By Liam Verster

Inclusive school award

Harry Balfour School wins National Inclusive Education Award

Apr 16, 2020 | 2:07 PM

Harry Balfour School, which is part of the Peace Wapiti School Division, has won the National Inclusive Education Award from the Canadian Association for Community Living and its provincial member association, Inclusion Alberta.

The award honours a teacher, administrator, school, or school district that has shown commitment to inclusive education.

In order to be eligible for the award, a nomination must be made, and this year Jackie Ryder and Dennis Lodge, the parents of Matthew Lodge, nominated Harry Balfour School (HBS).

Matthew Lodge (left), a Grade 8 student at Harry Balfour School, and his mom, Jackie, announced news of the National Inclusive Education Award win to school staff by displaying billboards from the school parking lot on Thursday, April 9, 2020 (Photo: PWPSD)

Matthew, who is just finishing up Grade 8, has been a student at HBS for two years, and the family says in the letter of nomination that they’ve been impressed with the school from day one.

“From the first day we showed up (unexpectedly) we were met with a positive and welcoming feeling that made us feel at ease. After that one initial visit, we were left wondering if this was too good to be true!”

Jen Clevette, the Principal of Harry Balfour, says the school was inclusive before, but when Matthew enrolled, they got involved with Inclusion Alberta, which has provided supports and services to Matthew and his family before. Through Inclusion Alberta, HBS was able to work with Kaylee Farrel, an Inclusive Education Consultant, who would visit Grande Prairie every few months to work with the teachers.

“[She] would help us find meaningful ways to include Matthew in the classroom and build upon his academic skills. So, it was really a relationship between us and Inclusion Alberta and the parents to determine programming that was suitable for Matthew and meaningful, and meet all the goals that both the school and the parents had for him.”

Matthew was able to attend regular classes, where he participated in group projects, class activities and assignments, though with a modified expectation from the teachers. There weren’t any specific programs or changes to the system to fit Matthew’s needs, but there was a focus put on facilitating his peer relationships and social development, along with his education.

“So the kudos really go to his Educational Assistants, who he’s had a couple of, and his Junior High teachers, Amanda Chandler, Calvin Flint, Jonathan Groff and Jamie Tillotson, who spent many hours looking for ways to ensure that the daily plans that they had were meaningful to Matthew, and for the role that he played in the classroom.”

She says Matthew’s peers also need to be recognized for creating an inclusive environment.

“Matthew joined them in Grade 7, and they were the most caring and empathetic group of students, young adults, that we could ask for. They accepted Matthew into their group without any questions, they make sure birthday parties and weekend plans included him so that he can fully participate. Having Matthew in our school is just a wonderful addition to our entire school community.”

She says Matthew had a lot of success expanding his social network while at Harry Balfour, befriending lots of peers and playing basketball after school, and Clevette wants to make sure he continues to thrive in his next school.

The family’s letter also says HBS has embraced the opportunity, and along with helping Matthew, they’ve found other ways to provide supports to children throughout the school. The letter of nomination says the school celebrates diversity and encourages children to participate in activities revolving around compassion and empathy.

The letter goes on to say that HBS doesn’t just talk about inclusion, they live it, and that the team is constantly checking in with the family and to make sure they are doing what is best for Matthew.

Clevette says, because of the partnership the school has developed with Kaylee and Inclusion Alberta, it has been able to improve its supports and services to address other student’s needs as well.

Clevette has also gone to the lengths of setting up and joining the family in meeting with Matthew’s future high school, something she says she would do for any student transitioning out of the school if needed. Matthew is going to be attending Peace Wapiti Academy in the fall, and she says, like any student, that transition may be difficult for Matthew, so she set up a meeting with the family, Kaylee, and the high school.

“We had our first meeting on what high school will look like for Matthew, and what’s the parent’s vision and how can the school help them see that vision, and what programming would look like for him. He’s had a very successful time at Harry Balfour, thanks to some amazing teachers and a wonderful peer group that is going with him to high school. So, I just think the opportunities are endless for him.”

She adds that the transition from Junior High to High School can be scary or tricky for any student, and she wants to make sure it goes smoothly and that Matthew ends up in a supportive, inclusive environment. She adds that this is something she does with lots of other students, just to make sure they will be able to thrive in the new school.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the award will be presented via a virtual ceremony on May 8, which will be shared on the PWPSD and HBS websites and Facebook pages.