‘For them to feel special.’ Glades Middle throws party for kids with disabilities
Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students from neighboring elementary schools ended their semester with a winter party just for them.
ESE students with disabilities from several feeder schools in Miramar and Pembroke Pines came by the busload to Glades Middle School on Thursday, Dec. 18, to their own Winter Wonderland, complete with toys and Santa Claus.
The event ran for over two hours in the gymnasium, which was filled with hundreds of children and their teachers. Students were called up by school to take a look at the toy table and pick out their gift.
“They love the bounce house, they also like the train, and now we’re in line to see Santa,” said Marilyn Rodriguez from Sunset Lakes Elementary. The school brought three classes of ESE students to the event.
Other elementary schools included Dolphin Bay, Coconut Palm, Silver Shores and Sea Castle. Some Glades students attended as well.
Evita Menendez told the Miramar News she attended with her son, a Glades student, calling it a “comfort zone” for kids with disabilities.
“It’s still a school setting, but they’re able to enjoy and be careful,” she said.
The event was led by Natasha Marino, Glades Middle’s literacy coordinator and seventh grade interim assistant principal, who helped with toy drives over the past couple weeks and secured sponsors for the event.
The best part for her, she told the Miramar News, was watching the students’ faces as they walked in — the balloons and tinsel lining the walls, the tables decorated with snowflakes and the holiday music the DJ was playing all contributed to the festive atmosphere. The Glades Middle choir also performed for the crowd.
“I just love the inclusivity of it,” Marino said. “These kids have it hard enough … It’s for them to feel special and to get their gifts and to have Santa. Some of them don’t get that.”
If students wanted to take a break, they could hang out in a covered corner with bean bags, blankets and tents.
Marino credits the City of Miramar, Commissioner Maxwell Chambers and the Miramar Fire Department for helping make this party a reality.
For the first time this year, ESE students from Sea Castle Elementary were invited.
“They came down with two bus loads full of 60 kids,” Marino said.
Underscoring this holiday celebration is the recommendation from the school superintendent to close seven schools in Broward County. While Dolphin Bay Elementary and Glades Middle were not recommended for closure, Sunhine Elementary was.
“The energy is low. My job here at Glades among my other hats is keeping morale as high as possible,” Marino said. “Look at the bright side. In the end, to me, whatever is meant to be will work out.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 4:50 PM.
