Taking a Stand For Inclusion...

[Guest guest]

Good morning,

I don't know about you guys, but Aubrey's just two months into the middle school

experience and this Mom isn't going to let her be excluded anymore. I have had

it!!!

Your prayers are appreciated!

Desi

(Mom to Aubrey, 12, PDDNOS, DSTrisomy21, hearing impaired and most likely OCD,

too)

----- Forwarded Message ----

Sent: Mon, November 1, 2010 8:47:19 AM

Subject: Re: Monday Nov. 1st

Good morning,

I apologize for not emailing you sooner but did not have access to my computer

during school hours on Friday.

As we are still extremely desirous for Aubrey's opportunity to be fully included

in her second band event this evening-as she was not included in the last band

field trip-please see below-

Regarding your email.

You wrote:

" I spoke to Mr. Vongvithayamathakul and he said that there is plenty of room for

you, Aubrey, and Ms. Webster on the buses. As stated on the Field Trip Form,

students are to report at 5:00, and the buses leave at 5:15. "

 

As this is a school sanctioned event that leaves from your campus, are each

of the other band parents required to attend and ride on the bus and attend this

event with their children as I seem to be required to? Why is Aubrey not enabled

to go on this field trip with the usual ST support that she receives in school?

You wrote:

" As we consider this option, however, we should also consider how issues of

overstimulation, tiredness, and hunger may affect her as that day ends up being

a very long and very full day. "

 

Do you consider these factors as they relate to all students and their ability

to attend this event? All students can be affected by overstimulation, fatigue

and hunger if these needs are not addressed.

 

It truly sounds like you are discouraging Aubrey from attending this event. Once

again, the message is clearly sent to our family that Aubrey's presence is not

desired. Please know that no matter how uncomfortable we are made to be, that we

will not waiver from our desire to make her school experience as inclusive as it

has been over the past few years as her IEP calls for.

 

This is the second attempt that our family has made to have Aubrey included in a

school sanctioned field trip that has met great resistance from your school. As

I mentioned in our IEP and conversations that we had last month, by not

appropriately including Aubrey in the activities that her peers are able to

attend, (i.e. sitting off in the corners at lunch far away from her peers

instead of eating alongside her peers as she has for years in school) we are

sending her peers the clear message that she is not an equal and teaching them

that she should not be treated as such.

 

Thus, in essence, we are teaching her peers to discriminate against her.

 

As a family, we know that Aubrey has the right to have the same opportunites and

cherished memories of middle school that any other seventh grader there has had

the opportunity to have. For the most part this year, from our perspective, we

have experienced an ongoing struggle and discouragement from the clear message

being sent by your school, over and over again, that Aubrey will be kept on the

perimeter of her school experience. Without sincere inclusion, Aubrey will view

her middle school experience from the outside-and ultimately be heartbroken.

Though Aubrey is unable to articulate this-it is our responsibility to do so!

 

We look forward to hearing your solution as to how you will enable Aubrey to be

appropriately included in this event by the end of the school day.

 

Mahalo!

The McKenzies

 

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________

From: " Blake_Tsuha/HIGHLAND/HIDOE@... "

To: Desi McKenzie

Cc: Amy_son/HIGHLAND/HIDOE@...;

Kainoa_Dang/LEEDO/HIDOE@...; kenui07@...;

mredge808@...; Dr. Jana ; rrowe@...;

_Croucher/LEEDO/HIDOE@...;

_Sakurai/HIGHLAND/HIDOE@...;

CHRISTOPHER_VONGVITHAYAMATHAKUL/HIGHLAND/HIDOE@...;

awebsteroahu@...

Sent: Thu, October 28, 2010 3:50:38 PM

Subject: Monday Nov. 1st

I will be out tomorrow, so you may respond to this email by emailing

highlandsssc@....

I spoke to Mr. Vongvithayamathakul and he said that there is plenty of room for

you, Aubrey, and Ms. Webster on the buses. As stated on the Field Trip Form,

students are to report at 5:00, and the buses leave at 5:15. As we consider this

option, however, we should also consider how issues of overstimulation,

tiredness, and hunger may affect her as that day ends up being a very long and

very full day.

Should Aubrey meet them at Aloha Stadium, I sent a map home that details where

the HIS students will be entering the stadium and where they will be sitting.

The students should arrive around 5:45-6:00 depending on traffic.

Per her normal schedule, Aubrey is scheduled to go to Mililani Town Center from

2:30 - 4:30 as usual.

Please let me know via email as to your decision so I can inform Ms. Webster

where to meet you and when.

Thank you very much.

Blake