During Dec. 2 – 6, Freedom celebrated Inclusive Schools week. Freedom HOPE club and Unified Sports sponsored many events throughout the week with the special education students at Freedom. Inclusive Schools week works to make sure students feel included, and gives them a chance to be represented and celebrated within the school.

The week started off with a campaign for students to be the I in KIND and pose in front of a poster to spread the message that Inclusive schools week tries to portray about individual kindness, especially towards students with special needs. On Dec. 5, a few of the HOPE club officers and some of the special education students took a trip to the Dulles Airport to decorate a Christmas tree with ornaments they worked hard to make a few weeks prior. Then Dec. 7, the first unified basketball game of the season took place.

Many of the new HOPE club members and officers got to experience the Inclusive Schools week events for the first time. New officer Maddie Mosely got to experience the airport trip for the first time this year and had lots to say about the importance of the week.

“This week is important to highlight the inclusivity and kindness of Freedom High School students and staff,” Mosely said. “It brings the various cultures in Freedom together to discover commonalities and create new friendships. It also works to celebrate Freedom’s all-inclusive environment and welcoming nature towards the students with special needs.

A video recapping the week includes pictures from the morning campaign, the airport tree decorating, and the unified basketball game on Saturday.

https://www.wevideo.com/view/1533413987

Video created by Maddie Mosely and Camille Desjardins. Photos provided by Camille Desjardins, Maddie Mosely, Lauren Balser, and Jenna Arndt