Levittown Students Learn About Kindness Through Skype Session

LEVITTOWN, NY - Levittown’s Salk and Wisdom Lane middle school sixth-grade students experienced a real-life connection to literature after they held a Skype session with 15-year old Peter Dankelson, who was born with a craniofacial disorder.

The students have been reading R.J Palacio’s “Wonder” whose main character, Auggie, has a similar disorder.

Stares and criticisms have always been a part of Peter’s life, and he is trying to spread the message of kindness by speaking with students across the United States via Skype during his lunch period.

During the Skype session, students were able to ask Peter and his mother, Dede, questions about his deformity and how he relates to Auggie in “Wonder.”

Students inquired how facial differences have made his life better in some ways, whether he still receives stares and comments and whether peers accept him at school.

Peter said he has lots of friends and that having a craniofacial disorder has allowed him to speak to students throughout the country about being kind and non-judgmental.

“The people who accept you are people who you should hang out with,” he said.

Director of English K-12 Kerin Slattery explained that the Skype session drove home the message of the book in that Peter and Auggie shared a common thread.

She congratulated Peter on his courage to speak to students about his disorder and thanked him for the message he taught the sixth-grade students.

Photo Caption: Wisdom Lane Middle School student Isabelle Saint asked Peter Dankelson and his mother, Dede, questions about his craniofacial disorder during a Skype session in the library.

Photo courtesy of the Levittown School District