2019

At Aldrin, reverse inclusion allows students from the general education setting (one or two at a time) to have the opportunity to push-in to a special education class to get to know their peers. Additionally, the Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) program pairs 6th grade students with peers to work on building peer relationships, along with social and communication skills. Special education teachers continue to work closely with administration and the general education teachers in order to make sure all students are consistently accessing an inclusive environment.  Through creativity and an inclusive nature, Aldrin continues to foster independence, social skills, and friendships across grade levels and settings.

2022

Annandale Terrace staff used an Inclusive Schools Week choice board displayed in the teachers' break room.

The choice board included the following activities:

• Have students develop a list of a variety of ways that people can communicate. Help them expand the list by discussing different forms of communication, including sign language, foreign languages, assistive technology devices, etc. 
• Establish a "Five Minutes for Friendship" ritual each day.  Have students pair up with classmates on a rotating basis. Provide a topic for the pair to discuss for five minutes. Ask a few pairs to share their conversation with the class.
• Ask students to write or think about a time that they didn't feel included in a group. Talk about how it made them feel. Ask them how their experiences relate to to anyone who is perceived as different and what challenges they might face in a school setting.
• Invite students to create a list of all of their unique characteristics under a picture of themselves.  Display student work during the week.
• Encourage students to study how the fields of science and technology have contributed to the lives of people with disabilities. Some examples are cochlear implants, assistive technology, wheelchairs, teletype (TTY).
• Allow students to make a choice of how they will demonstrate their learning on a specific topic.  Encourage students to be creative and to be able to explain why they chose to be assessed in their respective ways.
• Instruct student groups to work together to assess the accessibility of the school and community for people with disabilities.  What modifications can be made? Do the public buildings in the community offer access to people with disabilities?
• Pilot a co-teaching model in one or more classrooms, pairing a general education teacher and a special education teacher.
• Label items in the classroom with pictures, object cues, Spanish words, Braille, or any other symbol systems that will support the students in the classroom.

2022

Chesterbrook students filled out strips of paper about what makes them who they are. The strips were made into paper chains and linked together to form a rainbow. Different traits and strengths can be seen along with all the things that makes students who they are.

Chesterbrook also created an inclusive bulletin board highlighting all the things you will miss about someone if all you see is a disability.

2022

Dranesville embraces a culture of inclusiveness through its daily mission by striving for connection, access, relationships, excellence, and stakeholder engagement.  All students in grades 4-6 are supported and encouraged to utilize Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and skills as WDES news anchors. During Inclusive Schools Week featured students from our Enhanced Autism Program were WDES news anchors. They shined as communicators who started the day with joyful greetings!

In addition, students took a family field trip to the Kennedy Center to see the sensory-friendly performance of "The Day You Begin."

2018

The Floris Elementary School PTA provided students with an opportunity to take part in our annual awareness program called Walk in My Shoes. The purpose of the program is to give students a broader understanding of the daily situations faced by some of their friends with developmental challenges. The program fosters empathy for others and gets students thinking about how they might be able to help when they see a friend experiencing difficulties. Students participated in activities that challenge fine motor, sensory integration, attention, vision, communication, reading, visual motor integration, and other skills. 

2019

For the fifth consecutive year, Floris Elementary hosted the Walk In My Shoes program during Inclusive Schools Week.  This program gives students a broader understanding of the daily situations faced by some of their friends with developmental challenges. It fosters empathy for others and gives students an opportunity to think about how they might be able to help when they see a friend experiencing difficulties.

This year, students in grades 3-5 participated in activities that challenged fine motor, sensory integration, attention, vision, communication, reading, visual motor integration, and other skills.  After discussing learning differences during Morning Meetings and participating in the hands-on Walk In My Shoes event, counselors lead students through guided discussions about what they learned and how they can apply those lessons in their daily lives.    

