MAY 15, 2016
2:00 – 4:00
LIFECORE HEALTH GROUP
2434 S. EASON BLVD. TUPELO, MS
Please join us in the celebration of McDougal’s 44 years of service to special needs children, their families, and the communities of Northeast Mississippi! Light refreshments will be served.
The McDougal Staff and Children will surely be missed!
Daily Morning Greetings will change; the School Buses
will not stop in our parking lot to drop off the Kids. Yet our
fond memories shall remain. Best wishes to the Staff and
Children as your journey leads you on another path.
The McDougal Center and Staff have always been a very important part of my daily life here at Lifecore. There are always so many ways to come into contact with the children (and staff) on a daily basis. From when they walk the gray tiles between the cafeteria and their classrooms for breakfast and lunch to going by the different classrooms or the gym where they are having their music time (so sweet!). I will personally miss the children at Halloween when they are led through all of the administrative offices in their costumes for ‘Trick-or-Treat’, and Christmas when kids from other schools come and sing Christmas songs to the McDougal kids, and then Santa Claus gives all of them a gift. The excitement and joy that these children have provided over the many years to the staff here at Lifecore (Region III MHC) will definitely be missed! Best wishes to all of the McDougal staff as they all start a new stage in their lives! Best wishes to all of the children for them to move on to their new friends and experiences!
McDougal has been a part of LIFECORE for as long as I can remember…my introduction to Jan Harris was her yelling down the hall for a child to turn right!!!! She was trying to get them to the cafeteria. The staff at McDougal has cared for and touched the lives of many children. Their service has changed the life of so many. The parents, children and the staff at LIFECORE wish you well and know, you all will remain in our thoughts, memories and most of all our hearts.
Bless you all,
Joyce Sand
I have worked for LIFECORE for a short five years and got to spend this last year with my office beside the gym in McDougal where music class is held. I have learned every word to “If your happy and you know it”. The McDougal children were happy, and they made us happy. No matter what kind of day you were having, they would always have a smile for you. Some would even give you their hand and walk you down the hall and tell you “Have a good day”. That same hall will be empty after McDougal Center is gone. No more bright faces, no more colorful pictures, no more “Good Mornings” from the staff waiting on the buses. Not only will the smiles of the children be missed but also the staff. Each one of them have a special talent. Not everyone has the ability to make such a difference in so many lives. With their kindness and patience, they have help shape the lives of these young people and help built the skills they need. What ever paths God leads you down may you be blessed and always remember that you will be missed.
Forever in our hearts,
Christie Tramel
So many precious little faces have been a part of the halls at McDougal Center for so many years. The halls always felt so empty during the summer break. I cannot imagine the children not returning in the fall with all of their energy and laughter. Many children and their families have been helped by the amazing staff at McDougal. The progress was so evident. I pray these children continue to grow and that help is available to them along their path. I will miss the children and the amazing staff as well. May God bless each one of you.
I started my journey working in McDougal Center in 1979 and it has always been very special to me. Over the years I have seen how each teacher has made each child feel individualized and special . It has always been amazing to me to see the progress the kids have made, such as coming in with wheel chairs and the children learning to push themselves as well as learning to walk. It is always such an emptiness during the summer but so exciting when they return in August. It is very sad but we will all have great memories of McDougal.
I remember back in 2005 when I started kindergarten I was diagnosed with Aspergers which is a form of autism. Because of this I had many learning difficulties and was forced to come here. Being a kid here from 2005-2006 was a great experience for me. The staff and the other kids I knew here cared about me. Everyone here was very helpful and got me on the right track to going back to Rankin. Even though I am now 18 and about to graduate high school, I can’t help but cry because of the fact that this has closed. Kids with disabilities in Tupelo will not get the help and support they need anymore. It is very sad and unfortunate.