Cranleigh Preparatory School
Bringing ‘Wonder’ to Life
“Moving” and “inspirational” were words used by Form 5 following their virtual visit from Sam Drazin, whose aim was to bring Wonder to life.
Through this half of term, Form 5 has studied the powerful novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This story is about the fictional young character August who has facial differences because he was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome.
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BacktoBU
Sam Drazin shares experience with Treacher Collin’s Syndrome as part of the Patient Seminar Series
When Sam Drazin was five years old, he underwent five outer-ear reconstruction surgeries—but according to him, one of the most memorable parts of the experience of the procedure was not the surgery itself, but what happened afterwards. The surgeon wrapped Drazin’s stuffed bear’s ear to match Drazin’s bandage—an act that Drazin remembers to this day.
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Sentinel & Enterprise
Today’s lesson? Different is OK
LEOMINSTER — Fourth-grader Richie Barnaby pressed one end of Sam Drazin’s hearing aid to his forehead Tuesday morning.
“Good morning Richie,” said two Johnny Appleseed Elementary School fourth-grade classes in unison.
Afterward Drazin asked what he noticed.
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The Sun
Telling his story to inspire Chelmsford students to be agents of change and kindness
CHELMSFORD — South Row Elementary School third- and fourth-graders giddily sat cross-legged on the floor waiting for a presentation Friday morning. They had read R.J. Palacio’s book “Wonder,” which tells the story of a boy with facial difference.
Auggie Pullman’s character was ostracized and at times felt invisible because of his differences. The story students read as they flipped through the pages of “Wonder” came to life Friday as Sam Drazin told his personal story which, at times, was similar to Auggie’s.
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BCSN
Bringing Wonder to Life
Coshocton Tribune
Sam Drazin speaks on Treacher Collins Syndrome
Sam Drazin spoke Thursday morning to students of Coshocton Junior High School on Treacher Collins Syndrome, a disorder he was born with similar to the character of Auggie in the book and movie “Wonder.”
The Gardner News
Seacoast Online
Educator changing the face of disability
YORK – Sam Drazin was not so much bullied as ignored in middle and high school, he told a class of York Middle School eighth-graders Tuesday morning. Born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition that affects development of facial bones, he had undergone seven reconstructive surgeries by the time he was 18 – five at the age of 5 alone.
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Washington Post
Bringing ‘Wonder’s’ lessons of empathy and inclusion to life for students
It isn’t often that my son jumps in the car after school full of excitement over a class assembly, but that’s what happened last spring, when Sam Drazin visited to talk about empathy and what it means to be different. Drazin was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, the same rare congenital disorder that the character Auggie Pullman has in R.J. Palacio’s best-selling book “Wonder.”
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News Herald
Ridge Middle School in Mentor kicks off ‘One Grade One Book’
When Sam Drazin was 5, he had what was to be the first of seven reconstructive surgeries — five on his outer ears, and later one each on his jaw and nose.
“I know what it’s like to be judged,” he told a half gymnasium full of seventh and eighth graders at Ridge Middle School in Mentor. “We all have and face challenges every day. Some are visible, some are invisible. But experiences, good or bad, make us who we are. We are all born to stand out.”
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The News-Herald
Ridge Middle School in Mentor kicks off ‘One Grade One Book’
When Sam Drazin was 5, he had what was to be the first of seven reconstructive surgeries — five on his outer ears, and later one each on his jaw and nose.
“I know what it’s like to be judged,” he told a half gymnasium full of seventh and eighth graders at Ridge Middle School in Mentor. “We all have and face challenges every day. Some are visible, some are invisible. But experiences, good or bad, make us who we are. We are all born to stand out.”
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The Middletown Press
Portland grade-schoolers learn about Changing Perspectives of those with disabilities
PORTLAND — Sam Drazin is on a mission to teach students young and old, one classroom at a time, about a rare congenital condition that affects the way the face develops.
Treacher Collins syndrome is a is a genetic condition that affects the cheekbones, jaws, ears and eyelids, and often cause problems with breathing, swallowing, chewing, hearing and speech.
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Vermont Public Radio (VPR)
Vermont Reads, ‘Wonder’: We All Overcometh The World
This week we’ve been exploring themes from the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The novel is this year’s pick for the Vermont Humanities Council’s state-wide reading program, Vermont Reads.
In the book, the protagonist August Pullman is facing the daunting prospect of starting fifth grade after being homeschooled. But his challenges are amplified, because he looks very different from everyone else.
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