Jefferson’s special ed students stage patriotic musical May 14

From press release

Jefferson High School’s special education students are teaming up with drama students for a patriotic musical that has been nearly four years in the making.

The one-show-only production of A Song of Freedom is from 10 to 11 a.m., Friday, May 14, in the Jefferson High School Auditorium. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.

A Song of Freedom profiles the nation’s history and features American music standards such as “Erie Canal” and “Wabash Cannonball” as well as a George M. Cohan medley including “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Yankee Doodle Boy.”

Kathleen Matschke, a special education music teacher at Jefferson who modified the original script, said the program is the culmination of four years of skill development necessary to prepare the students to perform for an audience.

“It is quite an incredible accomplishment and has opened my eyes beyond what I thought they could do,” Matschke said. “We have never attempted something like this, and I am very proud of them.”

Jefferson’s drama students, working under teacher Sarah Venneman’s guidance, provide support to the special education students who lead the cast. “This is truly a joint effort,” Matschke said, “and this show has really helped expose the drama students to how hard special education students work.”