Katie’s Bio

Katie just celebrated her 5th year as a Noorthoek Academy student. Her favorite thing about coming to class is spending time with her friends. Katie enjoys doing crafts, word searches, and coloring. She has 2 dogs named Jet and Jesse. Katie is an avid sports fan and loves to support Michigan State University, the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, and the West Michigan Whitecaps. She is proud to be an athlete for Special Olympics and participates in golf, track and field, swimming, hockey, and basketball. She works part-time at a local grocery store. Katie says that what makes her unique is her Down Syndrome.

Katie’s Poetry

Volcano View

At the volcano,
bubbly, soupy lava.
Red and yellow fire
bursts high into the air.
I feel the heat on my skin.
Hot but not burning.
My feet feel cool
on the smooth rocks.

Whisper of Waves

The shoreless ocean,
silently listening with a smile
to my songs.
The waves sing their own melody,
free from all the bondage of words.
The ocean has its silent caves,
quiet and alone.
The waves whisper to me
calling me to the soft sand.
The water sweeps over my feet.

Summer

I go to my cottage to stay overnight,
Swim in the lake and play
ladderball, cards and dominoes.
I have my coloring book and word search.
Evenings by the firepit making s’mores,
talking to Grandma Donna and Grandma Barb.
We bring friends and family to our cottage,
in the summer.

Super Katie

My ability to remember names
helps my Mom and Dad.
My sense of humor and
positive mind-set
encourages those around me.
My nature is to be very friendly
to everyone I meet.
My determination makes me
one tough cookie!

A Little Bit

I’m a little bit like my mom
and a little bit like my dad.
Sometimes we like the same things.
Sometimes we don’t.
My dogs also like many
of the things that I like.
They are my brother and sister,
without the same DNA.