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MAY 7, 2025—Students across Palmyra-Macedon Primary and Intermediate Schools participated in a series of activities throughout April in recognition of Autism Acceptance Month.

The goal was to promote inclusion, understanding, and peer connection.

At the Intermediate School, 15 classrooms contributed to a hallway “acceptance tree,” a collaborative art project symbolizing growth in empathy and awareness. Each classroom received a neurodiversity infinity symbol from students in the district’s Opportunities With Language (OWL) program. OWL teacher Sam Gagliano ('14) said her students colored the symbols before adding them to the tree.

Other classrooms reflected on the question, “How will we grow acceptance?” Students wrote personal responses that were also added to the hallway display. 

Meanwhile, in Emma Sens’ classroom at the Primary School, students explored ways to communicate with a peer who expresses themselves differently. The lesson emphasized empathy and practical strategies for inclusive communication. Later, OWL program students joined the class for playtime on the primary playground!

The effort mirrored a similar project Sens and Gagliano teamed up for last year.

While April is nationally recognized as Autism Acceptance Month, Gagliano says encouraging understanding among students is a part of everyday learning.