Sixth grade student Nick Kintz leads a line of students around the gymnasium during the Kindness Dance at Westchester Intermediate School in Chesterton on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. The conga line got longer and longer as sixth grader Nick Kintz led his classmates in his electric wheelchair at the urging of DJ/School Resource Officer Joe Christian.
Chesterton High School students junior Samantha Van Wagner, left, and senior Emma McCoy enjoy the music during the Kindness Dance at Westchester Intermediate School in Chesterton on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Chesterton High School junior Kelly Swickard dances with other students during the Kindness Dance at Westchester Intermediate School in Chesterton on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Junior Juliana Guerrero danced with super senior Emma McCoy who didn’t stop smiling. Guerrero said she joined Best Buddies because she’s close to the sponsor teacher and wants to be a teacher herself someday. “It brings me happiness knowing that they have friends,” she said of her disabled classmates. “A lot of them don’t have friends outside of the classroom.”
“The administration is hands-on. I’ve seen it first-hand. They really go out of their way to make sure the kids get what they need.”