A very special day for Calhoun High

The Bellmore-Merrick Challenge, organized by Calhoun High School special-education teacher Katie Lessig and physical-education teacher Heather Riddiough, recently offered more than 200 special-education students from eight high schools the chance to compete in good-natured camp games and track and field events.

Some 100 Calhoun student volunteers, many of them members of the school’s Athletes Helping Athletes club, helped to run the daylong event. “The teachers get to sit back and watch the students’ involvement with one another,” said Riddiough.

Saul Lerner, the Central High School District athletic director, was on hand for the Challenge. He said of the event, “This is one my favorite days of the year. It just makes people happy, and that’s sound education.”

Taking part in this year’s Challenge were students from the host school Calhoun, as well as Amityville, Bethpage, East Rockaway, Garden City, Herricks, Massapequa and Oceanside high schools, according Emily Paluseo, chairwoman of Calhoun’s special-education department.

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s special-education program is based at Calhoun.

Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.