Recent Posts
- Are You Ready for Spirit Week 2024?!?! BY ISABELLA CAROLOW
- Extra Schoolwork During Advisory??? Perspectives from Students and Teachers on SAT Prep BY SAMUEL HIERS
- Embracing Perspective: Finding Beauty in the Ordinary and Extraordinary BY SAMANTHA MIGNANELLI
- The Taylor Swift “Thing” BY KEELY SULLIVAN
- CHS Renovations BY HAZEL DUROSS
Recent Comments
- Maureen Couture on Quality Education Comes in Many Forms BY Justin Curran
- Gwen Schumacher on Quality Education Comes in Many Forms BY Justin Curran
- chakal on How to Prepare for Final Exams BY Mrs. Murgida (from CHS Guidance)
- MAJ P. on The Healthy Benefits of Music that is Surely “Pop” for the Soul! BY Samuel Hiers
- MAJ P. on Planning for a Life in the U.S. Military BY Matthew Capwell
Archives
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- June 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- May 2021
- March 2021
- May 2020
- February 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- December 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- May 2017
- March 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- November 2015
- October 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
Unified Oakers Are Going Strong BY Grace Petrarca
As we move through these unpredictable times, we must always remember what it means to be an Oaker: Open minded, Accepting, Kind, Encouraging, and Respectful.
As we have hit the ground running for the 2021 to 2022 school year, The Unified Oakers have been keeping busy with Unified Volleyball, planning “U” social activities, and so much more.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Unified Oakers, we are a club that was started by members of the Oaker community, just like you, over four years ago with a sole mission of bringing awareness to the disconnect between the population of typical peers and life skills students. Over the years, as the program has grown, the mission has expanded towards the avocation of all social groups in an environment that fosters acceptance and inclusion. The Unified programs of Rhode Island schools are through the Rhode Island Special Olympics chapter, an organization founded on the principles of inclusion in athletics as well as social events in and out of the school environment.
A new addition to the Unified Oakers is a unified Lounge that is located in the conference room attached to room 120. This is a classroom that can be accessed by all students as a place that encourages positive academic and social collaboration. Please see Mrs. Hoskins in room 120 for more details about how to utilize the Oaker Lounge. An addition to the lounge also includes a mural of the Unified Oaker’s insignia that was painted by the talented Olivia Terra and Blake Studley, Blacke commenting, “ I loved helping to create the mural. It was so awesome hanging out with Olivia and seeing how she works as an artist and comparing it to how I work as an artist and bouncing ideas off each other. I also loved being a part of, in my eyes, a beautification project for our school and Unified Oakers!” Come stop by to check out their amazing work!
As the school year has started with most students back in the building together, the Unified Oakers have been able to visit Tiogue, Western, and Hopkins Hill Elementary School this past September for a High- Five Friday event. This involves the high school students welcoming the elementary school students into school as they arrive off the buses with positive cheers of encouragement and socially distance high five to the students. Students from the football team, Unified Volleyball team and cheerleading team participated in High-Five Friday event to help give a warm Friday welcome to the Coventry community.
The Unified Oakers have also been busy planning our advisory activities for students to come down and collaborate with one another on fun craft and activities with the life skills students. Giving everyone an opportunity to socialize and take a break from the stress of school. If you are interested in coming to our Unified social hours, please contact mrs. Hoskins for more information, all are welcome!
Our Unified Volleyball team has started with a bang this year as we welcome many new underclassman students to build a new foundation for the team. For those unfamiliar, Unified Volleyball is played like a regular volleyball match with some modifications to how the players are allowed to serve the ball and the chances they have to serve. Athletes, the special needs students, are allowed two chances to serve the ball underhand. A requirement of the team is that typical peers can not be playing on the regular school volleyball team so that all students alike can help build each other up as we all have fun learning the ways of volleyball. Our usual practice times are during the advisory portion every B day. However, due to COVID, the team meets only one a week and before games. Even though the team can not meet as often, our Oakers are stepping up to work even harder during the short practices and put in more effort than ever before to meet this year’s competition. If you’re interested in joining our practices, please email Ms. Whitlock for further details. Be on the lookout also for our Unified Volleyball championship game scheduled to come out and support our Unified Oakers.
If you have any questions and or would like to speak with the Unified Oakers in how we can expand inclusion in the school, please contact Mrs. Hoskins or the President of Unified Oakers, Grace Petrarca (22petrarcag@coventyschools.net). As we move through these unpredictable times, we must always remember what it means to be an Oaker: Open minded, Accepting, Kind, Encouraging, and Respectful.
Very nice article!!