Students, staff and community members take the Plunge at Cook County Schools

Cook County Schools became a "Cool School" on Wednesday, October 20 as the mobile Special Olympics Plungester pulled up outside the school. Brave students, staff and community members climbed the steps and took the plunge to show their support for Special Olympics--as well as one another. 

The event was organized by School District 166 Physical Education Teacher Kasha Hanson and Special Education Teacher Melissa Oberg as a fun way to bring the school and community together--while raising some funds for Special Olympics and the Unified Club. The Unified Club is an inclusive school program, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education, which aims to foster inclusive relationships between students with and without disabilities. 

The purpose of the club is to offer engaging and fun activities, create inclusion campaigns, promote physical health and bring people together to create and maintain relationships and self-esteem.  That was certainly the case on October 13 as a large crowd of students and their families gathered in the chilly fall weather to cheer for one another as they dived into a huge tank of water.

Anyone who would like more information about this "Cool School" event can visit the school's Polar Plunge page here. 

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence was there to watch the fun and provide this report.