2022

At Floris, the counselors planned a "One Floris" spirit day for the end of November, aimed at uniting students, regardless of any differences. They provided teachers with activities to do within their classrooms and gave opportunities for students to show their commitment by pledging to do acts of kindness to contribute to the “One Floris” community.  During Inclusive Schools Week, the 4th-6th graders also participated in the "Walk in My Shoes" program, completing activities aimed at building empathy by putting them in situations that simulate how students with disabilities interact in our world.

2018

When choosing inclusive settings for our students, Glen Forest sets students up for success early on. Special Education teachers begin by finding settings where students can be successful and feel encouraged. They often begin with specials that the student may especially enjoy, or have a talent in, such as art, music, PE, and morning meeting time. Special educators connect with general education teachers to discuss strengths, accommodations, and level of supports needed and they collaborate to schedule times where students can attend general education classes. These experiences give students a chance to have a “Kaleidoscope of Friends” who serve as peer models and great friends!

Special education teachers at Glen Forest go the extra mile to find opportunities for students to be included in the general education environment. By preparing in advance for and practicing activities that may take place in the general education classrooms, students are confident to participate when around their inclusive peers. In addition, activities are adapted by limiting verbiage on assignments, adding visuals, or providing frequent breaks throughout activities. 

The ultimate goal is for students at Glen Forest to have greater access and participation in the general education setting, so that perhaps one day they will only need limited support from the specialized program. Inclusion is successful because Glen Forest students can fully participate and access content from any lesson. We view learning like a kaleidoscope where the beauty is in looking at instruction in a different way, making lessons take shape to fit our learners and building long, lasting friendships in the process.

2018

Lane Elementary School is extremely excited to celebrate Inclusive Schools Week 2018!  Utilizing the “Kaleidoscope of Friends” theme from the Inclusive School Network, our #AllLions team of educators, administrators, and students have planned a week filled with lots of excitement for our entire Lane community.

Prior to the start of Inclusive Schools Week, Lane held a “Choose to Include Essay and Art Contest” where students were invited to share what inclusion meant to them. Several of these entries will be chosen to be presented at our Pep Rally Kick Off on December 3rd where we will learn about inclusion, join students together from multiple grade levels to take part in a relay race, and have a school-wide GoNoodle to “I Gotta Feeling”… because we KNOW it is going to be a GREAT week!  

Lane will showcase their Lion spirit with a spectacular spirit week that provides fun for everyone!  The #AllLions team determined that there are 868 students and staff at Lane each day.  Each person in the school was challenged to write how they choose to include on a post-it note and add it to the “868 ways we #choosetoinclude” wall that can be found in the front hallway.  The Lane family hopes to build a Kaleidoscope of post-it notes by the end of our week!  #AllLions #choosetoinclude

Lane Elementary Inclusive Schools Spirit Week

• Monday: Kaleidoscope Day (wear lots of different colors)
• Tuesday: Patterns Day (wear lots of different patterns)
• Wednesday: Come As You Are Day (wear what you are most comfortable in)
• Thursday: Be A Champion Day (dress as your champion/who you look up to or what you are a champion at)
• Friday: Feelings Friday (dress as the color you are feeling – think of the movie “Inside Out”)

2019

During the 2018-2019 school year, Lane Elementary began an Inclusion Revolution to remain an environment where all students and employees feel safe, accepted, respected and most of all, included. Through kindness challenges, the creation of a buddy program (Champions 4 Change), a Special Olympics Unified Basketball and Track team, and a successful Inclusion Week 2018, our school prides itself on being a welcoming environment that embraces ALL differences.

This school year, practices have already begun for our Unified Basketball team, our Champions 4 Change program is working with students across all grade levels to build meaningful friendships and relationships, an Inclusion Chair serves on our school’s PTA to ensure all voices are represented and heard, and our Inclusion Committee has planned an Inclusion Week 2019 full of exciting activities. On December 2nd, 3rd and 4th, Lane will host the Walk In My Shoes program, where all students will participate in activities that expose them to what it is like to live with a differing ability or learning difference. Students will reflect on how they can help a friend or empathize with a student who experiences the world differently.

