Thursday, October 1, 2026
The students and staff at Oceanside Middle School wore blue on Monday, Oct. 21, in recognition of Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
The idea for OMS Down Syndrome Awareness Day came to life when seventh grader Olivia Hagan brought the suggestion to her math teacher, Daniel Art, who also serves as coordinator for the OMS Team 7-1.
For Olivia, 11, the cause is personal: her 8-year-old identical twin brothers, Brian and Michael, were born with Down syndrome. Also known as Trisomy 21, Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the accidental triplication of the 21st chromosome affected by the disorder.
Their daylong efforts to support people with Down syndrome did not stop at just raising awareness, however.
Not only did everyone wear blue, but the team handed out blue ribbons while collecting donations to support the Down Syndrome Advocacy, a Long Island-based nonprofit that supports school, community and workplace inclusion for all people with Down syndrome.
In addition, students and staff watched a short video, “Just Like You – Down Syndrome,” which explores the challenges and dreams of three kids living with Down syndrome, and their relations with their friends,
