Buena Park highlights Special Olympics as inclusion model, urges expansion
Loading...
Summary
District staff and parents told the Board of Trustees that Special Olympics events at multiple elementary schools built inclusion, friendships and staff engagement; district leaders said they plan to expand participation, parent committees and volunteer recruitment.
Julie Hlinicky, director of district programs, told the Board of Trustees that the district’s Special Olympics events this school year brought students, staff and families together and helped two schools earn Unified Champion School recognition.
"Special Olympics is more than a sporting event. It's a global movement rooted in inclusion, empowerment, and feel like it promotes social interaction, sportsmanship," Hlinicky said, adding the recognition reflects work in "unified sports, inclusive leadership and full school engagement." The events were held at school sites including Pendleton and Whitaker and involved general-education students as buddies for peers with disabilities.
Why it matters: Board members and presenters said the events are an on-campus demonstration of inclusive practice that reaches families and staff, not just athletes, and builds school climate and social connections across grades.
District staff and school-level presenters described event details: at Pendleton a planning committee included parents and general-education buddies; students practiced during PE; the day included an opening ceremony, athletic events, volunteers, music, cheering and an award ceremony. At Whitaker, speaker Dr. Hernandez described teams and stations for soccer, basketball, football and volleyball and said students not on teams held signs and cheered.
Parent testimonials illustrated the impact. Jennifer Choi, a Whitaker parent, said of her son: "Special Olympics gives him the opportunity to enjoy different sports and help gain his confidence." Alexandria Morales, who identifies as an aunt of a Pendleton participant, said the program "is allowing gen ed students to also understand the true definition of inclusion."
Presenters credited partners and volunteers, naming the Anaheim Ducks, North Orange County SOPA staff (including adaptive PE teacher Jenny Reid), district office staff, school committees and the Buena Park Education Foundation for shirts and donations. Staff names cited for strong ongoing work included Sarah Tarn, school psychologist at Pendleton, and coaches Bell and Chrisley.
Next steps presented to the board include growing the parent committee, expanding student participation, and continuing recruitment of volunteers and sponsors so "every student regardless of their ability to feel seen, valued, and included," as Hlinicky stated.
No formal board action was taken; the Special Olympics presentation was delivered as a programs-and-reports item and followed by board comments and questions.
