Sowing the Seeds of Change- One Pumpkin Patch at a Time |
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| Hello SENIA Peeps,
It's the last few days of October, and for those in North America, pumpkins are everywhere! These bright orange icons of fall adorn our neighborhoods in windows, storefronts, and front porches. One of my family’s favorite traditions is visiting a local pumpkin patch to select that “perfect” pumpkin and sample all sorts of pumpkin flavored food – always a highlight of the month.
Interestingly, SENIA recently had its own "pumpkin patch" experience in India where we awarded our inaugural community outreach scholarship to a remarkable organization. Dr. Gerald Anthony, our Director of Scholarships and Awards, traveled to India and to present this award to Alyx Albuquerque and her team at Pumpkin Patch Design Studios based in Bengaluru. This organization aspires to offer a creative workspace. Here, individuals with diverse abilities collaboratively produce customized products in an inclusive setting.
This notable event came to life through the combined efforts of our colleagues at SENIA India and Bangalore International School.
At SENIA, we deeply value and prioritize supporting individuals and organizations that live our our mission and vision. We're heartened to contribute to our global community in this way.
In the spirit of the season, where pumpkins represent growth, abundance, and the beauty of nature's harvest, we are filled with gratitude and pride to see the seeds of SENIA's mission bearing fruit globally. Our connection with Pumpkin Patch Design Studios and our unwavering support for inclusive spaces exemplifies our commitment to fostering understanding and growth in diverse communities. As the leaves change and the days grow shorter, let's carry forward the spirit of collaboration, community, and inclusion. Thank you, SENIA India and Bangalore International School, for making this possible, and to all our SENIA family, let's continue to sow seeds of change, one pumpkin patch at a time.
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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Update Your Contact Details |
Have you switched departments? Transferred to a new school? Moved to a new country? Ensure we make the move with you by updating your contact details today! |
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On Saturday, October 14, SENIA Malaysia hosted their first event for our community this year. We were graciously hosted by Sharon Lee, owner of Tender Hearts and her amazing team. Sharon is a mother of a child with special needs and decided to start her business in 2016 but moved to the current premise in 2022. She discovered there were limited opportunities for special needs people in the mainstream workforce. And what a wonderful business she has created and cultivated! Our board and the participating members of our networking event were served delicious food and coffee. The service was outstanding and we even had Azri, one of the serving staff to give us a welcome and overview of who Tender Hearts is. During our networking, we rotated through different groups and discussion topics of emotional regulation, inclusive education and external support providers. We had over 20 participants and would like to thank those who attended. Thank you again to Tender Hearts for your generosity for hosting our event.
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The SENIA Bulgaria chapter and Anglo-American School of Sofia had a very successful Inclusion Week in October! We had guest readers in every elementary school classroom, guest speakers talking about their differences (one of the guest speakers, Ivan, spoke about cerebral palsy, for example.) We covered learning differences, race, gender, and most of the spectrum. The Inclusion Week was led by Amanda Frank, our whole school BCBA, behavior specialist and the SENIA Bulgaria team.
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SENIA Outreach Award Ceremony |
October 16, 2023, was not an ordinary Monday, but a Monday of celebration. A full room of family, friends, teachers, and administrators gathered to celebrate the achievements of the SENIA 2023 Outreach Scholarship recipient – Pumpkin Patch Design Studios.
We invite you to take a few minutes to read more about Pumpkin Patch Design Studios' amazing achievements by clicking the button below. |
SENIA World Changer Award |
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Congratulations to Nurfaizah Binti Mohd Shokri as this month’s SENIA World Changer Award winner!
Nurfaizah Binti Mohd Shokri is the head of the special education department at her school, Keningau Vocational College, which is the only inclusive vocational college in Malaysia that offers inclusive programmes for neurodivergent students in her school. She was able to lead her department to ensure the integration and inclusion of neurodivergent learners in various disciplines such as sports and arts while providing support for their needs like sign language interpretation during school events and summer camps. Under her leadership, the students’ performance in national academic examinations as well as co-curricular activities improved significantly. So much so, that the school became a benchmark for other special education centers in the country. Her department accepts all types of learners including those with learning disorders, hearing impairments as well as visual impairments.
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The AISA 2023 conference in Nairobi, Kenya was an inspiring gathering of educators and stakeholders passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in international schools. The highlight of the event was the launch of the AISA DEIJ Guide, Pathways to Transformation, a collaborative effort that reflects the dedication of AISA schools and affiliates.
This comprehensive guide is a valuable resource for educators, offering innovative strategies and best practices for fostering DEIJ in educational settings. The guide's creation involved numerous contributors who shared their expertise, experiences, and insights, making it a rich and diverse repository of ideas.
To delve deeper into this remarkable resource, we invite you to check out the attached video, where conference highlights and the DEIJ Guide's impact are showcased. Spend some time with the guide to unlock new avenues for creating inclusive and equitable learning environments. |
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On Thursday, September 28th, Lori Boll and Andrea Lillis of SENIA teamed up with Heather Naro, Lower School Principal of the International Community School of Abidjan (ICSA), to deliver a presentation on Advancing Inclusive Education at the Association for Advancement of International Education. They highlighted the ongoing collaboration between SENIA and ICSA, aimed at fostering systemic change through professional development. Additionally, Andrea and Heather have co-authored an article that delves into the details of this collaboration. We invite you to take a moment to explore the remarkable progress being made at ICSA by clicking the button title button below.
