Butterfly Day aims to teach kids to love all abilities

Whether they're a different color or a different type, Mountain View Elementary School is teaching kids that all butterflies are equally as beautiful and important as another.

But of course, it's not really butterflies we're talking about.

These kindergarteners are learning to be all-inclusive, treating people of all abilities the same.

That's the goal of Butterfly Day put on by the Kenadi Jean Weis Foundation, a non-profit that was founded after the Weis family lost their five-year-old daughter Kenadi.

Kenadi had special needs but regardless of her disability, she was said to have lit up the room with her smile.

Butterflies were here favorite... sparking the name of the annual event inspired by the relationship between Kenadi and her teacher, Miss Betty.

Tammie Wood says, "It teaches the kids a lot about the differences in the disabilities and it helps them be better people all around. They learn that we are all unique and different in their own way."

At Butterfly Day, kids had a rockin' good time, painting rocks to represent a character in an all-inclusive storybook, wearing glasses that limit their visibility and playing pillowcase soccer to learn what it's like with less power in their legs.

Wood says, "They do a good job in participating in the activities and they ask really good questions about children with disabilities so I think it's a great opportunity to give them that experience."

The foundation has heard nothing but good feedback from parents, teachers, and students, taking their lessons home with them.

Braddy says, "We know that we are all special and different in our own ways. Someone just might look a little different or act a little different than we're used to. That's okay and it's okay to ask questions about it. It really starts the conversation with parents."

For now, Butterfly Day is only brought to kindergarteners at the school, but organizers hope to bring it to different grades at Mountain View.