Students hear Circle of Friends advertised on the announcements often. This week students heard about COF more than usual as members participated in an important project. Currently, the club is doing a Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, which spreads awareness that the “R” word, retard(ed), is offensive to their students as well as others. Everyone is urged to take the pledge to not say the “R” word anymore .  Students may sign the banner posted under the big clock during any lunch until November 22 and receive a Circle of friends bracelet.

Circle of Friends is a club that promotes interaction between general education and special needs students.

“It’s great for our students to be able to have general ed interaction, but it’s also great for the general ed peers to be exposed to our students,” special needs teacher Cindy Lisenby said. “They always think they are helping our students, but really our students are helping them.”

The meetings take place during all lunches on the second Thursday of every month in room 1350.

“During the meeting, we go over the agenda and discuss all the events and we also usually have a little activity for them to do that goes along with the month, such as writing what we are thankful for on paper leaves for November,” senior Circle of Friends officer Caitlin Uken said.

The Circle of Friends meetings not only inform the members of upcoming events, but students enjoy attending.

“Typically in a Circle of Friends meeting, we get to eat lunch and talk to the kids. We sometimes have crafts we do with the kids or eat yummy desserts,” freshman Brooke Lawless said.

The club has many events coming up in December.

“We are doing the Angel Tree in December,” Uken said. “Then we have a Sneaky Pete’s Christmas Party coming up and a Central Elementary party with their special ed kids coming in. We’ll give them presents, and Santa will come to visit, and we will read stories, and have a good a time.”

Circle of Friends has been making friendships between general education and special education students since 2001.

“It was actually started at Lewisville High School and the teacher that started it there came over to Flower Mound and started it here,” Lisenby said.