I recently had the pleasure of visiting the “Upper Campus” of the Dr. William W. Henderson K-12 Inclusion School, located off Washington Street in the Ashmont section of Dorchester. The school serves over 800 students, with K0-Grade 1 classes in its original building on Dorchester Avenue a mile away. One of the first BPS full-inclusion schools in 1989, it was renamed after its founding principal in 2009 and expanded to serve students through Grade 12.

In the Henderson Transition Program for 18-22 year old students with special needs, Matthew Reggiannini is meeting with students who are tallying data about teacher choices for a weekly “Sub Club” — one of many life skill activities that include school service jobs, internships, and classes at UMass.

Every classroom has two teachers, and students are engaged in a variety of independent and small group activities. Chakiela Williams is introducing second graders to new vocabulary words, while third graders are working in groups on math — e.g. learning how to round numbers to the nearest 10 with MaryBeth Gregory. Fifth graders in P.E. with Lauren Hillberg are doing push-ups in a variety of ways: on the ground, against a wall, or — in the case of one student in a wheelchair — pushing against a classmate’s hands.

History teacher Oliver Haydock is helping his class learn about the 1791 Haitian Revolution, while Mirline Alexis is teaching her Pre-Calculus students how to solve and graph inequalities. Tenth grade students tell me they’ve learned to “focus on getting better grades by asking questions and participating more” in their classes this year.

School leaders and parents have written eloquently about the Henderson, a testament to the strong sense of community developed by “inclusion done right” over many years. According to Roy Karp, a parent writing in the Dorchester Reporter: “Inclusion is a way to be in community together, to celebrate that difference is normal, and appreciate that we all thrive when everyone is welcomed and fully included.”

Happy Spring!

Amika Kemmler-Ernst, Ed.D. amika45@gmail.com

Ms. Kim was helping us with our math. We’re learning. how to multiply and divide. We’ve also learned that some frogs are poisonous and when they hatch, they eat their shell. The baby frogs are called polywogs or tadpoles.

~ Trae Brown, Kyre Smith, Juliana Peña, & Yahil Peña, Grade 3

We were doing math with Ms. Gregory. We are learning to round numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. In ELA we are learning how to write poems and paragraphs with topic sentences.

~ Grade 3 students of MaryBeth Gregory & Erin Atwood

In this picture we were learning new vocabulary words with Ms. Williams. In math we’re learning how to use a number line, measure, and solve equations. In science we learned that landforms are eroded by wind, water, and ice.

Grade 2 students of Chakiela Williams & Laureen Louiny

Our World History teacher, Mr. Haydock. was helping us learn about the Haitian Revolution. In Chemistry we have electives and I’ve learned how to fix cars and build robots.

~ Seven Artavia Grant, Grade 11

We’re talking to Coach Parker in gym class. This year we’ve learned to focus on getting better grades by asking questions and participating more in class.

~ Tin Ny Boykin & Angel Toussaint, Grade 10

We were doing push-ups with Ms. Hilbert. We’re learning how our bodies move. We are getting stronger and faster with gym activities.

~ Demecia Ellis & Cristal Valdera Grullart, Grade 5

I’m solving and graphing inequalities in my pre-calculus class, and Ms. Alexis is giving me feedback on a question I had. This year I’ve learned to be persistent, to try again when I fail at something.

~ Gabriel Echavaria, Grade 12

 

We were working with Mr. Regg on a menu tally for our “Sub Club” — finding out what kind of sandwiches teachers wanted for lunch that Friday. We’ve learned many things in our Transition Class. In doing this project we’ve learned how to organize data, make sandwiches, and that teachers like tuna best!

~ Catherine Sansone, Lidianny Texeira & José Riosbello