Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Inclusive Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nixon Elementary showcases inclusion programs to Roxbury Board
Summary
Nixon Elementary School staff and students described inclusive classroom and extracurricular programs during a presentation to the Roxbury Township Board of Education, saying the efforts support social skills, independence and integration of IEP goals.
Danielle Lynch, principal of Nixon Elementary School, told the Roxbury Township Board of Education on Monday that Nixon serves 270 students and has expanded schoolwide efforts to promote inclusion and student belonging.
Lynch introduced teachers, therapists and students who presented short descriptions and examples of programs at the school, including Best Buddies, Green Team, Unified Specials and the TIDES special education program. "At Nixon School, we have 270 students, each with different abilities, unique talents, varied strengths," Lynch said. "To support opportunities that nurture and foster this connectedness, Nixon School has created a host of opportunities that our students can be a part of."
Jean Rex, a third-grade teacher, described Best Buddies as a weekly opportunity in which third graders visit students in specialized programs to "engage in activities that promote social skills along with receptive and expressive language." Jen Babas, an occupational therapist at Nixon, said the Green Team grows plants and food to teach functional life skills and social collaboration. Lauren Agresta, the school art teacher, described "Unified Specials" as reverse-inclusion art sessions where general-education students support special-education peers on projects.
Christine O'Connor, a TIDES special education teacher, said her class regularly joins first-grade peers for recess and monthly classroom projects to practice turn-taking and social skills. "The students experience an environment where they feel valued, which increases their self esteem and their self worth," O'Connor said.
Several Nixon students spoke about their experiences. One student said a favorite activity was finger painting with friends in Best Buddies; another said Green Team lets students "pick flowers, pumpkins, and peppers to grow in the husky garden." Staff and a parent pair highlighted that these activities help students to generalize IEP goals across academic, therapeutic and social settings.
Danielle Evans, Nixon's speech therapist, read a statement from Nora Manahan's parents that praised the school's inclusive practices. "Nora, myself, and my husband love Nixon's school. It has been a fantastic fit for Nora. Her needs have been well met, and she is socially integrated with her mainstream peers so far as her abilities allow," the parents wrote, according to Evans. "The inclusive practices in place at Nixon are working very well for Nora and our family."
Board members thanked students and staff for the presentation. The display included a slideshow of classroom activities and examples of student work.
The presentation was given during the meeting's public portion following an executive-session recess and preceded other scheduled reports to the board.
