The school now serves 30 children age 18 months to 15 years old, and can handle about 5 more. There are no geographic boundaries on attendance. The school currently serves children from six south metro and one North Central Georgia counties.

One family recently moved from Louisiana to Fayette County to avail their disabled child of the school's innovative MOVE (Mobility Opportunity Via Education) program. The program's goal is to enable non-ambulatory students to become as mobile and independent as possible.

The halls of this school are filled with stories of miracles, unimaginable except for the work, dedication and compassion of the gifted staff.

Miracles such as Kayla, a young girl with autism, who not only learned to talk during her four years at the school, but who sang a solo at last year's end-of-the-year program.

Or, the miracle of Trey, a non-verbal preschooler, who learned signed language within a year at the school, moved on to speech, then went to public high school, where he entered the gifted program and graduated salutatorian.

The teacher to student ration remains low, 3:1 or 2:1, intentionally, says Marie, despite the growth of the student body.

"The one thing that has remained unchanged is the school's learning environment," she said. "There is a completely individualized program for each student and a structured, predictable classroom environment."

The school receives no federal, state or local funding. Its existence and success relies solely on grants from foundations and corporations, and donations from civic organizations, businesses and individuals. Several fundraising events are held each year. Tuition routinely doesn't cover even half of the average $20,000 per year cost per child.

It takes a very special and gifted person to be a teacher at Sams. The work is intense, and success isn't normally measured in hours or day, but over weeks, months or years. However, their efforts give hope to parents whose children might otherwise not progress in areas such as cognition, language and communication, gross and fine motor skills and social or self-help skills.

Perhaps on a global scale, the day to day successes at Sams School don't compare to the history-making impact that Presidents Washington and Lincoln had on the world. But in the worlds of the children and families who are touched daily by the accomplishments at Sams, the effect is equally as dynamic as the Gettysburg Address or the Crossing of the Delaware.

The school is located at 280 Brandywine Boulevard in Fayetteville. For information, call 770-461-5894 or visit www.josephsams.org .