The Cresskill School District participated in the first annual Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day on Friday, May 16, in recognition of Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month. The goal was to raise awareness and educate the entire student body and Cresskill faculty about the neurological disorder.
Tourette’s is an inherited neurological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary and uncontrollable vocal (sounds) and motor (physical) movements also known as tics. Tourette’s and its associated disorders (ADD, ADHD, OCD, anxiety) occur in 1 out of every 100 children.
The day was spearheaded by a brave Merritt School fourth-grader who has Tourette’s. Students were encouraged to wear green in a show of solidarity for those affected by the disorder and staff were given permission to wear jeans for the day in exchange for a small donation. The students and faculty raised more than $900, which will be donated to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome (NJCTS).
