The inclusion assemblies Mead has hosted and Inclusion campaign have had a huge impact on our school.

This year, every student seemed to be involved and cheering on the Unified players. Exceptional learning teacher Ms. Amber Vanzant explained that the purpose of the Unified Basketball game assembly is to let “people who are often left out [become] stars”.

As this was the first in person assembly since the COVID-19 shutdown, Ronan Zachemsky (’24) said that we were “missing a lot of the student [and] teacher energy” and he felt “it was the assembly [that] brought [it] back”.

Trinity Newton (’25) said “the energy in general was just really uplifting”. She enjoyed “bringing up our Unified” team as a school.

Those involved with the Unified Basketball game included Ms. Vanzant, the Unified Basketball team, challenged staff members, and Student Council, who helped push the campaign and organize the assembly.

The inclusion campaign gives everyone the chance to improve and to help grow together and learn how to better include every member of Mead High. The main goal at the beginning of the campaign was to stop use of the “r” word and to spread more awareness of it’s hurtful meaning.

“The Inclusion campaign… has transformed into an effort to raise awareness that people with disabilities are contributing members of society and that including them in our lives, school, and community positively impacts everyone,” said Ms. Vanzant.

The Inclusion campaign soon branched out into a bigger program with a bigger goal. It has helped students with disabilities get the right education and extra help to keep them learning, as well as encouraged the student body to include and accept them. This ensures that all students are learning not only academically, but socially, which leaves them successful at Mead High.

We are all very proud of the accomplishments this program has made and the help that has been given to Inclusion. We are super excited to see this program continue to reach farther and to see all of the positive changes that happen over time. Each assembly helps branch out this program a little farther, making a difference for these students and our community. We hope that we can all continue to grow together and include all.

“[Inclusion] isn’t just important for a week, it’s important every day,” Ms. Vanzant added. “Say hi in the hallways. Invite someone to eat lunch with you that you normally don’t eat with… [G]et a group of friends together to hang out after school and invite people you don’t typically hang out with.”