Posted by Duveneck mom, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Dec 6, 2012 at 9:05 pm

I especially like the activities. Children learn better by doing something concrete and it looks like the schools embraced this. The sentiment on the Walter Hays flyer is something everyone should take to heart.

Posted by MIke, a resident of the University South neighborhood, on Dec 6, 2012 at 11:22 pm

Did the middle schools participate?

Posted by A school teacher, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Dec 7, 2012 at 11:01 am

This was a very special week to focus on ensuring the safety and well being of all students in all areas of the schools.

Posted by Duveneck mom, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Dec 7, 2012 at 10:51 pm

Middle schools & high schools participated.

Posted by Walter Hays Dad, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Dec 10, 2012 at 2:38 pm

I think Walter Hays did a great job. I attended the talks given at the parent night, and was happy with the turnout by both parents of special needs children and parents of normative children. It was wonderful to hear the normative parents talk through how they should teach their children about inclusion and helping their classmates with apparent and/or hidden disabilities.

I do want to take issue with one item. As quoted in the story, one child wrote "Be a good friend to people who don't know English." While I laud this sentiment, it was not in fact that sentiment meant to be broadcast by Inclusive Schools week. Inclusive Schools week was to focus on special needs children, and how to include them (especially those with social handicaps) in the regular classroom and on the playground. These special needs kids deserve friends too and often do not have the skills and abilities to converse with normative classmates.

Nonetheless, I would like this child's sentiment to be addressed. Just because our schools and communities are diverse, does not mean that they are inclusive. I suppose that one could stretch the definition of disability to include race and language issues, but please not for this week (unless such analogy is needed to help a child understand what a child with a learning disability feels like).

I guess, other differences can be discussed in other weeks. For learning disabilities, I would like this week to be kept for learing disabilities.