Inclusion Week 2019 will also include Spirit Days, a schoolwide read aloud of Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor, a mural where all students can share their experiences with inclusion, and a culminating Pep Rally to celebrate all of our hard work in creating an inclusive environment. At the Pep Rally, Lane will be recognized and honored by the Special Olympics VA as an official Unified Champion School. We are only the second elementary school in all of Virginia to receive this honor.

The Inclusion Revolution at Lane extends far beyond Inclusive Schools Week. This year, we will reflect on how we can continue to “Chart the Course for Inclusion” for #AllLions.

2018

Inclusive Schools Week Events

1. Bookmark Contest
   Students will design a bookmark based on the “Kaleidoscope of Friends” Inclusive Schools Week theme.
2. “I am . . .” Chain
   All students and staff are invited to create a link in our schoolwide paper chain to share a unique characteristic of themselves.
3. “Walk in My Shoes”
   This year, 2nd and 3rd grade students will engage in activities that help develop an understanding of challenges faced by others and to increase social acceptance.  The activities will occur during weekly STEAM and Healthy Habits classes.

Spirit Week Dress-up Days

• Monday: Hats on for Inclusion – Wear a hat to school.
• Tuesday: Be comfortable, be you! – Wear pajamas to school.
• Wednesday: Be a Hero for Inclusion! – Dress as a superhero or personal hero.
• Thursday: Be unique! – Wear mismatched, funky, or unique clothing.
• Friday: Kaleidoscope Day! – Wear tie dye or bright colors.

2022

At McNair Upper, classroom teachers discussed the meaning of inclusiveness during their Morning Meetings and did a variety of activities and read alouds to help students make meaning of this word and its importance.  

• 4th grade students created a classroom chain of how they model inclusiveness.
• 5th grade students had a class discussion after reading the text, "The Proudest Blue " by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali.
• 6th grade students participated in a Jamboard after reading the text "Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You" by Sonia Sotomayor.

2018

Inclusive Schools Week is celebrated annually around the country. This year we will be participating in Inclusive Schools Week from December 3-7. This entire week is to celebrate and promote acceptance and inclusion of the diverse population we have at Oak Hill. We also hope this week will encourage conversations about how we can be more accepting and appreciative of those who are different from us. 

The “Kaleidoscope of Friends” theme will reflect the idea of different colors, patterns, and shapes working together to make a beautiful picture. Each day during Inclusion Week, students and staff are encouraged to wear a different color each day of the week. Each color represents a word that will be discussed and linked to inclusion at Oak Hill. The celebration of Inclusive Schools Week will create a fundamental commitment to relationships among staff, students and the community of Oak Hill. #ISW2018, #allinOHES

Monday: Wear Red for Respect
We respect and support our fellow classmates and recognize that individual differences are what make us special.

Tuesday: Wear Green for Gifts
Friendship is a gift we give to one another. We all have gifts and special talents to share.

Wednesday: Wear Blue for Belonging
“Kaleidoscope comes from two Greek words: kalos, meaning “beautiful,” and eidos, “shape.” Education takes on a beautiful shape when all children belong and are valued as contributing members of the school community.” (Inclusive Schools Celebration Guide)

Thursday: Wear Purple for Positivity
At Oak Hill we notice and embrace each other's abilities. We create a joyful school when we are positive with one another.

Friday: Wear Oak Hill Spirit Wear
While we may all have different OHES spirit wear, we are all part of the same team at Oak Hill. We are a diverse community and that makes our school wonderful and unique! We work together to create a climate of inclusiveness and kindness. We are all linked together and connected in our purpose to make Oak Hill an amazing school!

In 2022, Mandy Walter's class at Poplar Tree Elementary School used a Literacy Planner to develop an inclusive book club.

