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Family of Rock Creek graduate looks toward a milestone

Frederick News-Post - 4/19/2020

Apr. 19--High school seniors across the country are likely missing out on their upcoming milestones, especially senior prom and graduation.

But for Rachel Ablondi's family, the loss hits a little harder.

Ablondi's son Andrew has multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy, and attends Rock Creek School in Frederick. He's been attending since he was 5 years old, and is about to age out of the school now that he is 21.

The school always celebrates students graduating with a large ceremony that is personalized to the students, and a themed prom that they hold at the school itself.

"The graduation is student-centered and celebrates the many years of hard work and progress the student has made during their time in the school system and the dedication and support surrounding the student," Rock Creek Principal Katie Buckley wrote in an email. "It is a time to celebrate our students, and also our families."

Ablondi has three other children, one of whom is graduating from elementary school this year, and another who is graduating from junior high. But she says it's different with Andrew.

"With him, he's going to move on to a day program, and he'll have outings in the community and things like that, but he's not going to college, he won't graduate," Ablondi said. "It was a big deal that he would have that ceremony."

Buckley said that the school has every intention of putting the graduation on at a later date.

"At this time we are awaiting formal guidance for commencement ceremonies and graduation event guidelines," she wrote in the email. "We are dedicated to working together to ensure our graduating students and families will have the opportunity to celebrate the momentous occasion of being a 2020 Rock Creek School graduate."

Six seniors are graduating this year. Ablondi said that the families of the six seniors have all been fairly close since their kids were all just five or six years old.

"So our families are pretty connected, we've been there to support each other all these years, and our kids, they know each other, they've grown up together ... it's going to be a pretty special evening."

Ablondi was also planning a graduation party in June for Andrew and his friends and family. While she's unsure if the stay-at-home order will be lifted before June, she knows that with her son and his classmates being vulnerable, they will be avoiding crowds longer than most others.

"It's a big milestone for all of us that we got this far, that my son got healthy, a lot of our kids are very medically fragile, and they don't live very long, so this is a huge milestone for us, but ... that's what separates him from a typical senior, he doesn't know that the ceremony and all this is an issue."

Ablondi also wants a chance for both herself and the students to say goodbye to the faculty and staff who have gotten to know the kids over the years.

"At Rock Creek, there is a huge team working with our kids and our kids love all these people. It's sad to think they won't see these people again, ride the bus they've ridden for years," Ablondi wrote in an email.

During the quarantine, teachers have been sharing videos with the students and making sure that they have work to do at home.

"Even during these crazy times, teachers are sending home work and connecting with us to keep the community strong. Our families have also grown close and have done our best to support each other through all sorts of things," Ablondi said. "We are a community."

Follow Erika Riley on Twitter: @ej_riley.

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