Winter Is Coming...For Some of Us |
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| Hello SENIA friends,
This past weekend, my family and I drove up to our local mountain in the Pacific Northwest of the United States to hike through the snow covered forest. I have not always had the winter experience as I lived in tropical climates, mostly in S.E. Asia for many years. So, each time I see snow for the first time each year, I'm stunned by its beauty. I'm also filled with hope and excitement about the season to come. Many of you are have just finished your first few months of school and are well into your first set of parent-teacher conferences. While this may cause stress for parents and teachers alike, my hope is that we all come together to find the strengths of our students, discover what makes them tick, and create common goals. Just as I feel when I see that first snowflake, I hope you feel that jolt of excitement after each conference, knowing that with the guidance of your students and the teamwork of the parents and teachers, you will all share in the joy and hopefulness of the rest of the year to come. We have so much to share with you this month, so please read on to learn more about our scholarship opportunities, a member school highlight, SENIA youth happenings, and more. Lori Boll
SENIA International Executive Director Friendly Reminder: We have lots to share in our newsletter. When you see 3 dots, be sure to click "see more" so you don't miss out on anything. |
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Congratulations to Lana Abon as the SENIA World Change Award winner for October!
Lana Abon is a special education teacher in the rural area of Sabah, a Malaysian island state. She teaches students with hearing impairments and students with learning disorders. She has successfully trained three special needs students to qualify for Asian English Olympics, the most prestigious English language competition in Asia, in the storytelling category. The three students became the first special needs learners to ever compete in the event in 2021. This unprecedented achievement has broken another barrier for special needs learners in the region which proved that such learners can compete in events that are often reserved for non-disabled learners. The news on these students’ participation in that renowned competition became viral on the local social media pages which inspired many educators. She regularly organizes field trips for her students to travel around Sabah which she managed to finance via fundraising activities that she initiated for this specific purpose.
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In June we launched our membership program and are thrilled to continue building our network of schools around the world. As of this writing, SENIA has 23 Member schools, all enjoying the many benefits of membership; from discounts to our in-person conferences, Q & A sessions with SENIA board members, and entry into our private, confidential network, SENIA schools are doing great things.
Maya Nelson, Head of School of Jakarta Intercultural School, has this to say about membership. "It is a great privilege to be able to join the SENIA team. As inclusive international schools, we have the opportunity to learn about best practices for students with neuro-diversities through this organization. SENIA provides superb professional learning experiences and supports not only teachers in their growth as educators and practitioners, but also students, parents, and school communities in understanding how to best create environments suitable for all individuals. JIS is proud to be a SENIA school and looks forward to continued years of partnership and learning!"
We hope your school will join us soon. If you are not affiliated with a school, you can join as an individual and enjoy many of the same benefits. |
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Member School Highlight: ASOCIACION ESCUELAS LINCOLN |
Asociacion Escuelas Lincoln became a SENIA member school in July 2022 and the Lincoln Communications Team recently shared the following blog post about their movement towards inclusion: |
Join Us and Our Member Schools |
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The Inclusion Revolution's Unified Exchange : BearFIT and Bocce event - on the 17th of September, was an incredibly fun, active, and collaborative event. This took place in International School Manila (ISM)’s Elementary School field, and the event involved members of the Inclusion Revolution Club who each worked hand in hand with a unified partner from Special Olympics Pilipinas. The whole event ran from 2 to 6 pm and from there we built an interconnected and united community. The entirety of the event was spent bonding with our unified partners through carrying out various physical activities. We were given a set of workouts that we did together with our partners; the exercises varied from burpees, dumbbell carries, air squats, and sit ups. In addition to that, there were mini dance breaks in between workouts; in which everyone gathered by the stage and watched a unified partner and IRC member dance together, thus following along to whatever dance moves they did. Later on, we took turns playing a fun game of bocce ball; and even though there were wins and losses, they did not matter. What truly mattered was that everybody had a good time.Through accomplishing each activity alongside our unified partner, we all formed strong and meaningful bonds with the members of Special Olympics Pilipinas. Events like these harmonize Inclusion Revolutions core goals; to promote inclusion and unification of all people in the community (both inside and outside of ISM), and to be a support system for those who need it.
