Norwin and Franklin Regional high schools are among nine in Pennsylvania to be nationally recognized as a Special Olympics Unified Champion Banner School for their commitment to inclusion in sports, academics, and extracurricular activities.
“Receiving this distinction as a Unified Champion School shows that Norwin has made inclusion a priority in all aspects of school,” said Alyssa Rittenhouse, a Norwin occupational therapist who coaches the Unified track and field team with Jim Pepke. The Unified teams have both students with and without disabilities on their rosters.
Lauren Saulter, the manager for the Western Pennsylvania Unified Champions Schools program, nominated the local school districts , Rittenhouse said.
“Being a Unified Champion School means staff and students see our students with disabilities as strong, smart and talented, not as people who need to be helped, coddled or in separate activities,” Rittenhouse said in a statement.
To be recognized as a Unified Champion School, districts must have an inclusive school climate and exude a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. Rittenhouse said she completed a lengthy application form describing how Norwin achieved all 10 of the required national standards, which include a unified sports team where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates, inclusive youth leadership, and whole-school engagement.
Norwin’s Unified program began in 2016 and the indoor bocce team was added last winter with Rittenhouse as its coach. Numerous Norwin staff and paraprofessionals have helped throughout the years as well.
“They have led the way to promote inclusion, and in doing so, have set a noteworthy example for others to follow,” said Norwin Superintendent Jeff Taylor.
Norwin students who participate on either the Unified track or bocce teams describe their activities as highly rewarding.
Rittenhouse said Norwin provides opportunities for students with, and without, disabilities to be equals and leaders on the same team, in the same club, or in the same classroom.
Sydney Willig, a senior who participates in both Unified track and field and the bocce teams, said she loves that all students are able to participate in sports and be a part of a team.
Jessica Welch-Mussori, a senior member of Unified track and field, said she enjoys Unified sports because it allows her to compete safely with her peers.
“It also gives me the opportunity to inspire others with different abilities,” Welch-Mussori said.
Brothers Will and Connor Baverso appreciated having one another on the team and the inclusion element of the Unified program.
“No one is left out, and together we make up a team,” said Will Baverso, a junior.
At Franklin Regional, the district debuted its Unified track team in 2014. The next year, the expanded team finished first in Westmoreland County.
“The kids really loved the athletic part of it,” said Allison Harris, a Franklin Regional life skills teacher who co-sponsors the unified program with special-education paraprofessional Deb Shook.
“We have a bunch of kids who’ve been involved with Special Olympics forever, and they saw that other schools had a bocce team,” Harris said. “And because we’d raised so money the year before through the Polar Plunge, Special Olympics officials told us we could add a second sport.”
The addition of a bocce team qualified FR for the Unified Champion School designation.
“It was super, super fun,” Harris said.
This year, the track team had only completed a week of practice before the covid-19 pandemic hit.
“But we had football players signing up,” Harris said. “You know you’re doing something right when the football players want to participate. So we’re hoping that we can keep that going this school year.”
