Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Unified Sports topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District staff and students highlight Unified Sports program at Center Moriches board meeting
Summary
District staff and student presenters told the Center Moriches Union Free School District Board of Education about the Unified Sports program’s first year, citing senior night, participation in the Long Island Special Olympics and upcoming events designed to build inclusion.
A district staff member praised the first-year Center Moriches Unified Sports program at a board meeting in the high school library, saying the team’s senior night showcased “the purity of athletics” and students’ kindness.
The staff member recounted an episode in which participant Nolan Kennedy comforted an opposing player who was crying after a game, saying the team had “become my heroes.” Student presenters described Unified as a Section 5 public high school program that brings students with and without intellectual disabilities onto one team to increase inclusivity and acceptance across the school.
Student presenters said the district has represented itself at the Long Island Special Olympics for nine consecutive years and described several noncompetitive events the program hosted this year, including a Liberty Day volleyball tournament and a mental-health–focused tournament that the presenters described as a way for peers to participate without emphasizing winners. They announced an upcoming Unify play on May 30 with a Luau theme and said eight of 10 expected participants are confirmed.
District staff thanked special-education staff, coaches, mentors and families for supporting the program and asked board members and attendees to join a group photo. They emphasized that Unified activities promote inclusion across differences such as ability and gender and said the program has had a positive effect on students’ social growth and school culture.
The board’s public session then moved on to routine business; the meeting later considered financial reports and a motion to enter executive session to discuss labor negotiations.
