Page 14 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2021

COAST NOTE
story by Victoria Snyder
photo courtesy of Disability Connection
For almost twenty years, Todd Ornstein has worked with the McDonald’s Descher Organization in Gulfport and
has now been recognized by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health for all of his hard work. Ornstein works the lunch rush, which is 10 a.m.-2 p.m., six days a week and is responsible for cleaning the lobby, restrooms, and parking lot and stocking the drink station. Since the pandemic started and McDonald’s drive-through business has picked up, Ornstein has added running take-out orders to cars to his list of responsibilities.
At work, Ornstein is known for being a hard worker and being able to become friends with everyone he meets. He loves his job and is proud of how long he has been working at McDonald’s.
In Mississippi, Disability Connections is #CelebratingMississippians with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and encourages the community to recognize their unique strengths and contributions to the Coast. #DDAwareness2021
Disability Connection
www.disabilityconnection.org • Facebook @disabilityconnection 228.604.4020
14 | July 2021
story and photos courtesy of Coast Episcopal School
Coast Episcopal School (CES) marked its 70th anniversary in 2020, but the independent school in Long Beach is looking towards the future. The school recently opened a new Maker- space where students participate in hands-on activities, from 3D printing to soldering, that expand critical thinking and creativity.
The Makerspace program also helps to deepen students’ understanding of academic subjects. For example, Coast kindergarteners used the Makerspace’s green screen to create videos “in” the Oval Office, in which they read speeches they had written about what they would do if they became presi- dent. First graders used robotics during their unit on space to help better understand eclipses. Sixth grade students created interactive cells using the knowledge they learned in science class combined with the skills developed in Makerspace.
“We are proud to carry on Coast Episcopal’s tradition
of innovation and excellence with the introduction of the Makerspace program,” said Head of School Jake Winter. “Our classroom, science, Makerspace, and arts teachers truly work together to help students learn in ways that are unique to CES. We have a strong foundation on which to build, and we’re looking forward to finding even more ways to continue innovating and growing for our stu
dents.”
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