Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 7, 1993 TAG: 9305070286
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
They were a year wiser. And they had something in the picture that wasn't there last year: an Oscar.
Gerardine Wurzburg, producer of the short film "Educating Peter," brought the award with her from Washington for the first official screening of a documentary that shows Peter Gwazdauskas' first year in a regular classroom.
Peter, who has Down syndrome, had been in special classes until last year. But when Montgomery County started a new program called "inclusion" for students who are mentally and physically disabled, Peter started spending his school days with people his own age.
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 some 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.
She and her friend, Linsay Wachnowsky, remembered the times Peter had misbehaved. And they remembered how he changed, and how they changed.
"You think that you're teaching Peter things, but really Peter's teaching you things," she said in the film.
The girls were a little nervous about seeing the documentary for the first time. And they worried what this room full of people - friends and strangers, would think.
Their fears were unwarranted.
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 hundred yard dash, his classmates chanting his name over and over: "Pe-Ter, Pe-Ter, Pe-Ter."
Parts of the film are hard for Peter's parents and teachers to watch. "But anyone who watches it all of the way through will see the success we had," Stallings said.
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 that night when she accepted the award. She had co-produced the film with Thomas Goodwin, who died after it was shot.
And 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 backseat, driven by their parental chauffeurs.
But there were speeches. From HBO representatives, who 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.
"We will continue with our program of inclusion," he said. "And we'll know that in good times and bad times, we hung in there."
And there were words from schools 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."
Memo: ***CORRECTION***