Getting Started
The 2021 PRC Literacy Planner uses chapter books alongside traditional guides for phrases and language.  This creates unique opportunities for an inclusive book club.  ​​​During the third marking period, Mandy Walter's class partnered with a group of fourth graders for a weekly book club.

Picking a Book
The Literacy Planner has a list of 12 books already prepped with directions on how to hold a book tasting! Ms. Walter's class chose Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. Her class used BookShare which allows for a variety of visually accessible options, such as highlighting words as they are being read

Planning out the Chapters
Ms. Walter's class began reading two chapters a week, expanding up to five chapters by the end of the marking period. They started out describing character traits, adding in details as they learned about them. They even got a bonus clue from the author!

Talking About the Book
Everyone (both students with and without disabilities) used a communication board to talk about things that happened in the book, such as characters they liked and those they didn’t like.

2018

Students and staff at Terraset Elementary School celebrate Inclusive Schools Week by creating a “Kaleidoscope of Friends” window display that highlighted the ways in which each individual would help to create an inclusive school community. In addition, staff at Terraset wore T-shirts with the inclusive message, “We See You, We Welcome You, You Belong Here!”  Every student’s name was printed on the back of the shirt.

2022 

Terraset embraced their school promise, "We see you! We welcome you! You belong here!" Teachers took turns appearing on the daily news program to talk about what inclusion means to them.

The photo below shows Principal Lindsay Trout sharing her thoughts and some student ideas on what inclusion means to them. 

2022

The Category B (Cat B) team at Westgate Elementary created a sensory hall for all students.  On Wednesdays, students who receive Cat B services participate in a buddy program with fifth graders.  In addition, Westgate staff continue to use collaborative planning to ensure that all students' needs are met and that they are provided with opportunities to engage with their same-aged peers.

Westgate staff shared they are so grateful to work in a school setting that embraces differences and inclusiveness!

2019

At White Oaks Elementary, students were asked to write on a colored index card about what inclusion meant to them or how they could include others.  They could also write about a time that they were included or what made them special.  The colored index cards were then arranged into a kaleidoscope and hung up in the hallways by grade level throughout the school.  

Spirit week at White Oaks included the following activities:

• Monday was "Hats Off to Inclusion" day
• Tuesday was "Be Comfortable in Who You Are" day and we wore pajamas.
• Wednesday was "We are All on the Same Team" day and we wore athletic jerseys.
• Thursday was "Unique or Mismatched Clothes" day
• Friday was "Kaleidoscope" day and the kids wore tie dye or bright colors or their favorite color.

2023

Best Buddies

At Annandale, Best Buddies focuses on creating strong friendships between students with and without disabilities, and making our school a more inclusive place for each student.

Best Buddies is an organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Crescendo Orchestra
At Annandale, our students with disabilities have access to inclusion through our Crescendo Orchestra (Video)!

Special Olympics FanQuest
View the Special Olympics FanQuest Pep Rally

2022

Each day at the Davis Career Center (DCC), students report to their volunteer or paid work sites where they learn the skills required to work in a variety of settings (retail, hospitality, materials management, etc.). Students work with and around our community partners’ paid employees, building relationships and spreading awareness of the skills that they have to offer.

In addition to community work experiences, students regularly participate in Community-Based Instruction (CBI). This includes targeted lessons to utilize public transportation, access local community resources, and practice tangible life skills such as grocery shopping. During CBI, students have the opportunity to meaningfully engage with the community at large in which they live. 

2019

Frost MS is proud of their commitment to Unified Sports as an after-school activity. In addition to offering Unified Basketball this winter, Frost MS will also introduce Unified Track & Field this spring. The students in Frost’s Unified Sports program participate in several activities outside of school including tournaments, FanQuest events at area High Schools, and special events such as playing during half-time at a George Mason University basketball game. The goal of Unified Sports is to dissolve stereotypes about intellectual disabilities, and to create a space where athletes can train and playing together in order to foster new friendships and understanding. These friendships create an atmosphere of inclusion though out the school and the community. In addition to the Unified Sports program, Frost MS is offering a Partnership elective this year for students with and without disabilities. The focus of the class is to create inclusion initiatives at Frost MS and beyond, and to foster an environment in the building where all students feel like they are part of OneFrost. It is an exciting time to be a part of Frost’s “Inclusion Revolution!”

