What Does It Mean to Be Inclusive at HBR?
Inclusion is at the heartbeat of the work we do—but what does it truly mean to be inclusive? To us at HBR Elementary, inclusion means creating an environment where every person feels accepted, valued, and a genuine part of the community. It means recognizing and honoring individual differences while ensuring that everyone has equitable opportunities to participate fully, access resources, and grow. Being inclusive also means that every person’s voice is not only heard, but respected and meaningful. Finally, being inclusive means the intentional removal of barriers so that ALL individuals can engage, contribute, and succeed. We believe it is the role of every person in our school to help one another know they belong and are seen, and so every person in our building plays a vital role to support this vision.
How Do We Facilitate That Work at HBR Elementary?
One of the primary ways we facilitate this work is by intentionally building relationships that allow us to understand and respond to the unique needs of each child we serve. We meet the needs of the whole child, through nurturing aspects such as mental, emotional, physical and academic well-being, so every student feels safe, valued and ready to learn.
When working with students with identified, diverse learning needs, we operate as an Inclusion Team. This team is a collaborative partnership of parents, teachers, service providers, paraprofessionals, interventionists and administration, all united by a shared commitment to supporting each student in the ways that they uniquely need. We strive to meet students where they are, using their strengths and interests to promote growth and progress, identify meaningful entry points into new challenges and opportunities, and celebrate individual progress along the way.
Let’s take a closer look at a specific example of the work our team does—one of the most exciting parts.
Personally, I’ve been a part of this community all my life. I started kindergarten in this district and I graduated from HBRHS. I have also raised my family here. This community and the children and families we serve mean a lot to me. I see how we are woven together into the fabric of what makes our statement ‘Once a Royal, always a Royal’ ring true.
We have been intentionally teaching students that communication looks different for everyone. While some individuals communicate using spoken words aloud, others use alternative ways to share their voice, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). These methods can include visuals or pictures, core boards, switches or buttons, and dedicated communication devices, such as iPads. This past semester, I had the opportunity to work with students across multiple settings to support this type of learning.
One highlight was visiting classrooms to read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Students were encouraged to communicate in a variety of ways during this opportunity, including spoken language, gestures, facial expressions, American Sign Language (ASL), and AAC core boards. It was an authentic and meaningful way to teach and practice inclusive communication, all while having fun!
In December, our team also created an interactive display outside our classroom featuring communication visuals for holiday songs paired with corresponding buttons or switches that played the music. It was wonderful to see classes pause, explore, and engage together as they learned about different ways to access and enjoy music.
Most recently, our team focused on ensuring that opportunities for play are also inclusive. As Mr. Rogers famously said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning, but for children, play is learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” We could not agree more Additionally, we truly believe that every child deserves to see themselves reflected in that play. With this in mind, and considering our students who use AAC devices, we wanted to ensure they had meaningful opportunities to access inclusive play both at school and at home. We partnered with an amazing HBR middle school student who volunteered his time over winter break to 3D-print miniature toy AAC devices. These were provided to every EC–1st grade student who uses AAC, and additional devices were gifted to all EC–Kindergarten classrooms for use in play centers.
This work supports our broader goal of fostering community-minded citizens by empowering students with authentic opportunities to make positive and meaningful contributions. It has been an exciting and impactful first semester, and we look forward to continuing this amazing work in the months ahead!
With Gratitude,
Amber Murphy
Inclusion Facilitator, HBR Elementary School
In Collaboration with Torie Kerr, Special Education Teacher and Bonnie Osborne, Director of Student Services