ASG prepares for National Inclusive Schools Week
CVUSD schools have been diligently preparing for the week of Dec. 7, the designated dates for this year’s annual National Inclusive Schools Week celebrations.
At the Nov. 3 board meeting in which the resolution was approved, many spoke up in support of its significance. “The positive experiences of inclusive opportunities often prepare us for our own journey in life. All students need to experience this. An inclusive mindset helps all students become well-rounded, well-informed, and well-prepared for life as adults,” Carole Shelton, public commenter, said.
Many schools have been finding new and COVID-19 friendly ways to honor this third annual National Inclusive Schools Week. Lee Ann Holland, another public commenter, says, “I am confident that our students and student leaders, principals and teachers, staff and family will find innovative ways to celebrate Inclusive Schools Week.” At NPHS, many of these efforts have been carefully coordinated by our ASG, with each day having a different theme.
The first and final days of the week, the plan is to promote a general inclusivity culture, with Monday having a special emphasis on the freshmen. “We know that this year has been a little bit hard on the freshmen, and they may not totally feel like they’re part of our Panther family yet, since they’ve never actually been on campus,” Steven Kitchell, senior and ASG president, explained. “We really want to make sure that they feel included in our school culture.” All freshmen should look out for an email from their freshmen buddy and class of 2024 spotlights on the ASG Instagram, @newburyparkpanthers. Friday’s festivities will be broader, emphasizing that everyone is a Panther through a black-and-gold dress up day and a school-wide Zoom from 4pm-5pm.
On Dec. 8 and 10, the focus will be on clubs on campus. “We’re going to spotlight them on our Instagram: talk about what those clubs do, how they promote inclusivity and maybe have an Instagram takeover,” Kitchell said. On Tuesday, the focus will be on language and culture groups such as Asian Culture Club, Latinos Unidos, English Learners and the American Sign Language club. Thursday will center on all the other groups on campus that promote inclusivity, especially social justice clubs like GirlUp and GSA.
Wednesday, Dec. 9, ASG plans to highlight abilities inclusion through an all-orange dress-up day, a unified sports feature on the school Instagram and a special delivery of posters and balloons to the special needs classes, along with general campus decorations. You can also look out for a dance video of Sparkles on Instagram. “We know how much everyone loves to see Sparkles,” Kitchell said. “[They’re] definitely a crowd favorite.” Other programs like the Panther Pals and LEAP will also be spotlighted for their impactful work.
ASG’s goal of this year’s observance is to reinforce the inclusive ideals at our school. “We’re really lucky at NP, actually- I think we have a very inclusive school in general,” Kitchell said. “But, I think Inclusive Schools Week is important to…find those students that don’t always get the spotlight on them, or don’t always know that they’re being included…and making sure that they feel a part of our community.”
