GEORGETOWN — For the first time in school history, Penn Brook Elementary is partnering with Special Olympics Massachusetts to become a Unified Champion School, celebrating inclusion through sports, youth leadership, and engagement. 

Being a Unified Champion School means that Penn Brook Elementary is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment for students of all abilities through three core components of unified sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. 

The partnership was established through the efforts of Physical Therapist Jenna Loftus, who had previously worked in a Unified Champion School district. In that position, Loftus saw firsthand how being a Unified School promoted inclusion and brought students together to create a supportive community. Recognizing the value a partnership could provide to Georgetown Public Schools, Loftus applied Penn Brook for the Inclusive Schools program.

“This is my first year in Georgetown and I am very excited to be a part of the Georgetown community. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to promote inclusion and provide inclusion learning opportunities which will help us move forward toward our goal for Georgetown to be recognized as a Unified Champion School District,” said Loftus. 

Penn Brook Elementary will uphold this commitment during the next school year by creating opportunities for inclusion through lunch buddy programs, morning announcements, and more.

On March 4 and 11, representatives from Spaulding Adaptive Sports will be making a visit to Penn Brook, where they will lead students in a conversation on equity and inclusion in sports, teaching about the experience of being an athlete with challenges.

To put their teachings into practice, Spaulding Adaptive Sports will lead a game of wheelchair basketball, giving abled students perspective into the challenges and hurdles that others may face.

“We are beyond proud to become a Unified Champion School,” said Superintendent Dr. Margaret Ferrick. “As a District, we strive for all students to feel empowered, understood and valued. By embracing the power of inclusion as a Unified Champion School, we hope our students are challenged to become more perspective as they continue to move through life.”

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