Peyton Zuchora

Peyton Zuchora has warm eyes and a friendly smile. As a tall young man for an 8th grader, he uses that height to his advantage in playing his favorite sport, basketball. He’s a Chicago Bulls fan, of course. At school, Peyton loves math and works hard at it. He also enjoys making art, and his drawings adorn the classroom walls.

An only child, Peyton really values his school friends, including his best friend. You can often find the two of them hanging out on the swings or sharing a seat on the school bus. Peyton and his BFF will both head to high school together next year, providing a comforting built-in support system.

His teacher, Leah Hodgson, chimes in, telling us that Peyton is a really wonderful guy, noting, “I can always count on him to be kind.” He is quick to offer his swing and even push someone in it if they desire. If he sees another student wanting a ball he is playing with, he offers it up with a smile. We talk about the “ripple effect” of kindness and how doing a kind thing for one person often leads them to be kind to the next person, and so on.

After school, Peyton boards the school bus and greets bus driver Phil. Some days, he likes to explore outside and walk in the woods—but he is not a fan of bugs and spiders. He also enjoys cooking, an activity the class does every Friday. They recently made spaghetti, but his favorite is chocolate chip cookies, and if he had his way, they would be a meal in and of themselves.

Leah prompts Peyton to tell us about the “Coffee Cart” project he and the other students initiated. Their motivation was to raise funds for community training outings. Their goal is to have money to help pay for meals at sit-down restaurants without having to make families pay the extra cost.

Every Wednesday, teachers are greeted by Peyton and his classmates as they deliver custommade cups of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. The teachers supply their own mugs (which helps cut down on waste). Leah took photos of each mug so the students have an easy way to pair the teacher and their order, placed on an order form the week prior. It’s a good system, and they haven’t had any mix-ups yet. Students rotate between making deliveries on the first or second floor and get to know all the teachers.

Peyton seems to enjoy this activity, and we see how it helps students learn a variety of skills, including reading, writing, cooking safety, working with money, organization, and social skills. We are impressed by the thoughtful and respectful way these lessons and skills are taught. Ms. Hodgson heads the district’s Special Olympics Project Unify, promoting connections and friendship between neuro-divergent students and others. In one instance, they grew a community garden together. The Central Intermediate School, where that project took place, has been recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as a Unified Champion School.

Across the country, the number of students in special education has doubled over the past four decades, with schools responsible for providing special services to a growing segment of their student bodies. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of the 2021-22 school year, nearly 15% of all public students needed special education services. Federal law guarantees all students with disabilities the right to free, appropriate public education.

The Ottawa Elementary School District is clearly doing a lot of things right when it comes to educating neuro-divergent students. Under the leadership of Superintendent Michelle Lee, the district is committed to putting Kids First, which means all students.

For his part, Peyton has his eye on the prize. He looks forward to January when the class will start their next unit on restaurants. Using the funds raised by their hard work with the Coffee Cart, the students will sit down and enjoy some meals together.