Down Syndrome
in the Liverpool Area
Local Achievements.
On this page we proudly display local achievements.
I am sure you will excuse a father's pride in that the first example
is from my son, Chris, who gained his first "Pupil of the week" award at
his mainstream Junior School just as this page was being started!
This will, I am sure, be followed by others as word gets around
and we start to get more contributions.
We feel that by showing what our children can achieve (it may be a
small achievement like reaching a milestone or a huge achievement like
winning a sporting medal or passing an exam, it doesn't matter), it will
help other people's understanding of just what is possible and the pride
that our children give us.
We find that people are very reticent at "blowing their own trumpet"
(there's a pun there, see below!) and don't really like to say too much
about their child.
That is a shame because so many of our children continue to surprise
us on a daily basis (shame on us for ever doubting). Of course, that means
that we take it in our stride, perhaps not realising that parents of younger
children with Down Syndrome are still at the "will he/she ever walk/talk/feed
etc" stage.
They are just kids who, although they happen to have Down Syndrome,
are living in the real world and, perhaps most importantly, having fun.
Christopher Hill
~
~
Christopher's first swimming certificate (5m) which he gained on 8th
April 2000 (aged 9) at Thingwall Hall baths together with his 10m Certificate
which he gained on 10th February 2001. On the 3rd March 2002 he gained
his 25m certificate and has now achieved his 50m together with Water Skills
1 and 2.
Christopher was born on 21/02/91 and attends his local mainstream secondary
school where he works hard with support and delighted us with several "pupil
of the week" and other awards which have been earned on merit in competition
with his peers while at junior school is now gaining merit awards at his
secondary school as well. He is well integrated and popular in his school.
He has learned to swim and has gained his 5, 10, 25 and 50 metres certificates
which is 4 more than his dad! He has also gained his Water Skills 1 &
2 Certificates. He is also learning to play the horn!!! The Schools Music
Service teach him one period a week at school.
Chris has his own web-page, please
to visit.
Chris is now a little older than the pictures above. Here's a recent
photo (2004)
(Chris is on the left)
. .
Shauna Hogan
Our seven
year old daughter Shauna attends Bluebell Dance Studios and in July last
year she passed her primary ballet exam. Ballet is a very strict discipline
and she had to work very hard to achieve this. In January of this year
she did her first performance at the Liverpool School of Performing Arts.Our
family came from Scotland to see her and there was not a dry eye in the
house. In recognition of the enormous effort Shauna had made she was presented
with a trophy which is proudly on display at home. She is now working towards
Grade One which hopefully she will achieve next year. However we think
one of Shauna's biggest achievements is that she has learned to skip! She
will spend hours with a rope jumping in time beautifully and is the envy
of some of her classmates who haven't yet mastered the skill.
Margaret & John Hogan
Well done Shauna. Shauna attended the same junior mainstream
school as Christopher.
Now for further news from Shauna's Mum.
"Sometime ago I told you about Shauna's achievements in ballet,
well now she has just passed her Grade 2 exam with a wonderful report from
the Royal Academy of Dance.She danced again at the Liverpool Institute
of Performing Arts on th 8th & 9th July with confidence.
Shauna decided to join her mum, and started Irish dancing at The George
Ferguson School of Irish dance in September last year. Irish dance is complicated
as you have to learn each step then the sequence in which they should be
danced. We are very proud to say that Shauna danced in open competition
with children her own age on Sunday 15th July and won 4 medals.
She was 3rd in the reel, 4th in the light jig, 6th in the trophy and
9th in the most promising dancer. None of the other children had special
needs and some had been dancing for considerably longer than Shauna had.
Her dancing teacher makes her work very hard, and I am sure he feels as
proud as her dad and I do. She loves to dance with me and point out all
the mistakes I make, mum only managed one medal in the competition so I
have a long way to go to match Shauna's achievements. "
Margaret Hogan
Further news.......
Our (now) 9 year old daughter Shauna attends mainstream Junior School
and over the last couple of years has been pupil of the week two or three
times, she has also had various awards for working hard, but at her school
not only academic achievement is celebrated, but also the contribution
the children make to the community, school and each other. We were delighted
to discover that Shauna had been presented with a bronze award for "being
a pleasure to have in class." Now this may not seem a big deal, but when
you think of the struggle some of us had to have our children included,
we think it speaks volumes. We are delighted with Shauna's progress and
this award is something her two brothers never managed to achieve! Margaret
& John Hogan
There's no stopping her!
Shauna continues with her dancing. Here's the latest update from her
mum and dad:-
Some time ago we told you about our daughter Shauna’s achievement
in dance.
Well Shauna is eleven now, she is now in Grade 4 ballet, has recently
passed her disco stage 2 with honours and her Grade 3 Irish with Merit.
Quite an achievement by
anyone’s standards, but not content with all of this Shauna has been
selected by her Irish Dance School to perform in a dance/drama at the World
Championships in Belfast this Easter!
To
say we are immensely proud is an understatement; Shauna loves her dance
classes and works very hard. George her Irish Dance teacher recently presented
her with flowers after a performance saying she was an inspiration to all
the dancers as she always gives 110%.
If anyone is interested in classes we would be more than happy to pass
on information.
We feel that dance has opened up so many opportunities for Shauna.
It has helped her concentration and co-ordination as well as opening up
a social life which has encompassed the whole family.
Mum still dances and Shauna is quick to point out her mistakes and also
the fact that no one has asked her to dance at the World Championships.
We will keep you posted and let you know how she does.
Margaret & John Hogan
Benjamin Small
Those of you who read our newsletter for February 2002 will be familiar
with Ben's sporting achievements.
Here is an article about Ben, appearing in the Spartac Gymnastic Club's
fundraising leaflet and reproduced with their permission. Spartac Gymnastic
Club is based at Edge Hill University College, Ormskirk, Lancashire.
::::
Ben represented his Country as part of the British National Team at
the XII World Gymnaestrada in Lisbon, Portugal in July 2003 although we
have not been informed of the results.
There are also other children/young adults coping with Down's Syndrome
within the team.
If you would like to know more about Spartac Gymnastic Club,
please contact Dave Rozzell - Head Coach, on 01772 816 545 (fax: 01772
811 084) or at daverozzell@talk21.com. (Spartac stands for Special
People Are Ready
To
AChieve)
We congratulate Ben on his achievements and wish him every success
for the future.
In the U.S.A. ........
For those who would like to see what's going on on the other side of
the Atlantic, try this site that belongs to a 19-year old young man with
Down's Syndrome. There is also a good article on dentistry and DS written
by his Mum who is a dentist. Click here
to visit.
Please help us make this page a success. If anyone on our mailing list
would like to submit a short description (with a photo if possible) of
their achievements, please send it to our main mailing address PO Box.
(see Home Page). Please remember to enclose a s.a.e. if you want the photo
returned.