Students and staff of Hopewell Valley Central High School, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, and Special Olympics NJ got together on Nov. 16 to celebrate the high school’s recognition as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.
HVCHS is one of two schools in New Jersey to receive this national recognition from the Special Olympics. The other is Perth Amboy High School.
According to the Special Olympics, a Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff.
“A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community,” reads the Special Olympics website.
The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole-School Engagement.
“Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future,” reads the Special Olympics website.
Special Olympics expects recognized schools to continue to meet the standards of award every year. Schools must reapply for banner status every four years.
In a letter sent to district parents and guardians, principal Patricia Riley wrote that the school began on the road toward becoming a Unified Champion School began several years ago, when athletic director Tripp Becker and Coach Chris Fossel introduced Unified Track to HVCHS.
“Since that time, Special Olympics has selected the HVCHS Unified Track team to represent New Jersey at national and international competitions. We have expanded our Unified Athletics offerings over the years to include Unified Soccer and Unified Basketball. HV Athletics has taken an inclusive approach to athletics in general; many other teams, including cross country, swimming, and cheerleading, have students with and without disabilities competing,” Riley wrote.
Members of CHS athletics teams have participated in such events as the 2019 Youth World Games and the 2022 USA Games.
In 2019, Riley wrote, teachers Meaghan Chaves and Michelle Brennan developed the CHS Unified Club. Their goal was to provide social opportunities while uniting students with and without disabilities. HVCHS Child Study Team members Holly Kaufman and Brooke Garcia-Andrews have also recently begun a chapter of Best Buddies, an international organization dedicated to developing friendships between individuals with and without disabilities.
The Unified Club, which has around 50 members, roughly half of which are students with disabilities, aims to providing opportunities for students with and without disabilities to lead and to collaborate to facilitate cooperation, understanding and inclusivity.
The club meets during lunch, when activities and events are planned. The club also hosts a monthly Unified Hour in conjunction with different school athletic teams and clubs.
Last year, Unified Hour activities included making gingerbread houses, practicing with the girls’ varsity basketball team, making and donating blankets for a local nonprofit organization, practicing with the varsity cheerleading team, and playing in a kickball game.
The Unified Club has also hosted evening activities, such as visiting a local corn maze, attending the school play, and watching movies in the school’s media center.
The high school has also formed the Best Buddies Club, which as of the last school year, had 34 members. The leadership team of the club includes students with and without intellectual disabilities.
In the club, students with intellectual disabilities are partnered with at least one student without intellectual disabilities. Partner students participate in social activities such as dinner at a local restaurant, trips to the movies or visits to a nearby park, depending on their shared interests.
Students also participate in larger group activities, such as the Best Buddies Valentines Day Celebration, Best Buddies Lunch on the Turf or Best Buddies/Unified Club Spring Dance, which are facilitated by the student leadership team.
“From the Unified Track Program, to our inclusive approach to athletics, to the Unified Club, to our Best Buddies Chapter, HVCHS has made inclusivity a priority. I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of the students and staff members who made this national recognition possible. We are honored to be selected as a 2023 Unified Champion School,” Riley wrote.
Attending the Nov. 16, 2023 Hopewell Valley Central High School event to celebrate the school’s selection as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School are Giada Caracausi, Ravi Wetzel and Katie Means. (Photos by Mike Schwartz/mikeschwartz.photo.),
