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Bunker Hill Middle students showcase Team Up inclusion program to Washington Township board
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Summary
Students and staff from Bunker Hill Middle School demonstrated Team Up'a program that pairs peers with students in autism and multiple disabilities programs for social, vocational and community activities; Assistant Principal Farid Syed and student speakers described concrete events and life-skill outcomes.
Bunker Hill Middle School students and staff presented Team Up, an inclusion program designed to pair students in autism and multiple-disabilities classes with seventh- and eighth-grade peers to build friendships, social skills and vocational experience.
Assistant Principal Farid Syed introduced the program and the educators who champion it, saying Team Up creates "opportunities to bridge that gap, allowing all students to practice social skills while forming meaningful, authentic connections within our school community." He named several staff who oversee Team Up and praised their daily investment in students.
Student presenters described activities and outcomes: paired lunches, a fall activity day painting and carving pumpkins, placing veteran flags on Veteran's Day, a Thanksgiving community outing and a MLK Day service project that resulted in 110 birthday kits donated to Unforgotten Haven in Blackwood, N.J. Students also highlighted the Bulldog Cafe and the Pride Paw shop (a recognition store) as venues for practicing vocational tasks such as stocking shelves, screening customers and handling transactions.
One student said Team Up "helps us become more thoughtful toward everyone," and another shared that being in the program improved family relationships and confidence when interacting with peers. A student who has a family member with cerebral palsy described how Team Up helped them better understand and support family needs.
Board members applauded the students and administrators; after the presentation the board thanked participants and allowed time for a photograph. The board then moved on to the district budget presentation.
Why it matters: presenters and students tied Team Up to both social-emotional learning and concrete life skills, and the program was cited as a model for inclusion that affects classroom climate and community engagement. The program's activities and donations (for example, the 110 birthday kits) provide measurable community service outcomes that the board and district highlighted.
