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Goal

My Goal for all three of these special events is to allow students with disabilities have the same experiences as general education students (non-disabled peers) by modifying the events so they can fully participate and promote inclusivity! I am a proud teacher of students with severe, profound, and multiple physical and cognitive disabilities. This is my 21st year at Oakridge and with this amazing population of students. Throughout the years I have planned many events for our special needs students at OMS. Each year we keep adding to the amazing things we are doing! Our Modified Curriculum (MC) program has expanded, and we now have 2 other classes with students who have disabilities at OMS. The last two years these events have been so successful we have been inviting other middle schools from CCPS who also have these special programs to our unique and special events! These events have grown over the years, and we now impact over 80 students with disabilities in Collier County. These events include a Literacy Parade, Glow Dance, and Carnival. 

 

Category

Other -  

 

What will be done with my students

The literacy parade is an annual event in October where our students focus on a particular book, and it becomes a fully immersive educational experience. We read the selected book, have comprehension materials and practice by using manipulatives. We design and dress in costume based on the literary characters from the book, and parade around campus visiting other classrooms. Peer helpers from general education (Best Buddies) assist with helping our students go to each of the participating classrooms. Each classroom will have Best Buddy helpers giving the students an educational gift, such as a small book, puzzle, literacy themed sticker, pencils/erasers, etc. It is a wonderful inclusive experience for all students involved.

The MC Glow Dance is designed for students with the most significant disabilities to have the opportunity to participate in a school dance with their friends. This annual event takes place in December, and we invite all Collier County Middle School programs teaching students with disabilities to join us for an incredible experience! Students with and without disabilities buddy up for a morning of fun! We decorate our gym with glow decorations, have glow photo booths, music, black lights, and glow in the dark hats and glow sticks the children can wear and take home. There are also stations for academic games, fine and gross motor development, food, and crafts. We provide an alternate room with quiet games for students who may become overstimulated or need to limit light exposure for seizure activity. For some of our children this may be the only way they experience a school dance.

The Carnival is our largest annual event that occurs in February. Students from the general education classes volunteer to run booths for our students with special needs. The students must design a booth with modifications and accommodation to make them fully inclusive for all students to participate. The booths are academic and therapeutic in nature-for example the duck pond has students pick ducks out of the "pond" with a net (fine and gross motor skills) and add up the numbers written on the bottom. Even students with the most significant disabilities can use assistive technology to "count" the ducks. We have Life skills booths where students must follow a recipe (with picture supports) and prepare a simple snack. I have incorporated physical therapy goals into booths with enlarged and adapted games (gigantic connect four), occupational therapy is provided at the craft booths and adaptive tools are available so everyone can participate. We create a passport for each student with all the booths listed. As students participate at each booth they get a stamp for their passport. Once the passport is filled with stamps, each child receives a special prize. Last year was a Disney stuffed animal and we still have students who bring them to school and talk about the carnival. This inclusive event is an experience some of our students with the most severe and profound disabilities may not get to experience if we didn't have it during school hours and make the necessary modifications to ensure it is fully accessible for all students.


 

 

Benefits to my students

The benefits to our students with and without disabilities are tremendous. These events create a school wide culture that emphasizes respect, empathy, and inclusivity. The students without disabilities develop lifelong character traits of empathy and respect. They will gain responsibility, learn team building strategies, and time management. These students will leave Oakridge and have the empathy and compassion to interact with many diverse groups of people. Students in our modified curriculum special education classes leave Oakridge with a sense of belonging, they have friends who say hello and know their names, and they have been fully included in events that were designed for them to learn and succeed. Most importantly, most of my students, especially those with the most severe and profound disabilities may never get to experience any of these events otherwise. Some families have barriers, such not having wheelchair accessible transportation, and cannot come back for an after-school dance or go to a carnival or fair. Even if our students could go to the Collier County fair their heavy specialty wheelchairs may not be able to navigate the dirt fairgrounds. Can they safely ride on a ride? Are the games adapted so they can participate and have a fair chance of winning a prize? Through these special events our students are guaranteed a fully inclusive and immersive middle school experience. They will have a once in a lifetime chance to participate in events that are fully designed with their needs first. Thank you for considering funding these events as they have become a beloved opportunity for our students and their families. 

 

Budget Narrative

The glow dance funds will purchase glow decorations, a black lights, hats and props, photo booth stand kit and backdrops. The students will work together to set up and help our special friends that day.

Book parade funds will be used to buy small literacy related gifts and prizes for our students, in addition to costs for the book themed costume materials.

Carnival funds will be used for crafts, games, prizes, decorations to design academic and life skills booths. 

 

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