HI!

My name is Jamie and I am in the seventh grade at Smith Elementary School. This page is all about me and what I like to do, which is why it is called Jamie's Cool Stuff!

I like to go to the movies. I can't wait until the new Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies to come out this fall. I love when they make movies out of books. I've read all four of the Harry Potter books (When will #5 be out, anyways?). They are so cool. It was so neat to finally watch a Quidditch match! When I read a book, I get all these ideas. I imagine how the characters look, how the locations look, and everything else. Watching a movie is seeing your ideas come to life. Although sometimes things in the movie are different than what I think they should be. I think they should hire me to help them make the next movie.

I have two little sisters, who annoy me more than anything on earth. Their favorite things to do are break my stuff and get me into trouble. Tormenting me is a game for them.

My dad and I are the only men in the house so we like to hang out together. My dad is really cool. He is journalist and travel alot though. My dad says that if I do my chores all summer, he'll take me rafting on my birthday! Just the two of us! I went once before with my Boy Scout Troup. My dad and I also like to go rock climbing together when he is home for the week end.

When I am not playing sports or with my troop, I am a peer mentor. This means that I help the kids in the Special Ed room with stuff like their homework, reading assignments, and anything else the teacher asks you to help with. Not all the kids in the Special Ed room have trouble learning. Some just have trouble walking or can't hear. Some just don't learn as fast as other kids.

I didn't volunteer to be a mentor. This started out as a punishment. My mom is very creative. She heard me and some of my friends making fun of Andy, this kid who lives next door who has Autism. He doesn't talk much, and sometimes he does weird things, like rock back and forth. We didn't mean to upset the kid. We really didn't think that he would even understand what we were saying. We weren't very nice. He started to cry and his mom came out. All my friends took off and I couldn't run home because, well, I was already home. Besides, I was caught. I didn't see much point in running. His mom talked to my mom, as moms always do. Mom decided that, since I knew so little about kids who are different, that I should get to know them better and "learn to appreciate those who are different."

I really hate it when my parents are right!

Now I work with my neighbor who has Autism. Having Autism means that you don't act the same way everybody else does. Andy doesn't talk much. Mostly, he likes to be by himself. He knows what you are saying to him, but he doesn't always act like he is paying attention to you. If you ask him a question, he won't always answer you, or even look at you. Sometimes, he'll just repeat the question. Sometimes he will play, but he says and does wierd things.

He also works with a special teacher, called a Speech Therapist. Our teacher told us that he gets therapy for his Autism. She says that they work on how to ask a question, ask to play a game, and every day things like that.

When I grow up I want to be a teacher and work with kids who need special help. It's fun once you get use to the kids. You don't have to be a teacher to help kids though. Andy's mom publishes a newsletter to help educate people in the community about Autism.

Proceed to a Newsletter prepared by Andy's mom.

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