Mentone Elementary Honored As Unified Champion Banner School
MENTONE — Friday, Oct. 20, Mentone Elementary School received a Unified Champion School banner from Special Olympics Indiana Northwest Regional Manager Buzz Lail. Students and teachers gathered in the gymnasium for the special presentation during the Mentone Elementary Friday Morning Live event.
Tippecanoe Valley schools were among 33 Indiana school districts that participated in the Unified Champion Schools program during the 2016-17 school year. Through completion of the program, Mentone Elementary has become one of 30 Unified Champion Banner schools in Indiana.
“I’m here to congratulate you on behalf of Special Olympics Indiana,” Lail told the students, “Last year 33 school districts in the state of Indiana participated in a program that allows students with special needs and general education students to compete and train together. Out of 33 school districts, over 100 schools participated, but only 30 earned their banner.”
Unified Champion Schools is a partnership between Special Olympics Indiana and the Indiana Council of Administrators of Special Education. The program involves special education and general education students from pre-school through middle-school. Students take part in 12 weeks of training, which consists of adaptive play for younger students, and track and field for grades three and up.
This program promotes social inclusion to ensure that special education and general education students are equally engaged. Teachers and students are encouraged to work together to create supportive classrooms, activities and opportunities.
At the end of the 12-week training period, there is a Unified Game Day of competition, awards and fun in which families and the community can share their achievements. Fundraising to help “pay it forward” and allow the program to continue helps distinguish the banner schools.
Lail stated, “In order to earn the banner you had to complete the training, have a Unified Game Day event and raise some money so people would be able to do it again this year. You did all that – and you got your banner.”
Mentone Elementary Principal Randy Dahms said, “This is a great honor. We will be hanging the banner up in here.”