Since the school year began eight months ago, Gabrielle, 6, has learned sign language to communicate with a fellow student she befriended at the Butler Elementary School.

Gabrielle, who is a kindergartner at the school, became curious about sign language when she saw teachers communicating with Kai Papenfuss, a student who has Down Syndrome and uses sign language to communicate.

Last week, Gabrielle received an award from the Belmont Special Education Advisory Council for her part in making Kai feel just like any other student in the class.

Kai's parents nominated O'Halloran for the award and called her "Kai's Guardian Angel."

"It just seemed unusual to my wife and I to have such a young girl really go out of her way to make him feel comfortable and help him out so much," said Scott Papenfuss.

Gabrielle is the youngest recipient of the award, according to council Co-Chairwoman Laurie Graham.

This is the second year of the BSEAC awards, honoring people who have made a difference in the lives of Belmont's special needs children. Seventy-five awards were handed out this year. Recipients are nominated by parents of special needs students or by the students themselves.

Papenfuss said most students of Gabrielle's age have a lot to worry about just taking care of themselves and making sure school work is done.

"It's very unusual ... when a child that young forgets about herself and takes such a concern for someone else," Papenfuss said.

From play time to library time, Kai and Gabrielle are inseparable and have become best friends.

"I ask him what he did [that day in school] and he always says, 'Play with Gabby,'" Scott Papenfuss said.

During an interview last Friday, Gabby sat with her mother Mary and father Charles. Gabby was reading a sign language book which her aunt gave her that day.

"What does this mean?" she would ask her mother while pointing at a sign in the book.

After Gabrielle learned some sign language from watching conversations teachers had with Papenfuss, her mother took her to the library where she started borrowing books.

"I ask her if she learned any new words today," Mary O'Halloran said. "She'll say, 'This is what I learned,' and she'll show me."

Gabrielle is still far from fluency in sign language, but she learns more and more words every day, her mother said.

"She's a quick learner," Mary O'Halloran said. "When she sees something, she copies what other people are doing and teaches herself how to do things."

When Gabrielle was nominated for the award, "I was speechless," her father said. "I felt very proud."

Gabby said she wants to become a teacher someday and her parents envision her working in a field where she would take care of other people.

"Whatever she chooses to do, her father and I are always behind her," her mother said.

She added, "We're very proud. You don't hear a lot about a six-year-old doing what she has done."

By Melody Hanatani, Belmont Citizen Herald