Tracy High’s Special Education class debuted an original float for the annual homecoming parade on Oct. 16. Inspired by the goal to beat Lodi High, whose mascot is the Flame, the float showcased Brutus the Bulldog dressed as a firefighter dousing a fire.

The idea for the float came entirely from various ideas bounced around by the students.

“The first week of school we started brainstorming ideas. They came up with different ideas about firefighters, like a fire engine with Brutus as the driver,” Special Education teacher Sarah Silvinson said. “We also talked about using the float from last year and incorporating Lodi High into it somehow.”

This year the students however, wanted to make something new, and they also wanted their float to have some sort of moving parts. They all voted and decided to have the flames that Brutus would be putting out move, using a fan. All of the aspects of the float were thought up by the students, with Silvinson guiding them and making suggestions that would allow their ideas to come to life with the resources that were available.

“I’ve worked a lot with them, promoting having these ideas, having confidence in them, and being creative thinkers,” Silvinson said. “They have some really great ideas.”

For Silvinson, the most important part of the process was the students being able to see something difficult and be successful in accomplishing the task. Most of all she wanted the students to create something for everyone to see in the parade and really know that their hard work is what made people look at it in awe.

“I thought the float was one of the best ones. The bulldog actually looked like a bulldog and it was so neat,” junior Julissa Varjas said.

The entire float was made by the students out of wood, paint, and other supplies, with assistance from Silvinson as well as Brutus the Bulldog; the mascot came into class to pose for them so they could decide which pose they wanted their fireman in.

“I liked painting Brutus the best,” senior Erin said, who worked on a lot of the painting.

Senior Marcos was in charge of the lumber work, as he had previously worked with building before.

“I had fun helping and building. It’s nice to know those skills,” he said.

The project emphasized each student’s capability and desire to succeed in order to make something great.

In order to gain that confidence in life, as well as a project such as this, Silvinson continually encourages and helps the students to understand and embrace who they are.

“It’s hard to empower someone at the same time as not acknowledging their struggle,” she said. “That’s part of why we are so visible. The sign on the front of my truck that said ‘Special Ed Students’ during the parade is what simply says, ‘This is what we do, this is who we are’.”