~ Casey Gotuaco SENIA Youth, Social Media Team Lead |
SENIA Certification Program Next Course Begins November 7th |
Our coursework is perfect for the beginning to intermediate level Learning Support teacher or general educators who want to learn more about supporting students with learning differences. Take one course or all six. Educators who take all six earn a SENIA Level One certification and badge for their resume and email signature. Our November course is entitled "Universal Supports" In January, we'll be offering "Supporting the Whole Child". Sign up for all 6 course now and get one course free. Enrollment is on a rolling basis; start at anytime.
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Scholarship Opportunities Student Award |
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From October 11 – October 20th, SENIA Beijing teamed up with international partners including Venture Education, King’s College London, and University of West London to host a symposium about the influence of wellbeing on classroom practices. Host Mr. Julian Fisher met with a panel including Ms. Dominique Blue, Ms. Juliane Karlsson, and Ms. Stephanie Tebow to discuss how wellbeing is practiced overall and specifically in the China context. It was a wonderful session for all with participants giving very positive feedback about the event. Thank you to Ms. Janice Pineda, SENIA Beijng Events Chair, for coordinating a wonderful experience.
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In anticipation of our upcoming November 28th live session with Temple Grandin, I recently watched her TED Ed talk, The World Needs All Kinds of Minds. This short, 20 minute video is easily accessible on Youtube and challenges teachers to embrace and motivate diverse thinkers. Near the end of the video Grandin states, “If you were to get rid of all the Autism genetics, there would be no more Silicon Valley” (16:33). We do not need to solve diversity or “fix” neurodivergence, we need to support all learners in pursuing their interests, foster diverse thinking, and promote varied perspectives. Throughout the video, Grandin provides personal examples of how her visual thinking differs from other types of thinking and how she has used that strength to benefit society. She even goes on to say that her passion is making the world a better place. As educators, isn’t our goal also to make a difference in the world? The best way we can do that is affecting change through students. Do I have your interest yet? Sign up to join us on November 28th to hear from Temple herself.
~ Reviewed by Andrea Lillis, Executive Assistant |
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Karen by Marie Killilea
As a child I remember spending time in front of the many math books my Dad kept in his ‘home office’, while this may seem like quite an ordinary activity I was faced with a dilemma. Amongst the teacher editions and student texts there was a rather tattered, dog eared paperback which always caught my eye. This book was Karen by Marie Killilea, a true story about a young girl’s life with cerebral palsy written by her mother Marie. Unaware of the content it was Karen’s smiling freckled face in between two blond braids that enticed me to one day gently lift it from the shelf. I greedily grabbed it and with my awkward gait made a beeline to the couch and read. From the first page, I was hooked.
The most special moment of that day was when my precious Dad shared that it was this book that made him first wonder if his one and only daughter also may have cerebral palsy. Now so many years later after celebrating my first of many World Cerebral Palsy days, I have once again reached for my own copy of Karen and am reading it with renewed purpose. I look forward to embracing a rollercoaster of emotions, with the turn of each page and learning as my Dad did. After all, he, similarly to Karen’s mom Marie, was my greatest cheerleader and with this in mind I leave you with this quote
"A wonderful story of human courage, patience, and triumph. But you'll want to read it most for Karen's own words: 'I can walk, I can talk. I can read. I can write. I can do anything." - The New York Times
Happy Reading Written by Nicole Demos (SENIA Europe Board Member) |
We are busy planning two great conferences that are guaranteed to offer something for everyone:
20 Years of SENIA, The Inclusion Revolution (Virtual, December 2 - 4, 2022) and SENIA Africa: Beyond the Label (Johannesburg, South Africa, February 16 - 18, 2022)
To ensure you are up-to-date on all of the conference news, we have introduced a mid-month Conference Blast message. Watch your inbox for more information coming soon. |
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Want the latest insights but don't have the time? The MARIO Framework has got you covered– sign up for their newsletter today: |
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Live Speaker Series Reminder |
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If you are registered for our upcoming virtual conference, remember to also sign up for our amazing line up of live presentations. This intimate live speaker series started this week with Robyn Stack Reagan and Cheri Dotterer and will continue throughout November. |
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