Great Things Are Happening in Inclusive Schools Week!
Guest blog post by SFUSD parent and Special Education Ombudsperson, Julia Martin.
Inclusive Schools Week is December 2nd - 6th, 2019!
This December join SFUSD school sites across the district in celebrating Inclusive Schools Week. Inclusive Schools Week is one of many weeks during the school year we can reflect on how to help students become the best version of themselves. This year's national Inclusive Schools Week theme is "Charting the Course for Inclusion”. Many of us have seen positive changes in awareness of the importance and necessity of inclusion and many of our students and communities have reaped the benefits of inclusion. At the same time, most of us recognize that we have many more steps to take to reach our goal of fully inclusive schools.
Inclusive Schools Week provides an opportunity for SFUSD educators and community members to teach students about disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other differences. Education helps take away the mystique and stigma that surrounds these differences and allows students to become confident self-advocates.
How to be an ally:
Contact your school today to see what they are planning and how you can help! When we support someone who is different from ourselves we are helping them tremendously. Having someone speak up and look out for you is very powerful. So this year, think about the marginalized students at your school, the ones who sit alone at recess or circle the yard. How can you support and include them?
Special Olympics partnership:
SFUSD is partnering with Special Olympics to celebrate Inclusive Schools Week. Special Olympics is hosting an inclusive Basketball Tournament in our high schools as well as a few school rallies. You can sign up here to have a Special Olympics representatives visit your school site to talk to students. The Special Olympics website has links to many resources, activities, and curriculum for Inclusive Schools Week.
How parents can get involved:
Check-in with your student, teachers or school staff to see what activities are planned this week at your child’s school. Offer to help out, bring snacks for your special education teachers or volunteer to read a story in your child’s classroom. (Note: You don’t have to be a special education parent to volunteer. Being a special education parent can be an isolating experience. Knowing that there are other parents out there who are allies, willing to lend a hand is a good thing.) For more information about the week or simple things you can do check out the SFUSD Special Education Website ISW page.
Special film screening this year: “The Kids We Lose”
From Ross Greene, the author of The Explosive Child comes a not to be missed documentary, the Kids We Lose”. The Kids We Lose is a 90-minute documentary film about the human side of being and having a child or student with learning, emotional and behavioral challenges, and the struggles faced by parents, educators, staff in facilities, mental health clinicians, and law enforcement professionals in trying to ensure that these kids receive the help they need.
Join us after the film for a panel discussion about how to treat behaviorally challenged kids in ways that are compassionate and effective. Panelists will share their ideas for interventions that are non-punitive, non-adversarial, and collaborative and discuss how to change things for the better. Thursday, Dec 5th from 6-8:30 pm. It is open to the public and tickets are free but we ask that folks reserve a spot in advance so we can anticipate our attendance. Reserve a spot here.
Julia Martin, Parent, SFUSD Special Education Ombudsperson, and Liaison SFUSD Community Advisory Committee on Special Education
Have a great Inclusive Schools Week!
Written by Julia Martin, SFUSD Special Education Ombudsperson and Liaison SFUSD Community Advisory Committee on Special Education
SFUSD Community Advisory Committee for Special Education