Inclusive Schools Hall 2023

Learn how Annandale High School, Poplar Tree Elementary School, and Woodson High School support a culture of inclusion.

Our virtual inclusive schools hall, as part of our annual Special Education Conference, features schools who have highlighted and shared the ways in which they support a culture of inclusion.  

Featured Schools

Annandale High School: Inclusion Revolution

Best BuddiesAnnandale High School Logo

At Annandale, Best Buddies focuses on creating strong friendships between students with and without disabilities, and making our school a more inclusive place for each student.

Best Buddies is an organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Group photo of Best Buddies at Annandale High School
Best Buddies class activity at Annandale High School
Photo collage of Annandale High School Best Buddies participants.

Crescendo Orchestra

At Annandale, our students with disabilities have access to inclusion through our Crescendo Orchestra!

Special Olympics FanQuest

Special Olympics FanQuest Pep Rally

Poplar Tree Elementary School: Inclusive Book ClubPoplar Tree Logo

Mandy Walter's class at Poplar Tree Elementary School uses a Literacy Planner to develop an inclusive book club.

Getting Started
The 2021 PRC Literacy Planner uses chapter books alongside traditional guides for phrases and language.  This creates unique opportunities for an inclusive book club.  ​​​During the third marking period, Mandy Walter's class partnered with a group of fourth graders for a weekly book club.

Picking a Book
The Literacy Planner has a list of 12 books already prepped with directions on how to hold a book tasting! Ms. Walter's class chose Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. Her class used BookShare which allows for a variety of visually accessible options, such as highlighting words as they are being read

Planning out the Chapters
Ms. Walter's class began reading two chapters a week, expanding up to five chapters by the end of the marking period. They started out describing character traits, adding in details as they learned about them. They even got a bonus clue from the author!

Talking About the Book
Everyone (both students with and without disabilities) used a communication board to talk about things that happened in the book, such as characters they liked and those they didn’t like.

Poplar Tree book club students gathered around communication devices.
Book tasting menu: Picture symbols to assist students in communicating what book they like for book club.
The Book Share screen reader highlights words as they are being read.
Character Traits: A visual aide, created by students to describe the main character of the book.
Tweet from the author, Chris Grabenstein, about a character in the book.
A group of students using communication boards to talk about the book.
A student and his friend using a communication device and communication boards to talk about the book.
A student, his speech and language pathologist and a friends talk about a character he did not like in the book.
A student using her communication device to talk about the book.
Nuvoice being used to assist students to talk about characters in the book.

Inclusion at Woodson High SchoolWoodson Logo

Partnership

Partnership is an inclusive leadership class where students with and without disabilities are educated together. Students learn about disabilities and how to have conversations with people who are different from them. It's an opportunity for students to learn from each other and to make connections that will last well beyond their time at Woodson.

Buddies

Buddies is a student-led after school club that welcomes students of all abilities. Buddies generally holds monthly events focused on seasonal events and holiday celebrations.

Special Olympics Unified Sports

Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Woodson has active teams throughout the school year with teams playing soccer, basketball, and track and field.

Five high school students smiling and looking at the camera. Two students are holding small painted pumpkins. One student is in a wheelchair and has an AAC device.
A group of about 25 students standing on an outdoor basketball court in a group and smiling at the camera.
Seven students sitting at a long, rectangular cafeteria table looking at the camera and smiling. Students are making snowmen out of marshmallows, pretzels, and chocolate chips.
Nine high school basketball players and three coaches standing in a group and looking at the camera. They are standing in front of a wall in an indoor basketball court.
Eleven high school soccer players and three coaches standing in a group and smiling at the camera. They are standing outside on a soccer field.
Poster that says "Spread the Word to End the Word" with many signatures of people who are committed to stop using the "r-word."
A group of about 30 students and adults standing in a group and looking at the camera. They are inside on a basketball court.
A group of high school basketball players sitting on the bench at the sideline of the George Mason University basketball court in Eagle Bank Arena.

Special Education Conference 2023

Our 18th Annual Special Education Conference was held Saturday, April 29, 2023. Presentation recordings are now available.

Inclusive Schools Week 2022

FCPS schools celebrate Inclusive Schools Week's 2022 theme: Unity Within Our Community.

Special Education Conference: Exhibit Hall

Our virtual exhibit hall features FCPS offices and programs, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.