From Classroom to Community: Longview’s Student-Made Stationery

Sara Lucas-Dreiss is in her 26th year of teaching, and in her eighth year of teaching adapted art at Longview School. 

Longview provides comprehensive and collaborative educational services to students 5 to 21 years of age with severe to profound intellectual and/or multiple disabilities. Longview students have diverse learning needs: communication needs (non-verbal), limited motor functioning, visual and/or hearing impairments, and complex medical needs.

Each year, the students work on a variety of art projects with as much independence as possible, from creating Labubus and decorative flower vases to making slime and smoothies. Some of these items are sold to raise money for students' needs.

But their bestselling product is stationery—six notecards and envelopes packed in a cellophane sleeve. Students create the cover art for the cards using a variety of methods—collage, paint, rolling marbles and using an assistive device to splatter paint. The cards are then printed by Copy-Plus and sell here (with options for Longview pickup, MCPS Pony or U.S. post office shipping.) Proceeds go right back to the school.

“It’s a team effort,” said Lucas-Dreiss. “We have physical therapists, occupational therapists, paraeducators who are the experts for the kids. We have a lot of hands supporting these kids to be as independent as possible. It’s really beautiful.”