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Are you or someone you know interested in attending the SENIA virtual conference but don’t have the funding? Take a look at SENIA Virtual Conference Scholarship and apply by Oct 31, 2023. |
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2024 In Person Conference |
Registration is now open for our SENIA Asia 2024: Designing For Inclusion conference at International School Ho Chi Minh City on March 1 - 3. |
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We have two great podcasts for you this month! First, host Lori Boll speaks with Kevin Simpson, the founder of one of SENIA’s partner organizations, AEILOC, which stands for the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color. Kevin and Lori speak about AEILOC’s important work, address privilege, and touch upon the intersectionality between SENIA’s and AEILOC’s missions and visions. Kevin shares the 4 A’s that all international schools should think about when addressing DEIJ work; Acknowledgement, Awareness, Action, & Advocacy.
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In the second podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with G. Cody QJ Goldberg, co-founder and Chief Play Officer of Harper’s Playground which inspires and empowers global communities to build radically inclusive playgrounds. Through storytelling, consulting, and unique design principles, they create playful nature-scapes where people of all ages and abilities find belonging and social connection through play. Lori and Cody discuss the inspiration behind Harper’s Playground, Cody’s belief that a well designed and realized inclusive play space can truly transform a community for the better, and of how schools and communities can design physically inviting, socially inviting, and emotionally inviting spaces.
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What We Are Reading Creating Our Own Lives: College Students with Intellectual Disabilities by Michael Gill and Beth Myers |
Looking for your next good book? I recommend you check out: Creating Our Own Lives: College Students with Intellectual Disability.
The book is a collection of essays by college students with disabilities. Through their essays, the students share about their experiences in college and university, and provide ample evidence to support the idea that students with disabilities belong in higher education.
In "Adventures in Postsecondary Education", Stirling Peebles, an Alum of Think College Vermont at the University of Vermont (UVM) shared her experiences planning for the transition from high school, and how taking part in Think College directly led to her career. She believes that "students with intellectual disabilities need to start thinking and learning about postsecondary education when they are in middle school. Special educators need to be talking about transition planning with students with intellectual disability and their families as early as possible...We want to be valued, respected, and meaningfully employed members of our communities just like everyone else."
In "I Did What They Said I Couldn't" Allen Thomas, a graduate of Appalachian State University’s Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (SDAP) talked about his time in high school and recounted how he overcame the doubt of many teachers in his life and as a result of his post secondary experience he built a social life and is on a career path. This program, and many like it, open up many possibilities to students. In "College Memories but Ready for What’s Next" Amanda Pilkenton, an Alum of Georgia Tech's Excel program credits her readiness to launch into the real world with the fact that she attended a school with diversified experiences. The program integrated peer mentors and coaches into the program which added to the experience and impacted her life in different ways. She said that she "couldn't get through college life without them." I highly encourage you to pick up this collection and read the thoughts of these students. Their stories make clear the value of a college experience and the wealth that inclusion brings to higher education. ~ Reviewed by Kathryn Balsamo |
What We Are Watching All You Hear is Noise
by Ned Castle and Matt Day |
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I was fortunate to watch All You Hear is Noise at the Vermont International Film Festival this past week. By description, All You Hear is Noise follows three Special Olympics athletes—Trent, Chris, and Melanie—through their training for competition in the United Arab Emirates,
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their relationships with their friends, families, and fellow athletes, and the aftermath as they return to the United States. At the Q&A that followed the movie, documentarians Ned Castle and Matt Day expressed that they didn't want their film about three Special Olympics triathletes to be overly sentimental or, as Castle put it, "inspiration porn." Instead, All You Hear is Noise allows the athletes to speak for themselves, and in lieu of being an “uplifting” story about overcoming disability, it shows three people out of thousands who are who they are because of their disability, not in spite of it.
The title of the movie is based on a quote from Chris Wines, one of the athletes portrayed in the movie. Speaking for himself about what it's like to have a disability, he stated, "Imagine being in a room, and as soon as you disclose [your disability], you become the societal outlier," Wines says in the film. "You're there with a group of people, but you're by yourself in a box. And then instead of hearing voices, all you hear is noise."
Melanie Holmes, another athlete featured, said the film has a worthy message. "Even though we have disabilities, we should be treated as everyone else," she said. "We shouldn't be put down."
This movie left me feeling hopeful that if we all interrogate the way the world treats people with disabilities, then collectively we can challenge the rules of a world that marginalizes people for difference. Keep your eyes out for this movie when it becomes available on the various streaming platforms! ~ Reviewed by Kathryn Balsamo |
Level 1 Educator Certification & Coursework |
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Next Course Begins November 6th |
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This 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. We've had parents participate and have gotten good feedback from them as well. Take one course or all six. Educators who take all six earn a SENIA Level One Educator certification. Sign up for all 6 courses now and get one course free. |
Teaching Assistant Certification |
Are you ready to supercharge your impact in the classroom? Step into the world of SENIA's Teaching Assistant Certification Course!
Unleash your passion for empowering students and unlock a treasure trove of knowledge and skills. Delve into the fascinating history of inclusive practices, unravel the mysteries of educational diagnoses, and become a pro at data collection and confidentiality. Master the art of behavior management, discover the secret sauce for positive transitions and routines, and become a friendship-building guru. Are you up for the challenge? Join the SENIA Teaching Assistant Certification Course and embark on an unforgettable learning adventure. Let's make a lasting impact in the lives of our amazing students! |
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| Texthelp's Festival of Inclusive Education
In case you missed it, you can still catch all the sessions for Texthelp's Online Festival of Inclusive Education on demand. We covered a range of topics from the importance of Inclusive Education, to Universal Design for Learning, to Supporting Dyslexia in the maths classroom. Register here: text.help/gtgmYA
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Accessibility notice:
At SENIA, we are working towards making all of our spaces and materials more accessible for all of our community. Should you require any accommodations to ensure resources or events are fully accessible to you, or if you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Hannah Peters at hannah@seniainternational.org.
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