Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 7, 1993 TAG: 9305070192
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
This time, they had one more classmate posing with them - a real short guy, named Oscar.
Gerardine Wurzburg, producer of the short film "Educating Peter," brought the award with her from Washington for the first official screening of the documentary that shows Peter Gwazdauskas' first year in a regular classroom.
Peter, who has Down syndrome, had been in special classes until last school year.
As more than 100 guests streamed into the banquet hall for dinner, Peter stood at the door, holding out his hand.
"Nice to meet you," he said, with a little prompting from his sister, Jennifer. "Nice to see you."
His smile was his acceptance speech.
The half-hour film shows Peter from his first day of third grade to his last, from pushing his classmates and making loud noises to hugging them.
"He'd come up to us and hug us and kiss us - even the boys," said Stephanie Rakes, who has a major co-starring role in the film.
Stephanie and her friend, Lindsay Wachnowsky, were a little nervous about seeing the film for the first time. And they worried what this room full of people - friends and strangers - would think.
They needn't have worried.
There was laughter when Peter walked into the camera lens, laughter again when he stuck out his tongue or used his favorite retort to a teacher or classmate: "No way."
And there were tears and crumpled tissues as Peter ran a 100-yard dash, his classmates chanting his name over and over: Pe- ter, Pe- ter, Pe- ter."
The Academy awards were aired after bedtime (9 p.m. for Stephanie) for most of these Gilbert Linkous Elementary School students.
So Wurzburg wore the same dress she'd worn when she accepted the award. She had co-produced the film with Thomas Goodwin, who died after it was shot.
She carried with her the Oscar, covered in a towel.
There were no limousines at this screening, although most of the stars did sit in the back seat, driven by their parental chauffeurs.
But there were speeches. From representatives of HBO, which will be airing the film this month. From Wurzburg, who said "all children have a right to learn."
From Principal Ray Van Dyke, who said that the film shows how children can teach each other.
And from school Superintendent Harold Dodge, who said that the film "has sharpened all of our awareness, and has sharpened all of our sensitivity.
"Peter is just one example," Dodge said. "All across this county there are lots and lots of children just like Peter."
He glanced down at the little boy with the gray-striped tie and carefully parted hair.
"Peter, we thank you."
by CNB