2019

Hayfield Secondary School's Peer Helping class, taught by Ms. Fawn Katzbahn and Mr. Rickey Lewis, exemplifies inclusion.  The class has 16 high school students who work with 5 students from the high school's low-incidence program. 

The Peer Helping class participates in activities to teach students how to help each other, take turns, and take care of their surroundings such as

• Walking outside to give students the opportunity to see the beginning of the change in season.
• Making wreaths with paper plates and colored construction paper and decorating pumpkins.
• Beautifying the school grounds by planting fall mums in the planters in front of the school. 

2022

Hayfield Secondary conducted a pantry food drive to bring together their community and staff and support all Hawk families. For the first time they created a middle school specific pantry to better serve all of our middle school students.

Our Parent Liaisons, Mr. Barnes and Ms. Traweek unify the community with Hayfield by servicing all populations. Ms. Traweek has been running an evening class for families to help them better access resources and engage in their students' education. This is geared towards, but not exclusive of, ESOL families.

2022

Ms. Kathleen Jacoby, the Herndon High School Band Director, received the 2022 James Madison University Dr. Alice M. Hammel Inclusion Music Education Award. 

This award is presented to individuals who consistently demonstrate commitment to:

• Developing adaptive, accommodative, and flexible pedagogical practices to support all persons.
• Pursing scholarly inequity into issues of difference, diversity, and inclusion that positively impacts the lives of all persons.
• Engaging with and in music learning and making communities to advocate for accessible and meaningful musical experiences for and will all persons to create, perform, and respond to music.

2022

At Herndon Middle School (HMS), Aimee Conrad submitted a few stories to represent inclusive practices at HMS: 

• Like macaroni and cheese, Angela and Natalie belong together. They became acquainted during online school and quickly became inseparable after COVID restrictions were lifted and finally met in person. In 8th grade, Natalie wanted to join the Drama club, so naturally, that became Angela’s greatest dream. Laura Loy, the drama teacher at Herndon Middle School (HMS), seamlessly included the girls in the after-school club, assigning them each a buddy and creating parts for them in the Spring play, embracing their unique strengths and needs.  Two student members of the drama club acted alongside them, offering gentle cues and support with their speaking parts. The girls’ families were part of the packed auditorium, and the school presented an incredible play that was only made better by including these two best friends.
• Laura Loy also supported an 8th grade student with special needs who wanted to perform in the school’s Talent Show in November.  During the audition process, Ms. Loy ensured the student had a visual of her karaoke track and calmed her nerves by asking if she would like backup dancers. Eighth-grade students and volunteers designed a simple, non-distracting dance and positioned themselves behind her, keeping her from being scared on stage by herself. Backstage, students made a coloring station to keep her entertained during the other acts and prior to the big group bow at the end.
• In addition to the inclusive opportunities provided by Laura Loy, HMS’s extensive after-school program, Night Hawk, is run by AJ Fuller with thoughtfully designed, inclusive programs. Mr. Fuller utilizes trained instructional assistants to provide support and encourages positive student connections through his own example.  An enthusiastic 8th grade student with special needs enjoys staying after school to attend Synergy Science Club with science teacher, Trish Brandon. She has welcomed him to participate and be involved.
• All students are our students here at Herndon Middle School. Go Hawks!

2022

Katherine Johnson Middle School (KJMS) kicked off Inclusive Schools Week by acknowledging National Special Education Day on December 2, 2022. This day commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975.

