Schwartz School students shine at ‘Starry Night’ prom
Schwartz School student Cherubin Mbenza gifted flowers to Teacher Assistant Caterina Freitas at the school’s starry night prom on Thursday, May 16. Photos by Sawyer Smook-Pollitt
Heidi Rodrigues, left and Connor Roderick walked down the red carpet towards the festivities. 
Brayden Aguiar shows off his prom fit on the red carpet. 
Joe Sousa, left, and Anthony Torres make their way down the red carpet. 
Gracie Hall, front, and Lois Abiramia make their way to prom.
Izzy Mello poses for pictures in front of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” 
Gracie Hall, front, with four Friends Academy Students, who joined Schwartz school prom goers for the special night. 
Jaidan Joia is all smiles at his prom.
Michelle Godfrey, left, and Connor Roderick stand underneath the stars at this starry prom.
Ciara Vazquez and Brittany Coleman make sand art with student Connor Roderick.
Even the cupcakes were on theme at this prom.
Schwartz School student Cherubin Mbenza gifted flowers to Teacher Assistant Caterina Freitas at the school’s starry night prom on Thursday, May 16. Photos by Sawyer Smook-Pollitt
Heidi Rodrigues, left and Connor Roderick walked down the red carpet towards the festivities.
Brayden Aguiar shows off his prom fit on the red carpet.
Joe Sousa, left, and Anthony Torres make their way down the red carpet.
Gracie Hall, front, and Lois Abiramia make their way to prom.
Izzy Mello poses for pictures in front of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”
Gracie Hall, front, with four Friends Academy Students, who joined Schwartz school prom goers for the special night.
Jaidan Joia is all smiles at his prom.
Michelle Godfrey, left, and Connor Roderick stand underneath the stars at this starry prom.
Ciara Vazquez and Brittany Coleman make sand art with student Connor Roderick.
Even the cupcakes were on theme at this prom.
It was a rainy day on the afternoon of Thursday, May 16 but inside the Schwartz School it was a “Starry Night” as students donned tuxedos and dresses and went down a red carpet to enter their end-of-year prom.
The Schwartz School is a year-round school located in Dartmouth dedicated to students aged three to 22 with “multiple disabilities and complex medical needs,” according to its website.
The Schwartz School is a part of Meeting Street, a Rhode Island-based group of schools for students with special needs.
Prom attendees were of high school age or older, Head of School Michelle Godfrey said.
The event is something that students look forward to every year, said Godfrey, who explained that students were a part of the prom’s planning process.
Students helped determine the theme of the prom, Godfrey said, adding that students’ mobility, dietary restrictions and sensory concerns were all considered in planning the event.
“We help them get ready for that big prom moment,” she said.
According to Schwartz School Teaching Assistant Beatrice Yulfo, she has been at the Schwartz School for seven years, and the school has hosted a prom for its students every year she has been there.
“We make this special for them,” Schwartz School Teaching Assistant Beatrice Yulfo said. “Every year we do this for them, and make it the best for them.”
Students from Friends Academy also joined Schwartz School prom goers on the dance floor as a part of a partnership between the two schools.
Dartmouth resident and Friends Academy 7th grader Liam Miles said that he went to the Schwartz School for programming earlier in the year, and he went to the prom because it sounded fun and would be a cool experience.
Staff wore t-shirts with the words “Schwartz students are the stars,” printed on the back.
“The kids just have a great time,” Stephen Heywood, marketing manager at the Schwartz School, said. “It’s a fun time to get dressed up and be at school when you’re not learning.”
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