Updated Nov. 2
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) announced it will be receiving a national banner recognition from the Special Olympics for its efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities.
High school officials issued a release Friday announcing they will be receiving the recognition on Thursday, Nov. 2, during the second half of the united basketball game that starts at 1:30 pm in the MVRHS gymnasium.
MVRHS is receiving the “distinguished status” by meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from the Special Olympics and education community, according to the release.
“Receiving national banner recognition is truly an outstanding and well-deserved achievement! It shows that they have truly embraced what it means to be inclusive both on and off the playing field, in the classrooms, and in their communities,” Patti Doherty, vice president of schools and community development for Special Olympics Massachusetts, said in the release. “Not only do these schools offer unified sports, youth leadership, and whole-school engagement within their school, but they have elevated it to the next level, and have reached the standards of excellence set forth at a national level.”
MVRHS is also a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, which the release describes as “a strategy for schools pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: unified sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole-school engagement.”
Updated with the changed start time to the basketball game.