INCLUDE OUR PEERS

PEERS PARTICIPATING IN UNIFIED P.E.; PHOTO BY KRISSA LAIDLAW

Clear Creek Amana is openly ecstatic about our sports environment, which is very reasonable regarding our recent success, but what if CCA treated other environments equally? Although we try by making assemblies and such, they are still not given the same attention as sports. “What steps can we take to bridge this attention gap in school and the world?” is a question asked by many. Students who need a little extra help deserve to be in a safe and inclusive environment, where bullying and disrespect wouldn't be a problem. Our school's inclusion assemblies have created controversy for many students. We had students do phenomenal during the assembly and others not so much. Many of our teachers and students agree, but what can we do? 

Clear Creek Amana held an assembly to create a space for a group of individuals to feel included in our school environment... but things turned upside down quickly. Some of the students in the crowd were not  cheering to support, but instead to discriminate and make fun of these individuals. Disciplinary actions had to be enforced due to this immature behavior. Many thought that this assembly would also be a good idea to leave and just ditch school because this was “not important”, and others decided that maybe signing their friends up to help participate would be funny because who would want to actually participate? Actually many would, and it shouldn't be a joke. Students like Nyle Walker, Sasha Robinson, and Hailey Faulkcon volunteered because they care. It's cooler to be part of a team than to be discriminatory and mean. 

I talked to three students who believe it's important to care, Hailey Faulkcon, Hayden Bailey and Holly Atkinson, who take part in being a team. 

They were asked, “What do you think the school could do to improve inclusivity and be more supportive and educated towards students who need extra help?” Bailey responded, “Talking about programs and activities like unified PE and offering more opportunities like it would be a great start to including that specific group of students. They’re wonderful people who deserve to be a bigger part of our community!” This is an amazing idea to start more inclusivity. 

Atkinson has been an advocate for inclusivity from the beginning and will fight for everyone to be included, “Over the last 7 years since I have chosen to take Unified P.E. I have learned so much more about my partners and myself. It is a class where you can bond with students who are level three and need more one-on-one help. The class has a great atmosphere and everyone in the class gets along, and makes each other laugh.” Holly has worked hard on informing people on what this class offers, and how it impacts those around. 

When I walk into the school and see level three students on their own because students are afraid to talk to them, and it breaks my heart. Everyone needs a friend, and the fact that so many people are willing to bully someone for being different just brings me to tears. Since I have taken Unified P.E, I have learned so much more about students, and what they enjoy in a stress-free environment which is so different from any other class. Just talking about students who disrespect other students for being different is a topic that brings up a lot of strong feelings for so many. 

Faulkcon is one strong supporter of unified P.E. and helping those around her. “I feel like during our inclusion week we did an amazing job, but we should not have to have a certain week to be kind to others. It should be a given. Some of the things that we could do are being kind and understanding. Let's all try to be more understanding and kind to each other. We never know what someone else might be going through, so a little empathy can go a long way. Buddy System: What if we started a buddy system where students could partner up to support each other. It could be really helpful for students who feel left out or need someone to talk to. Showcasing Diversity: Our school should celebrate the diversity of our community. We could suggest having events or projects that showcase different cultures, backgrounds, and abilities. Educational Workshops: We could organize workshops or presentations to learn more about different learning needs and how we can be more supportive classmates. Listen Up: Let's make sure we're listening to each other and respecting everyone's perspectives. Sometimes just being there to listen can make a big difference. Hailey shares a great perspective of being a kind person to other students.