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Inclusive teacher gets national nod

One big community. It’s something McNair secondary teacher Kate Campbell has helped develop for students of all ages and abilities, and recently she was recognized for her efforts.
Kate Campbell
McNair secondary teacher Kate Campbell with her National Inclusive Education Award. Photo submitted

One big community.
It’s something McNair secondary teacher Kate Campbell has helped develop for students of all ages and abilities, and recently she was recognized for her efforts.
This June, the former art instructor — who as McNair’s resource support teacher, created the school’s ACCESS learning program — received a National Inclusive Education Award from the Canadian Association for Community Living and Inclusion BC.
The program provides students and educators with tools that promote the full participation of students with special needs in their classes, regardless of grade or academic level. Under the program, Campbell ensures students attend at least one academic class per term, as well as other events, such as assemblies, field trips and graduation ceremonies.
“I was very honoured to accept the award because it’s something that I’ve worked pretty hard to create here at the school,” Campbell said. “Richmond, itself, is very inclusive. The school district has had a history of inclusion for some 20-odd years. And I’ve been working to get students included in not just elective classes, but academic ones, as well.”
She has accomplished this, in part, by employing the Universal Design for Learning — a system that makes modifications to the school curriculum that are more aligned with the actual content in the classroom.
“So, it (classroom work) ends up being at maybe a lower grade level or a similar base idea of the same learning the other kids are doing,” she said.
The overall result is a fully developed, integrated school community that values and respects its diversity.
“There’s an incredible sense of community among the students. And students within the ACCESS program, my program, are just a part of the whole school community. There’s not a separation,” she said.  “The students are well-known by the entire school community and included by everyone. It’s an incredible thing to see how it all works.”
That across-the-board welcome provides benefits for the entire school population, she added.
“Often, with students with modifications in the class, it can create more entry points in the curriculum. And that provides more access points for all learners in the classroom, regardless of their ability,” Campbell said.
It also instils a sense of compassion among the students.
“It helps them understand other people and their differences,” Campbell said. “Everyone wants to feel included and valued in their community. By having that sense of inclusion and community right from the get-go in a school, creates more socially responsible adults and allows them the chance to show compassion and understanding of everyone.”
Campbell got her start in education as an art teacher, a position that showed her a need to develop more tools to allow all of her students, especially those with special needs, to thrive.
“Within my first (teaching) contract I had students in my class who had exceptional needs that I felt I wasn’t meeting,” she said, adding that convinced her to go back to school and attain the additional training she required to run the school’s ACCESS learning program.