PTOEC is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization offering a diverse array of year-round activities for children with mental impairments, their parents & their teachers in Belleville, Illinois & the surrounding area. PTOEC serves individuals within a 50 mile radius of Belleville, Illinois and has provided social & sporting learning experiences for exceptional children, their parents, & their teachers in the Belleville, Illinois area since 1966.
Our mission is to foster social & emotional development of mentally impaired school-aged children through school & community-based activities & services.
Click here for the PTOEC Calendar of Events.
PTOEC Sports Banquet will be Saturday, March 24th, at 6 pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Old Collinsville Road. Look for your invitation in the mail.
WE WANT TO SEE YOUR SMILING FACE AT THE BANQUET! Please send pictures of your athlete in action to Tara Wentz at gym97@hotmail.com so we can include them in this year's slide show.
SILENT AUCTION TIME! If anyone has items they would like to donate to the silent auction at this year's banquet, please bring them to Kathy Costello at swim team practice or contact Elaine Hoernis at russandelaine@charter.net.
PTOEC Athletes of the Month
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Sometimes high school can be challenging socially for students with special needs, but Emily Biondo, 18, has found her niche with the Special Olympics team from Parent-Teacher Organization for Exceptional Children (PTOEC). She will be competing in artistic gymnastics (Level 2) in Athens as part of Special Olympics Team USA in the all-around competition (balance beam, uneven bars, vault and floor exercise). She is the youngest member of the Illinois delegation.
Her local coach at PTOEC is Jennifer Hitt who believes Emily is a great asset to Team USA. "Emily has a great desire to do well and to see her teammates do well - she's a real team player," Jennifer said. The gymnastics team from PTOEC trains every Sunday morning at the World Class Gymnastics Center in Belleville, which donates the facility. Emily also competes with the PTOEC team in basketball and volleyball. Now in her senior year at Belleville East High School, Emily has been a member of the school choir for four years. The only thing she likes better than singing is being involved in sports. She had also been a member of the Renaissance Club for regular and special education students with good grades and good conduct. She's looking forward to going to the prom in May. Emily is one of seven children of Linda and Tom Biondo who range in age from 2 to19. Linda said, "A mutual friend told us about Special Olympics and the PTOEC program four years ago and it's been wonderful for Emily and the whole family." Emily is very enthusiastic about Special Olympics. "I get to meet new people and learn new things and I get to be on a team," she said. She is amazed that in Greece she will have the opportunity to meet people from more than 170 countries at the World Games. Emily will have four cheerleaders in Greece: her parents and her gymnastic coaches Jennifer Hitt and Melanie Kozak! PTOEC is now accepting nominations for the next Athlete of the Month. Please send a recent photo & a few paragraphs about your nominee. Nominations must be submitted by the last day of the month to be considered for the next month. Submissions should be sent to Mary Dorries mdrn77@aol.com |
Emily Biondo |
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