Three county schools have landed in the national spotlight with honors from Special Olympics North America for the ways in which they cultivate climates of kindness and acceptance by providing inclusive sports and programs for students with and without intellectual disabilities.
Old Mill Middle School South, Arundel High School and Glen Burnie High School have been named Special Olympics Unified Champion National Banner schools, adding to Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ (AACPS) stellar legacy dating back to 2010 with Special Olympics Maryland. Of the 19 schools in Maryland with the distinction, 12 are in AACPS. Old Mill Middle School South is the first middle school in Maryland to earn the award.
“We talk every day in every school about being a school community where every student can Belong, Grow, and Succeed,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell said. “These schools are bringing that mindset to life every day in ways that are simply stellar.”
The honor is earned by schools that meet 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community. These standards of excellence support the Unified Champion Schools strategy, which focuses on inclusive sports and activities, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement to reach every student.
With a motto of “Choose to Include,” the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program is aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change and the creation of school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities, and functions.
Old Mill Middle School South has taken the traditional high school model for unified sports, clubs, and classes and created an inclusive environment where all students are seen, valued, and included. All students have the opportunity to take any encore class, participate in any co-curricular club, and attend all school-wide events. The school’s unified classes and clubs not only promote inclusive practices but also teach the entire school community about student leadership, whole-school engagement, and the power of inclusion.
“This achievement reflects the collective dedication of our students, staff, parents, and the broader community, each of whom played a vital role in making this milestone possible,” Old Mill Middle School South Principal Linda Chandler said. “We have continued to come to the table with new innovative ideas to take the high school model and re-create it for our school community. I am so proud of our school and I hope this empowers other middle schools across our state to partner with Special Olympics Maryland and see the importance of how this can help transform a school community, as it did with ours, with an emphasis on inclusion, leadership and belonging.”
At the high school level, AACPS offers three Unified Sports throughout the year – tennis (fall), bowling (winter), and bocce (spring) – in which student-athletes with and without disabilities train and compete as equal teammates in athletic competition. The program allows all student-athletes to learn about and exhibit good sportsmanship, build positive self-esteem, learn sport-specific skills, improve physical fitness, foster new friendships, and develop and enhance the concept of teamwork. Special Olympics Maryland strives to extend these values beyond the team roster, reaching all students through inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement.
The school district also has Unified Physical Education and Leadership and Unified Dance and Leadership curricula at the middle and high school levels and Unified Visual Arts and Leadership and Unified Music and Leadership at the high school level. All replicate the values of the Unified Sports program and students with and without intellectual disabilities in those classes team up to reach common goals.
“Everyone at Glen Burnie High School has worked diligently to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging in our school community,” Glen Burnie High School Principal Kevin Carr said. “From Coach Neumann and Coach Stavely in our Unified Sports program the educators and paraeducators in our Alternate Curriculum Classes to our Unified classes in Physical Education, Dance, Art and Music and clubs like Best Buddies, our students, faculty and staff have truly embodied the tenants of Special Olympics and the AACPS values of Belong, Grow and Succeed. We are all proud of this work and ready to continue it.”
As a result of the commitment to inclusivity and acceptances, schools are able to reduce bullying and exclusion, promote inclusive friendships, overturn negative attitudes, decrease hurtful language in schools and the community, develop students’ leadership skills, and create communities of caring and respect.
“Earning the Unified Champion Schools National Banner is an incredible accomplishment, but at Arundel, inclusion is more than an award. It is part of who we are. Words matter and actions count,” Arundel Principal Kimberly Winterbottom said. “Inclusion doesn’t begin or end with one program or one group; it is a commitment shared by our entire school community. We know the work of inclusion is never finished, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that every student has a place to belong, grow, and succeed at Arundel. This recognition reflects the daily efforts of our students, staff, and families who live out our values with pride.”
To learn more about AACPS’ Unified Sports programs, click here and scroll to Unified/Corollary Sports. To learn more about Unified Physical Education, click here.