Sarah

Welcome...from The Peters. Let me take a minute to introduce ourselves to all the new comers, update friends, and get reacquainted with old friends. The Peters Family consists of myself (Sarah Peters/Schampers), my husband (Jose Peters), my son (Brandon Caleb Peters), our cat(Kida), and Brandon's hamster (Piggy), along with a few fish (all named Milo).
Jose is currently employed in the United States Navy. He is stationed in San Diego, California serving on the USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He has served about 6½ years of his 8 year enlistment and is doing very well. He had a deployment in 2005 in which he was able to see many foreign ports including Hawaii, Hong Kong, Guam, Dubai, Australia, Malaysia, and Bahrain just to name a few. Prior to that he was stationed in Charleston, SC where he went through the Naval Nuclear Power Training program and stayed on as staff. Following that, he was transferred to VA for another ELT training school (RCTQS) before he transferred to the Nimitz. He is curently preparing for another deployment in March of 2007.

We also have some great news...he is now a
First Class Petty Officer!
(He finally passed his exam.)
I am currently not employed...I am a full time MOM. I was also prior Navy (in the Nuclear Engineering Program) which is where I met my husband. I was discharged shortly after Brandon was born. My son was diagnosed with Autism about three years ago now and has become the focus of the majority of my time and energy. There are many battles to be fought with the school districts, insurance companies, and the basic issues of every day life, but every minute is more than worth it. I am also in the process of going back to school. Last year, I took classes through the University of Phoenix. I got my Associates Degree in Business Administration was working on my Bachelors Degree in Education. This past semester I transferred and have been taking courses through Mira Costa Community College. I have been working towards my general education requirements and took a very eclectic mix of classes including Child Development/Psychology, Geography, Literature, Speech, World Music, and Biology. While it has been challenging to go back to classes full-time, it was one I have enjoyed. Next semester I am hoping to be accepted into the preschool internship program at the college. Eventually I will be pursuing a degree in Psychology and am hoping to help more with children with special needs. I was accepted into California State University (San Marcos), although I do not think I will be able to attend until Jose returns from deployment in 2007.
It has also been an extremely exciting and eventful year for Brandon. He has grown leaps and bounds this past year, both physically and mentally. He is in another year of special day preschool class at Buena Vista Elementary School. It was a rough start since his favorite teacher, Peggi, was no longer teaching there and they were in a new classroom. However, he quickly acclimated to his environment and got hard to work and play. His new teacher, Laura, and the rest of the therapy providers through the school are working hard with him to ensure his progress. He is meeting a great deal of his goals and may even be ready for kindergarten in another year or so.
He is also kept very busy with therapy outside of his school day. We are continuing to see progress in his behaviors and social skills. His language acquisition is also steadily growing and improving. He has a vocabulary of about 300 words, communicates in 4-5 word sentences, and regularly uses “please” and “thank-you.” We have been working on his pre-reading and writing skills…so we are going to be starting a more in depth reading program, including whole language and phonics, after the beginning of the new year. Brandon is very excited, especially now that he can draw a “B.” Although we have a long way to go, the progress he has made this past year has been astounding and very encouraging. We are well on our way to our goal of inclusion being possible.