Tom: Hey guys, I am Tom Hanson, here in the nation's capitalfor a presidential pop quiz. We will have that later on in the show. Channel One News starts right now.
Arielle: Okay, Tom, pop quiz challenge coming up!Hey guys, I am Arielle Hixson, and it is Friday, so let's get right to the news.
Now, first up, President Trump spoke directly to kids yesterday from the White Houseafter a deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school took the lives of 17 people.
President Donald Trump: I want to speak now directly to America's children, especially those who feel lost, alone, confused or even scared.You have people who care about you, who love you and who will do anything at all to protect you. If you need help, turn to a teacher, a family member, a local police officer or a faith leader. Answer hate with love — answer cruelty with kindness.
Arielle: The shooting took place atMarjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday.Fourteen people were injured.The alleged gunman has been arrested and charged, and the school remains closed.Last night, thousands turned out for a vigil in Florida to remember the victims.
President Trump said he plans to visit the students in Florida in the coming days.
Now, as the world is focused on the biggest sporting event, Americans taking part in the Winter Olympic Gamesare sending their thoughts and prayers to Florida.
In pairs figure skating, American figure skaters Alexa and Chris Knierim took to the iceshortly after the news broke.
Alexa Scimeca-Knierim: We wanted to skate for the 17 children that died in the Florida shooting, and today was much more than about us. Our motivation was to skate for those who were lost today.
Arielle: American figure skater Adam Rippontweeted, “These shootings have to stop. Sending love to those families hurting today.”
And one week into the Olympics, Team USA is still trying to rack up those medals.
Today Mikaela Shiffrin shot out of the gatetrying to break records. She wanted to get a gold in the slalom event, and it would have been her fourth gold medal at these games,but she had to settle for three.Not too bad, going home with three gold medals.
The snow was also good to snowboarder Shaun White. This week he won his third Olympic gold medal for snowboarding, bringing tears to his eyes.
Shaun White: Honestly, it hasn't even sunk in yet. I'm tripping out still.
Arielle: Team USA put on a phenomenal show on the ice, winning the bronze in team figure skating.
Chloe Kimbecame the first woman to land back-to-back 1080s in the Olympics, proving she is worthy of her half-pipe hype.
Chloe Kim: Knowing that we all worked really hard to get to this point is so amazing.
Arielle: And one more big one for the women: Earlier this week,Mirai Nagasu skated into the history books, becoming the first American woman to land a triple axel in Olympic competition.
All right, next up, we are turning it over to Tom Hanson, who is in our nation's capital with a presidential pop quiz.
Tom: Hey guys, I am here in D.C., and just over my shoulder there is a pretty iconic monument named after one of our presidents. He is also the guy that gave us this upcoming holiday on Monday —Presidents Day.The date was picked to recognize his birthday, but do you know which president this holiday honors?
Is it
a.Abraham Lincoln
b.George Washington
c.Thomas Jefferson or
d.Franklin D.Roosevelt
You have got 10 seconds.
All right, time is up. The answer is b, George Washington.Not only was he American president No. 1, he was the commanderinchief during the Revolutionary War, established the tradition of the U.S.Cabinetand is the man on the $1 bill.
GW was born on February 22, 1732, and is one of the most well-known presidents in U.S. history. In honor of his b-day, the United States gave him the first holiday ever to celebrate an individual American.
Now, this might sound crazy, but in 1971 the government changed a bunch of holidays to land on Mondays so that we would have more three-day weekends— no lie.
And the federal holiday is still officiallyWashington's Birthday, but it is most often calledPresidents Day as a way to celebrate all those who have held the title “commander in chief.”
There you have it. Here is to you, President Washington, and the 44 others who have followed in your footsteps.
Arielle: Thanks,Tom.
And it just so happens, as we get ready to celebrate America's first president, we have a new discovery about his hair.Yes,that is right — his hair!
Check this out. This is no ordinary lock of hair; it belongs to George Washington.The six strands of white hairlooped together were folded into a letter and tucked away in a red leather almanac.It went undiscovered for a centuryuntil an archivist at Union College in upstate New York found it.Amazing, right?
