Written By Kathryn Burke, Staff Writer
Friday, March 6th 2026, The Spring Fling was held at the Riverside Mariotte Hotel, celebrating the opportunity for all of those across the district with special needs to rekindle, including alumni!
This night was one to remember, full of love, cheer, and friendship. The theme was the 1920’s, with gentlemen wearing newsboys and fedoras, ladies wearing flapper dresses, and everyone smiling. There were picture booths with props, a back room with coloring pages, and tables full of delicious food.
Throughout the night, members of Poly Bear Pals offered their help to whatever was needed and were able to interact with their friends on the dance floor. The majority of the members of Bear Pals there expressed their favorite part of the night as being able to “see all the poly alumni special needs kids from other schools”, and having the opportunity to “reconnect with old friends.” Mrs. Williams, teacher of special day classes (SDC), shared that she gets most excited when “families come together and support”, creating a loving and accepting environment.
The dance allowed for greater connection as students sang their favorite songs, showing off their best dance moves. Eventually, students formed together to make a conga line, really demonstrating the love between them all. This gave Bear Pals the opportunity to “communicate and connect to each other”, being “unified”, Olivia McPherson and Maya Moran, students on the board for the club at Poly emphasized. Ryan Horn, another member of the club, shared that even special needs kids from other schools were invited, acting as a chance to celebrate and “meet new people.” While the event is fun, it also gave special needs teens the chance to meet with one another, providing an environment where everyone can find their place, be included, and celebrate relationships formed.
There was a tremendous amount of planning needed for this event, including monthly to weekly meetings in advance. The coordination consisted of sending out invitations, permission slips, searching for volunteers and vendors, along with making and handing out goodie bags for the night. Isabella from Isabella’s cupcakes has a special needs son, and was quick to donate many baked goods for this welcoming event, going as far as to set up a booth completely free of charge. Not only was the donation much appreciated, but the treats she made were delectable.
Unfortunately there aren’t many other events like this besides Bear Bowl, an annual event hosted at Poly, but that just makes the Spring Fling more special and appreciated. Students wait all year long for this event, excited to be reunited with old peers.
The night wrapped up with countless hugs and promises of meeting again before the next event, leaving a bitter sweet goodbye.