Inclusion, love and tolerance earn Keller school unique honor from Special Olympics
In Keller, when it comes to Special Olympics, one elementary school is indeed a lone star.
Lone Star Elementary has been recognized as the first elementary school in Texas to be named a Special Olympics National Banner School. They are one of only 45 in the entire United States.
A ceremony was held on April 19 to honor the school. Keller school district officials were joined by Special Olympics Texas and Special Olympics Unified Champion program representatives to accept the prestigious honor.
“As a campus, we’ve worked for many years to include our Special Olympic Athletes in all that we do. So for us, it’s not about the award, as much as it is about setting an example for others by doing the right thing and including these incredible kids in every opportunity we offer our students,” Lone Star Principal Steve Hurst said.
“As a former athlete, being a part of a team is very important to me. We talk a lot on our campus about unity and being all in this together. If anyone falls down, the hope and expectation is that we’ve taught our students to always help each other get back up.”
A Special Olympics 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 (UCS) 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.
“At Lone Star, inclusion comes easy,” said UCS Adviser and third-grade teacher Kelly McCormack. “It is what we do. Inclusion is our lifestyle, it is not a life choice.”
Lone Star decided to take it one step further and created a Unified Champion School Campus Leadership Team, which consisted of 11 general education students and four Special Education students. This group is in charge of planning school-wide inclusive events, promoting UCS activities on daily announcements, volunteering hours for Special Olympic fundraising efforts, meeting twice monthly, and more, all while keeping up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
The student leadership team includes Declan McCormick, Abigail Poplaski, Kelsi Sutherland, Lucy Bergeron, Reagan Kempfer, Nyla Hall, Brody Oldham, Hudson Lambert, Sydney Martin, Anderson Jones, Kate Wander, Sophia Lodato, Avery Blassucci, Kathalia Gonzalez, Divine Tshimanga, Oliver Morse, Aiden Cruz, Abby Street, Sebastian Ibanez and Zariah Hervey.
“It’s been a great success, and the National Banner recognition is something incredible, to say the very least,” McCormack said.
“This climate is where our students with disabilities feel welcomed and loved for what they can do, not what they cannot do,” she continued. “There are three components to this program — unified sports, a unified leadership team, and whole school engagement. This program is woven into the fabric of our school, providing rich opportunities that can lead to meaningful change in supporting all students.
“We are teaching transparency, acceptance and building leadership into our citizens. We are investing in the legacy of our students in order to build a stronger tomorrow of love and tolerance.”
