In The Classroom:

Costa Mesa elementary and high school students are lending a couple of dozen helping hands to athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In the special education pod at Estancia High School, the desks have been pulled together. Laying across them is a banner displaying the five Olympic rings. Closer inspection shows that these large blue, yellow, black, green and red rings have been made by overlapping paint-covered hands, both small and large.

About 50 students, ages 7 to 21, from Estancia and Paularino Elementary School collaborated on three spirit banners that are being shipped to Vancouver and will be displayed in the team check-in area in the Olympic Village for the Olympic and Paralympics games.

The students, many of whom are Special Olympians, worked on the banners under the direction of speech and language pathologist Patti Marker-White and adaptive physical education teacher Tim Shaw.

“We are always working with them to integrate into the local community. This project gives them something relatable, as well as the opportunity to do something that reaches out in the community on a bigger scale,” Shaw said.

Shaw competed in swimming in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and in water polo in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He won a silver medal in each event.

“I used to hand out medals at Special Olympics events,” Shaw said. “I felt like it was not really enough, to be the token athlete. When this position became available, I jumped at the chance to work with them every day.”

Marker-White is lending her past to the project as well.

“Before I was a speech pathologist, I was a professional artist,” she said. “I wanted to incorporate that into this project,” she said.

Junior Matthew Neumann, 16, beamed while standing beside Marker-White and looking over the banner. He pointed to the rings. “Hands,” he pointed out. “Paints, because it’s for the Olympics.”

Marker-White learned of the project through her daughter’s friend, Katie Clifford. Clifford, apparel manager of the 2010 Winter Olympics, asked Marker-White to have the students send inspirational banners for the athletes to read as they check into the village. Clifford is happy to have the Costa Mesa students join the project.

“The Olympics inspire us to try hard and do our best. The Special Olympics and these students have the same goals,” she said.