,” Anderson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0021.JPG_-1200x800.jpg)
![Voter registration is open for November’s presidential election through Oct. 9. On Oct. 2, students at West High were able to receive assistance with online registration in the library. “When I went into the library to [register to] vote, [librarian] Lauren Reusch made completing my registration very easy and clear. It’s important to learn about voting and it’s important that schools help with voter registration, because it can be confusing for first-time voters,” senior Gianna Lionelli said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-03-at-1.53.06 PM-1200x795.png)
![Moviegoers smile for a picture after watching the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots.” The event ran from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 and was open to students across the Parkway School District. “I decided to come to the movie night because I wanted to introduce my non-Indian friends to the rich culture and entertainment of Bollywood. One of my favorite parts [of the night] was the combination of [the] amazing food and the pure comedic entertainment. [It] was unmatched,” sophomore Aryan Allu said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_5479-e1710180016483-1200x900.jpg)
![Senior Kylie Secrest volunteers at the blood drive signup table.The table provided students aged 16 and up with information about the drive and assisted them in the signup process. “We decorated the stand in the lunchroom with heart related or red decorations from either Dollar Tree or Five Below,” Secrest said. “This year was my first year doing [the blood drive] and it was fun. I got to be able to meet new people and help out the community.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image2-1200x800.jpg)
![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. [The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jess] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![Striking a pose following their group dance, the 2024 Mr. Longhorn contestants welcome their audience to the show. Throughout the night, the nine competitors participated in an occupational section, skits for the talent portion and a fashion attire show before finalists were interviewed. “It's a fun time getting to hang out with my friends and doing [our] acts. I think I'm most excited for my performance with [seniors Bart Connors, Gavin Hamlin and Colin Hughes]. I like that I get to dance a little bit. I don't think I'm very good, but I'm gonna try my best to put on a show,” contestant and senior Henry Wild said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC_9759-1200x798.jpg)
![Standing with girls cross country team mascot Pump the pumpkin, senior Sydney Etchason laughs with her teammates. Before the team’s senior night, Etchason undertook an odyssey to recover the pumpkin, which had been stolen by boys cross country. “We went through practice, and then a little birdie told me that it was in [senior] Emmett [Vernon's] car. I [offered Vernon] $50 to give us our pumpkin back, and we got Pump back,” Etchason said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0002-1-1200x800.jpg)
