year-old child suffering from Down syndrome was among 24 nursery pupils who graduated from the Children's House last weekend. Faisal Herrera went to the stage with her parents beaming with pride as he received his awards for most creative, most cheerful, most talented child in his class. He was also named active in class participation The graduation rites were held at the Sunrise International School in Riyadh. Cultural Attaché Rosario G. Malicse presented the awards. “Children with Down's syndrome must not be treated differently or as if they were abnormal members of society,” said Gina Abitona, the Children's House directress. When asked if he was the most creative pupil in his class, Faisal, who has a speech disorder, quickly responded: “Yes, I am.” According to Abitona, she treated Faisal just like any normal pupils in school. However, when giving tests, she added , “I need to sit with him one-on-one especially on following instructions. Otherwise, he's on his own.” Abitona said Faisal has to have a speech therapy. Faisal's mother Elmer, who has two other children, said she did not hesitate to send Faisal to a regular school when she felt that the child was ready to go to school. “At home, we taught him bit by bit because we also wanted him to be just like his regular classmates,” she said. School officials said quality educational programs at Children's House coupled with support from family and friends enabled Faisal to develop his full potential. Abitona said there have been times when Faisal's classmates couldn't resist asking him why he's got flat face with drooping eyes. Instead of getting upset, she said, Faisal would give them a grin and start to show off his dancing prowess. This would make his classmates forget his defects. At the graduation rites, Mark Daniels L. Aquino was named most outstanding pupil and also given the loyalty award. Other awardees for academic excellence were Oshan Warnakulasuriya, Pamela Amor Valasote, Sonia Victoria Abitona, Jan Mathew Mendoza, Alyven Darell Simbulan and Angelique Visitasion. The graduation theme was “School's First Initiative Focus on Outcome.”
