Abstract
This year, CEC HQ is expanding Exceptional Children’s Week (ECW). We know many units have kept up the tradition of ECW and wanted to highlight some great examples.
Exceptional Children’s Week is an annual celebration of students with exceptionalities and the professionals who serve them. This week-long celebration is a national event started by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and we’re excited to bring it back even bigger.
If your state, province, or unit doesn’t have plans for an Exceptional Children’s Week, please join us April 14 - 20, 2024. This Year’s theme is Accessibility for All, with a focus on inclusion and access to assistive and adaptive technology.
Bookmark CEC’s home page www.exceptionalchildren.org for additional information and materials in the coming months.
We interviewed Dr. Damita James, Assistant Executive Director of Middle Georgia RESA/ GLRS Director and Executive Officer with Georgia CEC for her experience organizing and hosting Georgia’s ECW.
What is Exceptional Children’s Week?
Exceptional Children’s Week is a week that is set aside to celebrate the abilities of students with disabilities. During this week, schools across Georgia participate in various activities that bring awareness and inclusion to the school community. It is an opportunity to celebrate and embrace the exceptional skills of the students.
How did it get started?
To be honest, I don’t know how it began. I do know that for as long as I have been an educator in Georgia (over twenty years), we have had themes that have been shared that have been the driving force for the celebratory week.
What was the theme for 2023 and how was that chosen?
2023’s theme was Power in Our Differences. As the chair of the ECW committee, I have used the pulse of education to determine what is a focus for the year. With a lot of districts focusing on themes of inclusivity for their academic year, I thought that the ECW theme needed to make a statement about how we all have different abilities, and that power gives us strength despite our differences.
As far as the selection of the theme the executive and governing board have an opportunity to vote. The winner becomes the theme.
Any advice for units interested in hosting their own?
My advice would be to just start. It doesn’t have to be a full week of activities but getting the students involved is the key. It could be as simply as having a display in the media center of books that highlight individuals with disabilities, t-shirt sales, or having the students to do the morning announcements that week. Be Creative, Be Inclusive, and Have Fun.
Picture courtesy of Ellen Maltais Chapter of CEC. Pictured from left to right: Dr. Damita James, Dr. Jenny Millward, Mrs. Larissa Beecher
What’s your favorite part of planning or hosting exceptional children’s week?
I have two events that are actually my favorites. When we share the ECW theme throughout the state of Georgia, we include a student art contest. We have some really talented students and it is such a pleasure to see what they create using the theme. Some have done videos, clay sculptures, drawings, presentations, poems, and songs to name a few. It is such a heartwarming experience to see what they will create.
The other event that I love is the awards ceremony. The chapter that I was a part of previously held an Exceptional Awards program that includes the same categories that CEC HQ uses to honor students (self-advocacy, technology, art, academics, and transition) along with honoring administrators, teachers (general and special), support staff, community, and business partners who have made an impact in the lives of students with disabilities. This is my absolute favorite event. The students receive a formal invitation to the afterschool event. They have the opportunity to dress up and bring their families to cheer them on. Their picture and the narrative from the person who nominated them for that category are displayed on the projected screen and read much like an Academy Awards show. It is great! The evening concludes with light refreshments and joy in the hearts of all.
Anything else we missed that you want to share?
A lot of districts in Georgia participate in Special Olympics and ECW is a great week to hold the spring games. In addition, many of our schools will have a prom for students and it is also a great time for them to enjoy and reconnect with many of their friends (non-disabled partners are included). It is a fun time.
Thanks again to Dr. James for sharing her experience. Dr. James will be part of the group supporting the CEC HQ initiative to make ECW even bigger. Julie Bost, CEC President- elect, and several other educators are also helping advise CEC on our next steps. We’ll introduce them to you soon.
We hope your unit and chapter can join us in celebrating ECW 2024 this year!
Focus on this: School Mental Health
National school mental health experts will share strategies, resources, and evidence-based practices that will help develop, strengthen, and support mental health services and programs within our schools. Implementation of these supports will accelerate positive results for all children, youth, and staff within our schools.
Interactive Session with College/ University Faculty on Enhancing Pre-Service and In-Service Training on Mental Health for Education Trainees and Staff
This session is intended for college and university faculty involved/interested in pre-service training on mental health (MH) for undergraduate/graduate education majors, and in-service training for education staff to enhance their MH skills.
Healthy Classrooms as Protective Factors for Student Mental Health
Youth spend a great deal of time in classrooms, making classrooms an ideal protective factor and support for youth mental health and wellbeing. The collective effort of districts, schools, and classroom teachers is often overlooked as a powerful source of wellbeing. In this session, we will explore ways to uncover and enhance efforts to support youth mental health and wellbeing in classrooms through a collective effort.
School Mental Health Town Hall Session
Your Opportunity to Engage with The National Experts, Share Insights, Ask Questions, Get Access to Additional Resources, Recommend Future Activities, Supports and Resources.
Working Well: A Focus on Staff Wellbeing with An Equity and Mental Health Lens
This session will address the growing concerns related to teacher and staff wellbeing, including a review of strategies and resources to support a healthy workforce. We will provide an overview of recommended resources (e.g., podcasts, resource directory) developed with practitioner and researcher input. We will highlight the role of staff equity as a foundation for promoting a supportive work environment for both students and staff. We will also consider the importance of staff wellbeing as a cornerstone for student mental and behavioral health. We will conclude with a review of additional resources, tools, and materials freely available through the National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE).
Building Workforce Capacity: A Strategy to Promote Teacher Retention
Schools are emerging from the early clutches of the pandemic, but recent results from the Merrimack College Teacher Survey (2023) suggest that youth mental health continues to adversely affect student learning, educators’ classroom management capacities, and work satisfaction. For example, one respondent said, “We are told to be aware of students’ trauma but do not have the training or skills to assist the students in dealing with trauma.” Educators are attempting to meet the mental health needs of youth without the training needed which increases susceptibility to burnout, demoralization, and turn-over. This session will focus on building educators’ capacities for addressing the mental health needs of students as a strategy to promote teacher competence, job satisfaction, and retention. Accessible professional development resources will also be shared and discussed.