New Sensory Path honors Carlson teacher

WARREN — Every time Carlson Elementary students hop on the school’s new Sensory Path, the memory of longtime Van Dyke Public Schools educator Lola Mukogawa will come alive.

On Sept. 22, Carlson staff and members of the Beta Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma gathered for a ceremony to dedicate the new Sensory Path in honor of Mukogawa, who died in 2019. A plaque in her name also was displayed in the school hallway.

The indoor Sensory Path adheres to the school’s floor and exhibits a garden theme. The path was created by using research-based sensory integration therapy techniques to decrease what are described as sensory-seeking behaviors and increase cognition.

The designs include brown logs, green circles, the alphabet, numbers, yellow flowers, jumping frogs, multicolored footprints and more. The kids can jump, step and balance to reset their neurological system to allow their brain to cognitively function.

The path is designed to change the child’s body position while he or she is completing the course. The child will focus on academic visuals while moving the body in a specific order. As the student moves through the path, the body movements slow down or speed up, working toward giving the proper sensory input without overstimulating the student.

During the ceremony, third grade student Davion Davis demonstrated how to use the Sensory Path. He’s going to train other students on the proper way to use it.

“Sensory paths are becoming more common. When someone has a difficult time their senses come together,” school psychologist Terrie Mazliah said. “It was created by a special education teacher. She worked with kids with autism. She worked on it for seven years to get it right. It’s just another avenue for someone to return to the class a little more regulated.”

Several of Mukogawa’s colleagues attended the ceremony, including retired district Superintendent Kathleen Spaulding.

“Lola was a very special lady,” Spaulding said. “I’m very so grateful she’s being honored this way with this Sensory Path.”

Carlson Principal Melissa Pluszczynski worked alongside Mukogawa when she first started teaching in the district.

“She was next to me in my first year of teaching at the age of 22,” Pluszczynski said. “She helped me so much. We worked so well together. She cared about the kids. She was just a joy.”

The Beta Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma — part of Delta Kappa Gamma International, which started in 1929 — provided the funds to purchase the Sensory Path.

“Our organization raises money for kids. It is an organization for women educators,” said member Mary Wackrow, who taught speech therapy and second grade at Carlson before retiring. “It supports training for teachers, fellowship and education. Our chapter Beta Epsilon has done a lot of things especially in Van Dyke because our chapter was based here. We had a lot of Van Dyke teachers.”

As for the Sensory Path, “I think it’s fantastic,” Wackrow said.

“Thank you so much for your generosity and donation,” Mazliah told the Kappa members. “It’s nice to see the kids use (the Sensory Path.)”