Student with Down syndrome celebrated at Eastern Townships school

The spotlight was on a gleeful Laura Bolduc-Sanderson on Wednesday morning, as she stood in front of her school and led them in dancing to Pharrell Williams' Happy at a school assembly.

Bolduc-Sanderson has Down syndrome, and her school organized an assembly to celebrate her and learn more about the genetic disorder. 

Nicole Grégoire, the principal of North Hatley Elementary School, came up with the idea to hold the assembly after Bolduc-Sanderson's portrait was featured in a book released by the Down syndrome Association of Quebec.

The book is called Visages de lumière, or Faces of Light, and features portraits of 21 Quebecers with Down syndrome.

The school is tight-knit, with a total enrolment of 67 students. Grégoire was planning on holding an event to celebrate the book launch.

But after surveying her classes, although everyone knew Bolduc-Sanderson, she found some students didn't know about Down syndrome. Grégoire decided to expand the scope of the assembly to teach students about the genetic disorder.

Touched by the idea, the association sent dozens of copies for Bolduc-Sanderson to sign and give away to her classmates.

'I love her for who she is'

Her parents, Suzelle Bolduc and Mark Sanderson, answered questions asked by students about both their daughter and Down syndrome. They were wide-ranging.

Students wanted to know, for example, whether Bolduc-Sanderson played with her dog after school but they also wondered when her parents knew she had Down syndrome.

She is one of only two students with disabilities at North Hatley Elementary School, and the only one with a visible disability, according to Grégoire.

Her best friend and fellow Grade 4 student, Emma Andrews, became friends with Bolduc-Sanderson after playing together at recess.

"She's really cute and she has a big heart," Andrews said. "She's really, really, really sweet."

She said students know Bolduc-Sanderson has differences and requires help in some classes but that makes no difference to her.

"I love her for who she is and that's all that really matters. Laura is a nice person," said Andrews.

The school's principal said she's integrated exceptionally well into the school community.

"The other students see her and think, yes, she's a bit different, but that's okay," Grégoire said.

A relief for parents

Bolduc-Sanderson's dad choked up when considering how students have embraced his daughter.

"Seeing that she had all these friends — I knew that she had all these friends, but watching it — it's hard," Sanderson said.  

"I remember when I went to school, kids picked on kids. The littlest thing that was different — kids get picked on. How kids were going to react? I didn't know. But I found out to my pleasure that they love her."