By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–A special group of Union City Schools students treated staff at Baptist Memorial Hospital to an early Easter surprise Tuesday.
Members of the Tornado RISE program delivered homemade treat bags to a large number of hospital employees as a simple “thank you” for their everyday efforts during the COVID pandemic.
Tornado RISE is made up of special education students on each of the three Union City Schools campuses.
The RISE acronym stands for Reaching Independence through Structural Environment. In the program, teachers work diligently with students to address communication skills and their abilities to function independently in society.
Tuesday’s heart-warming gesture was a culmination of an educational unit on community involvement, according to organizer and Union City Middle School special education teacher Cristina King. UC Elementary School SPED teacher Jamie Hodges and Regina Turner at UCHS also had students involved.
RISE students personally decorated the bags of treats and presented them to a large contingent of BMH employees, including administration.
Students also studied the importance of the city’s police and fire departments as part of the learning unit.
RISE regularly rewards students for progress and good behavior in each nine-weeks grading period.