And most people assume George Washington wore a wig, but the truth is he didn't. The hair was all his.
And that brings us to Words in the News: archivistis a person who collects and organizes material that has a long-term value. And the records maintained by an archivistcan include letters, diaries and pictures.
All right,now, after the break, one program that turned a bad day at schoolinto the best part of the day.
Arielle: Today about 13 percent of public school students have some type of disability, and unfortunately,many of those students get bullied.But one program is working to change that, bringing all students together.Keith Kocinski has our Feel-Good Friday.
Keith: When Hannah Tolbert walks into a room, she owns it.Hannah is a freshman at Tooele High School in Utah. She has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes developmental delays.But when you meet her, you will quickly find out there is nothing down about her.
Polly Tolbert: She's the rockstar walking down the hallway, and she knows people’s names, and she’s giving them double guns.I mean, she rules the school!
Keith: But things haven't always been so great for Hannah.
What are some challenges that young people with disabilitiesmay face or Hannah may have faced?
Polly Tolbert: People deciding from the minute that they see her that she's not worth their time.She would just kind of go and sit off in a corner, and you couldjust see her be completely alone.
Keith: In junior high Hannah hated going to school and didn't feel accepted.
Polly Tolbert: She would come running to my room:“I'm sick,I’m going home,I don't like it.”
Keith: But things turned around when she got to high school.
Hannah, would you consider Tyler one of your best friends?
Hannah Tolbert: Yes.
Keith: That is because she found friends like Tyler Beer, a senior at Tooele High School. They spend hours together everyday.
Tyler Beer: The fun stories she tells me and all of her — I love the love stories and all the gossip. A lot of good times.
Keith: Hannah and Tyler are both part of the peer tutoring program here at Tooele High, pairing special-education students with other students throughout the school.
Rebecca Ford: Ithink when my peer tutors sign up to takemy program, they immediately think that they are here to change my students with disabilities’ lives. They quickly find out that their lives are actually going to be the ones that are changed.
Keith: Rebecca Ford is a special-education teacher, and she leads the peer tutoring program. A former peer tutor herself, she decided to return to her former school to expand the program.It's an elective, meaning students take the class because they choose to.
Over the last decade, the program has grown from just eight students to over 300, and it has changed the perspective for many of these students.
Today students not only spend a class period togetherbut also hang out after school.
Tyler: I've learned patience, lots of patience. I've learned compassion towards others. By taking this class,I've been able to put myself in other people’s shoes and realize how blessed I really am.
Keith: The program uses fundraisers to keep it going.One of its main fundraisers is the Mr. and Miss Amazing Pageant, where peer tutors and students with disabilities get on stage together and perform.
Ford: By having this event, it gives them a chance to show how amazing they are, and how wonderful they are, and how many things that they can do, rather thanthat they can't do.
Keith: What do you want students who are watching this to take away?
Tyler: We need to treat everyone kindly. Everyone needs to be treated with respect. They're extremely kind,they’re uplifting, they're happy. If we could all have that, I think it’ll just be better.
Polly Tolbert: There is a lot of inclusion that goes on in this school, and that's what makes the student body stronger. As a parent, it is the big payoff to see your child that you’ve always worried about be accepted completely and totally. And it is — it's just the best thing that a parent could ever hope for.
Keith: As for Tyler and Hannah, well, Tyler will be graduating later this year, but for now, it is a long-lasting connection best described with a smile, laugh and a twirl.
Do you feel thatTyler is going to be one of your friends forever?
Hannah: Yes, we'll date.
Keith: Keith Kocinski, Channel One News.
Arielle: Great story,Keith.
Now the program has even motivated some students at Tooele to pursue careers in special education. And if you want more behind-the-scenes from Keith's time with the students, it is up on ChannelOne.com.
Okay guys, now, remember that we are off on Monday for Presidents Daybut right back here on Tuesday.
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