National Inclusive Schools Week

The Chappaqua Central School District is excited to celebrate National Inclusive Schools Week, which runs from December 5th – 9th this year. National Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event that celebrates the progress that schools have made in supporting a culture of inclusiveness and providing a quality education to an increasingly diverse student population.

This year’s theme is Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Understood, Be You! Thanks to our partnership with the PTA, there are many events planned for all our students to strengthen their sense of belonging in our schools and to further ensure our schools continue to reach their goal of successfully educating ALL children.

In all schools, there will be a variety of learning opportunities and experiences including, but not limited to, reading books with differently abled characters, morning announcements, guest speakers, and art projects.

This is a week when we intentionally recommit ourselves to recognizing the value of every member of our community and pursuing the goal of being a truly inclusive district. In addition, it brings the school community together for a common purpose.

Please find highlights from some of our National Inclusive Schools Week activities from throughout the District below:

Elementary Schools

  • Each classroom will receive the book, All The Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans With Disabilities Changed Everything. The book is the inspiring true story of Jennifer Keelan, the activist whose participation in the Capitol Crawl at just eight years old encouraged Congress to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • Former Chappaqua student Brady and current Horace Greeley student Bailey McCarthy will present to our 3rd-grade students. They will share the book, Super Brady, which Brady co-authored and published with his sister Alexx last year. The McCarthy family’s mission is to change the world’s perception of the capabilities of people with disabilities and advocate for inclusion.
  • Student ambassadors from the Tourette Association will speak to our fourth-grade students. The goal of the Tourette Ambassador program is to educate children all over the country about Tourette Syndrome and to spread acceptance of and understanding of Tourette’s while displacing the myths and stereotypes that are often associated with the disorder.

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Middle Schools

Bell and Seven Bridges are both focusing on a series of mini lessons all week across all grades and content areas focused on visible and invisible disabilities. They are watching videos that give a window into the challenges of differently abled people and how inclusivity emphasizes similarities rather than difference.  Following the video, the teacher is engaging students in conversation and modeling empathy. In addition, on the morning announcements students started each day hearing about a different learning or life challenge.

Bell’s Physical Education courses introduced warm up activities that focused on an exploration of unity, identity, and teamwork through flexibility and fitness.

Horace Greeley High School

Greeley has planned events each day aligning with the National Inclusive Schools Week themes.

Monday QR CODE DAY - Scan the QR codes in the café and around school to learn about NISW and more!

Tuesday MOVIE DAY - During lunch join us in the Academic Commons for movies and popcorn!

Wednesday PETAL DAY - Help assemble the beautiful flower in the Academic Commons filled with student petals

Thursday QUAKERFEST - All students and clubs are invited to join the fun in the café for treats, games and many activities!

Friday UNITY DAY - Special Guest Speaker and student-led workshops

District-Wide

Schools will be creating a visual representation of inclusion in our District by having all students and staff contribute to a bulletin board. Each student will receive a colored flower petal, and each staff member will receive a colored leaf. On the petal/leaf, students and staff will write or draw about what defines who they are.

Questions they might consider are: What makes you unique or special? What is something about yourself that makes you proud? What is the most important thing about you that you want others to know?

The display will be on the bulletin board in the front lobby, and the wording will say, Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Understood, Be You!

National Inclusive Schools Week will culminate with Unity Day on Friday, December 9, 2022.