For Lizzy A., the staff at the Calais School made a difference in her life, she said. “The teachers and counselors at the Calais School are so amazing and friendly,” she said. “My school years were difficult for me, but the staff at Calais along with the therapy dogs made things so much easier!

“I recommend the school whenever I can,” she said. “Mrs. Vitaletti helped me discover my creative side. I continue to not only enjoy crafts but continue to do the school’s cancer survivor bags each year.”

Since leaving Calais, Lizzy said she has matured and has organized successful Autism and Mental Health Awareness Days at the Sussex County YMCA in Hardyston and hopes to educate more people about these important topics in the future. “If I had stayed in public school, I definitely would not have come this far. I want to say “thank you to the Calais School and all the fabulous staff including the pups that work there! Congratulations on 50 years! You rock Cougars!”

The 2020/2021 School Year marks Calais’ 50th year serving students with special needs! The Calais Foundation & The Calais School thanks students, parents, staff & faculty, and friends of Calais for playing an integral role in our past, present and future. The #MyCalaisStory campaign was created as a platform to share stories and build a deeper connection among our community members. If you would like to share your story, please contact Ashley Soleau at ashley.soleau@thecalaischool.org or Allison Freeman at allison.freeman@thecalaisschool.org.

This blog post was originally published at: https://calaisfoundation.org/my-calais-story-lizzy-a/