“The girls have helped support her and make her feel like a bigger part of something and she’s truly embraced that,” coach Julie Ligday said. Junior Madi Hayden makes this year extra special because she has down syndrome.    Hayden joined the cheerleading team this year, after having cheered when she was younger. This season, Hayden, a student with Down Syndrome, brings her...

The walls of the classroom are bare, the cabinet behind the teacher’s desk void of personal photos, art, or mementos. The walls may be empty, but the chairs are not. No more than 20 students sit in rows, facing the front, all without desks. Despite the plain appearance of the classroom and the early hour of the morning, the atmosphere is far from boring in this second hour, American Sign Language...