Students and staff at KJMS participated in Spirit Week which included the following activities:

• On Monday, staff and students wore red for respect.
  We respect and support our fellow classmates and recognize that individual differences are what make us special.
• On Tuesday, staff and students wore green for gifts.
  Friendship is a fit we give to one another. We all have gifts and special talents to share.
• On Wednesday, staff and students wore blue for belonging.
  Education takes on a beautiful shape when everyone feels valued as contributing members of the school community.
• On Thursday, staff and students wore purple for positivity.
  At KJMS, we notice and embrace each other's abilities. We crate a joyful school when we're positive to one another.
• On Friday, staff and students wore school spirit wear.
  We are all linked together and connected in our purpose to make KJMS an amazing school.

KJMS celebrates our teachers and staff who serve and support our students with special needs, as well as our families who are partners in the education and support of all students! 

2018

Quander Road School works collaboratively with West Potomac and Edison High School Academies to ensure students are placed in settings that support their individual growth academically and vocationally. Currently, ten students are enrolled in academy classes including JROTC, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Assistant, TV Production and Computer Technologies.

Quander is in the early stages of developing a robust Education for Employment program for students. This program offers students community-based instruction organized around an approved job that promotes individualized career goals. Seven Quander students currently receive on-the-job training at a variety of businesses ranging from equipment rental and food services to veterinary and pet grooming services. Last year, three students who participated in the program were offered paid summer employment opportunities following the completion of their training and graduation. 

When we support our students in academy programs and local business, we are promoting resilient and goal directed individuals who are better prepared to enter the world of work.

2022

The Buddies Club at West Springfield High School holds monthly social events which include modified games and activities to ensure the enjoyment of all who attend! Buddies Club promotes student participation in some of the most coveted activities within the West Springfield community, including Leadership/SGA, Staff vs. Students Basketball game, Homecoming, and so much more. New friends and skills are gained throughout the year and are celebrated at the Buddies Club Prom in the Spring, where everyone gets a special promposal. This club has changed the lives of many students over the past 11 years and continues to support students at West Springfield High School. 

2018

Our Bulldog Buddies, special education department, and SGA have been working closely to finalize plans for inclusive schools week. This year’s FCPS Inclusive Schools Week theme is Kaleidoscope of Friends. If you look into a kaleidoscope, you see an infinite array of patterns of brilliant light created by repeated reflection. Kaleidoscope comes from two Greek words: kalos, meaning “beautiful,” and eidos, “shape.” Westfield has tied this into our “Choose to Include” week.

• Monday: Wear RED for UNITY day
• Tuesday:  Wear TIE-DYE for Kaleidoscope Day
• Wednesday: Dress like a BUDDY for Be a Buddy Day
• Thursday: Wear BLUE for You are “blue-tiful” Day
• Friday: Wear Westfield gear for We are Westfield Day 

In addition to the spirit days, there will be: 

• Various banners & posters around the building, as well as a display created by Adaptive Art in the front of the building.
• Various colorful chains to go with the kaleidoscope theme will be created by special education students for various classrooms around the building.
• Activities during lunches will include writing messages on leaves (part of a tree display), writing thank you notes to friends, and an opportunity to sit with a new “buddy.”
• Videos will be shown on Westfield Live each day from members of Bulldog Buddies regarding inclusion and ways to support inclusion at Westfield High School.
• Wrist bands that say “Choose to Include” from Special Olympics will be given to each staff member to kick off the week.  Students will receive them during lunches.

2023

Partnership
Partnership is an inclusive leadership class where students with and without disabilities are educated together. Students learn about disabilities and how to have conversations with people who are different from them. It's an opportunity for students to learn from each other and to make connections that will last well beyond their time at Woodson.

Buddies
Buddies is a student-led after school club that welcomes students of all abilities. Buddies generally holds monthly events focused on seasonal events and holiday celebrations.

Special Olympics Unified Sports
Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Woodson has active teams throughout the school year with teams playing soccer, basketball, and track and field.